#but I’m moving two hours away from the city that’s been my current home for the past 4 years. and not only that

[leahcee]

packing is like oh my memory boxes let’s go through memory lane and then sobbing silently as you go through all your stuff and then pulling yourself together to finish packing everything else in your room

[love-quinn]

— REPAYMENTS

summary — carmen accidentally loses his chance with you after you all-but ask him out. luckily for him, you're sitting two tables away from the kitchen he runs.

warnings — swearing, smoking, i think that's it?

pairing — carmen berzatto x fem!reader

pronouns — she/her, reader is explicitly mentioned to be a girl

word count — 2.2k

note — i am still finding my footing writing for carmen so this has just been trial and error, i hope you enjoy this!!! thank you for 100 followers, i appreciate it so much omg <333

It's fairly well-agreed upon that family and business should never be mixed. Whoever said that had probably never met Natalie Berzatto. His sister infuriates him, but if Carmen is being honest that’s usually because she’s just there. She doesn’t pick fights, but she will call him out on his bullshit, even if he doesn’t appreciate it in the moment. Out of all of his relatives to be closely working with, Sugar was probably his best option.

No, it was far more likely that the coiner of that phrase did meet Richie.

Carmen loved Richie deep down. He would do a lot for Richie, and he’s seen firsthand that Richie would do a lot for him. But it’s really hard to remember that when Carmen’s having to leave the kitchen to go and talk to a table because something’s gone wrong.

“‘I’ll handle it,’” he mocks Richie under his breath. “‘Calm the fuck down, Carmen, I’m Richie and I’ll handle it even though I’m fucking incompetent.’” He abandons his station to go out into the dining room, already feeling a headache brewing behind his eyes. “Handle it, my ass.”

It’s a fairly simple problem to sort out, just an old man who was bound to complain about something wanting to talk to the owner about it. Carmen smiles and nods and apologizes and makes a note to comp that part of the meal and go chain smoke about it later. 

It’s not the interaction that causes Carmen’s chest to constrict, it’s what he sees on the way in. 

Usually, Carmen is safely in the back. He stays in his section, he spends each night being hyper aware of everything that goes on in the kitchen, and he doesn’t have to worry about anything outside of the kitchen (it took a second for that last part to be true, but he does trust Richie and Natalie enough to handle things out in the dining room. 

But of course he happens to be out in the dining room on the same night that you’re there.

He almost didn’t recognise you, the room isn’t very well-lit and he only met you once. It was about two weeks ago, but he’s thought about it quite a lot since. It had been two in the morning and he didn’t even remember what he’d needed but he’d ended up at the 24-hour convenience store down the street from his place. 

The fluorescent lights had been flickering and you had been standing right in front of the refrigerator he needed. You had been browsing the fucking chips or something and Carmen was too busy controlling the tapping of his foot so you wouldn’t hear it.

“Sorry, am I in your way?”

His head snapped up, eyes locking with yours. “Yeah.”

You tried not to frown at his bluntness, just raising your eyebrows and moving out of the way. Carmen yanked open the fridge door, rubbing his face to stop his eyes from drooping closed. He’d just left the restaurant and just wanted milk before he went home. His hand dropped and he opened his eyes to look for the milk only to find the slider-shelf thing that contained his usual stuff was completely empty. “Fuck.”

You were a few feet away, still making your way down the aisle, but you glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. The last bottle of yellow-capped milk is currently sitting in the basket dangling from your elbow. You finished up and decided to just make your way to the front, cutting your losses about getting more snacks.

You’re not usually up at 2am, but one of your friends was stopping by in the city for a few days and the two of you had gotten home from a late movie still wanting to spend time together so you’d ducked down to the store for some more snacks. 

You had put a few of your items on the counter for the store clerk to scan by the time he got to the front, and you pretend not to notice him. The clerk looked so exhausted you didn’t even try to make small talk, just flashing him a soft smile while he put your stuff in a plastic bag. While you were paying, the clerk turned his head to the guy behind you to see what he wanted. 

It was the guy from the fridge and he mumbled something about cigarettes. The clerk handed you back your card and your receipt before turning back to the cabinet for the cigarettes.

Carmen didn’t even care they didn’t have the usual type he liked, he just needed a smoke soon or his chest would cave in. He slapped the bills on the counter, grabbed the pack and was out the door before you had turned around. 

He smoked almost directly outside the door to the store, and you had to walk past him to get back to your building. Usually, when guys were dicks out in public to you, you’d ignore it and you’d move on. But this guy looked so defeated that you almost felt bad for him. 

He was sitting on the sidewalk, head buried between his knees. You tried not to make it obvious that you were looking at him but he looked so sad that you felt a begrudging amount of empathy for him. You dug the bottle of milk out of your bag and put it on the sidewalk next to him.

Carmen’s head shot up at the sound, looking back and forth between you and the bottle. “What?”

“You look like you need it more than I do.” If you were being honest, it did make you feel a little smug that he was slightly rude to you earlier and now you were being nice to him, but it was mostly out of concern.

Carmen’s mouth was dry, and he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, hauling himself to his feet with the bottle in hand. “No, you don’t have to do that. Take your milk.”

“I don’t even want it,” you said. “Seriously, dude.”

Carmen looked down at the bottle of milk in his hand. “Now I feel bad for being an ass.”

You nodded. “You should.”

Carmen gave a tired laugh and you finally noticed how bright his blue eyes were, even in the dark street. “I’m usually not. An asshole, I mean. Well, no, actually. I… am making this worse.”

You watched him, amused, and Carmen felt his throat constrict at the sound of your laugh. “Way to sell yourself. You’re really making a meal out of this, aren’t you?”

“It’s what I do best,” he said absentmindedly. “I’m, uh, Carmen.” He tried to shake your hand but with the cigarette in one and the milk in the other, he couldn’t find a way to do it. Then he had the thought that nobody shakes hands anymore, and felt stupid for the whole thing. 

You weren’t in the habit of giving your name to strangers, especially not men you met outside the convenience store at two in the morning. “Just Carmen?”

Carmen hadn’t expected that to be your response, and he blacked out for a half second where he forgot his own last name, “Berzatto.” 

“Carmen Berzatto.” You nodded, knowing to give the name to your friend later, just for safety. You told him your own name, not bothering to shake his hand. 

You dug around in your purse quickly, grabbing your receipt and hoping you had a pen. You didn’t but you did find an old eyeliner in the bottom that would work. Carmen had taken a stance of leaning against the wall, smoking his cigarette and trying not to fall asleep standing up. If he was honest, he assumed you’d walk away after that, so he was surprised when he felt you press a piece of paper into his hand. “Your receipt. For the milk” Your smile was sweet and he didn’t even process that you’d scrawled your phone number on the back until you’d walked away.

That had been two weeks ago, and he hadn’t seen you since.

He bursts back through the kitchen. You’re sitting at table nine with two other women, and his number one priority is finding Richie. Or Natalie, someone who works out in the dining room and can do what he needs them to. 

Richie, as if he heard Carmen’s mental plea, is right behind him. “I need two more mushroom risotto for table fifteen and for table nine-”

“Cousin,” Carmen interrupts. “The, uh, table nine. They’re not gonna pay.”

Richie took that the wrong way, leaning down to talk right in Carmen’s ear conspiratorially. “They’re dashers? You want me to take ‘em down? I’ll go out there and fuck them up, you give me two seconds and twenty dollars and I’ll-”

“Richie!” Carmen shoved him. “No, they’re…” He’s been so pissed off with Richie lately, more so than usual. He’d gone back to the restaurant the day after meeting you, dumping his jacket in his office, receipt on the desk with every intention to at least text you during his break.

And then Richie had spit his gum into the receipt and thrown it out. 

“Listen. One of the girls, she’s… They’re just eating for free, okay?” Carmen lets himself sound desperate, maybe that will stop Richie from making fun of him.

Richie looks down at him, eyebrows raised. “You… alright, yeah. Good. Don’t make your girl pay. Good. Does she know you run this place?” 

Carmen shakes his head. “No, I kinda messed things up with her. I need everything to go good tonight, okay? Can you do that for me?”

Richie saluted. “You got it, cousin. Food’ll be good she’ll forget what a massive prick you are.”

That’s probably the best he’s gonna get, so he takes it. Then, he gets to work. He gets your order from Richie and the kitchen makes it in record time. Then, when it’s done, Carmen makes sure he’s the one to run the food.

You didn’t know what you’d been expecting when your friends had invited you out to a new restaurant, but it hadn’t been to see the guy you’d met at a convenience store in the middle of the night to be presenting you with your meal.

You’d liked Carmen, but it had been a while and you only met him for a few minutes. Once the sting of rejection had worn off, you’d almost forgotten about the encounter. He puts your dinner in front of you and practically bows. “Carmen,” you muse, mostly just taken aback. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

“I’m the owner,” he says, trying to ignore the way your friends are looking at him. “I saw you and I… I’m not really good at this shit, but I, uh. I meant to call you.” He sounds earnest, and he looks somewhat embarrassed by the amount of eyes on him. “I wanted to, I just lost your number and I didn’t know how else to talk to you but I wanted to call you.”

You watch Carmen as he speaks and the longer you’re silent, the worse he feels about it. He can’t read the expression on your face and he’s really regretting insisting that he walked your meals, he should’ve just sent Richie. But he also knew that it would seem more genuine if he did it in person. 

“So far you’re oh-for-two in terms of not looking like an asshole,” your tone is light and a bright smile is worming its way onto your face. Your lipgloss shines under the light and Carmen can’t stop looking at it. 

Carmen swallows, wiping his hands as inconspicuously on his pants. “Would it make it better if I told you that I already got your meals comped?”

“I mean,” you say, tilting your head up at him. “Yeah, that’ll do it, yeah.”

“I owe it to you,” he points out. “For the milk. Let me just go grab your receipt, enjoy your meals.” He flashes an awkward smile over at the two women you’re with, not noticing the way you’re looking up at him.

He walks away and your eyes follow him back into the kitchen. You had just assumed he didn’t really like you, so the idea that maybe he liked you so much he was willing to give you complimentary meals slightly overwhelmed you. Your friends swarm you the second he’s gone and you relay your very limited history with Carmen.

You almost forgot what it feels like to be in the earliest stages of romance. Slightly awkward flirting, fleeting glances, the butterflies in your stomach when you realize that the other person likes you just as much as you like them.

You don’t know much about Carmen aside from the fact that he’s apparently an insomniac who owns and runs a restaurant, has really pretty eyes and likes you. That was the part that got you. He likes you enough to come out and talk to you.

In fact, he likes you so much that once he goes back in the kitchen he dodges Richie’s attempts at a high five, and prints out your now-free bill. He likes you so much that he digs through his desk for the only working pen to scribble something on the bottom where the tip number would usually be. And, something that makes you positively giddy, he likes you so much that when he hands you the check with his number printed towards the bottom.

[saythenametotheworld]

Closer, Faster [1] | cvnn

Genre: catching feelings; strangers to lovers; smut Synopsis: For good reason, you have forbidden yourself to get emotionally attached to temporary people until Vernon comes walking in and wrecks you to your very core. Pairing: SEVENTEEN Vernon x Reader Warnings: mature themes, explicit sexual content, what's the opposite of slow burn? LONG FIC! Notes: 22k words, song prompt was Closer, Faster by Against the Current. 22k and it's just the first part? Crazy, ik. I feel the need to explain that the reason I write long fics is because I'm a massive yapper irl

As you walked down the halls of your university, you could hear the campus buzzing with excitement and vibrant energy. Around you, students were rushing to submit final assignments or hurrying from one place to another, taking care of last-minute tasks on the final day of the semester. Some had disheveled hair and tired eyes, while others looked fresh and ready for the summer season.

Walking back to your dorm, you passed groups of friends snapping photos, capturing memories of the past few months. The campus felt like it was collectively exhaling, finally free from the usual chaos of activities. Your belongings were packed up, and your room was now stripped of the personal touches that made it home.

Your roommate, Adie, sat on the edge of her bed across from yours. “Leaving already?”

“Yeah, my chariot awaits,” you said with a smile, tossing the last of your belongings into your purse. You exhaled, looking around the room and already missing it. “I guess that’s everything, huh?”

“Yep. You’ve scoured every corner of this room for your stuff. I’m sure you didn’t miss anything.”

You extended your hand to her. “It’s been a blast, roomie.”

Adie rolled her eyes and chuckled as she shook your hand. “You talk like we’ll never see each other again. We both know we’ll end up being roommates again next year, right?”

You shrugged and laughed. She wasn’t lying. You had been roommates with her for two years now. After freshman year, you both agreed to always share a dorm room every semester, and that’s exactly what you had been doing. You might be saying goodbye now, but you would see each other again in the fall semester and be roommates then too.

“So long, roomie.”

Adie waved as you exited the room. “So long, roomie.”

“Stay in touch!” you reminded her.

The flight home was quick, just an hour and a half. Sometimes you wondered why home felt so far away when it was barely a two-hour flight from your school. Everything about your city felt familiar yet new. As your taxi drove you closer to home, the familiar scent of the ocean filled the air, and the salty breeze swept through the open windows. The sight of the coastline, with its rolling waves and sandy shores, brought a rush of nostalgia. After many months away, the beach house where you grew up felt like a warm embrace waiting for you.

When the taxi pulled over by the sidewalk, you stepped out and took in the view, removing your sunglasses. The house looked just as you remembered—a picket-fenced house with whitewashed walls, grey roofs, black shutters, and the sound of seagulls calling in the distance.

You walked through the open gate, hauling your luggage as you scanned the garden for any changes in the flowerbeds or landscaping. The honk of a car horn made you glance back at the road just in time to see a Jeep pull over in front of your house.

You smiled, recognizing the tall brunette stepping out of the driver’s seat. With a wave, you beckoned her over and opened your arms to welcome your best friend with a hug.

“Hello, stranger,” Jade greeted, pulling you into a tight embrace. “You’re so late!”

You rolled your eyes. “Unlike you, my education is more demanding and requires every bit of my attention.”

“Sucks to be you, then,” she snickered. “Come on. Your mom and I scheduled a brunch together.”

You scoffed but didn’t need to ask for more details. With her help, you moved your luggage into the house, where your mother greeted you warmly. Over brunch, you talked about school, the journey home, and everything in between. After that, you and Jade climbed up to your room to lounge and chat all morning. In the afternoon, you donned your swimsuits and set umbrellas by the beach, equipped with a book to pass the time and cocktails for an extra bit of fun.

Azure Bay is a picturesque coastal town renowned for its breathtaking beach, attracting locals and tourists alike. The beach itself stretches for miles, with soft, golden sands meeting the crystal-clear waters of the ocean.

During the day, the beach is alive with activity. Families set up colorful umbrellas and picnic blankets, children build intricate sandcastles, and surfers ride the gentle waves. In the evenings, the beach transforms into a serene, romantic getaway. The sky paints a stunning palette of oranges, pinks, and purples as the sun sets over the horizon. Bonfires are a common activity where friends and families gather to toast marshmallows and share stories under the sky. Beachfront bars and cafes are filled with lively music and even livelier tourists.

You never particularly enjoyed the swarm of tourists that descended upon Azure Bay each summer. It wasn't that you disliked them in general; you understood why they were drawn to the town's pristine beaches, charming boardwalk, and the laid-back, coastal vibe that felt like paradise. What irked you were the tourists who tried to flirt with you.

It was always the same story. You'd be walking along the beach, or lounging in a beach bar when some guy would approach you with a confident smile and a cheesy pickup line. They were usually good-looking, and charming in a way that was hard to resist, but you knew better. You have seen too many summer romances that bloomed beautifully only to die out when the season ended.

You disliked the idea of developing a beautiful, intimate connection with someone only to watch them pack up and leave once the summer break was over. The thought of investing your emotions in a fleeting romance, knowing that it had an expiration date, felt pointless.

As much as you tried to avoid it, there were always those moments when a particularly persistent tourist would catch you off guard, like right now as you were sitting on the beach bed reading a book. A tall, tan guy with a surfboard strolled up to you.

"Ooh, looks like you're about to score a European hottie on your first day back," Jade teased, peeking at you over her sunglasses. "Good job, sug."

He introduced himself with a casual "Hey there," and you could see the gleam of interest in his eyes.

"Hi," you smiled back, tilting your head to the side.

"I'm just here to catch some waves," he said, flashing a perfect smile. "But I'd love to catch up with you later, maybe grab a drink?"

You heard Jade scoff and then whistled quietly like she didn't just ridicule the guy. He seemed clueless about it though.

You forced a polite smile, trying to keep your voice neutral. "Thanks, but I'm not really looking to meet anyone right now."

He seemed surprised but didn't push further, thankfully. "Well then, see you around."

He winked at you before jogging back where he came from. As soon as he was out of earshot, you and Jade started laughing.

"What the hell was that?" you chuckled.

Jade took her sunglasses off and smoldered at you. In a deep, manly voice she said, "I'm just here to catch some waves."

You smoldered too, trying your best to replicate the guy's expression and tone. "But I'd love to catch up with you later, grab a drink with me?"

"Oh god! It's always the same old cheesy ass lines!"

The following days were filled with simple, repetitive activities: lounging at home, sunbathing by the beach, reading in peace, and swimming with your mom and Jade. It was a week of mundane routines that you didn’t mind at all, though the same couldn’t be said for Jade.

If there is one thing you both hate and love about your best friend, it is her tendency to come up with crazy ideas when bored. They're fun most of the time, but they often include a side quest for her, which is to set you up with someone.

Four days into the summer break, you were sitting with your back against the headboard of your bed, a book in your hand, listening to Jade complain about being bored.

“There's nothing to do at all!” she groaned, kicking her legs in the air as she scrolled through her phone. “Not one rowdy pool party, or a mixer. Not even a birthday!”

She sat up and huffed. “Has summer always been this boring?”

“No.”

“Right? Not here in Azure Bay! This is like an all-time low.”

You chuckled, adjusting your glasses on the bridge of your nose and not peeling your eyes away from your book. “Relax. Summer break is just starting. I doubt everyone’s back from uni yet.”

“Right. That’s exactly why there’s nothing to do,” she huffed. “Your friends are so boring.”

“They’re your friends too, Jade,” you corrected her, referring to your high school friends from this town.

Jade fell quiet, so you continued reading. Until she suddenly scooted next to you, her eyes lighting up as if she had just had a brilliant idea.

“I have an idea,” she began, smiling brightly. “You’re gonna love this.”

You just shrugged, as if giving her your permission, or support, whichever she might need. She began tapping away on her phone again. When you heard your phone buzz on the bedside table, you put your book down and picked up the phone.

Jade: anyone up for summer break in azure bay?

“That’s your big idea?” you deadpanned, eyeing the chatheads of the people who have read her message in your group chat.

She hummed. “I know. I’m a genius.”

You snorted, scrolling through your phone. “More like impulsive. But go on.”

Jaehyun liked. Adie: Azure Bay? Like your hometown? Jade: yes yes Trina: me! Eunwoo: Me too! Jade: eunwoo, you’re not invited Eunwoo: ???

You scowled. “You can’t not invite Eunwoo. He's already set to come here with your Jaehyun next week, remember?”

“Ah, right, he is,” Jade replied, rolling her eyes.

Jade: jk. But if you hog y/n all to yourself, istg!!! Eunwoo: not my fault she likes me better than you lol

“That’s not true!” Jade hollered at her screen, making you chuckle. She then scowled at you, giving you a suspicious look. “It’s not, is it?”

You shook your head to appease her, though you never really once thought you had to pick a favorite between your two closest friends.

Jade: FALSE Jade: TOTALLY UNTRUE Jade: but dream on, ig Jade: what about the others? Adie? Adie: Here! Also,,,, I think y/n likes me best. Eunwoo: not true Jade: yeah, NOT TRUE! 8: Count me in! Jade: you're only in bcs trin's in 8: lol true

"He's not even denying it. This bitch," Jade sneered, but she was grinning.

Jade: Mingyu? Mingyu liked. Jade: Kim Mingyu?! Mingyu: yes Mingyu: it's not a party without me Jade: i'm sure we'll manage Jade: but okay. you're counted

And so everything was settled. Your friends are coming to spend the summer break with you in your hometown. You can already imagine how fun it’s going to be. Fingers crossed, you hoped this summer would be memorable—the best one yet.

“How’s it going?” you asked, stepping onto the patio with a tray of food while your mom was setting the table.

“Good, I hope,” she replied, staring at the dining table set up with furrowed brows. “Do you think that spot looks a little—I don’t know… empty?”

You inspected the spot she was pointing to and giggled. “That’s because that spot is for the enchiladas,” you chimed in, placing the tray you were carrying on the table.

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.”

You gave her a reassuring squeeze on the arm. “Relax, Mom. I’m sure they’ll love it.”

She sighed, smiling apologetically. “I feel bad about not letting them stay.”

“It’s alright, Mom. We understand,” you reassured her. “And Jade’s got it covered. Their house will be empty for a month anyway, so she doesn’t mind housing our friends all summer.”

When you discussed accommodations with Jade, you considered offering to let a friend or two stay with you, but your mom didn’t agree. She was working on a big project, and you knew better than to burden her with strangers disrupting her concentration and clutter. This dinner party was her idea, her way of apologizing to your friends. She didn’t have to, but she insisted, saying she didn’t want them to think you were unwelcoming.

“Hello, hello,” Jade greeted when you opened the main door in response to the doorbell.

“Hi!” you greeted back, ushering them in and giving each of your friends a hug. They all looked excited, a few even brought gifts for your mom. Minghao and Trina had prepared an actual gift box, Adie was carrying a bottle of wine, and Eunwoo had a bouquet of flowers.

As you moved aside to let everyone in, you noticed Mingyu standing with someone you didn’t recognize.

“Hello, Gyu,” you said, giving him a quick hug. “Who’s this?”

“This is Vernon,” Mingyu introduced, clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “He’s my roommate's classmate. Had nothing going on for summer break, so I thought I’d bring him along.”

“Your roommate’s classmate. Mr. Congeniality is at it again, I see,” you sneered, teasing your friend. To Vernon, you smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, Vernon. Welcome to Azure Bay!”

“Thanks,” Vernon replied, smiling back a little shyly. “Nice to meet you too.”

You were intrigued by Vernon but didn’t question his presence further. Instead, you guided everyone to the patio where the table was beautifully set. Your mom greeted each guest warmly, expressing her gratitude for their gifts.

“Wow, this looks amazing!” Trina exclaimed as she took her seat.

“Thanks, Trina. I hope you all brought your appetites,” your mom said with a grin.

As everyone settled in, the conversations started to flow naturally. The aroma of delicious food filled the air, as well as laughter and lively chatter.

“So, Vernon, Mingyu’s roommate’s classmate,” Jade began, leaning forward with a curious look. “How did you even end up being friends with that guy?”

Mingyu scowled at Jade, looking indignant but he couldn’t retort because there was food in his mouth.

Vernon chuckled. “His roommate Jungwoo and I are in a class together. I hung out in their dorm room a lot when we were working on a project. Mingyu’s great, honestly. Keeps the place lively. Plus, he’s always cooking up something interesting.”

Mingyu laughed. “Hey, someone’s got to make sure we don’t starve!”

“I’ve heard about your cooking skills, Mingyu. My daughter said you can rival my cooking,” your mother said, playfully raising an eyebrow. “You’ll have to make us something while you’re here.”

“Ma’am, your mind will be blown. Deal!” Mingyu agreed, grinning.

As the meal continued, you found yourself sneaking glances at Vernon, who seemed to be fitting in well with your group. He was quiet but contributed thoughtfully to the conversations.

As the evening wound down, Jade clapped her hands together excitedly. “Alright, guys, now that we’re all well-fed, who’s ready to hit the party?”

You looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “What party?”

“The one at the beach!” Jade exclaimed. “Apparently, a bunch of people from our high school are throwing a welcome-back bash. I thought it’d be the perfect way to kick off the summer.”

“I didn’t know about this,” you said, glancing at the others.

“Sounds like a good time,” Vernon added, looking curious.

You smiled, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. “Alright, let’s do it. It’ll be nice to see everyone again.”

“Great!” Jade said, practically bouncing with energy. “Let’s clean up here and head out.”

With everyone pitching in, the cleanup was quick and efficient. Soon, you were all ready to head to the beach, anticipation buzzing in the air. As you stepped out into the warm night, you couldn’t shake off the feeling that something about this party would catch you off-guard.

“It’s okay, y/n,” Jade beamed at you, slinging an arm over your shoulder. “No need to worry too much. It’s just Winwin.”

You gasped audibly, stopping in your tracks as you stared dumbfounded at Jade, your mouth still hanging open. “You sneaky little—”

“Jaehyun, baby! Wait for me!” she called out to her boyfriend before running to him.

The thought of going to a party and seeing an ex you hadn't seen in a long time was far from enjoyable. You stood there in shock, wondering if it was too late to turn back. Just then, Eunwoo wrapped his arm around your shoulder and gently nudged you forward.

“Are you okay?” he asked, striding with his long legs and dragging you with him.

“Fine. That was ages ago anyway so,” you replied nervously.

“What do you mean?” Eunwoo questioned curiously. You sighed and gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, shit. Winwin is gonna be there, isn’t he?”

“Who’s Winwin?” Mingyu questioned, appearing on your other side with Vernon.

“Keep your nosy ass out of my business, okay?” you chided, pointing your index finger at him.

Mingyu laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. No need to get feisty.”

You caught Vernon glancing at you with curiosity in his eyes. Then Mingyu tapped his chest and said, “Azure parties are awesome.” 

Vernon smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. “Let’s hurry there then,” he suggested lightly.

As you all walked down the beach path, the sound of music and laughter grew louder. The beach was lit up with string lights and a bonfire, casting a warm glow over the gathering crowd. You could see familiar faces from high school, mingling and enjoying the summer night.

Trina and Minghao were already dancing near the bonfire, and you saw Jade and Jaehyun chatting with a group of old classmates. Adie was by the snack table, happily munching away, and Eunwoo was making his way to the drinks station.

Taking a deep breath, you decided to dive in and make the best of it. You spotted a quieter corner near the shoreline and made your way there. Vernon tagged along, but kept a respectful distance, allowing you space.

“Not a fan of big crowds?” he asked, glancing at the bustling party.

“Not really,” you admitted. “I prefer smaller gatherings. Less chaotic.”

“Hmmh, I see,” Vernon hummed, nodding.

“You?” you asked back just to be polite. “I doubt you disliked the crowd.”

“What makes you think so?” he questioned.

“You’re friends with Mingyu. I mean… Mingyu is you know… Mingyu. Life of the party. If you’re close to him, I figured you might be the same,” you explained as you both watched Mingyu take over the entire party.

Vernon looked puzzled but intrigued. “But he’s your friend too, right? And yet I don’t see any similarities between you.”

“Ah,” you blurted, chuckling. “Good point.”

Vernon chuckled, his laughter warm and genuine. He was about to say something more when a group of familiar faces approached. Recognizing some high school friends, you greeted them warmly.

“Elise!” you called, standing up to hug her. “Harper too. Wow, I thought you girls would never show up.”

As the night went on, you mingled with old friends, danced around the bonfire, and even managed to enjoy yourself. At one point, you found yourself standing by the drinks table when you spotted Winwin approaching. Your heart skipped a beat, but you decided to face it head-on.

“Hey, y/n,” Winwin greeted with a smile, holding a cup of punch. “Long time no see.”

“Hi, Win,” you replied, trying to keep your tone light. “How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good, actually. I just got back from uni yesterday. How about you?”

“Same here. I’m back for the summer too,” you said, feeling more relaxed as the conversation flowed naturally.

Winwin grinned. “Cool. It’s great to see you. We should catch up properly some time.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” you agreed, surprised at how friendly the interaction was.

As Winwin moved on to talk to someone else, you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. You joined the bonfire again, where your friends were gathered, their faces illuminated by the warm, flickering glow of the flames.

Jade spotted you and waved you over. “Hey, come sit with us!” she called, patting the sand next to her.

You sat down, feeling the heat of the fire on your skin. The conversation flowed easily, with laughter and playful banter filling the air. Then you found yourself standing by the drinks table again, pouring yourself another cup of the spiked punch.

“Hello again!” Winwin approached you again, a friendly smile on his face. “Having fun?”

“Yeah, it’s been great,” you replied, smiling back. “How about you?”

“Me?” he quipped, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ve had six bottles of beer and maybe a liter of this punch.”

You laughed heartily, deeply humored. You and Winwin fell into an easy conversation, reminiscing about old times and catching up on what had happened since you last saw each other. His laughter was contagious, and soon you found yourself giggling until your cheeks were sore.

“Remember that time in high school when we snuck out to the beach at midnight?” Winwin asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh my god, yes!” you laughed. “And we got caught by the patrol officer. I thought we were going to get into so much trouble.”

“But we didn’t,” Winwin said, grinning. “We talked our way out of it. Good times.”

“Definitely,” you agreed, feeling a warm sense of nostalgia.

A burst of giggles made your heads turn in unison. From where you stood, you saw Vernon surrounded by girls, all of them smiling and giggling at something he said. Your eyes met his gaze, catching you off guard. Vernon just smiled and gave you an acknowledging nod.

“I see you made a lot of new friends,” Winwin prompted.

“Yeah, thank god. I had zero idea how to navigate life in a completely different school, and an entirely different city,” you replied, rolling your eyes in frustration. “Good thing Jade was there. These people basically found me first.”

“I knew you’d fare well. You’re an amiable person,” he complimented.

“Amiable?” you snorted. “That’s a nice word.”

Winwin shrugged and then clinked his glass with yours. “I learned plenty of big words in college.”

That comment made you laugh again while Winwin watched you fondly with a proud expression as if he was satisfied with his own humor that made you laugh. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe he was just genuinely funny. You weren’t so sure, but you knew you were having a good time.

“Hi,” Vernon prompted, suddenly appearing beside you and making you shriek.

“Oh, god, Vernon,” you scolded, clutching your chest in shock and laughing at the same time.

“Having fun?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Just reminiscing about high school and stuff,” Winwin explained with a chuckle.

“Oh, sounds interesting,” Vernon said, grabbing a cup of punch. “Anything I should know about?”

“Only that we were quite the troublemakers back in the day,” you said with a wink.

“Is that so?” Vernon said, raising an eyebrow. “I’ll have to keep an eye on you then.”

You laughed and nudged his arm with your elbow. “Don’t worry, I’ve mellowed out since then.”

“Good to know,” Vernon said, smiling. To Winwin, he said, “By the way, you were great at charades earlier.”

“Thanks,” Winwin replied, a little confused by the unexpected compliment. “I had a good time.”

“Hey, I scored the highest, but you’re complimenting him?” you complained to Vernon who just shrugged.

“He’s the one acting it out,” he retorted so you scoffed.

“Unbelievable!”

The conversation continued with Vernon and Winwin exchanging jokes and stories. It felt natural and comfortable, like catching up with old friends. As the night went on, you found yourself relaxing more, enjoying the company and the atmosphere.

Eventually, the party started winding down. You glanced around at your friends, feeling a sense of contentment. This summer was shaping up to be better than you had expected. As you walked back towards the bonfire, you felt a flicker of curiosity about Vernon. He was unexpectedly fun and you found yourself vibing with him easily. At the back of your mind, you hope he’s not trying to hit on you or something. After all, this was just another summer. A great summer with the potential to be your best yet, but still just another summer.

The next morning, you woke up at Jade’s house, tired and hungover but still rising early. You slipped quietly out of Adie’s assigned bedroom, careful not to disturb her sleep. Outside the room, you tiptoed down the hallway, making sure not to wake anyone else.

“Leaving already?” a voice called from the balcony, startling you so much that you dropped your shoes on the wooden floorboards.

The sound echoed through the house, and you froze, hand over your mouth, listening intently to see if anyone had been woken. Vernon blinked at you, clearly puzzled by your reaction.

“Are you okay?” he asked, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“Yes, I’m fine!” you whispered urgently, pressing a finger to your lips to signal for silence. “Be quiet, will you? You're gonna wake everyone up."

He shrugged and stood up from the chair he was sitting on, approaching you. “Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah. I need to take a shower,” you replied, feeling grimy and imagining how you must smell after a night out. You eyed him curiously and saw he was wearing fresh clothes. “Why are you up so early?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “Just felt like it.”

“No hangover or anything?” you questioned, surprised by his chipper demeanor.

“Nah, I’m good,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Lucky you,” you muttered as you continued down the stairs, Vernon trailing behind. “As for me, I need to go home and pass out. Gosh.”

“Don’t you need a ride?”

“I’ll grab a cab. It’s not that far,” you replied.

“Do you have food there?”

“What?” you asked, thinking you’d misheard him.

“Food,” he repeated.

You blinked at him, puzzled. Vernon just stood there, looking clueless yet endearing in the morning light.

“Food?” you repeated, and he nodded. “Yes, we have food. Why?”

His face lit up. “Can I come with you?”

Now you’re even more confused. “Why?”

“Oh, I woke up early and I looked for food in the kitchen but there wasn’t anything ready to eat. Nothing easy to cook either.” He flattened his lips together before adding, “I’m hungry.”

You chuckled at his straightforwardness. “Come on then.”

With that, Vernon grinned and followed you out the door, the morning sun casting long shadows on the quiet street. Your house was quiet when you arrived, but the windows were open, and the curtains were drawn, a clear telling that your mom had already started her morning. Leading Vernon inside, you caught sight of your mom in her office, her attention momentarily diverted from her computer as she noticed your arrival.

“You’re back so early! Did you have breakfast yet?” she called out, her voice carrying through the house.

“Actually,” you began, glancing back at Vernon behind you. “No, I haven’t.”

“Sorry, sweetie. I didn’t know you’d be back early, so nothing’s prepared in the kitchen,” she replied from her desk.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’ll whip something up. Oh, and I've got a friend with me,” you added.

“Oh, you do? Silly me,” she chuckled, standing up and heading towards the door of her office. “Make something nice for your friend, okay? I have work that I need to finish by today.”

“Sure thing,” you affirmed, smiling as she closed the door. “Would you like me to bring you food in there?”

You heard her muffled response. “No, baby. I’ve already eaten!”

“Wow, okay. Not a baby anymore,” you muttered to yourself, feeling a slight flush of embarrassment. Turning back to Vernon, you said, “Do you mind waiting while I go freshen up?”

“I don’t mind,” he replied, settling onto the couch and pulling out his phone.

You took a quick shower and got dressed comfortably. As you headed to the kitchen, you mentally surveyed the ingredients available, already formulating a plan for breakfast. Vernon followed you when he saw you, his presence bringing a comfortable energy to the space.

“So, what’s your specialty?” Vernon asked, leaning against the kitchen counter with genuine curiosity.

“Hmm, I’d say my omelets are pretty decent,” you replied, pulling out eggs and vegetables from the refrigerator. “But today, I’m thinking scrambled eggs with toast. What do you think?”

“I eat anything and everything,” Vernon said with a grin, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

As you chopped vegetables and cracked eggs into a bowl, you engaged in light conversation, discussing topics ranging from favorite foods to travel destinations. It was easy, effortless, and surprisingly enjoyable.

Before you knew it, the eggs were sizzling in the pan, filling the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma. The toast came out perfectly golden, and you served two plates of food, setting one in front of Vernon and the other across from him.

“Thanks so much,” he said, smiling as he picked up his fork.

“Do you know what’s the plan for today?” you asked, taking a bite of your breakfast.

Vernon shrugged. “Swimming.”

Your eyes flicked to the patio where the outdoor pool glistened. “At Jade’s house?”

He shook his head. “I think she mentioned the beach. Some of the guys want to try surfing.”

“Oh, so they’re heading here today,” you said, glancing out toward the shoreline. “The perfect spot for surfing is right outside this house.”

“I see. So I can just wait for them here?”

“You could, but don’t you need your gear?”

“If you mean my surfing gear, I don’t have any.”

You scowled playfully. “Then how do you plan to surf?”

“I’m hoping if I walk along the beach, I’ll find a rental shop or something.”

You chuckled. “You don’t need a rental.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” you said proudly, nodding.

Once the kitchen was tidied up, you led Vernon to the backyard and showed him the shed where you kept your swimming and surfing gear. He looked impressed by the collection of surfboards, wetsuits, and even fishing equipment.

“Do you surf?” he asked and you rolled your eyes. There are at least five boards in that shed, shouldn’t it be obvious enough?

“Do I?” you quipped. “Yeah, I do. Did. I haven’t surfed in a long time.”

“Why not?” He reached for a purple board, carefully pulling it from the rack.

“I just lost interest. No grand reason behind it. My dad taught me how to surf but we haven’t done it in a long time so… yeah,” you trailed off, watching him put the board back where it belonged.

“You still remember how, right?” he asked, and you just shrugged. Then his eyes lit up as he spotted something. “Is that a spear?”

“Oh, that’s my dad’s,” you said, pushing the fishing gear further back into the shed. “He used to do a lot of spearfishing.”

“Cool.”

Your brows furrowed. “Cool? Didn't you say you were an environmentalist?”

“Spearfishing is fine as long as it’s practiced responsibly and with respect to local regulations and conservation efforts.”

You nodded in acknowledgment. “I see. Well, in that case, my dad is a pretty responsible fisher. He used to be the head of the coastal preservation council here.”

“Your dad sounds really cool. Is he around?”

“He is cool,” you said, smiling proudly. “But no, he’s not here right now.”

“I see,” Vernon replied, leaning against the shed door as he watched you rummage through the items. As you were looking through the snorkeling box, you accidentally knocked over another box and sent the contents spilling all over the floor.

“Oh, god,” you groaned, picking up the items on the floor. Vernon was quick to help you, chuckling.

“What are these?” he asked, examining the surfwax bars.

“It’s surfwax. You rub it all over the surfboard so you don’t slip,” you explained, taking the stuff from his hand to pack it away. When it was done, you lifted the box to put it back on the shelf.

Vernon chuckled softly. “Here, let me.” Before you could protest, he reached out and took the box from you, his fingers brushing against yours for a moment.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, stepping back to give him space. But instead of moving away, Vernon stepped closer, his focus entirely on the shelf as he lifted the box into place.

You felt a sudden rush of shyness as his arm brushed against your shoulder, the proximity making your heart skip a beat. The scent of his cologne, fresh and woodsy, filled the air between you, and you could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

“Is this the right spot?” he asked, glancing down at you with a smile, completely unaware of the effect his closeness had on you.

“Uh, yeah,” you stammered, your cheeks flushing. “That’s perfect.”

Vernon adjusted the box, making sure it was secure before stepping back. But instead of moving away, he turned to face you, his face just inches from yours. You could see the tiny flecks of gold in his big brown eyes, and the playful smile that often danced on his lips. The room seemed to grow quieter, the moment stretching as you both stood there. For a moment, neither of you moved, caught in the unexpected closeness.

“Are you okay?” he asked, startling you so you took a step back. In doing so, you kicked the foot of the shelf and knocked over a bucket sitting on top of it. Cool water splashed all over you and Vernon, making you gasp in shock.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” you exclaimed, patting his shirt as if it would help dry him in any way.

Vernon looked down at his soaked self and chuckled. “That’s one way to cool off.”

“Oh, god. Why is there a bucket of water in here?” You looked up at the top of the shelf and noticed a small dot of light pouring from a hole in the roof. “That hole seriously needs patching up. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“It’s fine. We’ll go swimming later anyway,” said Vernon, squeezing water out of his shirt.

“But I don’t know for how long that water’s been sitting there,” you said shyly. It may be just rainwater but you know it hasn’t rained in Azure Bay for more than a week now.

“Oh,” he exclaimed, realization dawning on him.

“Follow me.”

You led him to the poolside, pointing to the outdoor shower. “You can rinse off there. I’ll find a towel and something for you to wear while your clothes dry.”

“Ah, how convenient.” Vernon smiled gratefully. “Thanks, y/n.”

As he rinsed off, you quickly fetched a towel and a spare pair of shorts from the poolside storage. You were drenched too, but you can rinse off in your bathroom upstairs. In the meantime, you headed back to Vernon with the spare clothes and the towel.

You approached the shower area, holding out the towel and shorts. “Here you go—” The words died in your throat as you caught sight of Vernon, his shirt already off, revealing a well-toned torso glistening with water. He turned, surprised, and for a moment, you were both frozen.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, taking the towel from you, a shy smile spreading across his face.

You felt your cheeks heat up and quickly turned away, trying to steady your racing heart. “The, uh... The washer is by the kitchen. You can throw your clothes in the dryer.”

"Alright."

"Right. I'll let you finish up."

You hurried inside, your mind swirling with the unexpected sight of Vernon. As you headed to your bathroom, you couldn’t help but feel a mix of embarrassment and something else you couldn’t quite name. After a quick shower, you changed into dry clothes and took a deep breath, trying to collect yourself.

When you returned to the poolside, Vernon was lounging on a chair, wearing the shorts you’d given him and toweling off his hair. He looked up and grinned.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

You nodded, keeping your eyes on his face and not letting it wander on his bare chest. “Yeah. You?”

“Much better,” he replied, still smiling. “Thanks for the help. I guess I owe you one.”

You waved it off, smiling back. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Right,” he agreed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

You heard car horns honking from outside so you told Vernon to feel at home before heading to the gate. As expected, it was your friends arriving for the surfing thing they had planned for today.

“Fucking finally,” you muttered, trying to level your head after the tense events that transpired with Vernon.

“Vernon? Why, what’s up with him?” Jade inquired after you asked her about Vernon.

“Nothing. He’s just…” you paused, trying to find the right word. “...intriguing.”

“Intriguing? Interesting choice of word, y/n,” Trina teased, hitting your waist with hers as you both stood in front of your full-length mirror to see how your bikinis looked.

“I think she meant he’s cute and she’s interested,” Adie taunted from your bed.

You rolled your eyes at them. “I’m just curious, alright? Aren’t you? I mean, he’s new and we barely know him.”

“Oh, I do know him,” Trina said. “He’s friends with Hao too, you know. His name is actually Hansol Chwe.”

“Hansol Chwe?” you repeated curiously.

“Yeah. But Vernon is his english name. He’s actually a sophomore and he transferred from… I’m not sure where, but he’s a new student,” Trina continued.

Jade snapped his fingers. “Then it makes sense that he hasn’t hung out with us until now. He’s a neophyte.”

“So, what about him intrigues you, y/n?” Trina asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“Did you two have a cutesy romcom-ish morning together?” Adie accused, pointing at you. “He had breakfast here, right?”

Jade interjected. “Or did you hook up while we were passed out at home?”

You gasped, scandalized. “What? Hook up? What do you take me for?”

“Ah, so you didn’t.”

“Did you make out while you were alone here or something?” Trina asked.

“You guys are crazy,” you told them, heading for the door. “We didn’t do any of that. We just ate, that’s all.”

“It was a cutesy romcom-ish morning, then,” Adie giggled, trailing behind you.

“It was not that either,” you insisted. “I’m done talking about this. He’s just another guy.”

Right, he is. A handsome guy, for sure, but he’s just another pretty guy. You’ve met countless pretty guys. Hot guys have flirted with you several times, especially on this beach. You’re friends with pretty guys. And you have, most certainly, seen them walk around topless plenty of times. Eunwoo is a literal angel. Jaehyun and Minghao are eye candies. And did you see Mingyu’s physique? You are literally surrounded by hot guys that you don’t even bat an eye on anymore.

So why is it that you can’t look at the topless Vernon without your heart skipping a beat?

“Y/n, come here!” your girlfriends called out from the shore. You just waved your arms, not even moving an inch from where you were comfortably seated.

On one side of the bay, you could see the boys on the surfboards, paddling on the calm waters since the tide wasn’t high enough for surfing. Vernon was making his way towards you, leaving the board on the sand.

“Reading while everyone’s having fun? Are you not like other girls?” he quipped, standing next to the beach bed where you were reading a book.

“I simply just had enough saltwater,” you replied nonchalantly, hiding your nervousness behind your big sunglasses.

“So, not like other girls?” he repeated, sitting on the beach bed next to yours. 

You chuckled lightly. “Trust me, Hansol, I’m just like every other girl.”

“Hansol?”

You glanced sideways at him. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“It is, but no one calls me that,” he replied. “You can call me Hansol, though.”

“I’m honored,” you retorted, chuckling as you returned your attention to your book. “But I won’t do that. It’s not like we’re close or anything.”

“How close do you need us to be?” he asked. You glanced back at him, just in time to see him lean closer, stopping just a few inches away so your noses don’t touch. 

“What are you doing?” you asked, trying not to stutter. You could only hope that your sunglasses were dark enough for him not to see your eyes.

A mischievous glint flickered in Vernon's eyes as he leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Is this close enough?”

“Move back,” you whispered, barely audible because you were sure you’d kiss if you so much as breathe.

He obeyed, slumping back on the beach bed with a content smile. Only then did you breathe properly again. Irritated, you stood up and walked away, leaving your book behind. After several steps, you glanced back to see Vernon had taken your book and was now reading it.

“She’s coming this way!” Adie shouted, pointing at you as your friends turned to look.

Eunwoo and Mingyu rushed out of the water, their eyes twinkling with mischief. Recognizing their intentions, you started running along the shore to escape them. But your limbs were no match for their long strides. They eventually caught up to you, and Mingyu swooped you up by the waist. Shrieking and kicking your legs in the air, you cursed at him, but he ignored you completely and leaped into the water with you.

Your splash into the cool water was met with laughter from everyone around. The initial shock of the cold quickly gave way to the exhilarating fun of being in the water. Mingyu's grip loosened, allowing you to find your footing in the shallow water, though you were already drenched from head to toe.

“Eunwoo, you traitor!” you called out, splashing water at him.

He laughed, dodging your attempts. “Hey, it’s not my fault you’re a slow runner!”

Vernon eventually waded into the water, holding one of your flip-flops above his head. “Look what I saved from the water!”

“Give it back!” you demanded, wading toward him.

He grinned, holding it just out of reach. “You’ll have to catch me first!”

It turned into a game of tag, with you chasing Vernon around to retrieve your slipper. After several minutes of playful chaos, you finally managed to snatch it from Vernon’s hand, clutching it triumphantly to your chest. But your victory was short-lived after Jaehyun sneaked up behind you to steal it again.

He held it up, making it impossible for you to reach it. “How long before you can take this from us?”

“Us?” you questioned and Jaehyun responded by tossing the slipper to Minghao, who then threw it to Eunwoo.

The game of tag resumed and continued as your girlfriends joined in, making it a game of Boys vs. Girls. You splashed and chased each other and the beach echoed with laughter and shouts of joy.

After a while, the group tired out and decided to take a break under the beach umbrellas. You spread out towels and settled into the lounge chairs, feeling the sun's warmth on your skin as it dried off the seawater. The boys sat on the towels, discussing the best surf spots and the timing of the tide.

“It should be high tide soon, right?” Jaehyun asked, glancing at you since you were the more experienced surfer in the group, thus making you more well-versed in the tides.

You looked at the sea, and then at your watch. “Yeah, it should be. Look the waves are getting bigger.”

Mingyu whistled excitedly. “It’s going to be epic.”

“Shouldn’t be long now,” you commented, leaning back on the beach bed and closing your eyes.

As you lay there, soaking in the sun and the sound of the waves, Eunwoo turned to you with a playful smile. “You should come out with us and show these newbies how it’s done.”

“Pass,” you deadpanned. “I’m tired.”

“You’ll miss out then,” he countered.

“I’ll get over it.”

“I could teach you,” Vernon offered, making you open your eyes to look at him. He smiled when you caught his gaze, but you just rolled your eyes and wore your sunglasses.

“Hard pass.”

Vernon scoffed, indignant. “What? I’m actually quite good at it.”

“Really? Have fun then,” you said monotonously. You were not just trying to be aloof. It was true that you were tired from all the playing and the swimming.

Time passed lazily as you lounged under the umbrellas, the sun slowly descending towards the horizon. You even snoozed for a bit, waking up with a jolt and wondering if you were out for three minutes or a whole hour. You saw that your friends were already surfing and the only ones left in the shade were you and Adie.

“That was a good one, Haohao!” you heard Trina shout and saw her waving happily by the shore.

The sight of them paddling out into the surf was captivating. They cut through the waves with practiced ease, their shouts of triumph carrying back to shore whenever they caught a particularly good wave. Vernon, true to his word, was a natural, effortlessly gliding along the waves.

You continued to watch from the comfort of your lounge chair, enjoying the peaceful rhythm of the waves and the distant laughter of your friends. As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of orange and pink, the surfers finally began to make their way back to shore. Groaning and sighing, everyone settled down to dry off and bask in the warmth of the remaining sunlight. You stayed longer to watch the sunset, take pictures, and feel the warm dusk breeze.

“Should we head back to the house?” you suggested, glancing at the darkening sky.

“Yeah, I’m getting hungry,” Mingyu agreed, pouting. 

Gathering your belongings, you all made your way back to the beach house. The walk was filled with more lighthearted chatter and the occasional burst of laughter. By the time you reached the house, the first stars were twinkling in the sky.

You were amazed to find barbecue being prepared at the poolside patio by your mother and Elise, a high school friend of yours. She greeted you and Jade with hugs and giggles.

“Oh, mom, you didn’t have to do all this,” you told your mom, feeling grateful and shy. 

“It’s alright, hun,” she chimed, flipping the barbecue over. “I had help from Elise here.”

You eyed Elise, equipped with tongs and a black apron over her dress. “I bumped into her at the grocery store and she invited me over for dinner.”

“Thanks for coming. Jade and I were actually talking about hanging with you guys a while ago,” you told her while you ushered your friends to the shower area so they can wash up.

“That can be arranged, but if you haven’t come up with anything yet, you should join us next weekend.”

“Next weekend?” you questioned, opening your mouth to accept the piece of barbecue your mom was feeding you.

“Talk about it later, girls. After you’re cleaned and decent,” your mom chided softly, poking your bare waist and grimacing at your bikini.

Giggling, you headed inside the house and heard your mom telling you not to step on the carpet with your sandy feet. Seeing the carpeted floor of your living room and stairs, you decided not to climb up to your bedroom and use the kitchen bathroom instead. 

Quietly slipping inside, you locked the door behind you, only to freeze when you turned to find Vernon standing under the showerhead, a look of surprise mirrored on both your faces.

“Oh my god!” you exclaimed, instinctively covering your eyes with your hands. “Don’t you lock doors when you’re using the bathroom?”

Vernon chuckled, his relaxed demeanor contrasting with your flustered state. “I was here with Mingyu. He didn’t lock it when he left.”

“You were here with Mingyu?” you asked, surprised and maybe a little malicious.

“No. He let me in after he was done,” he clarified and then you felt warm water being splashed at you. “Take your mind out of the gutter.”

You looked straight at him, feeling defensive. “I didn’t say anything!” He wasn’t completely naked. He still had his shorts on.

“You were thinking it,” he retorted, smirking. He turned the shower on, closing his eyes as the water hit his face.

Nervous, you turned the knob but it was locked. You fumbled with it for a few seconds, suddenly clueless about how it worked.

“You don’t have to leave. I’m done here,” he said after a while, turning the shower off.

“Hurry up then.”

You watched him reach for the towel and wipe his face as he walked towards the door. Realizing you were in front of it, you moved aside so he could leave. Instead of heading for the door, however, Vernon went straight to you, not breaking eye contact and stopping only when your feet touched.

“W-What?” you stammered, trying to maintain your composure as you met his gaze. Vernon didn’t say a word and just stared at you. Shy, you looked away and pushed him.

He held your hands and kept it on his chest. Then he said, “I need my clothes.”

“Your clothes?” you questioned, still not meeting his gaze. “Yeah, it’s up in my room. You can ask Jade for them, or Adie. They’ll know which one it is.”

He tightened his hold of your hands when you tried to withdraw them. Softly, he said, “You know, I think I've been wanting to do something for a while now.”

You looked up at him. “What is it?”

The tension between you lingered in the air, thickening with each passing moment as you found yourselves locked in a silent exchange of gazes. Vernon's eyes bore into yours, searching for something that you weren't sure you were ready to give.

"Just say 'no' and I'll be on my way," he finally broke the silence, his voice low and tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

You swallowed hard, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air as you struggled to find the right response. But when you opened your mouth to speak, the words caught in your throat, leaving you speechless. Vernon seemed to take your silence as an answer.

Your whole body ached with anticipation as you inched towards each other, the distance between you narrowing until there was barely a breath of space left. Each moment spent together today had been leading up to this, a series of shared glances, lingering touches, and unspoken words building a tension that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

And then, without warning, his lips met yours in a tender kiss, sending a rush of warmth coursing through your veins. It was soft, gentle, and fleeting as if you were both testing the waters. Then you met again in another kiss, this time deeper, more urgent, and more intense. With ease, your tongue pushed inside his mouth, clashing with his. Then he bit your lip just enough to make you moan. You held on to his arm, knees weakened by the tingling sensations and the swirling emotions. Vernon held your back firmly, keeping you in place.

By the time you pulled away, you were both breathless and shocked. Vernon flashed a handsome smile, his breath fanning your face as he chuckled a little. His hands trailed down to your arms, holding them gently.

“I liked that,” Vernon echoed, his voice barely a whisper. “I liked that a lot.”

You giggled shyly, touching your lips. “Shut up.”

“I mean it!” he insisted, biting his lower lip as if to savor the lingering feeling of the kiss.

“Alright! You mean it. Be quiet about it!” you chided jokingly. 

As Vernon and you were caught up in the aftermath of your kiss, a sudden knock on the bathroom door startled both of you. You exchanged a quick, bewildered glance before Vernon moved to open the door very slightly. To your surprise, it was Mingyu standing there. You pressed your finger on your lips, gesturing at Vernon to not let him know you were there.

“Jade said these are yours,”  said Mingyu and you saw Vernon take the clothes in his hand.

With a forced smile, Vernon replied, "Thanks, man. I'll be out in a minute."

Mingyu's brow furrowed in suspicion as he peered into the bathroom. "Alright, but hurry up. We're all waiting for you."

As Mingyu turned to leave, you held your breath, praying he wouldn't be suspicious. Once he was out of earshot, Vernon let out a nervous chuckle, running a hand through his hair. You awkwardly walked to the shower, facing the wall so Vernon could get dressed. After about two minutes, you felt him approaching you from behind and pressing a quick peck on your cheek.

“I’ll see you outside?” he asked.

Smiling, you nodded and tilted your head to face him. “Sure.”

It took a while before you could calm down and properly wash up. And a few more minutes of pacing around your room before you got dressed and joined everyone for dinner. Everyone asked what took you so long and you coughed up a random excuse as you sat on the vacant chair next to Eunwoo. Your eyes met Vernon’s throughout the night, while you were thinking about the potential complications of your newfound connection.

You were on a quiet beach, eerily familiar but also unfamiliar. Waves crashed against the rocks, breaking the quietness of the night. The moon hung high in the sky, giving the sea an enchanting, silvery twinkle. The air was calm and cold as you scanned the horizon, your heart racing with curiosity and apprehension. 

“Where am I?” you asked yourself, walking towards the array of beach beds and closed umbrellas. As you were about to sit, you were startled by a loud sound of waves crashing against the rocky cliff up ahead. You glanced in that direction where you could see a figure illuminated by the ethereal moonlight.

“Who’s there?” you called out, only for your voice to echo back into your ear. The eerie sound made you gasp and in a blink of an eye, you found yourself lying on the grass. The sun was bright, stinging your eyes, so you tried to block it with your hand.

“I’ve been wanting to do something for a while now,” said a voice beside you that you immediately recognized. You glanced sideways, and lying on the grass next to you, was Vernon, his eyes filled with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine.

Your vision blurred again, the scene shifting into an entirely different place. You were panting and moaning as you straddled Vernon, a scent of perfume and sweat permeating the air. His grip was strong on your waist and your head was tilted back, lost in the moment of passion. He then touched your face, willing you to look him in the eyes.

But just as you were about to speak, to lean in and kiss his lips, the dream shifted, dissolving into darkness as you were pulled back into the realm of wakefulness. You blinked, disoriented, trying to understand what had just happened.

“Oh,” you blurted, and hearing your own voice caused a bolt of electricity to shoot through your body, jolting you awake.

Gasping for breath, you sat up in bed, your heart pounding in your chest. The remnants of the dream clung to you, vivid and almost tangible. You glanced around your darkened room, the shadows and furniture outline bringing you back to reality. It had felt so real, so intense. And yet, it was just a dream.

Frustrated, you buried your face in your hands, shaking your head violently as if to expel the lewd images in your mind. Then for a moment, you sat there in the silence of the night, the memory of the dream still fresh and unsettling.

“What the actual fuck,” you sighed, shocked, scandalized, and utterly bewildered. The sensations, the closeness—it was too much.

Just then, your phone buzzed, breaking the silence. You grabbed it from the bedside table, squinting at the screen to recognize the username of the person who had followed you. Not that you needed any effort; ‘vernonline’ was practically a complete government ID.

“Of all the people who could decide to follow me right now,” you muttered, swiping to see his profile. You scrolled through his posts as you lay back down, stopping at a particularly good-looking photo of him. As you studied his features, images from the dream started flashing in your mind, making you toss the phone away and bury your face in your pillow.

“Gosh, y/n, what the hell was that?” you scolded yourself, kicking your sheets aggressively and stopping only when your phone buzzed again.

You peeked at your screen and saw that Vernon had messaged you.

Vernon: Can’t sleep? You: Can’t. Vernon: What are you up to?

“Having sex with you in my dream, dumbass,” you blurted, exhaling sharply.

You: Idk, nothing. Vernon: Meet me at the bay by your house?

You scowled, dictating as you typed a reply. “‘Now?’” Biting your nails, you stared at your screen as you waited for his reply.

Vernon: Yes. I’m out here right now

“What?” you blurted, standing up at once and rushing to your window to see if he was telling the truth. Sure enough, there was Vernon, seated on one of the beach beds. The beach was a distance away, but you could clearly see him, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone. You decided to call him, and he picked up quickly.

“What are you doing out there?” you asked, glancing at your watch. It’s almost midnight.

“I don’t know. I was walking down the beach from Jade’s house, getting some fresh air. I didn’t stop until I realized how far I’d come. Then I saw that I was almost at your house, so I just kept walking.”

“Stay there,” you told him, hanging up. You grabbed a jacket and rushed out of the house to meet him.

Vernon greeted you with a sweet smile, tilting his head handsomely as you approached. He looked cozy in his black hoodie and denim jeans. As you drew nearer, you couldn't help but wrestle with the vivid memories of your dream and your sanity's efforts to push it to the back of your mind.

“Walking from Jade’s house all the way here? Surely you can come up with a better excuse,” you joked as soon as you reached him.

Vernon chuckled heartily, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Alright, you got me. I came all the way here just to see you.”

His words sent a shiver down your spine, a mix of excitement and nervousness. The dream had left a lingering impression, and now here he was, as real as the cool night breeze. 

“In the middle of the night?” you asked, sitting on the chair opposite his.

“Yes. And I did walk all the way here.”

You scowled, unconvinced. “No, you didn’t.”

“Actually, I did. It’s not that far if you follow the beach line,” he said, then pointed somewhere behind him. “See that bright light there? That’s Jade’s house.”

You looked at where he was pointing, squinting to see the faint glow in the distance. “Wow, you really did walk all the way here,” you admitted with a hint of surprise in your voice.

Vernon shrugged casually. “Told you so.”

A comfortable silence settled between you as the sound of the waves filled the air. The moonlight cast a soft glow over the sea, and you could hear the faint music from the beachfront bars nearby.

“So, what made you walk all the way here?” you asked, breaking the silence. “Can't sleep?”

He shrugged, his gaze fixed on the gentle waves lapping at the shore. “Yeah. Thought maybe a walk would help clear my mind.”

“Did it?” you asked, curious about what was going on in his mind.

Vernon turned to you, his eyes catching the faint moonlight. “Not really. But seeing you... that helps.”

You felt your cheeks warm, grateful for the dim light hid your blush. Scoffing in feigned indifference, you said, “Smooth talker.”

He laughed, the sound blending harmoniously with the night. “I don’t know. You’ve been running in my head all night. All day, actually.”

“Did you come here to sweet talk me?”

“Nah, I came because…” he paused, hesitating. Then he sighed, deciding not to continue. “Forget it. What’s the dream about?”

You froze, not expecting the question. “What makes you think I had a dream?”

“You looked like you were woken up from a good sleep,” he said, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

You laughed nervously. “Just a random dream, nothing important.”

Thankfully he didn’t press for answers and quietly leaned on the beach bed. There was no exchange of words for a while, and you sat there feeling impatient and nervous. You didn’t want to leave yet but you couldn’t find a reason to stay. 

“Do you regret it?” Vernon asked quietly, his voice calming your jittery hands. “The kiss?”

Looking at him, you shook your head. “No, I don’t. Do you?”

“Not for a second,” he said firmly. “I just don’t know where to go from here.”

You took a deep breath, gathering your thoughts. “Maybe we don’t need to have all the answers right now. Maybe we can just... see where this goes.”

Vernon studied you for a moment, then nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Vernon rose to his feet and occupied the space next to you. You were nervous, but you didn’t shy away from him this time. When he lifted your chin to meet his gaze, you placed a hand on his neck. When he leaned in for a kiss, you met him halfway and with equal eagerness. Next thing you know, you were moaning on the beach bed, Vernon’s kisses peppering the skin along your neck while his hands roamed your body. 

Your hand was firm on his back, holding on for dear life as he explored your body for the spots that electrified you. Eventually, his lips found their way back to yours, sucking, nipping, and biting while you pressed your body against his. Your jacket has long been discarded, and your skin is wet with sweat despite the cool evening breeze. Vernon was impatient, having kissed every inch of your neck and collarbone before you gave him permission to go further.

He lifted your nightgown first, revealing your belly where he left a trail of sweet little kisses. His touch was electric, sending your mind spiraling with lust and anticipation. Then he stopped in front of your underwear, breathing warmly against it before cupping it with his big hand.

“You sure you wanna do this?” he asked, snapping you back into reality.

You blinked, looking around at the deserted beach. Then you immediately sat up, fixing the straps of your nightgown back in place.

“What the hell are we doing?” you exclaimed, standing up at once. Vernon’s face dropped, looking disappointed and understanding at the same time. You picked up your jacket on the sand, grabbed his hand, and led him to your house.

Vernon tugged you back, locking you in his arms and asking, “Are you sure?”

Groaning, you tiptoed to kiss him. “Very sure. Just not here.”

You slipped into the house quietly, careful not to wake your mom or make a sound. At one point, Vernon almost knocked over a plant hanging by the staircase. Luckily, he caught it before it could hit the floor and you laughingly put it back.

As soon as you reached your room, you grabbed Vernon’s collar and kissed him. Vernon was just as excited, brazenly slipping his hands underneath your nightgown to feel the skin of your back and grab a handful of your ass. A moan escaped your lips when he gave it a squeeze. You grabbed his hand to stop him from doing it again.

“Sorry,” he grinned, pecking at your lips.

“No, I like it. But don’t do it. We can’t be loud,” you whispered, reaching behind him to turn the lock on your door. “My mom’s a light sleeper.”

“Right, okay,” he obliged before swooping your cheek to kiss you again. “Any chance you have condoms tucked away somewhere?”

“Crap. I don’t,” you replied, brows knitting together. “But I’m on the pill.”

“Okay. Good.”

By the time you reached the bed, Vernon had discarded his hoodie and your nightgown lay on a heap on the floor. Neither of you wanted to stop kissing, but you had to when you climbed the bed and laid on your back.

“Wow,” he blurted, feasting his eyes on the nakedness before him. The way he smirked and bit his lower lip at the sight of you made you feral. “I knew it.”

“Knew what?” you asked shyly, feeling self-conscious.

He crept up to you, propping himself in his arms as he hovered over you. Then he whispered, his voice deep and melodic. “I knew you looked way better without those bikinis from earlier.”

Normally, you’d be all red and embarrassed if someone complimented you. But right now, all you are feeling is a boost of confidence and the strong urge to challenge his patience.

“Oh yeah? Now that explains why you were ogling me all day,” you purred, one hand on his neck while the other traced a line from his cheek down to his chest.

Vernon smirked. “Says you who gave me nothing but shorts to wear all day.”

You giggled when he kissed your neck. “That was unintentional.”

He hummed against your skin. “So are my occasional glances at your bikini-clad ass. Let’s not hold it against each other, love.”

The endearment had your stomach fluttering as you were dragged into the vice of his lips again. You matched his fervor, tugging, biting, battling your tongue with his, running your fingers through his scalp and grabbing a handful of his hair. His lips moved to your breast, one hand fondling the other as his tongue circled and sucked on your nipple. You cried out when he pinched it, and your hand flew over your mouth to prevent yourself from making any sound– however too late it may be.

“Vernon,” you called softly, squeezing your thighs together.

Vernon flashed a playful grin before he reached between your thighs to touch your clothed sex. “How quickly can you cum?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Why? Are you in a hurry or something?”

“Not at all,” he replied, shaking his head. “I need to know if I want to impress you on our first time.”

You groaned, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Can we just save that for next time?”

“Alright, alright,” he chuckled, holding your knees and parting them. “You’re an impatient one.”

“And you’re chatty,” you scoffed, kissing him once more as he ripped your underwear off.

“Don’t you know how important communication is?” he teased. Without warning, he took a long, wet lick of your cunt, sending pleasant shivers down your spine. You bit your lower lip, stifling the lewd sounds of pleasure that were trying to escape your mouth. 

Then he repeated it several times more before positioning himself between your legs. You didn’t even notice that he had taken off his pants. Your entire body ached with lust and anticipation for what was about to come. Vernon took his sweet time peppering your neck and chest with kisses.

“Vernon,” you pleaded with desperation in your voice, throwing all self-respect out the window.

The tip of his cock prodded your cunt, pushing ever so slightly as he tried to test how difficult or how easy it would be to get in. You gasped when his head went in, and whimpered when he bottomed out in one go. A delightful pain shot through your body, one that’s electrifying and satisfying. The way his dick stretched you was wonderful, nearly perfect.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his face twitching with what you can only assume as satisfaction.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you whispered, breathless and exhilarated. 

He moved once, observing your reaction. After another thrust, he was able to confirm that you were doing fine so he started bucking his hips rhythmically, sending ripples of pleasure through your body. As he kept going, you tried to keep quiet but it proved difficult when he was ramming into you while sucking the skin on your neck. You were holding back so hard that you could only whimper and gasp, leaving you so frustrated that you felt like crying.

Vernon's grip under your thighs tightened, his breathing erratic as he tried not to make loud sounds. His strangled grunts, the sharp intake of air, along with the raspy curses and quiet whispers of dirty sweet nothings in your ear made you dizzy, so much that you swear you’re seeing stars on your ceiling.

“So… fucking… tight,” he grunted, thrusting harder and deeper.

“Oh, god,” you mewled, and repeated your words again when he continued, “Oh, god, Vernon!”

You thought you could go for a long time, but the slight change in his pace reached places you never expected him to find so easily. You arched your body towards him, digging your nails on his shoulder as you neared the sweet bliss of release. Your eyes were rolling back, going out of your mind due to intense pleasure.

“Vernon,” you murmured, brows knitting, puppy-eyed, and biting your lip. “Please… Please don’t stop… Aagh— don’t you… fucking… stop!”

Vernon heeded your plea, losing his mind over your desperate face. He locked your lips in a kiss, muffling your moans as the twisted knot in your belly exploded. Mouth hanging open, you felt lightheaded and weak, every sound fading into a static noise as every ounce of energy left your limbs. 

Your vision shifted out of focus for a second, and then you were met by Vernon’s proud smirk. Sighing in relief, you reached to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He was still inside you, moving very slowly as you basked in the joy of your orgasm. He looked hotter in this view, a thin sheen of sweat covering his entire body. 

“How was that?” he asked, smirking. You rolled your eyes to discourage his smug attitude, but the grin on your lips was evidence of your satisfaction. He added, “Mind if I finish?”

Suddenly, it clicked. He wasn’t done yet! “Please. Go ahead.”

Vernon inhaled sharply before he started ramming his hips into you again. The sensations rushed back into you, making you gasp and whimper. He was going at an unsteady but brutal pace, thrusting faster and harder as he chased his orgasm. With a rough grunt and one final thrust, he pulled out and sent streaks of cum across your belly. You reached for his cock to jerk it off, making him groan due to overstimulation. After he was done, he hovered there for a few seconds and then fell on a heap on top of you.

“Wow,” he rasped, panting.

“Yeah,” you breathed, immensely weakened. "Wow."

The dream must have been a premonition. Or it might be the manifestation of the pent-up tension between you all day. Either way, it didn’t matter. What mattered was this moment, right now. The figment of your imagination could never compare to the real thing. It was everything you’d ever imagined, so much better even.

Vernon was gone before daybreak after you sent him away. He had been sleeping soundly next to you last night, warm and snuggly. But you woke him up barely four hours later and asked him to leave. You asked nicely, of course, and he was very understanding of your reasons. As beautiful as it was, you both agreed to keep the whole thing a secret for now. So, you sent him away to ensure your mother wouldn’t see him in the morning or that your friends wouldn’t wonder where he was.

It bothered you how quickly you got into this relationship with Vernon, especially because you knew it didn’t stem from sincere feelings but rather from infatuation and sexual tension. You also didn’t want to be the subject of your friends’ relentless teasing for the whole duration of their stay. How would you explain that you were suddenly sleeping with the guy you said you had zero interest in?

You had been staring at the ceiling for over an hour now, reliving the events of last night and wondering what the next few days had in store for the two of you. You needed not to remind yourself that this was all but a convenient setup. No strings had been attached to this yet, as far as your spoken declarations were concerned. With that in mind, you drifted back to sleep, tired from last night’s excursions.

The late morning sun filtered through your curtains, and the cool wind embraced your naked arms. You woke up again, feeling the emptiness beside you where Vernon had been. It was a strange feeling, missing someone who had just been a friend until recently. The physical connection you shared last night had stirred up emotions you hadn't anticipated.

As you got ready for the day, your thoughts drifted back to Vernon. You couldn't deny the chemistry between you two, but the uncertainty of where this was headed made you uneasy. The thought of facing your friends and pretending nothing had changed was daunting but necessary. You couldn't let them suspect anything, at least not yet.

Downstairs, your mother was on her knees, scanning the papers she had strategically scattered on the floor and on the couches in the living room. She was mumbling to herself, the deep scowl on her face indicating her intense concentration. It is best not to disturb her when she is busy like this, so you slip quietly out of the house, taking your old car out of the garage and heading to Jade’s.

When you got there, the house was already buzzing with activity. Your friends were lounging in the living room, chatting and laughing. You joined them, trying to act as normal as possible.

“Look who decided to turn up,” Jade teased, waving. "You missed breakfast."

"Sorry, I was really tired," you replied, forcing a smile as you sat down.

Mingyu glanced at you with a knowing look, but he didn't say anything. You wondered if he had noticed anything unusual about Vernon this morning.

“What's the plan for today?” you asked, eager to divert attention from yourself.

“Beach volleyball!” Jaehyun announced enthusiastically. “Elise invited us to join them at the beach.”

“Cool. Can we make s’mores after?” Trina requested. “That is if there isn’t a bonfire party after the game.”

Jade nodded. “There isn’t, so yes, we can make smores.”

Everyone cheered at the idea, and you couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. Activities like these would keep everyone occupied and less likely to notice any changes between you and Vernon.

As the day went on, you found yourself stealing glances at Vernon, who seemed just as composed as ever. The physical distance between you in public was a stark contrast to the intimacy you had shared last night. It was a balancing act, maintaining the facade while grappling with your own feelings.

During volleyball, you and Vernon ended up on opposing teams, and your competitive sides came out in full force. Since this was a game held by your high school friends, Winwin was there too and got on the same team as you. In a quick battle of wits, Jade boasted about you and Winwin being the best beach volleyball duo, making everyone cheer and tease. The game was filled with laughter, teasing, and a few surprisingly intense moments.

“You're pretty good,” Vernon said, panting and grinning as you both took a break.

“I could say the same about you,” you replied, wiping sweat from your forehead. That was your first conversation ever since he left your house that morning.

Later in the afternoon, while everyone was busy setting up for the bonfire, Vernon found a chance to be alone with you. He casually asked you to help him get the marshmallows from the kitchen, and you obliged. As you looked for the bag of marshmallows, Vernon sneakily closed the pantry door.

“You gotta be kidding me,” you muttered.

“Come on. Forget the mallows for a sec,” he grinned, tugging you by the waist.

Vernon scooped your cheek to kiss you, and you happily kissed him back, wrapping your arms around his neck. There was a sense of relief mixed in the euphoria of kissing Vernon, as if you had been starved of his touch for years instead of mere hours. You melted in his arms, delirious because of his kiss. When you parted, your lips ached for him, but you didn’t indulge it.

“Can I see you tonight?” he asked, looking ecstatic.

Absolutely, you screamed in your head but you wanted to play hard-to-get. “I’ll think about it,” you replied.

“Okay. Let me know.”

He kissed you once more, and then another. And even as you were leaving the pantry, he stole kisses on your cheek, stopping only when you were almost outside the house where all your friends are gathered.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activities and stolen moments. You and Vernon navigated your secret relationship with a mix of excitement and caution. Every touch, every shared glance held a thrill of secrecy that only the two of you understood. Vernon has mastered the art of sneaking to your house, undetected. And you would be in each other’s arms all night, only to act like you barely knew each other the next day.

One morning, the group decided to go kayaking. You went to a water sports resort with your friends, excited about the activities you haven’t done in a long time. The clear blue waters of the bay called to you, and it was like you were rediscovering its beauty after spending most of your life living here.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” Jade asked Trina again, who shook her head in response.

“Have fun, babe,” she told Minghao who then joined Mingyu on the kayak. “Take care of my Haohao, alright?” 

You scoffed as you were strapping your life vest. “Wrong. Minghao should take care of Mingyu. Chances of falling off the kayak and drowning is higher for that giant himbo.”

Eunwoo laughed as he was helping you with the gear. Patting the back of your life vest, he said, “There. You’re all set.”

“Thanks,” you lilted, looking at the array of kayaks by the shore. “Which one is ours?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m going with Adie.”

You gawked at him and then glanced over your shoulders at Adie who was chatting with Jade. “With Adie?”

“Yeah. It sort of just… happened. I could go with you instead, if you want,” he offered but you shook your hands.

“No, it’s okay. You can go with her. I don’t think she knows how to kayak so she’ll need someone who does.”

Eunwoo looked apologetic, but he just nodded and looked around. “So, you wouldn’t mind going with Vernon?”

You paused, surprised. Then your eyes searched the vicinity for Vernon. He was talking to a resort staff with Jaehyun and he smiled at you when he caught you looking.

It makes sense, of course. Eunwoo and Adie are going out together. Jade pairing up with her boyfriend is a given. So that leaves you and Vernon.

“Yeah. I don’t see why I would,” you replied.

You paired up with Vernon, both of you concealing your satisfaction with how things turned out. You pushed off from the shore, your kayak gliding smoothly over the water. The others spread out, their laughter and shouts echoing across the bay. 

“So, do you kayak often?” Vernon asked, his voice carrying over the gentle lapping of the waves.

“Not as often as I'd like,” you admitted. 

“Living here, with this magnificent bay and all, I assumed you would be out on the water every day,” he commented.

“Well, I did have a phase where I can’t seem to get enough of the sea,” you reminisced. “But that was when I was like, sixteen or seventeen. Now I barely come out here, especially since I’m away for college most of the time.”

Vernon nodded. “I get that. Sometimes we take the beautiful things around us for granted because they’re always there.”

You paddled in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the serene beauty of the bay. The water was clear, allowing you to see the underwater world teeming with life beneath you. Schools of fish darted around, and you even spotted a few crabs scuttling along the sandy bottom.

“Hey, want to head over to that little cove?” Vernon pointed to a secluded spot where the trees leaned over the water, creating a shaded area perfect for a break.

“Sure,” you agreed, steering your kayak in that direction.

As you approached the cove, the sounds of your friends grew distant, replaced by the soothing rustle of leaves and the occasional call of a seabird. You both pulled your kayak up onto a small, sandy beach and took a seat on a fallen log.

“This is nice,” you said, taking a deep breath of the salty air. You leaned back, propping yourself up on your hands. “You know, this whole secret relationship thing... it’s kind of fun.”

Vernon grinned. “Yeah? I was worried it might be too much stress.”

You shook your head. “It has its moments, but there’s something exciting about it.”

He reached out, taking your hand in his. “I like that. But I don’t want it to be stressful for you. If it ever gets too much, just tell me, okay?”

“Okay,” you promised, squeezing his hand.

For a moment, you both just sat there, holding hands and listening to the gentle sounds of nature. It was a rare, peaceful moment amid the whirlwind that had become your summer.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Vernon said out of nowhere.

You glanced at him curiously and upon recognizing the mischief on his face, you shook your head. “Don’t even think about it.”

Vernon threw his head back laughing. “Pretty hard not to. With you in that gorgeous two-piece and all.”

“Have some decency, Vernon. I’ve been thinking about giving you a head all day but I didn’t because we’re out in public.”

The shock made Vernon inhale sharply, cover his mouth, and look away. You just scowled at him, confused at his overreaction. When he glanced back at you, his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. You raised an eyebrow so he cleared his throat and composed himself.

“You can’t say things like that out loud!” he chided softly, shaking his head.

You scoffed. “I’m sure whatever you have in your mind is far more scandalous.”

Vernon smiled playfully. “Oh, so you wanna hear what I think?”

“No,” you declared, crossing your arms over your chest and reverting your gaze to the sea.

“I could just pull your bikini bottoms to the side. No one will notice.”

“Hansol Vernon Chwe!” you exclaimed, slapping his arm. You were right, he was thinking far more scandalous thoughts! “Your mind is in the gutter.”

“So what? My mind likes it there.”

“Unbelievable,” you muttered, standing up at once. Grabbing his hand, you pulled him up and led him further into the cove.

“Can’t we just—” 

You cut him off with an urgent kiss, clutching a handful of his hair as you kept his head at an angle. Vernon wasted no time, locking your waist in his arms and kissing you with sweet abandon. You made out with him for a couple minutes, stopping immediately when he started grinding his crotch against you.

“Aw,” he whined, shoulders sagging as he watched you walk away from him and back to the shore like nothing happened.

Just in time, the sound of voices carried over the water, signaling the return of your friends. 

“Let’s head back,” you called out to Vernon who was walking to you with a grumpy pout. You couldn’t help the grin that formed on your lips, pleased with his reaction.

You woke up to the sound of birds calling from a distance and the weight of an arm around your waist. A smile crept upon your lips as you snuggled closer to the warmth radiating from behind you. Your movements caused Vernon to stir, groaning as he pulled you closer and nuzzled his face behind your neck.

“Good morning,” he whispered, his voice deep and throaty. You felt a soft peck on your shoulder as you uttered the same greeting. “Is it time to go?”

You shook your head lazily, turning to face him. An affectionate kiss on your forehead had you reeling in bliss. Vernon’s forehead was creased, but he didn't look annoyed, rather pleased with his eyes still closed and cheeks bloated from sleep.

“Later,” you replied and saw him nodding.

He took a long breath and locked your head in his arms. “Good idea.”

You laughingly hit his arm so he'd let you go, but Vernon squeezed tighter, just tight enough so you wouldn't choke. As you struggled to let loose, your phone started buzzing on the nightstand, so you reached to grab it, only to be dragged back by him.

“Stop! I gotta take it!” you giggled, and he eventually let go. You bolted right up when you saw Jade’s message on the screen, and your surprised action completely woke Vernon.

“What? What's wrong? What happened?” he asked, blinking at the bright sunlight pouring into the room.

“Jade’s coming.”

“Oh,” he blurted monotonously, scratching his chin. I have to go, don't I?"

"Yeah. Go,” you told him, patting his shoulder repeatedly. Vernon rose to his feet, picking up his stuff on the chair while you answered Jade’s call.

"Hey, are you up?" came your friend's voice from the other line.

"No," you replied sarcastically, rolling your eyes.

"Good. Jaehyun and I are on our way."

"Uh, yeah. Okay. How long before you get here?" you questioned. Vernon was quietly asking where his jacket was, so you pointed at your desk. "You think you could pick up hot chocolate for me at Poppy’s?"

"Already on it," replied Jade. "Be there in 15."

Jade hung up after you said your goodbyes, and you jumped off your bed to see Vernon off. He wrapped you in his embrace, warm and snug. You inhaled his scent, reluctant to let him go.

“I'll see you later?” he asked, kissing the tip of your nose.

“Later,” you nodded. One more kiss and Vernon left your house, waving happily. You sighed after closing your door, wondering how much longer you could keep this a secret from your friends, especially from Jade, who had always been interested in your love life. She would have wanted to know about this before anyone else.

Should you tell her? Maybe she'll get off your case and stop setting you up with guys. Honestly, there was no reason to keep this a secret, except for the fact that Vernon is relatively new and everything happened too quickly between you.

You were stepping out of the bathroom when your doorbell rang. You peered outside the window and signaled for them to come in before running back to your bedroom to get changed. Jade’s cheerful ‘good morning’ greeted you, followed by a kiss on your cheek. Jaehyun asked you how your sleep was as he handed you the hot chocolate you asked them to pick up.

“So, tell me why you left your guests back at your house to have breakfast here with me?” you asked Jade as you both sat by the kitchen island, watching Jaehyun flip pancakes.

“Meh. They’re all busy doing their own thing. When I asked who wanted to come with us here, they all said no.”

“Eunwoo too?”

Jade shrugged. “Eunwoo hasn’t come out of his room, so he was probably still asleep. Vernon too, I guess. I haven’t seen them leave their room yet.”

You cleared your throat, suddenly feeling uneasy. “I see.”

“We’re leaving at noon,” she said after checking a message on her phone. “Are you ready?”

“I am,” you replied. You were invited by Elise to a camping trip, which you know would be fun so you all agreed to go. 

You and Vernon talked about it. He wasn’t as excited, saying he was tired and wanted to just stay in.

“Can we just stay here so I can fuck your brains out?” he had asked you the night before.

“My, my, how romantic,” you had told him sarcastically, rolling your eyes. “But if we do, everyone’s gonna know.”

After breakfast, Elise arrived with Winwin to pick you up. With your group of five people, you went to buy essentials for the camping trip: food, booze, and other materials. It was almost noon by the time you were done, so to save time, you picked up your stuff from the house and went straight to the meeting place where everyone was waiting.

“Did you get everything?” one friend asked as you were getting out of Winwin’s car.

You were surprised when you found your group to be smaller than expected. Other than you and your friends from uni, there were only six other people from your high school. Elise and Winwin were there, as expected. The other four are old classmates, including Mina, a girl Mingyu had been hanging out with ever since he got here.

In three SUV cars, you set off from the bay to a campsite that they had picked out. It was rowdy and you could already imagine how the weekend would go.

“Chips?” you asked Eunwoo, offering him a chip while he drove.

“Thanks,” he said, beaming and accepting the food with his mouth without taking his eyes off the road.

Mingyu’s head peeked at you from between the seats. He was pouting so you rolled your eyes at him and fed him some chips too.

“See, she loves me too,” Mingyu chimed, sitting back.

“She doesn't. You're just annoying and she puts up with you just to shut you up,” Adie sneered.

“You're just jealous because no one loves you like y/n does me.”

You heard Adie scoff. “Does your girlfriend know you're simping over y/n?”

“You know I don't have a girlfriend,” Mingyu replied indignantly.

“Exactly.”

Your gaze met Eunwoo's for a second before you both laughed at Mingyu’s misery. They continued to bicker along the way. 

Traveling always makes you sleepy, which is why you're the least fun person to be with on a road trip. This time, of course, you fell asleep barely an hour into the trip, waking up only when Eunwoo gently shook you.

“We're here,” he sang, eyes twinkling as he smiled at you. You smiled back, thanking him before stretching your limbs.

“Where is here, exactly?” you asked, handing his jacket back to him.

“Honestly, no idea. It's my first time here too,” he replied as he wore his jacket.

When you got out of the car, you recognized the campsite you frequented with your high school friends. Once a year, you all would come up here for some fresh air and to hike by yourselves. The air was colder, probably because you're up the mountains but the view was majestic enough to ignore the chill. The lake sat magnificently a few feet from where you stood and although the skies weren't particularly clear, it was still a sight to behold.

“Don't we need to unload our stuff first?” Eunwoo asked, shuddering as he hugged you from behind and trapped you inside his jacket.

You basked in the warmth but then caught Vernon’s gaze from where their car was parked. Casually, you slipped away from Eunwoo's arms. “There's no need. The tents are already furnished. You can crash as soon as you get there.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Yeah, we came here a lot when we were in high school.”

“Hey, Cha Eunwoo!” Jade's voice made you laugh. “I told you not to hog my best friend!”

Jade yanked you away from Eunwoo, hugging you tightly as if shielding you away from the man.

“She's my best friend too!” Eunwoo argued.

In a lower voice, Jade scolded him. “I know, but right now, you're ruining her chances at love.”

“Love?” you frowned but Jade was already dragging you away.

“Go help make food or something!” Jade told Eunwoo and you laughingly waved at him as you were getting dragged away.

“What do you mean by love?” you asked but she shushed you and discreetly pointed at the third car. Winwin was standing by it, unloading the stuff from the trunk.

“Uh… nope.”

“Why not?”

“He’s my ex.”

“Duh? I know,” she replied, rolling her eyes. Then she poked at your sides teasingly. “But I’ve seen how you’ve been spending some time with him these days. You seemed to have fun together. Why not give it another chance?”

“Oh, Jade,” you sighed. If only she knew which guy you had been spending all your free time with.

Barbecue was on the menu. While you helped prepare the food, the others were already starting the party with some music and booze. This mountain resort is a popular spot, but it’s summer, and most people are at the beach so your group is the only one present which was nice because you have the place all to yourselves. You chatted with Jaehyun and Winwin as you prepped, laughing at their jokes and playful banter. Vernon was there too, but he kept his distance and didn't speak to you.

“Need help with that?” you glanced sideways at the guy who crouched next to you by the cooler. It was Winwin and he smiled as he helped you put cans of soda and beer into the cooler.

“Not really, but thanks,” you replied. You and Winwin had indeed been chatting a lot whenever you were hanging out with them. But it’s all for the sake of friendship and the bond you used to have, nothing to suggest any romantic pursuits. You found these chats fun and interesting too, and you hoped that no one would make a big deal out of it. But after what Jade told you a while ago, you were starting to think everyone else might be misunderstanding your friendship.

“Hey, man,” came Vernon's voice from behind you that almost made you gasp. “Jaehyun’s calling you at the barbecue.”

Winwin stood up, smiling at you before running back to where he was being called. Vernon crouched down next to you, beaming as he helped with the remaining drinks.

“How was your sleep?” he asked, inching a little closer.

“My sleep?” you questioned, puzzled. “Did you see me sleeping in the car?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You were so cute with your mouth open.”

You felt your face flare and resisted the urge to swat him. “Not funny.”

“I didn't say it was funny,” he chuckled, clearly enjoying your embarrassment. “I said you were cute.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, rolling your eyes before standing up. Vernon followed, carrying the cooler.

“Where do we put this?” he asked and you pointed to the direction of the dining area by the bonfire. You walked there together, chatting casually along the way before Jaehyun called you over to where they were preparing the other foods.

“Wait,” Vernon grabbed your wrist as you were about to walk away. You glanced at it and then at your friends who were waiting for you. Vernon instinctively released your hand. “Nevermind. Go ahead.”

For the rest of the afternoon, and through the night, you had fun with your friends, goofing around and reliving the memories of your teenage years. Games were present too, and drinks. Lots of drinks. 

However, there was a tension simmering under the surface, something you couldn't quite put your finger on.

Vernon has a feeling that today wasn’t his day. It started as soon as he left your house. On his way back to Jade’s, the neighbor’s dogs chased after him. In the two weeks that he has stayed here, those dogs had never shown any aggression towards him until today. He initially thought that was it, but when he was taking a shower, he slipped on the tiles and landed on his butt. Although it didn’t cause any real damage, it was still irritating.

And when it was time for them to leave, he wanted to be in the same car as you. But Jaehyun asked him to drive and he couldn’t decline. He wanted to, but he couldn’t possibly tell his friend that he didn’t want to drive because he wanted to be in the same car as you were. 

Well, he could. He just chose not to out of respect for your wishes to keep things quiet.

So he settled with the small joy of seeing you sleep on the passenger seat, looking cute with your mouth hanging open. It was so adorable he almost asked to get out of the car so he could go pinch your cheeks.

Then when you reached the campsite, Eunwoo was all over you and Jade said something about setting you up with your ex. Vernon heard that, of course. He doesn’t get it though. Why would you want to get back with an ex from a long time ago?

The rest of the afternoon unfolded with lots of activities. The air was filled with laughter, the crackle of the bonfire, and the smell of barbecue. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the party atmosphere grew even more vibrant.

Vernon watched you from a distance, his eyes tracking your every move. He tried to find a moment alone with you, but it seemed impossible. Winwin was always nearby, and you two were frequently seen laughing and chatting. Your bond from high school was so evident, that one would think you didn’t stop contacting each other all those years ago. Then there was Eunwoo, who had always been affectionate and clingy towards you, but Vernon couldn’t seem to shake off his ire towards your best friend.

Eunwoo draped an arm around your shoulders as you all watched the sunset. “This view is amazing, right?” he told you.

“Absolutely,” you replied, leaning into him slightly. You caught Vernon's eye for a split second, but he looked away, pretending to be engrossed in his phone.

“Y/n, let’s go get refills,” Winwin suggested, pulling you away from Eunwoo. You laughed, giving Eunwoo a light shove as you followed Winwin to the cooler.

Vernon seized this moment and approached you both, hoping to finally get a word in. “Hey, need any help?” he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

“Nah, we're good!” Winwin replied cheerfully, handing you the cans while you loaded them into the ice bucket. “Thanks though, man.”

You glanced briefly at him and smiled. Vernon clenched his jaw, forcing a smile. “Sure, anytime.”

He lingered for a moment, hoping Winwin would leave, but instead, Winwin started telling you a funny story about your high school days, making you laugh so hard you nearly spilled your drink.

Vernon could feel his patience wearing thin. Every time he tried to get close to you, someone else was already there, monopolizing your attention. He attempted to interject himself into your conversations, but it always felt forced and awkward.

Later, as everyone gathered around the bonfire, Vernon saw another opportunity. He moved to sit next to you, but Eunwoo beat him to it, practically pulling you into his lap.

“Hey, scoot over,” Vernon said, his voice tinged with frustration.

“There’s plenty of room,” Eunwoo replied cheerfully, oblivious to Vernon’s irritation.

Vernon sat down on the other side of you, but the moment was already spoiled. Jaehyun started playing the guitar, and everyone began to sing along, further distancing you from Vernon.

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth interruption, Vernon had had enough. He retreated to the edge of the campsite, crossing his arms and staring moodily into the darkness. His grumpy demeanor didn't go unnoticed.

Mingyu wandered over, a concerned look on his face. “You alright, man?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Vernon replied curtly.

“You don’t look fine,” Mingyu pointed out. “What’s up?”

Vernon sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just... hard to get a moment with her, you know?”

Unbeknownst to you, Mingyu knew about you and Vernon. No one told him, he just figured it out by himself on the very first night that Vernon slept in your house. They were roommates first before Vernon moved to Eunwoo’s room because Mingyu kept bringing Mina over. When Vernon didn’t come home that night, Mingyu knew something good had happened to him. After all, the very reason Vernon was willing to come to Azure Bay in the first place was you. 

Why would Vernon sacrifice a peaceful summer break spent with his family to join a group of friends that he barely knew in a state he had never been to before? It was all because of you. Mingyu knew about this little crush and decided to give his friend this one and only opportunity.

Mingyu glanced back at you, surrounded by your friends. “Yeah, she’s pretty popular,” he said with a chuckle. “Just give it time. We’re here all weekend.”

Vernon nodded, but his mood didn’t improve. He spent the rest of the evening brooding, feeling more and more isolated as the party continued without him. Every time he saw you laughing with someone else, it was like a punch to the gut. Today really wasn’t his day.

Eventually, you noticed the change in his mood. When the party died down and everyone retreated to their tents, you and Vernon were left in front of the bonfire. He was still looking grumpy, staring at the fire like it had done him a grave sin.

“Hey, you okay?” you asked softly when you approached him.

Vernon forced a smile. “Yeah, just needed some air.”

You looked unconvinced but didn’t push. “It’s getting cold. We shouldn’t stay out here for too long.”

“Right. Bye then,” he replied coldly, standing up at once and heading to one of the tents.

You froze on the spot, dumbfounded and bewildered at the attitude he was giving you. You told him that hoping he’d ask to be alone with you, then you’d invite him to your tent. Did he ignore you on purpose or was he really clueless about your cue? 

You decided not to pester him about it. Feeling hurt, you walked back into your own tent, got ready to sleep, and curled up under the sheets.

“The fuck was his problem?” you asked yourself, scowling deeply as you scrolled through your phone.

You were annoyed and deeply hurt. You even made sure not to share a tent with someone else because you thought you could be alone with him. Now, what’s the point?

“So annoying,” you muttered when you saw his Instagram story about the campsite.

You were just about to toss your phone away when you noticed something in his story. It was not just a picture of the lake. You were in it too. Initially, you thought the silhouette was of someone else’s. But you recognized yourself, and the bun sitting on top of your head all day.

Your face lit up with a smile that you couldn’t conceal. Whether it was on purpose or not, your heart fluttered seeing that on his page. As if on cue, a message from Vernon popped up on your screen.

Vernon: I was a dick. I’m sorry.

You sighed, turning on your back and typing a reply.

You: Was it easier to act like a dick than to tell me what was wrong? Vernon: I guess Vernon: Meet me outside?

You grinned, giddiness bubbling inside you.

You: Is outside better than here in my tent?

You waited for his response but about three minutes later, you heard his voice outside your tent. Excited, you rose to open up for him. Big eyes, a hood over his head, and a big gummy smile welcomed you.

“Is it okay to come in?” he asked before you could even say anything.

You giggled, unable to resist his cuteness. “Yeah. Come on in.”

“Are you sure? What if someone sees us?”

“Someone will if you keep standing there.”

Vernon comes in at once, leaving his shoes outside. Not wasting a second, Vernon pulled you into a tight hug.

“I've been waiting on you all day,” he murmured, his breath hot against your ear.

“What do you mean? I was here the whole time.”

Vernon sighed, burying his face on the crook of your neck. “Should we just tell everyone? Watching guys hover around you like bees on a flower is not entertaining at all.”

You chuckled heartily. “My, my. Is Vernon being jealous right now?” you teased but when Vernon didn’t laugh or say anything to deflect you, you realized you were right. “Are you serious?”

He didn’t respond and just sighed against your skin. You shoved him a little, making him sit properly and face you.

“Vernon,” you prompted, stern.

“So what if I am?” he grumbled, scowling deeply. “These guys are all over you.”

You grinned, flattered. “They’re my friends.”

“I know. But I can’t help myself, can I?” he sighed, touching your face. “Everyone loves you, it was so hard to get your attention. I can’t even get a word in.”

“Aww,” you lilted, enamored by him. You touched his face too and kissed the tip of his nose. “We’re alone now. My attention is not going anywhere.”

He leaned in, capturing your lips in a slow, deliberate kiss that made your heart race. You responded eagerly, your hands tangling in his hair as you pressed closer to him.

There was no need to discuss anything. You just went with the flow, letting Vernon take you where he wanted to. He laid you down with care and gently kissed your lips. You touched his face, feeling the warmth of his skin and indulging yourself.

“Is this mine?” he whispered when you parted, making butterflies run wild in your belly.

Your brows furrowed slightly, confused but giddy at the same time. “What does that even mean?”

“I just want to know if it is.” He took the hand you were using to touch his face and then kissed it. “Mine.”

Then he leaned to kiss your cheek. “Mine.”

The puzzled look on your face remained. “Speak properly, Vernon.”

“It’s Hansol.”

“Huh?”

He kissed your hand again and placed it on his face. “I’m all yours, love. I’m surrendering myself to you. So please, it’s Hansol.”

“Hansol…” you echoed, voice trailing off when he ducked to kiss your neck. It didn’t take long for desire to cloud your mind. His touch was as good as it was the first time. No, actually, he got better the more you did it with him. It was as if he was studying you each time you let him touch you, and little by little, he was starting to memorize you.

His kisses went lower, and lower as he expertly undressed you. With each kiss, he said, ‘Mine’. Your neck, your collarbone, the space between your breasts, and the area above your belly button, your hip, your inner thighs— he marked all of it, calling them his.

“Tell me, y/n,” Vernon questioned, his voice deep and raspy. “Are you mine?”

“All yours,” you gasped, aching to be touched where he was refusing to touch you.

“All mine?”

“Yes, Hansol,” you replied, biting your lips. “All yours.” 

“Good girl.” You flinched when his nose pressed on your underwear, putting pressure on the sex underneath it. He kissed that too. “All mine.”

The nights you spent together became more frequent, each one blurring the line between physical attraction and emotional connection. As the days went on, you couldn't help but notice the little things about Vernon that made your heart flutter. The way he laughed, the way he looked at you when he thought you weren't paying attention, the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the world when you were together. You tried to remind yourself that this was supposed to be a no-strings-attached arrangement, but your heart was beginning to have other ideas.

Especially considering how things are going between you right now. After the hiking trip, Vernon told you he would stop resisting the urge to approach you, even with your friends present. You told him to do as he liked, finally allowing things to unfold naturally. It was a liberating decision, knowing you will no longer have to walk on eggshells and keep pretending Vernon is just another friend.

As the days passed, you and Vernon fell into a comfortable routine. Mornings often began with leisurely breakfasts at Jade’s house or on your patio, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee blending with the salty sea breeze. The group would often split up for various activities—some would go hiking along the coastal trails, some would prefer to shop or sight-see, while others, like you and Vernon, preferred the relaxation of the beach.

One night, after another secret rendezvous, you lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying every moment with Vernon. You hated the idea of temporary relationships, the kind that only lasted for a season and then fizzled out. But the thought of losing what you had with Vernon was starting to feel unbearable.

“Get it together, y/n,” you muttered to yourself, trying to push the feelings away. But deep down, you knew it was already too late. You were falling for him, and there was no turning back.

The next day, you went out with Vernon to go sightseeing. Wandering through narrow streets lined with quaint shops and cafes, you found yourselves in a small art gallery. The cool interior was a welcome respite from the heat, and you both wandered among the paintings, discussing your favorites and discovering new aspects of each other's personalities.

“I didn't know you were into abstract art,” Vernon said, stopping in front of a vibrant canvas.

You shrugged, smiling. “Oh, I’m not. I just like to stare at it like it’s a compelling puzzle.”

“A compelling puzzle?” he repeated.

“Yeah,” you grinned. “Whenever I see one, I try to decode any message or find the hidden figures. But visually, I wouldn't buy one and put it on display.”

He nodded thoughtfully, taking your hand as you moved to the next exhibit. The simple gesture of holding hands felt natural, and it sent a thrill through you every time.

Later, as you sat in a cozy café, sipping iced lattes and watching the world go by, Vernon brought up a topic that had been on your mind as well.

“I've been thinking about what you said, about not wanting this to be just a summer fling,” he began, stirring his drink absentmindedly. “And I think I agree. I’m still not sure what it would mean for us, though.”

You looked at him, grateful for his honesty. “It means being realistic about what we want and what we're willing to do to make it work.”

He reached across the table, taking your hand in his. “I'm willing to try if you are.”

You smiled, squeezing his hand. “One step at a time, Hansol.”

He grinned, a spark of determination in his eyes. “One step at a time.”

Back at the beach house, the evenings were filled with laughter and conversations as usual. Despite your efforts to keep things low-key, your friends began to notice the growing closeness between you and Vernon. 

As you sat around the bonfire, Adie couldn't help but tease you. “So y/n, Vernon seems to be spending a lot of time with you. Anything you want to tell us?”

You felt your cheeks flush and shot Vernon a quick glance. He smiled reassuringly but you didn’t know what it meant. So you responded with, “We're just enjoying each other's company. No need to make it a big deal.”

Your friends laughed and let the topic drop, but you could tell they weren't entirely convinced. As the night wore on, you found yourself snuggled up next to Vernon, the warmth of the fire and the comfort of his presence making you feel at ease.

Vernon offered to walk you home that night, ignoring the teasing from your friends. Hand in hand, you trekked the sidewalk while talking and laughing about random things. When you reached the house, you invited him inside, asking if he wanted to sleep over.

“Have I ever said no to that?” Vernon asked, the glimmer in his irresistibly beautiful.

“Alright. Come on in then,” you chuckled. 

When you entered the house, you found your mom’s designs on the floor again, making you feel nervous. She should be asleep by now, but judging by this, it looks like she’s pulling an all-nighter. You looked around to find her, and when you couldn’t, you assumed she had gone to sleep so you ushered Vernon in.

“Watch your step. These are Mom’s designs. She said she gets more efficient when she can compare and contrast her works like this. It looks like a mess, but it’s not all clutter,” you explained, treading carefully. “That’s just how she works.”

“I see. You take after her then,” Vernon chuckled, letting you guide him across the room to the staircase. 

“I get that all the time from family and friends,” you replied, reminiscing.

“If you don’t mind me asking, is your dad around? I haven’t really seen him.”

You were surprised by the question, but you didn’t mind answering it. “Oh, they’re not together anymore. They got divorced when I was fourteen.”

Vernon’s face dropped. “Sorry to hear that.”

“No, it’s okay. We’re not on bad terms. I see him sometimes when I visit him in France.”

“That’s far.”

“I know,” you chuckled as you reached for your bedroom door. Before you could open it, however, the door to your mom’s room opened, and she flicked the lights on instantly. “Mom!” you exclaimed.

Getting caught by your mother as you were bringing a guy home? Embarrassing. 

Your mother stared at you and Vernon for a minute before speaking. “Vernon, was it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She hummed in acknowledgment. “I guess everything’s going well between you, seeing how you’re walking in through the front door this time instead of the back.”

You gasped loudly. “Mom! How did you even know that?”

She just smiled coyly, not saying anything as she walked down the stairs to go back to her work.

“Does that mean she’s known the whole time?” Vernon asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

You sighed, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief. “Apparently. Moms always know more than they let on.”

Vernon laughed softly as you entered your bedroom. “I think it went well, all things considered. She didn't seem mad or anything.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, walking over to your bed and sitting down. “She's pretty cool about stuff like this. I just didn't expect her to know about us sneaking around.”

Vernon sat beside you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “At least we don't have to hide anymore,” he said gently.

You smiled, resting your head on his shoulder. "Yeah, that's a relief."

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a moment, your head leaning on your chest as you listened to the sound of his heart and enjoyed the peace and quiet of your room.

“So,” he began, breaking the silence, “What do you want to do now?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Movie? We could watch something and just relax.”

Vernon grinned. “Sounds perfect.”

You stood up and went to your small collection of DVDs and streaming options, picking out a movie you both liked. Vernon made himself comfortable on your bed, and you joined him once the movie was ready to start. Snuggling up under the blankets, you hit play, and the room was soon filled with the familiar sounds of your favorite film.

As the movie played, you felt a sense of contentment wash over you. Vernon’s presence beside you was comforting, and you were grateful for the way things were unfolding. His hand found yours under the blanket, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. You smiled, squeezing back.

Halfway through, you felt yourself growing drowsy. Vernon’s arm around you was warm and secure, and you found it hard to keep your eyes open. Before you knew it, you had drifted off to sleep, the movie still playing softly in the background.

Vernon watched you for a moment, a fond smile on his face. He gently kissed your forehead before settling down beside you, pulling the blanket up to keep you both warm. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt a sense of contentment he hadn’t felt in a long time.

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside your window. You blinked your eyes open, realizing you were still curled up next to Vernon. He was already awake, watching you with a soft smile.

“Morning,” you mumbled, stretching.

“Morning,” he replied, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, really well,” you said, sitting up and rubbing your eyes. “You?”

“Best sleep I’ve had in a while,” he admitted.

You smiled, feeling your heart swell with affection for him. “I’m glad.”

Today is an uneventful day, like most days. You have nothing planned and you intend to just lounge about all day. Vernon seemed to like the idea, so after driving your mom to the airport for a business trip, you ordered takeout breakfasts and went back to your house.

You laid out the food on the coffee table in the living room, and the two of you sat cross-legged on the floor, chatting softly as you ate.

"How's the croissant?" you asked, tearing off a piece of your own pastry and popping it into your mouth.

"It's amazing," Vernon replied with a grin, crumbs dusting the corner of his lips. "Want a bite?" He held out his half-eaten croissant, and you leaned forward to take a bite, savoring the buttery, flaky goodness.

"Delicious," you mumbled, your mouth full. He laughed, shaking his head affectionately.

After breakfast, you cleaned up together, moving in sync as you cleared the table and washed the dishes. The kitchen was filled with the sound of running water and the clinking of plates, but it felt peaceful, even meditative.

With the kitchen clean, you both moved to the living room. Vernon sprawled out on the couch, and you settled beside him, your head resting on his chest. He absently ran his fingers through your hair creating a soothing rhythm.

You reached for your book on the coffee table and Vernon grabbed his phone, each of you sinking into your own world. The living room was quiet except for the occasional sound of turning pages and the soft taps from Vernon's phone.

The silence was comfortable, the kind that envelops you like a warm blanket. You glanced up occasionally, stealing glances at Vernon, who seemed engrossed in whatever he was looking at. He'd sometimes smile at something on his screen, and you couldn't help but feel content seeing him so relaxed.

After a while, Vernon shifted, placing his phone down. "What are you reading?" he asked softly, not wanting to break the tranquility of the moment.

"Just something I should have finished reading a long time ago," you replied, showing him the cover. "It's pretty interesting."

"What's it about?" he asked, genuinely curious.

You gave him a brief summary, and he listened attentively, his eyes on you the whole time. "Sounds good. Maybe I'll borrow it when you're done," he said with a smile.

"Sure," you nodded, going back to your book while he picked up his phone again.

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. Time seemed to slow down as you both lost yourselves in your respective activities, yet remained deeply aware of each other's presence. Strangely, it felt intimate, and you took it as a testament to how comfortable you'd become with each other.

As the afternoon turned into evening, you both decided to cook dinner together. You made pasta, working seamlessly as a team. Vernon chopped vegetables while you prepared the sauce, and soon the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of your meal.

Over dinner, you talked about everything and nothing, sharing stories and dreams, and simply enjoying each other's company. When the meal was over, you did the dishes together, laughing and chatting as you worked.

The night ended with you both lying on the hammock on the patio, swaying gently as you watched the stars overhead and listened to the sounds of nature—the birds calling, crickets humming in the early evening, and the waves pushing and pulling at the shore. Vernon held you close, and you felt his steady heartbeat under your cheek.

“Today was perfect,” you whispered, feeling a wave of happiness wash over you.

“It really was,” he agreed, kissing the top of your head. “Let's have more days like this.”

“Absolutely,” you murmured, feeling completely at peace. But then you remembered a crucial detail that made your heart sink. “But you’re leaving in two days.”

Vernon hummed, confused. “Already?”

“Yes.”

The month passed too quickly for your liking. Ironically, when your friends were planning their stay, you initially thought staying here for a whole month was too long for them. Now that the time is almost up, you realize it wasn’t that long after all. Your relationship with Vernon aside, you had loved every moment spent with your friends—the parties, the bonfire sessions, showing them around town, introducing them to your old friends, and all that. You realized how much stronger your bond with them has become and now you dreaded the inevitable.

You especially dreaded seeing Vernon leave. Although your beginning was quite unconventional in your opinion, it blossomed into something beautiful. You didn’t want to lose it just yet. Your emotions for each other might be strong now, but it doesn’t change the fact that you still haven’t officially decided on the status of your relationship. Vernon was vague about it, but you took it in stride because it was better than nothing at all.

“I’m gonna miss Azure Bay,” he said, tightening his hold on you.

“I’m sure you’ll be missed around here too,” you chimed, closing your eyes in an attempt to push your worries away.

“Should I stay a bit longer?” he suggested, looking at you so you opened your eyes. “Or should we go back together? We could spend the rest of the summer at my home.”

You just scoffed. “As if.”

“Come on. It’s gonna be fun. We have a farm. It’s quite impressive,” he added, feeling proud.

“You’re serious?” you asked, unconvinced.

“Of course I am!” he said, grinning toothily.

You pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of his offer. If he’s serious, then doesn’t this mean your relationship is official? He’s not the type to casually bring every girl he’s seeing to meet his family, right?

“I’ll think about it.”

Vernon seemed pleased, poking your nose before kissing you. As you kissed under the fading light, you felt a mixture of emotions—excitement, fear, hope. Things had been uncertain for a while now, but it’s starting to look up for you. Despite your initial reservations, you were starting to believe that this could be more than just a summer romance.

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. You stretched and turned to find Vernon still asleep beside you, his face peaceful in the early morning light. You smiled, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you.

Determined to make the most of your remaining time together, you planned a surprise for Vernon. After breakfast, he had to go back to Jade’s house to take care of his belongings. While he was gone, you started working on your treat. You made sandwiches, drinks, and sliced fruits. Then you packed them securely, loading them in a picnic basket along with a large picnic mat. You included your book in the basket and a half-empty bottle of wine from your mom’s collection.

As soon as he returned from Jade’s, you grabbed his hand and led him down a hidden path that wound through the dunes, opening up to a secluded deck. With his help, you boarded a small boat, and he rowed you into the water while you guided him.

“How are you feeling?” you asked, pointing your phone’s camera at him.

“Honestly?” he asked, chuckling. “I think I might have a heart attack.”

You snorted, pretending to be unamused. “Don’t overreact, Hansol.”

Vernon chuckled heartily, his eyes wide with excitement. “I’m serious. I’m so excited that my heart can’t calm down.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat,” you told him, giggling.

You took pictures together, lots of them. While he rowed and enjoyed the majestic view, you captured his reactions and marveled at how beautiful he was in the pictures. But ultimately, no camera could ever give justice to how amazing he looked in real life.

“No way,” he exclaimed as you neared your destination. Rowing faster, he repeated. “No fucking way. Are you serious?”

You nodded proudly. “I am.”

The island sat idly, surrounded by clear blue waters. The sky was a canvas of soft blues and whites, with the sun casting a golden glow over everything. As you approached the dock, Vernon couldn’t contain his amazement, showering praises for the place and for you bringing him there.

“Technically, it was you who brought us here,” you smiled, watching him securely tie the boat to the dock.

“Wow, this is amazing,” Vernon said, his eyes lighting up as he took in the scene.

You smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction at his reaction. “Come on.”

You set up the picnic, spreading the mat on a cozy spot under a shady tree. After snapping a few more pictures, you both settled down to eat. The sun made the water glimmer, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves around you. The sound of waves gently lapping against the shore also created a soothing backdrop. The sandwiches were simple but delicious, and the wine added a touch of elegance to the meal.

As you enjoyed the picnic, you talked about your hopes and dreams, sharing stories from your past and envisioning possibilities for the future. The more you talked, the more you realized how much you had in common and how much you enjoyed each other's company. 

After a while, Vernon lay back on the mat, pulling you down with him. You nestled into his side, resting your head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around you.

“This is perfect,” he murmured, his voice soft and content.

“I’m glad you liked it,” you replied, closing your eyes and savoring the moment.

Time seemed to slow down as you lay there, feeling completely at peace in each other’s presence. You didn’t need to say much; just being together was enough. The island, the picnic, the gentle rhythm of the waves – everything was just right.

You spent the day lounging on the mat, sometimes talking, other times just enjoying the comfortable silence too, where you just sat together, listening to the waves and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. Vernon occasionally played with your hair, his fingers gently untangling knots or just running through it. You read a book, leaning against his chest, while he scrolled through his phone, sharing funny memes or interesting articles he came across.

At one point, you fed each other pieces of fruit, laughing when you missed his mouth and he pretended to be mortally wounded. By 3 in the afternoon, the sun casted a beautiful golden hue over the island. You watched Vernon glow magnificently under this golden light, feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment. You knew that no matter where life took you, moments like these would always hold a special place in your heart.

“You should have brought that spearfishing thing you had in your shed,” he quipped after a while.

“Do you even know how to use it?”

“No,” he confessed, chuckling. “But it shouldn’t be so hard, right?”

“No clue. I didn’t like fishing so I wasn’t interested in knowing how it worked.”

“Oh. It wasn’t a good idea then.”

You huffed impatiently. “Yeah, it wasn’t. And even if one of us knew how to use it, I still wouldn’t bring it here. I would hate for this to be ruined by you running around trying to catch some fish instead of spending all your time with me.”

Vernon’s chest vibrated as he laughed, finding your cute aggression endearing. 

You pushed yourself up, sitting so you could look him in the face. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m serious.”

Vernon shifted on his side, touching your chin with his fingers so he could look into your eyes. “Do you have any idea, the slightest clue, about how adorable you are?"

You smiled, your ire long forgotten as your heart swelled with affection. “You're just trying to sweet talk me again,” you replied before leaning in to kiss him gently. His lips were soft and warm, and the kiss deepened as he pulled you closer, his hand caressing your back.

Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against yours, both of you breathing in sync. “I love you,” he said softly, his voice full of sincerity.

Your heart picked up its pace, surprised and ecstatic because of his unexpected confession. You were right, after all. This is no longer a fleeting summer romance. You and Vernon have developed something more than just that. 

“I love you too,” you replied, feeling the truth of your words resonate deep within you.

He kissed you again, this time, more fervently. You moved to straddle him, your sundress spreading gracefully across his waist. Vernon sat up for a better position, his hand slipping under your dress and feeling up the smooth skin of your thigh. The more you kissed him, the crazier your head went. 

You let him touch you, kiss you, and undress you. His kisses trailed all the way to your breasts, and his hands expertly traced your every curve. At this point in time, you can finally say Vernon has successfully memorized you.

You kept grinding on his crotch, eager to satisfy the aching between your legs. “Why’d you have to wear those jeans?” you complained, frustrated by the rough fabric of his pants.

Vernon chuckled heartily, lifting your legs and gently pushing you off of him. “Whatever happened to decency and not doing scandalous acts in public?”  

You scoffed as he lay you down on the mat. “Would you like to stop here, then?”

“No. Absolutely not,” he replied, unbuckling his belt and dipping low to kiss you again.

As he brushed a strand of hair from your face, his fingertips lingered on your skin, leaving a trail of tingling sensation in their wake. It was a bribe, a gentle gesture to distract you while he tried to be one with you again– in body and soul.

An exclaim tore out of your mouth, surprised when his manhood slid through you completely. It wasn’t rough, nor was it painful, it was a cry of pleasure. Vernon shushed you, cooing at you as he began moving between your legs. It didn’t take long for you to get used to it. Your body has known him after all the nights you had spent together. You and Vernon have become a perfect pair, fitting perfectly with each other in every way as if it were by design.

“You look so beautiful right now,” he rasped, kissing the side of your mouth down to your neck. “You have no idea how much you drive me crazy.”

“Oh, Hansol,” you cried needily, not restraining your moans and confidently screaming his name. 

“Yes, love,” Vernon growled, his pace getting rougher the louder you got. “That’s my name. That’s my fucking name!”

Your breaths synchronized, a rough but steady rhythm that mirrored the beating of your heart. He moved closer as if you were not already joined together. The remaining space between you dissolved, replaced by a closeness that felt both comforting and exhilarating. Vernon's gaze softened, and he leaned in, his forehead resting gently against yours. The scent of him enveloped you, familiar and comforting.

“I love you,” he whispered as he continued ramming into you. 

The kiss that followed that confession made you delirious, completely overcome by passion and desire for Vernon. Every touch and every whisper of breath against your skin added to the mounting tension, a heady sensation of pleasure and anticipation. Your heart raced, each beat echoing the intensity of the moment.

You screamed his name, begged him not to stop, and moved with the rhythm of his body. You tugged and scratched and shamelessly bucked your hips to meet his. Until the high finally came crashing through. Time seemed to blur, and for a moment, the world was nothing but pure, unadulterated sensation. Every muscle in your body contracted and then relaxed. The feeling was overwhelming, a blissful explosion that left you breathless and trembling.

Vernon thrust a few more times into you before he too let out a guttural grunt and fell on your side, catching his breath with a content smile on his lips. You moved closer to him, nuzzling your face on his chest. Your mind floated in a sea of euphoria, your body pulsing with the aftershocks of the intense release.

“What if someone saw?” he quipped, playing with the ends of your hair.

You giggled. “People rarely come to this part of the bay.”

As the day came to a close, you packed up your things and got back into the boat. Vernon rowed you back to the mainland, both of you wrapped in a comfortable silence. Just as the sun was about to set, you found yourselves back on the beach, walking hand in hand along the shore. The sky was painted with brilliant hues of orange and pink, and the waves glowed with the last light of the day. It was at that moment, with the beauty of the sunset surrounding you, that you realized just how much Vernon meant to you.

It was a memorable day, forever etched in your memory. Even as you stood alone at the airport, watching the plane that was supposed to take you and Vernon to his home fly to the sky, the memories from that little island replayed in your head. That man who said he loved you has flown away, leaving you to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart.

[To be continued in Part 2]

[thatsdemko]

they want us to be - m.mount

masterlist

pairing: Mason mount x fem!reader

warnings: angst + me having a lack of knowledge of the transportation systems of Europe

a/n: yeah I’m sorry about this one..

the train ride in from London to Manchester was long and brutal. you’d think somewhere along the lines you’d just move half way in between your best friend and your current job, but moving in this economy was proven to be rather difficult. so the train it was.

the cities and empty towns pass by you in a whirl and before you know it you’re the next stop: Manchester. you’d gathered an overnight bag that feels weightless as you pick it up and move out of your seat towards the exit. you thank the man who helps you off and find his car. it doesn’t take long, it’s the most expensive one in the parking lot.

“hey!” his head snaps up from his phone, whatever it was becomes completely irrelevant once you’re in the warm car and tossing your back in front of your feet.

letting out a long sigh you take a look over at him. his hair still has patches of blond showing and the buzz cut is much shorter than you last had seen it. “hey,” you let out finally. leaning over the center counsel you wrap your arms around him, “why’d you cut your hair?” you gently run your finger tips over the rough ends of his hair before he quickly pulls away, a blush creeping to his cheeks.

“you don’t like it?”

“I’ve expressed my dislikes for it many times.” you’d recall for him the last time he’d cut it short, you couldn’t look him in the eyes without laughing and you’d think he’d learned his lesson that the look wasn’t meant for him, yet without your supervision Mason still went ahead and did so.

“yeah well you’re not my girlfriend so you don’t make the calls.” his bitter tone shuts you up. you result back into looking out the window much like you did the whole train ride here. was this how it was going to be?

LAST TIME | Manchester

“come on, come on! say it again, please.” you laugh, your body leans forward against the wooden table tops as you wait for masons giggle fit to end before he turns serious and does his best impression of his coach on the sidelines.

“you’re getting really good at it.” you lie, or maybe it was flirting. the alcohol in your system had you looking at Mason differently than normal, and it’s not you to blame when he wears a tight black shirt and grey sweatpants that could have any girl swooning in admiration of his biceps.

“am I? I only learn from the best impersonator myself.” he gestures to you in front of him, “give me your best Ben impression, I forgot what he sounds like.”

“you chatted with him on the phone two hours ago!”

it’s his turn to lean in, his hands pressed against the cool table tops as he watches you take a swig from your pint of beer, “and I’ve seemingly forgotten what he sounds like! come on, do it!”

rolling your eyes you give him what he wants and a roar of laugher escapes from him. the sound fills your heart and makes your chest feel fuzzy and your head starts to spin. was this what it felt like to fall in love? was the feeling of falling supposed to be this intoxicating?

“is it crazy I miss London?” he looks up from the empty pint in front of him, his hands awkwardly cup the glass trying to find anything to occupy the numbness in his chest when he mentions his previous home. while Manchester was beautiful and different, you didn’t live here. you lived a train away and that killed him.

“I don’t think it’s crazy, mase. this was a big change— and may I mention a good change.” you reach across the table, your sweaty palm touches the back of his hand and pulls his attention away from the table.

“I guess I just miss you.”

oh. you feel a tightness in your chest as you pull your hand away and sink against the back of the chair.

“I shouldn’t of said that I’m sorry—“

“no. don’t apologize.” you cut him off, “I miss you too.”

a relief washes over his face to hear the words back. there’d been plenty of new friends and faces for him to kindle a connection with, but no one could hold a candle to what you two had. there was an undeniable chemistry that sparked since your teen years and carried on, it’s what made you two inseparable despite the commute.

“I’m sorry, I’m being like the worst drunk ever.”

you shake your head. reaching your hand across the table again, “don’t say that. come on, let’s just go to bed? maybe we just need sleep.” you suggest and he agrees. he trails behind you into his master bedroom that’s practically untouched. the space is so clean and barely lived in, it’s almost uncomfortable to look at.

“will you sleep with me? I don’t think I can be alone right now.” his finger tips grab a hold of your hand, the warmth sends a shock wave through your body making you turn in his direction. he’s standing in the doorway of the bedroom, his large body blocks you from seeing the rest of the room as his eyes plea for your attention.

“mase, that’s dangerous.” you warn. the last time you’d slept in the same bed was the same night he’d gracefully taken your virginity and ever since then you could never see him naked without your ovaries having a reaction to him.

he wets the bottom of his lip with his tongue, his beautiful brown eyes are glassy and convincing, you press your lips against his for a brief second, “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

“can’t you stay with me forever?” he whispers half jokingly but half serious. you pretend you don’t hear him and just climb into his bed while he undresses himself.

“I mean what I said. I want you with me forever.”

NOW | Manchester

“pint or glass?”

“glass.” you say setting your things down into the living room and waiting for Mason to come back in. you stare out the large floor to ceiling windows out at the city. the grey clouds and dark skies feel different here, in London you felt safer from the storms, but here? there was something chilling about the look.

“how’s Ben? anything new happening with Chelsea?” he moves into the living room and sets your glass down on a coaster. he takes the seat closest to where you’re standing and watches your eyes move from cloud to cloud and person to person.

“joão left.”

“so I’ve been told.” he says making your head turn in his direction and offer him a small smile before taking the seat next to him.

“but Bens good, he just moved into my building.”

a shocked expression lights his face making you snort, “what? you’re surprised we get along now?”

he nods his head enthusiastically, “yes! it took months for you two to get along!”

“months?! I’d say weeks, he always had a problem with me.”

it’s masons turn to snort making you give him a look of surprise, “he just had a thing for you and then he realized you only like me so he gave up.”

you fight the urge to tell him it wasn’t true. you fight the urge to tell him the reason Ben moved in was because he was with you. the reason you couldn’t stay with Mason forever was because Ben chilwell was your idea of forever.

“well I think he still has a thing for me.”

Mason rolls his eyes whipping out his phone from his pocket, “you want me to tell him off? I can tell him you still have feelings for Christian—“

“no! oh my god one time! I said one time I liked Christian for a week!” you launch your body onto his and try to fight him for the phone while he types and clearly whoever it was, it wasn’t Ben. because the person on the other end responded faster than your boyfriend actually would.

“who are you actually texting?” you press, a cheeky grin on your face, “come on, I know it’s a girl none of your mates respond that fast!”

he puts his hands up as a white flag and admits from start to finish about the new girl he was talking to. he’d mentioned how she was awfully similar personality to yours and how he really liked her, but he fails to admit she’s not you. he likes her enough to keep things going, but she lacks the personality you have.

“I’m so happy for you.” you whisper, voice sounding breathless and a mixture of emotions settled into your chest. you’re happy for him, and this is exciting news, but why did it hurt? Ben was your boyfriend who you so dearly loved, but why was Mason moving on the worst thing you could ever hear.

you guess it’s true, maybe you two were meant to be but you’d never know until you stop loving others and love each other.

[stickymolasses]

NEW SLANG

pairing: harry osborn (marvels spiderman 2 ps5) x reader (no use of y/n, not gendered)

summary: you are a young adult who had to put a pause on your schooling due to unforeseen circumstances. you work at a cotton candy stand on coney island and harry and you chat, perhaps leading to a new beginning for the both of you.

characters: harry osborn, peter parker, mary jane watson

warnings: mention of gambling, writer being stupid :3

an: hello! this is my first fic on this blog. if you like this first chapter let me know and i'll write another one! i have never really written fanfiction on tumblr or at least never uploaded on here but i figured i'd give it a try. i love harry in spidey ps5 so badddd and there just aren't enough fics for him :> be on the lookout for another an at the end of the fic! i don't really know how this stuff works yet but if you're interested in being put on my tags list for this work let me know!

Coney Island was so beautiful at this time of night. The night sky was illuminated with the sparkling shine that the entertainment district gave off. Despite the enchanting scenery, a sense of melancholy enveloped you on this particular night. The realization of your current situation hit home as a teenage girl, clad in an Empire State University sweater, approached your cotton candy stand—a stark reminder of why you were working here. 

You could’ve been in her shoes if not for the string of unfortunate events that unfolded in quick succession. Moving out of your aunt and uncle's place had been challenging due to the soaring living costs in New York City. To make matters worse, your ex-lover's reckless gambling had drained your finances, forcing you to put a pause on your education. The dream of becoming a great astronomer remained unfulfilled, and instead, you found yourself working at a shitty cotton candy stand.

Nights like these were bustling, contributing to your current state of dismay. The boardwalk teemed with people, immersed in the company of their significant others and friends—something you currently lacked.

The lingering summer heat made you sweat a little. Adjusting your uniform, you opened the topmost button, and as you looked up, three people stood before you—two redheads and a brunette. "Hi, welcome to Coney Cotton Candy. What can I get for you guys?"

You smile and greet your customers with as much delight as you can conjure. One of the redheads, a very handsome young man, opens his mouth to speak but quickly closes it and furrows his eyebrows instead. 

You greeted your customers with a forced delight. The handsome young man among them hesitated before making his order. His friend, addressed as Pete, clarified the order, and the other two in the group walked away, seemingly a couple. 

“Alright, can we get three of the little cones?” He fumbled through his wallet, and you noticed his striking green eyes. As you handed back his credit card, his gaze lingered in a way that made your stomach twist. 

“Have we met before? I feel like I know you,” he pondered.

“Um, I don’t think so. Maybe you’ve shopped here before?” you suggested, playing it cool.

“Did you go to Midtown High? Or maybe you went to Empire State?” he continued. 

“I went to ESU. I couldn't finish my degree, though–unforeseen circumstances,” you replied, throwing up finger quotes. He looked sympathetic, a reaction that both touched and frustrated you.  

“I’m sorry, I’ve had some of those lately too. I graduated from ESU in ‘21. What were you studying?” The line behind him grew, and despite wanting to chat further, you had a job to do. 

“Astronomy. I’m sorry, but there are customers behind you,” you said, cutting the conversation short. He apologized to the people in line, turning to leave but hesitating for a moment. 

“When you get off tonight, come meet me at the Speed Demon!” he called back. 

“Please!”

As you continued working, typing into the cash register, and dealing with an impatient mother, you awaited the hour when you would be free.  

You sigh, locking the register and slinging your tote bag over your shoulder. The remainder of your shift proved fairly uninteresting after your run-in with the man with pretty green eyes. Walking across the park, you take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the Atlantic. The waves crash on the shore, creating a soothing backdrop to your uncertain life.

When you arrive at the Speed Demon, the designated meeting spot with the intriguing young man from earlier, you find him leaning casually against the head requirement chart.

"How did you know when I got off work?" you question him, suspicion coloring your tone.

"It said the booth closes at midnight on weekends. I only assumed you wouldn’t have to stay much later than that," he replies, eyeing your face and studying your expressions.

"So, why did you want to meet with me?" you inquire again.

“You said you were studying to be an astronomer, right?” he replies, matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but I told you I couldn’t get my degree. I—”

He cuts you off, “It doesn’t matter; are you good at it?”

“I mean, yes, I would hope so. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been passionate about. I wanted to heal the environment, starting with the stars.” He smirks and looks at his feet, shuffling them.

“Well, would you be interested in not working at Coney Cotton Candy? N-Not that this job isn’t worth your time or anything…” He stumbles over his words a little, getting to his point.

“What are you saying?” Your left eyebrow kicks up in curiosity at his remarks.

“I have a startup foundation in Manhattan. I’m trying to gather as many great scientists and innovators as I can. You seem like a great fit, and it could help you finish your studies.” He smiles wide, and you note that his teeth are perfect.

“Why should you hire some person you don’t know? Isn’t that a little bit sketchy?” You place your hands in your thin jacket pockets and fidget around a little bit, thinking. If he is serious about this, you could kiss him. You would rather work any job other than your current one, no matter a real job where you can actually do what you went to school for.

“You just have that look in your eyes; I can see what type of person you are. You want to help people too. We’d still have to do a real interview, of course; I need to make sure you’re qualified.” He laughs, and his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm; he means what he says.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt.” You roll your neck around a few times, tired from a day's work.

He holds his hand out for you to shake it, and you do.

“We are going to heal the world.”

“So, you haven’t even told me your name yet,” he remarks, walking by your side to the subway station.

“I can say the same thing about you, mystery man. If you weren’t so handsome, I would think you were just some creep trying to murder me,” you admit, probably a little bit too honestly.

He gasps and places a hand on his chest, in faux offense. “I would never, and my name is Harry. Harry Osborn.”

You tell him your name, and he repeats it to himself a few times under his breath. “That's a nice name; it suits you.”

He looks at you, as you are examining your feet. You feel his gaze on you but don’t want to scare him away, so you continue to feign interest in the floor.

“What happened to the people you were with earlier? They ditch you?” you ask, curious about the whereabouts of the group he was with earlier.

“I told them I had some work stuff to do, and they didn’t ask many questions. It was date night for them anyway. I was kind of third-wheeling.” He lets out a small laugh at the admission.

The two of you continue to engage in small talk throughout your walk. When you eventually reach your destination, he stops you.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the time of day. Not just anyone would do that; you said it yourself, I could have been some kind of psycho freak murderer.” He pauses for a second, opening his mouth and closing it again, thinking about his next words. “I have to be honest, I really wanted to talk to you because I thought you were beautiful; it just helped that you were exactly what my startup is looking for.”

You feel heat rising to your face due to his gentle compliment. Since your last relationship, no one had ever called you beautiful; they only ever called you asking for a check. “Thanks, you’re not too bad yourself. I seriously hope I knock that interview out of the park; I’d rather not go back to slinging cotton candy.”

He chuckles and shakes your hand again, clasping over it with his other hand, lingering for a while. “I’ll see you then.”

part 2: here an: hello! what did you think? reader lowkey miserable until harry shows up LOL. i really wanna do fun stuff with this story idk. i am hoping it came across the way i imagined it! i just like need harry carnally and i realized no one was gonna write about him so i had to take matters into my own hands.

[readyforthegarden]

Ever After - A Bubblegum Short

A/N: Eden and Jake have been on my mind for quite a while, and I've missed them so much. So I've put together a few blurbs for them about their lives post-Bubblegum, and how their little family in the epilogue came to be.

WC: 3600

🌙🌙🌙

It had been a whirlwind of a month in Michigan, Jake carting Eden everywhere, taking her to his family's cabin after a quick visit home, then to a few different places he had been dreaming of taking her since they had become official.

He planned everything perfectly, the cool autumn air rustling the bright yellow and orange leaves in the trees around them. Today was going to be gorgeous, their roadtrip would be long, but definitely worth it. Currently he was enjoying the heat of Eden's body tucked into his side, sleeping away peacefully in the chilly morning. He held her close, letting his callused thumb graze the soft, tanned skin of her upper arm. Her hair still smelled vaguely of her shampoo and campfire, the two of them having spent most of the night out at the fire pit, quietly enjoying each others company before coming inside and recreating their first night together, just as passionately as it was a few years prior.

Eventually, his awakened body became restless, and he untangled himself and gently left his love in the bed, smiling to himself as Eden burrowed into his pillow, inhaling deeply and humming in her sleep. He pulled on his boxer-briefs and his old white t-shirt, running a hand through his hair as he left the bedroom quietly.

Padding into the kitchen, he began brewing a pot of coffee. Checking the time on the oven clock, he realized they'd slept in a little later than he wanted, and started preparing breakfast for them.

"I smell bacon." Jake looked up a while later, seeing a frumpled Eden shuffling into the room. She rubbed her eyes with one hand, reaching down to scratch a mosquito bite on her calf with the other. She was wearing an oversized shirt, the logo faded from washing a few moth holes were worn into it.

"Good morning, darlin'." Jake greeted her, feeling her arms circle his waist. She mumbled a soft 'guh mornin' back into his shoulder. "Coffee's ready, go grab a cup, we've got to get moving."

"Where are we going today?" Eden asked through a yawn, grabbing the mug Jake had set out for her and pouring the coffee in. She moved to the fridge to grab the bottle of creamer.

"I've got a little trip to Mackinaw City planned for us." Jake smiled. "Super touristy, but we're gonna have fun."

"That's like, up here, right?" Eden set her mug down, holding up her palm, making Jake proud as she used her hand as a map.

"Yeah, thereabouts." Jake laughed, moving away from the stove and giving her lips a sweet kiss. "It's about a four hour drive."

"Oh that's all?" Eden sniffed, sipping her coffee. "Do I have time to shower after breakfast? Or is this a hit the road as soon as the plates are washed kind of deal?"

"Oh, we have time for a shower." Jake gave her a little wink. "There's always time for that."

“Who said you were invited?” Eden smirked at Jake from over the rim of her mug. “I’m still tired from last night.”

“Yeah? That just means I’ve done my job well.” Jake waggled his eyebrows, making Eden laugh.

“Alright lover boy, give me some of that bacon and we’ll see about that shower later.”

🌙🌙🌙

The ride up north was long, but worth it. Eden’s gasps at the foliage that zipped by as they drove up the interstate was worth every minute. It was a bright, beautiful Michigan day, the air crisp and the smell of fall weaving through the branches of the trees themselves.

They’d arrived in Mackinaw City in the mid-afternoon, and Jake took Eden around the town, in and out of touristy shops, buying fudge and silly airbrushed t-shirts with their names on them for fun. The afternoon wore on into the evening, and they found a small diner to have dinner in.

“Are we driving back to the cabin tonight?” Eden asked, dunking her french fry in the honey mustard on her plate.

“No, I got us a room at one of the hotels here in town for the night.”

“Good, it’s not a bad drive, but I know I’ll fall asleep and I don’t want to leave you driving by yourself.” Eden smiled.

“I have one more place I want to take us before we turn in for the night.” Jake told her, piquing her interest. “Ah, it’s a surprise.”

Eden slumped back against the diner booth, squinting at Jake though a cheeky smirk tugged at her lips. Once the bill was paid, Jake ushered Eden into the car, and they started their drive. The sun began to set as Jake drove out of the city, and Eden curiously looked at every sign along the way, seeing if she could figure out where exactly he was taking her.

“Ooh, are we going to see the giant Paul Bunyon statue?!” Eden glanced over to Jake. He shook his head.

“No, that’s across the bridge.” he replied. “But maybe tomorrow.” Eden pursed her lips and kept thinking. The sun had completely set when they pulled down a gravel road, Eden could barely see the sign.

“A state park? Don’t they close at night? What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see.” Jake parked his car near a few others, getting out. Eden confusedly followed suit, taking the hand he offered her when they met at the front of his car.

They walked a little ways into the park, coming to a lakeshore. Before Jake could say anything, Eden gasped, looking up at the sky.

"Jake, that's the aurora borealis!" Eden turned to him wide-eyed. "Oh my god! We're seeing it!"

"I know!" Jake grinned, watching as Eden walked forward a few steps, staring up at the sky, the vibrant colors reflecting upon her face. "This is a dark sky park, there's no light pollution for miles. You can see everything so clearly." Eden felt a pricking at her eyes, a few tears escaped down her cheek as she watched the waves of colored lights. Jake wanted to look up at the lights, but he couldn't take his eyes off Eden.

"I almost wish Sam was here to tell us all the science-y crap about how this happens." Eden airly chuckled.

"About that," Jake caught Eden's attention. When she turned around again, Eden looked behind him, seeing the aforementioned brother standing a few feet away, grinning, one of his fancy cameras in hand.

"Sam!" Eden grinned. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"I asked him to come, so we could have some photos." Jake cut in before Sam could answer, his nerves starting to set in.

"Photos?" Eden's forehead wrinkled in confusion as Jake stepped towards her. He reached into his pocket, wrapping his hand around the velvet box. "For what?"

"Eden, since that first date we were set up on, I knew that you were going to change my life." Jake smiled crookedly at the memory of feeling less than enthused, sitting across the table from Eden, who then looked like a disco ball shattered over her dress. "Through our journey together, I've only fallen more madly, deeply in love with you, and I want you to know that I'm undeniably yours. Forever." Jake knelt down on one knee as Eden raised her hands to her mouth, covering them in surprise. They had talked many, many times about the next step, but always left the conversation at 'when it feels right' and never put any expectations on it.

Jake finally pulled the velvet box from his pocket, it weighing heavy in his hand as he propped the lid open, showing Eden one of the most gorgeous rings she'd ever seen. A deep green, hexagon shaped emerald rested between two small diamonds glimmered under the lights. Small flashes from Sam's camera were going off out of the corner of their eyes, but they paid it no mind. "Eden, will you please make me the most exuberantly happy man, and marry me?"

"Yes!" Eden nearly shrieked, pulling her hands away from her face. "Oh my god, yes!" the wide grin on her face made Jake match it, a few tears welling up in his own eyes as he plucked the ring from it's cushion, taking Eden's shaking hand in his and sliding it upon her finger. Within seconds, he was on his back, Eden wrapped around him, crying into his neck. Jake wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him.

"This is going in the scrapbook," Sam murmured under his breath, snapping away still, his own heart swelling for his older brother and best friend. After a few moments of Eden and Jake peppering each other with kisses, they got up, and embraced more, Sam getting a few more shots of them under the lights before departing.

"Jake, this is so...." Eden looked up at him, to the lights and back to him. "Did you plan this whole trip around this?"

"I've had the ring for six months but I knew I was going to do this for a long time." Jake smiled, pecking her lips. "I wanted to make sure everything was perfect, and when the lights aligned with our trip, I knew it was the right time."

"I love you, so much." Eden sniffled. "Jake I've been yours since the moment you gave me those potatoes." Jake couldn't help but toss his head back and laugh.

"Oh, those potatoes are what did it, huh?"

"When a man shares his potatoes, that's love." Eden giggled. She couldn't keep her hands off of him, hugging him, cupping his face, fisting his shirt like he would disappear in a puff of smoke if she let go. "I'm so lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," Jake hummed, rubbing his hand up and down her back. "So damn lucky."

🌙🌙🌙

Eden stood in the bridal suite of the large, rustic cabin, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The photos were all done, the photographers getting ready at the ceremony space to capture those images. Her hair was loosely curled, cascading over her shoulders. The veil that adorned her, fastened by a comb at the crown of her head, was embroidered along the edges with colorful flowers and a special nod to her soon-to-be husband. A few flowers hid small taurus symbols, the same, beautiful blue that matched his suit and her award show outfit all those years ago.

"It's almost time, are you ready?" Eden looked up, seeing Sam standing in the doorway. He had only checked in on her a few times, but seemed taken back by her completed look. "God, Eden...you look breathtaking."

"Really?" Eden felt a few tears stinging her eyes as Sam stepped towards her, pulling a small pack of tissues from his pocket and immediately dabbing at her eyes.

"You're an absolute vision." Sam assured her. "I don't think there will ever be a bride that looks half as beautiful as you."

"You're such a flatterer, Sam." Eden laughed. "Is my makeup okay?" Sam dabbed at her eyes a little bit more, nodding. Music began playing outside, and Eden felt a flutter in her stomach, fidgeting a bit in front of the tall man.

"Nervous?"

"Not at all." Eden shook her head. "I'm excited. I just wanna see him already." Eden had spent the night in the cabin with Jake's mom, sister, and a few female friends. It took his brothers dragging him through the front door to get Jake to leave for the hotel a few miles away, him stopping and kissing Eden every few steps, holding onto her hand and nearly dragging her with him outside. If it hadn't been for his sister tugging Eden back, she was sure she would have woken up in the hotel bed next to Jake, risking the bad luck of him seeing her before the wedding.

A knock on the door sounded through the room, and they both turned to see the wedding planner smiling at them.

"Jake is already down the aisle, it's time to take your place." Sam turned, offering Eden his arm. Sam had been Eden’s choice to walk her down the aisle, her own father having passed, and no siblings of her own. Sam had been her first true friend in so long, it only felt right to give him the role. He was playing double duty, being your man of honor as well, another job he swelled with pride at getting.

Sam led Eden to the patio doors. Through the gauzy curtains, she could see the smoky mountains, surrounded by the beautiful fall foliage. The sun was just beginning to lower in the sky, a perfect dusk wedding.

“Hey,” Eden turned to look at Sam, who was grinning down at her. “I love you. I’m so happy that you’re gonna be my sister.”

“I love you too, Sam.” Eden let go of her bouquet, squeezing Sam’s hand. The wedding planner’s walkie went off, and the music changed, a lilting piano rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird’ echoed as the doors swung open, revealing Sam and Eden to the guests. They all stood, beaming up at her but as soon as she they found him, her eyes were trained on Jake. He had glanced back to Josh, saying something to his brother and best man, before turning back. As Sam carefully led her down the steps, Jake brought a hand up, he eyes already brimming with tears, seeing Eden moving toward him and the rest of their lives together.

Sam chuckled under his breath, feeling Eden tugging on his arm in her haste to get to the altar and to Jake.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there.” Sam whispered to her. “You gotta have some nice photos of your walk down though, so pull back a little.” Eden giggled, her grin wide as she nodded, evening out her pace with the taller man.

After what felt like an eternity, Sam handed her off to Jake, who helped her up onto the small platform, kissing her one hand as she used the other to hand her bouquet to Sam.

“You look…there are no words for how beautiful you are.” Jake murmured, taking in her bridal form. Jake also wore white, a suit custom made for the big day.

As Eden stood before him, her eyes scanned him, bouncing around and taking him in, from the low bun his hair was tied back in under his white, wide-brimmed hat, to the one delicate chain he wore against his chest under the open dress shirt under his suit jacket. Her eyes were sparkling, and her smile grew wider when she noticed the subtle markings of his taurus suit done in a matching white thread so as not to be completely obvious. She grabbed her veil, tugging it slightly to show him the matching blue detail on the train of it. Jake grinned, feeling a swelling in his chest at her excitement for their surprises for each other.

“My something blue,” Eden whispered. Jake’s eyes danced with a proud laugh as Danny stood before them a journal in hand.

“Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Eden Beckett and Jacob Kiszka. A love that started out unconventionally, but has become one of the great love stories of our time.” Danny spoke into the microphone after everyone was seated again. “As someone who has the honor of being their friend, I got a front row seat to watching their relationship go from set-up, to friendship, and blossom into a beautiful love.” Eden was already sniffling, a tear running down her cheek. Jake reached into his pocket, taking out a tissue and reaching across the small space, dabbing at the trail, earning a small chorus of 'aww's'. Danny continued with his speech before giving way to Jake and Eden, letting them recite their vows.

Jake took a piece of paper from a pocket inside his suit jacket, unfolding it, his hands shaking a bit as one of them reached for the microphone Danny held out. Eden turned away for a second, grabbing more tissues from Sam before Jake started speaking.

"Eden, I've written and re-written these words so many times over the last year, because there are simply no words that can perfectly describe how I feel about you. All words fail in comparison to the actual feelings I get when I see you. I fall asleep excited that I get to wake up next to you, and I spend all day feeling lucky I get to come home and fall asleep next to you. You challenge me every day, in art, music, random facts and trivia. My family loves you, you're the sister Ronnie always wanted, for sure." a small 'woo!' echoed out from Ronnie in the seats, making everyone laugh and Eden shoot her a wide smile. "I love you in every way imaginable, and I will love you for the rest of my life, and in the hereafter."

"Eden, you may recite your vows." Danny nodded to her. In true Eden fashion, she had memorized her vows, clearing her throat as she took the mic.

"Jake, I also struggled with writing my vows, because it's nearly impossible to put into words how deeply I love and care for you. You are my home and adventure, all at once. You push me to try new things and are there to catch me when I fall, and I am forever grateful for the mishaps that led to our meeting. I used to look back on all the things I'd done wrong before I met you, but they've led me to you, and I don't think they were ever mistakes. They were meant to happen so we could come together. I wish I could more eloquently say my vows, but all I have to say is that I'm so in love with you, and I can't imagine any other future than one with you."

Eden handed back the microphone to Danny, who continued in the ceremony, having them recite the typical vows so they could say 'I Do'.

"With the power vested in me by the state of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Danny grinned. "Jake, you may now kiss your bride." Jake turned to Eden, stepping forward and sliding his hands around her waist, tugging her into him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, thumbs grazing his neck softly. Jake gazed down at Eden, memorizing her face before leaning down, planting a kiss on her mauvey-pink lips. "I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Kiskza!" Eden and Jake parted briefly to giddily laugh before exchanging a few more kisses as their friends and family cheered.

🌙🌙🌙

Jake watched across the room as Danny twirled Eden around the dance floor of their reception, the fairy lights hung up in the trees picking up every sparkle in her eyes, glinting off the rings that adorned her left hand. It was well into the night, her hair was starting to frizz from the heat of dancing, but she just couldn't stop. She told Jake she was so happy her body just couldn't stop moving. He would slide in for a few slower paced songs, his hair falling from it's bun, wisps framing his face until he took it out altogether.

"Who would've thought one of the worlds best rock guitarists would've ended up married to a princess of pop?" Jake glanced to his left, seeing Josh leaning against the bar next to him. The older twin smiled at the younger, his cheeks red from dancing and drinking.

"I went soft, huh?" Jake chuckled.

"You've always been soft." Josh rolled his eyes. "Just took meeting the right person to let you show it." they both turned to watch their friends and family dance around, Sam having cut in Eden's dance with Danny, making her laugh. Even above the music, Jake could hear the peels of her laughter. "I'm really happy for you, Jake."

"Thanks, Josh." Jake smiled at Josh, sharing a sincere moment of silence. Josh took a sip of his drink, and the music changed, a funky disco beat thumping through the soundsystem.

"That's my cue." Josh sniffed, rolling his neck before dancing his way through the small crowd to the floor. Jake laughed and grabbed his own drink, taking a swig as Eden approached.

"Hi baby!" she grinned. Jake smiled, wrapping an arm around her as she took the glass in his hand, downing the drink. "Ooh, that was not water."

"Noo it wasn't." Jake laughed at his tipsy bride, turning and asking the bartender for two bottles of water. "Are you having fun, Mrs. Kiszka?"

"I'm having the time of my life, Mr. Kiszka." Eden leaned her body against his, smiling up at him dreamily.

"Good," Jake leaned down and kissed her for the millionth time that night, knowing he would never get his true fill of her for as long as he lived. He would always be hungry for another kiss, another touch from her. "We're going to have to head out soon, it's already nearly two."

"Ugh, I don't want to leave yet." Eden frowned. "I wanna stay and dance with our friends!" Jake brushed her hair back, now placing a kiss to her forehead.

"I know, but we have to get some sleep and make sure we finish packing." Jake reminded her. "Tomorrow night, we leave for Europe."

Taglist:

@joshsindigostreak @lvnterninthenight @allieisacrybaby @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvf2 @gretavanfleetposts @sacredthefran @josiee-gvf @highdefkiszka @ascendingtostardust @joshkiszkatoothgap @andeejoness @gardensgatedaisy @kkdarling @demonrat444 @teddiie @writingcold @dannyandthekiszkas @gretavanbestie @lightmylove-gvf @tearsofbri @paleshadow-ofadragon @gretavanslut @streamsofstardust @joshkiszkas @jakewhorecore @fictional-duchess @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @starshine-wagner @objectsinspvce @josh-iamyour-mama @mountain-in-springtime @cal-a-bungaa @capturethechaos @sunfl0wer-power @jankandjonch @gvfpal @allybjt @hippievanfleet @weightofbrokenbells @joshkiszkasbadussy @malany-gvf @ruby0antlers @samofthedawn @sacredjake @aim4thedoublee @diditallforyouu @gvfmarge @malany-gvf @highladyofasgard

[editorialsonlife]

HOW IS IT APRIL ALREADY

who wants a chaotic life update coz here we go

We just submitted an offer on a house in palmy, eeeeeeeek. So moving to a whole other city an hour and a half away from where we currently live. Likely to be accepted and have been working through all the admin for mortgage approvals and selling our current home and buying new up there. We’ll be going from a 90m2 house to a 200m2 house on a larger section - it’s going to be hilarious to live somewhere so massive.

Antidepressants are the best things in the world I should have done them years ago.

Work is a wild shitshow, thanks to a prime minister who can’t accept that running a country and a company are two fundamentally different things. Consequently, work is currently calling for voluntary redundancies and then will kick off a change process in May. Will I have a job come 1 July? Who knows. Current math suggests job losses for ~1200 people across our 3500 ish back office staff so watch this space.

Thanks to antidepressants, I can’t even be stressed about this. It’s amazing!!!

Dave got a solid bonus this year, which is amazing. They did it so tough last year through all the flooding and having clients on suicide watch and everything else and they really Fkn earned it so yay. Waiting to find out what his pay rise will be as well.

At least both of us can keep our current jobs when we move and just commute a couple of days a week ( I’m in denial about the reality of this but anyway)

Naturally my sister and her husband couldn’t possibly be left out so have also put an offer on a house up there but it was so impulsive and a really dumb choice but it’s been accepted so their only hope now is they can’t sell their current house.

Fuck I’m glad we don’t have stamp duty in this country.

I signed up for an online bootcamp class on zoom that’s 530 every morning coz let’s be real I ain’t doing nothing after work apart from collapsing in a heap and it’s been so fun! They are v much like, this is your first start back in a while these are your regressions we expect to see you using them and then don’t shame you for it either? And are just like, too hard? Don’t use weights then? And my god is it ever a relief for my poor overweight body to not be forcing it to move in ways it can’t and reminding myself that actually I can do pretty amazing things if I give it a chance and it’s just been such a massive mental win. Maybe over the next few months I might get my eating sorted you never know.

I signed up for it as a 6 week challenge kinda thing and I’m 99% sure I haven’t lost any weight which was not at all the point of signing up for it - it was proving to myself I could be consistent with something and I’ve achieved that so yay.

Dave and I are good which is lovely. Even started talking to the counsellor about all my sex hang ups which is deeply unpleasant and awkward but at least it moving things along a bit??? 🤮🤮🤮😬😬😬😳😳

Have I mentioned lately how good antidepressants are honestly?? I have my brain back and my personality and it’s wild.

We wanna start having kids this year? Also wild.

Had a birthday and now I’m 34 and somehow it’s April? I do not understand time at all honestly.

I fucking love my new doctor he’s actually the best I will not be changing when we move.

I’m excited for a slower, quieter pace of life and more chill. I’m honestly done with my girl boss era. I’ve made the money and chased the titles and it’s exhausting honestly. (Watch this change again rapidly)

I was away for 7 of 8 weekends across Feb and March and it was INSANE. weddings. TAYLOR SWIFT ERAS TOUR!!!!! Birthdays and friend birthday and mum and I went to Pink and other birthdays and it was way too much. Oh, and house hunting mixed in. Plus ya know, a full time job in the mix.

It’s been a Fkn massive start to the year, and she ain’t slowing down any time soon.

Antidepressants man. Wild the difference they have made to my life. WILD.

Happy and grateful for my life and everyone in it and all the madness that it is right now. Someday it’ll be chill right??? I’ve been saying that since 2019 at some point I’ll accept that the answer is no.

Cool cool cool what a wild ride.

[shirohige-pirates]

Just Like Fire

CisFem Reader x Portgas D. Ace

CW: angst, language, erotic, violence, serial killer, stalking, poisoning, over-bearing controlling parents, attempted forced marriage, possible dub-con, Munchausen by proxy (aka Factitious Disorder), wildly cute and fluffy despite the warnings. 18+ only

Summary: You're Sabo's biological sister in this AU. After college you moved in with your dear brother and his two sworn brothers in order to avoid going back home. You and Sabo despise your family equally.

Chapter 3: Two Jobs

A week in the house turned into three weeks. The end of the third week was also the end of your first week of work. You got your foot in the door at a firm not too far from where Sabo worked, and your job was just some basic data analytics. The pay was decent, and the hours were stable, so you managed to get yourself set up as the de facto cook for the house.

You were the only one with a set start and end time, so it was easiest for you to plan meals and prep for everyone else. You’d bought a lot of bento boxes and thermoses so you could start organizing things, and even out some nutrition for the others. Sabo did the laundry, and Ace and Luffy kept the house clean.

So far it was working out well, and you all managed to get time off Friday evening and were currently celebrating.

All Blue was a jazzy bar and restaurant that was run by another of Luffy’s friends. You were fairly certain the young man was simply friends with the entire city at this point, and Ace and Sabo couldn’t disagree. Sanji was a phenomenal cook according to all three boys, and had decent taste in music as far as you were concerned. The vibe of the venue was also on point, as there were well organized and maintained aquariums built into the bar, walls, and ceiling in a few places.

Sanji came to the table to bring your meals.

“Ah, the mysterious sister!” He says, setting down plates with grace and skill. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Welcome to the All Blue!”

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” you say, just loud enough to be heard over the live jazz band. They weren’t playing too loud – it would probably harm the fish – but it was loud enough to make you raise your voice a little. “Your restaurant is beautiful, Mr. Sanji!”

“Not nearly as beautiful as some of my customers.” He replies with an easy smile. You feel the heat rise in your cheeks, but Sanji shifts his attention to the rest of the table. “Luffy said you were celebrating?”

“(Y/N) has survived a week at her job,” Luffy says, putting his hands up in victory.

“She’s also survived three weeks with us.” Ace adds before taking a drink.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful customer.” Sanji says with a wide smile. He bows with a little flourish. “May you enjoy your celebration, Miss. Please enjoy the food.”

“I’m sure I will, thank you.” You reply as he walks away. You turn toward Sabo. “The way you talked about him I expected him to be a lot more cringey and a lot less smooth.”

“Three years ago, he was awful.” Sabo assures you. “Then he finally settled down, and I guess he settled down in other ways too.”

“Oh, did he find his soul mate or something?” You ask.

Ace grabs your shoulder and guides your gaze toward the bar. “See the bartender?”

Your eyes go a little wide. “Yeah.” A young woman was behind the bar with long dark brown hair and a feisty countenance. She was maybe a little shorter than Luffy and had an easy smile. She was laughing with some patrons, when Sanji walked by and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the kitchen.

“That’s the fiancé.” Ace explains. “The one person in the New World who managed to settle Sanji.”

“Well.” You lean back and begin to dig into your main course. The appetizers had been delicious and had been brought out by someone who wasn’t the bartender or Sanji. “Did Sanji have this place before or after they got together?”

“After. It was part of their agreement.” Luffy answers.

“Agreement?”

“She made him woo her for a year, and in that time, they got everything for this place sorted.” Ace explains.

“Made him?” You quirk an eyebrow.

“Sanji wanted to get married the day they confessed to one another.” Sabo clarified, and you nearly choke on your food.

After a drink of water, you turn toward Sabo in disbelief. “That’s a tad fast, yes?”

“They’d known each other for a few years by that point.” He offers. You can tell from his smile that he agrees with you though. “I think he said something about being a fool for taking so long to notice. Lyn’s lovely, when they’re a little less busy we’ll introduce you.”

“He didn’t want to waste any more time.” Luffy says, and you notice he’s already cleared his plate. You’re not sure what to say about any of it, but before you can speak, Sanji’s already come over with another plate of what Luffy ordered. He sets it down in front of the young man with little more than a “here you go”, and then was back off toward the kitchen.

“… How many times is he going to do that?” You ask.

“At least two more times.” Ace answers. “Sanji’s the only person who can feed Luffy to full.”

“Luffy can be full?” You ask the question without thinking and the table breaks out into laughter – Luffy included.

The four of you continue to eat, and sure enough Sanji brings three more plates for Luffy by the end of it. He doesn’t hang around to talk, but the All Blue is packed to the gills, so you’re sure he’s very busy. It was probably more time than he had to spare to bring the dishes to your table in the first place.

By the end of your meal, Luffy was full, you and Ace were a little toasted after a small drinking contest, and Sabo was sober, but smiling. He wasn’t smiling that tight, concerned smile he gets when he’s irritated either, so you knew he was having fun.

“This was quite the celebration, thank you.” You say, leaning your head against Sabo’s shoulder for a moment. “I wish we could’ve done something more exciting.”

“What’s a proper lady like you consider exciting?” Ace teases. He’d been calling you a proper lady since before the drinking contest, and the wide smile on his face assured you he meant it kindly.

You right yourself, sitting up before you wiggle a little to the jazz music. “It would’ve been fun to go dancing, or camping maybe. Something new would’ve been nice.”

“You’ve… never been camping?” Ace and Luffy ask at the same time.

You shake your head. “Too risky, and I was taught how to dance, but I don’t do it often.” You can feel yourself sobering up, but you manage to keep your tone light. “I slept for 14 hours a day for three days after the move, if we went dancing tonight, I’d sleep my Saturday away, and unfortunately I have an obligation tomorrow.”

The word obligation dripped from your mouth like it was covered in poison and oil. You couldn’t help but nearly spit the frustrating phrase from your lips.

Sabo sighs and rolls his eyes. “Did she do it already?”

You sigh. “Yeah, mother set me up on a coffee date tomorrow.”

“You haven’t been graduated a month!” Sabo seems even angrier than you feel.

“She said I should be grateful she waited until I had graduated.” You say, mimicking your mother’s affect. “I wanted to tell you before the celebration, but we all kind of showed up here and I didn’t want to ruin the mood.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with us.” Ace says, giving you an easy smile, and yanking Luffy over with him. “We’ll always cheer you back up!”

Luffy smiles at you, that wide smile he has. “Yeah! You can say what you need to!” He asserts, putting his arms up as Sabo nudges you a little.

“Ah, you’re all too much.” You tighten your lips and do your best to smile. “I hadn’t imagined the best part of moving in with my brother would be support from his brothers.”

All three of them smile for a moment before Sabo’s face drops. “Hey – wait a minute!”

Your laugh rings out at your brother’s displeasure, and you’re trying to console him, but you keep breaking into giggles instead. You don’t see the expression on Ace’s face, but Sabo does.

. . . . . .

Saturday morning you woke up and went through your routine. Showered and dressed, you made your way downstairs and started making breakfast. The boys wouldn’t be up for another hour and that gave you plenty of time to prep all the ingredients and make some snack boxes in case anyone had to go into work today. It was easier to just assume they would have to, than to assume they’d be staying at home.

Sabo came down first. He was already dressed for work, so you knew he was going in.

“Mornin’ sister dear.” He greeted you with a lazy smile, brushing his still damp hair from his face. “I shouldn’t be in for too long today, I can pick you up from the café if you want?” He offers.

You shake your head. “I don’t want to risk offending mother just yet.” You say, plating him up some food as he sat at the breakfast bar. “If whoever this is complains about my dear brother interrupting us, she’ll be a headache and a half.”

“Mm, fair. Still, please do call if he’s out of line.” Sabo says, turning his small breakfast into a sandwich by piling it all between two slices of toast. “I’ll even leave the office to help.”

“Of course.” You say with a smile.

Sabo finishes his breakfast and heads out, giving you a small hug before he leaves. A few minutes later Ace and Luffy wander into the kitchen. Luffy is dressed, barely, but well enough, and Ace is in shorts. You’ve adjusted a bit to seeing the two barely clothed, but a topless Ace is a small treat first thing in the morning.

“Work for Luffy, but not for you?” You question, setting plates in front of both of them.

“Meeennng-hurgh.” Luffy makes a weird noise as he begins to eat his breakfast. “Long EMT shift today.” He says. He doesn’t seem to be whining about the shift, more that he’s up so early.

Ace begins to eat too. “On-call.” He says between bites, reaching over the bar and putting a few extra bits of food onto Luffy’s plate automatically. “When’s your second job start today?”

You tilt your head for a second before the light dawns. Keeping your mother happy was enough of an energy drain, calling it a second job was valid. “Coffee’s at 11am. I was going to have a light breakfast and grab a taxi around 10:30.”

“If you need someone to come get you-.” Ace starts, but you’re already smiling.

“Sabo offered earlier too.” You explain. “I’ll be fine. If someone comes to my rescue and he complains to mother it’ll be an issue. But if he’s truly rude, I’ll just make a scene in the café.” You say with a smile. “Then I’ll call my mom and head off anyone else trying to control the story.”

“Sounds like a headache.” Ace grumbles.

You stretch before replying. “It is.” You admit taking a couple bites of food before continuing. “Nobles, Royals, Celestials – it’s all a big pain in the ass. I’m almost glad Sabo and I are nobles, and not any higher up the line.”

You take a few more bites and frown. “It’d be best if we weren’t even nobles.”

“I’m glad you two are!” Luffy says brightly. He’s finished eating his first plate and is wide awake. You slide a second plate over, tilting your head a little. “Sabo found Ace and I because he was Sabo, and you’re here cause you’re you.” Luffy takes a few big bites as you start to realize his point. “If you weren’t who you were, you might not’ve ended up me an’ Ace’s nakama!”

You glance over at Ace with a smile, catching his gaze unintentionally, and look back over to Luffy before continuing. “A small price to pay, I guess. Thank you Luffy.”

Luffy nods as he cleans his plate. “If you don’t like being a noble so much, why not quit?”

“It’s not impossible.” You say, gathering three bento boxes and tying them together. “But it’s a long process. I have to prove personal independence first, or provide mitigating circumstances. One of the reasons Sabo decided to become a lawyer was to make sure we could both break off clean as soon as possible.

“The short version is that someone has to sign off on my declaration. I can’t just declare it.”

“… Why?” Luffy asks, tilting his head. “Can’t you just decide?”

You let out a sigh. “Luffy, she can’t just-.”

“Ah, it’s okay Ace.” You interrupt. You purse your lips together and look back to Luffy. You know what you’re going to say will upset him, but you’re trying to sort out how to soften the blow. “Noble blood is considered a commodity. There are few Celestials, a few more Royals than Celestials, and a lot more nobles than Celestials and Royals.”

You grimace a little and sigh again but continue. “The system is such that inbreeding can be avoided among the Celestials and Royals by utilizing the larger pool of nobles. We’re, effectively, acceptable commoners, in the grand scheme of it all. But because of that it’s difficult to renounce one’s title.

“Sterry, for an example, is the son of a couple of criminals. Not that that would ever become public knowledge, but his parents were nobles. Instead of losing out on the potential, they allowed him and his sister to be adopted. Separately, mind you. I don’t even know if Sterry knows.”

“Why separate them?” Ace questions.

You crinkle your nose a little, waving your hand a bit. “It… spreads the impact.”

“That’s gross.” Luffy says, his face crinkled in an emotion somewhere between distaste and anger.

“It is.” You agree. “So we have to cut ties correctly. Until then, we have to play the game, at least minimally. Which means I accept the dates my mother sets up for me.”

Luffy makes a face, and you can see the internal struggle cross his features. It makes you feel better, honestly, having such a kind person like him in your proverbial corner. Somewhere in the back of your mind you can clearly imagine Luffy and Ace setting the noble district ablaze to rescue you.

Perhaps they would do so if you simply asked them to.

Help me be free.

You keep your thoughts to yourself for now, and tense a little as Luffy gives you a hug suddenly. You return the gesture and he steps back, the gaze he levels at you is almost uncomfortable - it’s like he’s reading your very soul for a moment.

“Okay!” He nods, but you’re not sure what’s going through his mind. “I gotta go, have a good day!”

He gives you both a wave and dashes out of the house. You tilt your head and look over at Ace who only shrugs.

“He’s not going to, um, do anything rash, is he?”

Ace almost chokes on his food before laughing. “He might want to,” he admits. “But Luff won’t start a revolution unless you ask him, and Sabo lets him.”

“… the way you say that makes me nervous.” You sit back down across from Ace and continue eating your breakfast.

“How so?”

“Like… you’d join him, not stop him.” You say it with a smile, but when you see the look on his face your breath catches. “I-.” You stop, unsure of what to say. For some reason you almost want to apologize, or let him. Let him and Luffy just do it. Just level your parents’ home, rock the world, rage against it, set it on fire and force it to change.

It’s an absolutely insane train of thought, but some part of you is compelled to believe it would be possible.

Ace finishes eating. “Call me if he steps out of line.” He says, ruffling your hair a little as he walks back to his room.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Helloooo!!! I haven’t had tumblr for super long and you’re my first and only so far which makes me very happy :) I love your writing!

Anywho, I’m in Europe for the first time rn!!! I’m studying abroad with my university and I’m having so much fun. However, I’m feeling a little weird about a new friend I made and I definitely need to tell someone unrelated but also am very willing to accept advise or comments if you have anything to share lol. On the first night of my trip, I was hanging out with one of my trip mates (just the two of us) and we talked for a few hours on the roof of our hotel. It was really nice and we just kind of clicked. We’ve been sticking together since then and have both talked about our sexualities (she’s gay and I, a female, am queer but like women). She’s talked about how she platonically kisses her best friend when they’re drunk and I’ve talked about how I think friends can kiss friends.

So the other night we’re at a pub and she’s drinking a bit but I’m not drinking much at all. One of her fends back home was talking to her about how they think they like someone but feel like since they don’t think about kissing them often that they don’t actually like them. I am offered the idea that it’s all about how you view kissing because for me it’s not a strictly romantic thing so sometimes I like people but don’t think about kissing them because that’s not a huge factor for me. Like just because I don’t have to have romantic feelings to kiss someone and vice versa. My friend relayed this to her friend and then we pretty much moved on from it. There was a few times when she was texting her friend and obviously turning her phone away from me but I was trying not to think about it too hard.

When we got back to our hotel a few hours later, and she sent me a text while I was in the shower that said “hey I have a question about what you said to me friend. Do you have romantic feelings for me?” We’re currently in the same room with two other girls so it wasn’t like I could go over and talk to her about it and figure out why. But I just got so uncomfortable in the moment and ignored it until we all went to bed. In the morning, I didn’t really know what to do so I kept ignoring it and avoided her a little bit which is easy to do because we’re in a large group but also we’ve been spending so much time together that I think she could tell. Eventually, we hung out a bit while we were walking around the city but still not as much. I’m not sure how I feel about the situation and I’m also just not sure where she was going with that line of questioning. She was definitely drunk when she texted me so I don’t even know if I should have acknowledged it or not. I feel like it’ll be okay if we just never talk about it.

Additional possibly important information: we are both physically affectionate people so on your two hour plane ride and one hour bus ride she was laying on my shoulder and holding onto my arm. She held my hand during the plane ride. She’s pretty much initiated any physical contact we’ve had because I never do with anyone but always return it as soon as the option has been presented to me. She also always tends to find me. She’s always standing near me even if I’m talking to other people. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not but she also always ends up with going where I go when our big group splits up. I think this makes me a little uneasy but I also don’t think it’s that big of a deal because I enjoy hanging out with her.

I’m just not sure what to do but talking about this to her sounds absolute horrible. If you have nothing to add then that’s just fine, I think I might have just needed to tell someone. Thanks for reading if you did :) I love how much you interact with all of us and I know we all greatly appreciate it <3

Hi!!

This definitely is confusing and I can understand why you’re probably confused as well. I guess my question is- what do YOU want? How do YOU feel? Because I think that really affects how you should go from here, you know?

Naming you studying abroad anon!

[caltropspress]

RAPS + CRAFTS #24: NAHreally

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

I’m NAHreally, an MC and beatmaker from Massachusetts currently living in Jersey City, NJ. I’ve been releasing music as NAHreally since 2016. My most recent album is called BLIP. It’s a collaborative album produced entirely by the Irish producer The Expert. Before that, I put out two self-produced projects called HACKINAWAY and Loose Around The Edges. Before those, I put out 5 tapes entitled TAPE through TAPE 5.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

I turn rhymes and lines over in my head everywhere I go all day long, but the central hub of my writing is my desk at home. Nothing is final until it reaches the desk. I don’t have a routine or consider myself all that disciplined—I just write when I find the time to. I work toward writing every day, but probably only sit down specifically to write two or three times a week (more when I’m lucky).

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

Lately I’ve been using the notes section of my DAW (Logic) in the project I’m going to record into. Sometimes I’ll write a whole song in there. Other times I’ll start in a notebook, continue on the phone, then compile everything in that DAW notes section. I typically have my verses memorized by the time I record, but when I don’t, it’s easy to pull up and read as I go. Plus, it helps keep me organized.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I write in bars and quatrains.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

As early as right away and as late as album sequencing. I’ll sometimes salvage a handful of lines from an abandoned song, but generally the stench of abandonment keeps me away.

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

My day job involves a lot of writing and editing—nonfiction educational video scripts and even rap lyrics. This type of writing has greatly influenced the clarity of my rhymes. I want my lyrics to be immediately digestible, and my day job has helped me with that a lot.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

I edit as I go. It’s rare for me to move on to a new line until the one I’m working on feels final in both content and delivery. This can leave me stuck on a single line for hours and sometimes months. When I do know what’s coming after a line, I’ll make a note but almost never start writing anything in earnest. In some cases, when I finally write the line, it can strike me as a better fit for one or two lines later. When that happens, I move it down and get back to work on the set up.

Because of this approach, the only editing that really happens after a verse is written is to achieve a different shade of meaning through certain words or because I realize the flow could be cleaner or more interesting.

In some cases, particularly with more conceptual songs, I’ll write out what I’m trying to say in prose then make it rhyme.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

A big part of my writing process is rapping aloud, so I almost always write to a beat (though it may not be the beat I end up recording over).

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

The first line tends to dictate the direction of my lyrics. In my mind, once you have a great first line, the song is basically written—it’s just a matter of trial and error until you find the rest. That first line often determines whether a song will have a topic or be a little more random. Occasionally I’ll pick a topic ahead of time, but usually it’ll stem from a more naturally occurring bit of writing.

My opinion on rhyming changes depending on what I’m trying to do. If I’m writing in a stream-of-consciousness mode, those rhymes better be unique and interesting. But when I’m looking to communicate information, I’ll take whatever rhyme I can in the name of clarity.

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

Free and flexible mostly, but I’ve been in a tinkering mood lately. We’ll see if anything sticks.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

“That Many of ’Em” on BLIP. The experience of being inundated with information and opinions is practically universal and yet it’s hard to discuss without sounding like a whiny baby. I think I did OK here:

Where do people find these opinions On every last thing that’s outside of their dominion? I mean, the way they pull them out of thin air Makes me worry my opinion-having muscle is impaired. I’m confronted by opinions on a litany Of subjects daily, and it’s starting to get to me. It’s so hard to find out what’s taken place Without first working backwards through a bunch of hot takes. And I’m so damn inundated That it’s difficult to tell which opinions I’ve created In my own head and which ones were osmosis. Also, there’s this collective psychosis That makes pedestrians opine like a pundit On big picture things about which they know nothing. Fantasy GMs and political junkies Will write War and Peace on smooth vs. chunky. Too much cable news. Expertise brutally murdered by YouTube. I feel surrounded by a vocal minority Whose willingness to speak is their only authority. But squeaky wheels get grease And comments and likes and of course retweets. It appears we’ve made sane people retreat By handing the megaphone to these opinionated freaks.

But I don’t think there’s that many of ’em, And I don’t wanna know any of ’em. But it feels like there’s plenty of ’em, But I don’t think there’s that many of ’em.

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

This section is from “Civic” on Loose Around The Edges:

In a Civic bumpin’ Misfits. Number one in your heart, two on your shit list. I’m an interesting fact not a statistic. One of my friends is related to Michael Chiklis.

Like I said, when I’m going stream-of-consciousness, the rhyme matters more. “Misfits,” “shit list,” and “statistic” were already there. When I try to think of rhymes—particularly multisyllabic ones—I form the sound(s) with my mouth over and over. Real words, gibberish, whatever comes out—just something that might make a light bulb go off that leads me to the right rhyme. I don’t actually remember it, but I’m sure that’s how I landed on “Michael Chiklis” (famous actor and my friend’s semi-distant relative). 

So there the line was: “One of my friends is related to Michael Chiklis.” It’s the type of mundane thing that might make you say “oh wow” in idle conversation but not really anything you’d find in a rap song. There’s just something so funny and exciting to me about transporting a throwaway tidbit like that into an unfamiliar and absurd context. On top of that, the preceding three lines are all a bit unexpected in their own right, so there’s a sort of build up leading to the oddest possible payoff—something I love to watch people react to in real time when I perform this song live.

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

I can rap all of my verses straight through. I don’t do punch-ins, but I do often comp portions of multiple full-verse takes together to create a final Franken-take. I rap the entire time I write (out loud in private or just above silently in public), so lines I can’t rap get changed immediately. For what it’s worth, I have nothing against people who punch in.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

When I was writing BLIP, I read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut, slightly less George Saunders, and a little Joan Didion. The Expert also sent me a monster playlist of what he considers well-written non-rap songs. Some highlights: “Depreston” by Courtney Barnett, “Lah-Di-Dah” by Jake Thackray, “I’d Rather Dance With You” by Kings of Convenience, and “Cult Boyfriend” by Jeffrey Lewis. My favorite non-rap songwriter lately is Jonathan Richman.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

I oscillate between not-quite-crippling self-doubt and utter certainty that I’m one of the best rappers ever (with several stops in between).

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

Homeboy Sandman.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

I don’t think so, but as the years have passed I’m less and less sure.

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: Noah Anthony Mezzacappa

[tonksiefea]

How I know You|| Original Fantasy Romance

So this is Chapter 1 of a story I've been working on. It's currently 17 Chapters and counting but I'm hitting that point in my process where I want to delete everything and never touch a computer again so I figured I'd got some reasonable people to tell me I'm right! LOL I kid! Thank you to @soinspiredbyyou Who kindly encouraged me to post it Summary: Raziel "Rae" Marsh is an anxious newly published author who moved to a mountain town to escape her loving but overbearing parents. Things get a little complicated when a Fantasy Writer meets a Forest Ranger who starts making her books seem a little more realistic than Fairy Stories ever should.

Chapter 1

“No. Mom, I'm fine. I promise, I’m doing great. You and dad do not need to come get me. I'm an adult. Yes, I’m eating, no I’m not dating anyone, yes the book tour went fine and the new house is beautiful. I even found a coffee shop to work in.” Raziel, who would not share her full name under penalty of death and instead preferred Rae, loved her mother. She really did. 

Rae got a lot of things from her mother. Her red hair, her green eyes, her freckles, her talent for language, and most of all her overwhelming anxiety and worry for the slightest change to her life. 

What she did not get from her mother was the woman’s constant insistence that she find a husband, settle down, and start pumping out children like she needed to single handedly re-populate the earth. That part she could do without. 

It was part of the reason Rae had taken the money from her first successful fantasy book, touted to be the next “Chronicles of Narnia”, and moved to a secluded mountain town in Colorado where the population fluctuated between triple and quadruple digits depending on the season. She much preferred the quiet town life to anything else and she was finally able to live her dream of a quiet secluded life as a hermit writer. 

“Mom, I gotta go! I’m walking into the cafe. I’ll call you when I get home. No, mom I’m going to write. I can't spend my whole time talking on the phone. Because, mother, it’s rude.” Rae rolled her eyes as her mother launched into another tangent that would take forever. “Goodbye Mom. I love you.” She sighed and hung up instantly feeling a surge of overwhelming guilt for hanging up. 

She knew her mom meant well and she loved talking to her but right now Rae just needed some quiet. She needed to delve into the world of her imagination and ignore reality for a good three hours or so with a mug of cinnamon coffee so big people would confuse it for a bowl. 

She took a deep breath of the silence and looked down the streets seeing the one or two off-season tourists that wandered through the town for hiking. Summer was about to end but kids were going back to school and this little town was nearly abandoned. Even most of the locals either lived off the land, or worked in larger cities just down the mountain. Somehow, without her mother’s voice in her ear, anxiety started to well up in her. Something else too. 

For the past year, any time she was alone, she got this feeling but any time she tried to pin it down it ran away. She was sick of trying to chase a ghost but she couldn’t quite bring herself to give up on it either. Something in her soul said this feeling was important and that she had to solve the puzzle. She was pretty sick of the urgent feeling in her stomach and right now was not the time. Anxiety she could handle, the other thing could wait. 

Rae walked into the door of the tiny, eclectic, coffee shop and looked around. She had found it the day before, relieved to find a place that wasn’t a chain. If anyone knew how anxious she always was they would have assumed she was the type to order everything on an app and use self checkout. Except there was a certain charm, in her opinion, about having the sort of social anonymity of having a place she was considered a quirky regular. A place where the barista knew her order and the check out guy knew how to bag her eggs just the way she liked. The sort of pseudo social bond that made it so someone would notice if you went missing but you were still a little bit of an enigma. It was part of why she'd picked such a small town. She wanted that place where everyone sort of knew each other.

Rae walked up to see the same woman from yesterday behind the counter wiping  it down and humming to herself. “Hey! Welcome back! So I guess the coffee wasn’t too bad then?” The woman greeted, warmly. She had a sort of spirit about her that Rae hadn’t found at the cafe near her parent’s house in the giant suburb where nothing really felt local, even the local shops. She loved Burbank, but she was thrilled to be rid of it.

“I loved it, actually. Had to come back and try another one.” Her tone was friendly and she was proud of herself for being able to sound confident even if she didn’t feel it with ehr stomach bubbling and twisting and her heart beating a bit too fast.

“You want the Honey Nut latte again then?” The woman asked, turning to the computer.

“Actually I was looking at the Cinnamon vanilla cappuccino.” She admitted. Rae had a huge soft spot for cinnamon. She loved the sweet and spicy mix. It felt sort of fantastical, like the sort of thing a fairy should drink.

“Oh! Good choice! It’s one of my favorites. Biggest cup I can find?” the barista asked, quoting yesterday. Rae was surprised but she supposed in a small town like this new people always stuck out. Not to mention she was the crazy red head with the coffee addiction that spent half her day writing in the back corner and muttering to herself while she wobbled the table. That probably helped make her memorable.

“Please and thank you!” She said brightly as she pulled out her card to pay. The Barista was quick to process the purchase and say they’d call her name when it was ready and Rae nodded turning to the room to get to work when she was stopped short. 

She looked at her table. Her table, she had quickly decided, was perfect.It had a slight wobble to fidget with when thinking and just enough light that she could see but not too much in the sun as to need to take off her sweater and she could angle her computer just so in order to not get glare. Yes, her perfect little table was another part of the charm and allure of this place. Except right now, her table had a man sitting at it. 

There were plenty of other tables, that wasn’t the problem. The thing was Rae was a creature of habit if nothing else. She liked normal and same and comfortable. She didn’t just want any table she wanted her table. 

She was the kind of person that was one mental breakdown away from having the same outfit in 12 colors just because it was comfortable. Finding a new table once she picked one took time, it took effort. Yes, she’d only had that table once but it was her table! Now her choices were go find a new one: torture! Or talk to the man and ask if he could move: torture!

“Iced Cinnamon honey Latte for Liam!” was called next to her and the man stood up. She quickly averted her eyes to look at the menu pretending she was busy. As soon as he was engaged with the Barista she quickly slipped to the table into the same seat she had been in the day before, thankfully not the one the man had been in, and opened her computer.

“I suppose I don’t mind a little company.” A voice drawled over her. It was deep, and sounded like it was amused, and absolutely terrifying. She looked up to see warm chestnut eyes and a beard and shaggy brown hair and sun tanned skin. He was taller than her but not by much. Other than looking a bit ragged he was just a normal, average guy. So why did she get the instantaneous need to flee? Oh yeah, because she stole his table.

“Oh umm Sorry?” She asked, she tried her best to sound innocent and confused. Maybe if she could play it off well enough he’d just give up and move. It was her favorite table after all. 

Mistakes were clearly made when he sat down in the same seat he had left. “My table.” The statement was simple and plain and was accompanied with a rather self satisfied looking smirk.

“No one was here when I sat down so–” Rae started powering up her laptop and pulling out notebooks hoping it would be enough to stake her claim and scare him off. That was until the man pointed to a black bag resting on the seat next to his. “Oh. I must have missed that. Sorry I can–” She started to get up with tense shoulders and probably too perfect posture.

“There’s plenty of space. I mean the table is meant for like seven people.” It was an exaggeration, but not by much. The big, round table had been useful because she had been able to spread out her notebooks and books and still had about half a table left for cups and plates. “Besides, looks like I won’t be here half as long as you will.” He mused.

He gave a slow look over her bag of books and papers and pens and highlighters, it always looked near to bursting at the seams. His look had her blushing from embarrassment. Then his eyes slowly moving over her face like he was drinking in her appearance. His look had her flicking her eyes shyly down to her keyboard and suddenly feeling very warm in her comfy knit sweater. 

“Thank you. It’s just that this is the perfect table. It’s the right distance from the window to get light but not be too warm or reflect on my screen and it’s got a little wobble that I can play with when I’m thinking.” She explained in a rush. Why was she telling him this? Why did she want to tell this guy everything she’d ever thought? 

She fought the urge to look back up to the chocolate eyes of the man in front of her. She did not do relationships. She had knocked aside every single person who had even looked her way for as long as she could remember. This guy wasn’t even her type! Sure he was handsome in his own way, and he had a great voice but she wanted something else. She just wasn’t really sure what that was.

“Good to know I have good taste.” He said with a tone that had her looking up in panic. It sounded so weighty. Was he complimenting her? That was very daring. “In tables.” He clarified like he could read her mind.

“Right.” She said, nodding and trying to remind herself to breathe. There was no way she was letting this guy get to her. She was just a nervous person. So why was this guy so disarming? Why was he terrifying in a totally different way from every other human she’d ever met? Why did she want to know more about him? “You do. So umm… do you–”

“Cinnamon Vanilla Cappuccino for Rae!” The barista called. Rae nearly tipped her chair over when she shot up like a bottle rocket.

“That’s me!” She called. The Barista, thankfully, just smiled warmly and motioned to her with the coffee. Right she had to go over and get it. “Be right back. Can you watch my stuff?” She asked the mystery man as she, much more carefully, picked her way around her bag and towards the counter. 

She felt so stupid. Genuinely, she felt like an idiot. She had just made a total fool of herself and her anxiety was flaring like crazy. Her heart was pounding a thousand miles a second and her palms were sweating and her stomach was even a little nauseous. She took the coffee and the Barista smiled kindly.

“He’s the last new guy, moved in about a year ago. Nice guy but I’ve never seen him talk to the same person that long.” The barista commented. What was that supposed to mean? Was she special?

“Oh. Yeah well I tried to steal his table so...” Rae trailed off awkwardly. Maybe she should just go home and never leave her house again. She took a sip of her coffee and comfort washed over her body. “Wow.” She breathed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “This is great!” she complimented savoring the sweet and spicy flavor that made her feel magical.

“Told you! It’s my favorite. Enjoy.” The Barista turned in a way that clearly dismissed her.

Ok, so she couldn’t leave until she finished her coffee now. She looked around the empty cafe, empty except for her table that had the guy at it. She tried to pick another place to work but every single one just had too many glaring issues. That one really was her perfect table. So she just had to deal with the guy. Besides, something in her told her that if she moved the guy would just follow. A traitorous part of her loved the idea too.

She moved back to her seat and nodded a greeting to the guy sitting there. “Thanks.” She said putting her coffee down and moving to sit. 

“That’ll be 20 dollars.” the guy said with an impish smile that made her stomach flip uncomfortably and had her flopping into the seat she had just been trying to sit gracefully in.

She was a scared wreck 99% of the time but the other 1% of her personality was all redhead. Instantly her face flared red and rage boiled in her blood. “Excuse me?!” She asked, her chin cocked down and teeth clenched almost as tight as her fists.

Instantly his hands raised in surrender but his face was entirely covered in a smug smile. “Joking.” He assured with a wave of his hands to draw attention to his surrender. “Good to know you’re a fighter though.” He commented, taking a self satisfied sip of his own drink.

A fighter? She was not a fighter! She was a runner and a hider or a freezer at best. His words soothed her somehow though. It was like he was seeing someone completely different than who she was but for some reason she really wanted to be that person. “I just couldn’t believe you thought your services were worth 20 bucks.” She countered. “Maybe Five…cents” Was she teasing him? She was pretty sure she was teasing him. Where had she learned to tease random men in coffee shops?

“Ouch.” He said covering his heart like he’d been wounded but his smile was impossible to miss. It lit his face with an impossibly enchanting glow. She couldn’t take her eyes off the way his eyes crinkled in the corners or the way his laugh lines framed his lips. She ripped her eyes forcefully to her coffee and took a long drink of the soothing cinnamon. She hoped the drink would bring some much needed reality to her boggled mind. “I’d be happy to show you just what my services are worth.” He offered and she caught sight of him wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

A laugh caught Rae by the throat and she nearly choked on her coffee as she snorted. Coffee assaulted the back of her throat and splashed all over her computer screen from her coughing. Oh God she looked like an idiot. “Sorry.” She choked out as she put down her cup and desperately tried to get her breathing and hacking under control.

She looked up to see an empty seat where he had been. He was gone. She tried to insist to herself that she wasn’t sad or upset or anything even remotely like it. She was glad that she had her table to herself. The problem was that inexplicable feeling was instantly back. It was like an itch inside of her ear so deep there was no way to scratch it. She hadn’t realized but for those brief moments talking to this strange man, it had been gone. Now that he was missing it was back. She didn’t know what to make of that. It was like her skin was crawling, looking for something. Her eyes darted around the shop, without her permission, to see where he went.

“Don’t go dying on me, now.” His voice pulled her instantly to look next to her. “I know I’m funny but even I’m not that funny.” He joked offering her a napkin. She tried not to feel relieved seeing his face there smiling like he was hilarious. She reached up taking the napkin and wiped her face as he sauntered back to his seat and dropped himself haphazardly into it. 

“It just took me by surprise.” She insisted, not sure what to do with herself. Why was she so relaxed with this guy around? Why had it felt so cold when she had thought he left? 

All this was a lot to think about and she was supposed to be writing. She winced as soon as she looked at her screen and saw it covered in drips of coffee. That was going to be gross to write through all day. She wiped the screen but it just wiped streaks of cream and sugar across the surface.

“Everything ok there, kid?” His voice called for her attention again. Somehow the nickname, which should have been demeaning, didn’t set her anger ablaze again. It seemed so casual, almost natural. Not that the man in front of her could possibly be too much older than she was. She was in her mid thirties and would probably pin him at around forty, maybe younger.

She sighed in frustration at the streaks on her screen needing to be careful of the LCD screen but there was no amount of wiping that would fix this mess. “Fine it just– my screen is a mess now. So it looks like I won’t get any writing done. My publisher will love that.” She sighed, closing her screen probably a touch harder than she should have.

“Publisher?” He asked with a tilted head. He didn’t really look surprised, which surprised her. She could say he looked vaguely curious, but even that was too strong a word for the expression he was portraying.

“Yeah I um,I guess you could say I’m a writer. Or at least I wrote a book and it got published so, write.” She said instantly, self conscious. This was the part that always felt awkward and wrong. Plus it got two reactions, half the people were so excited they instantly wanted to be her best friend and get a free copy, the other half were patronizing and passed the words off as her  bragging. “Now I’m supposed to write the follow up.” She explained awkwardly. “It’s supposed to be a series.” She was babbling again. “About fairies.” She finished. 

God why couldn’t she have written about something so much cooler? Why wasn’t she writing about dragons or werewolves or even bigfoot! Why was it fairies? He would think she was twelve. Why the hell did she care what he thought?

“Fairies are cool.” His voice was so casual she couldn’t stop herself from looking up with what she was sure was a stupid, hopeful face. 

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not talking like two inches tall with butterfly wings or anything. They’re more like elemental forces. They’re mostly warriors and guardians. It’s not as dumb as it sounds, I swear.” She tried desperately to defend her book and let out an awkward laugh. She was trying not to give into the overwhelming shame and embarrassment she currently felt. 

She never talked about her novels to anyone that wasn’t her mother or her publisher. Even her dad hadn’t actually heard much about her book. She’d given him a copy of the first round of printing but it was still sitting untouched next to his armchair in California. This stranger actually looked interested though. Not even complimentary, not amused and mocking. He was just passively curious.

“What’s it called? I’d love to read it.” He said, taking a slow sip of his iced drink. Why was he drinking an iced coffee? It may not be fall yet but the colder weather had already stolen into the mountains enough that she needed a sweater.

“I have a spare copy at home. Maybe I could bring it to you tomorrow?” She offered.

“I can’t be here tomorrow.” Why was she disappointed by that? She nodded, refusing to let her face fall but either she wasn’t as good at hiding her emotions as she wanted to be, or he was more perceptive than average. “I work on call in the ranger outpost up in the national park. I’m on three days off two. But I’ll be here Friday? Maybe I can pick it up then?” he offered. “Buy you lunch to pay you back for it?” He looked hopeful. That was a surprise. The look in his eyes made it seem like he was holding his breath as much as she was.

“Sounds good. I’ll be here.” She agreed with a shy smile. Had she just agreed to a date? Three days from now she had agreed to a date! Maybe it wasn’t a date. Maybe he was just being nice.

“It’s a date.” He commented with a smirk. Ok so definitely a date.

“Yeah!” She shouldn’t be this excited. She was never this excited. She hated dating. Ever since she got dumped at her ninth grade ball for the class siren by the local captain of the jousting team. ‘Real life terms Raziel!’ she chastised herself. She wrote too much. It was the ninth grade semi-formal and the head cheerleader and the captain of the football team, whom she’d had no business dating anyway.

Her mom always warned her about getting too stuck in her stories. They were always telling her if she wasn’t careful she’d never come out. 

“You want me to see what I can do with that screen?” The man’s voice shocked her out of her self-reflection.

“Huh?” Rae shook her head blinking away the voices fighting behind her eyes and flashes of wings and gossamer. 

The man nodded his head to her closed computer. “Your computer screen. I might be able to clean it off.” He offered. “Can’t let you get behind because of my attempted murder.” He joked.

She laughed even though it wasn’t a good joke and nodded. “Sure.” she said, opening the lid. “All yours.” He took a napkin and pulled a bottle of water out of his satchel pouring a bit onto the end and ran it lightly over the screen. 

Rae watched in awe as the streaks cleared up and dried like he’d used one of her screen clothes instead of a napkin and water. “My hero!” She said with a smile looking over to see his brown eyes right next to her. He was close enough to her she could smell woods and smoke and see little lines decorating his face and disappearing into the thick hair of his beard. It was an alluring image to be sure. Almost made her forget to breathe.

“Liam.” His voice was deep and so sexy and horribly distracting. Clearly she was quiet long enough that he felt the need to clarify. “That's my name. Liam.” That woke her up.

“Right! Sorry! Rae.” She introduced in a rush. 

“Short for…?” He prompted. 

“Something horrible.” She informed flatly.

“It can't be that bad.” He insisted with a smile.

“It really is.”

“What Rachel? Rainbow? Ray of sunshine? Raymond?”

“Raziel.” She burst out if only to stop his insane guesses. She stopped short, her eyes going huge when she realized she had just said her most hated name to a total stranger.

“Hm interesting.” Was all he said. “See ya Friday, Raziel.” He said her name quietly with an impish smile. It was like he was keeping her name a little secret between them. Somehow it didn't sound quite so horrid coming from him which really was a magical thing for him to manage.

“See you Friday, Liam.” She couldn't fight the smile. Her phone started to buzz and she looked down seeing her mom's contact and huffed. Her mother could not know about this. That was not happening. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to stop thinking about it but just the image of her mother learning about the coffee shop forest ranger felt like a threat. A threat she didn’t have time to unpack right now. Those chocolate eyes and the feelings behind them would be unfolded at a later date. For now she had other beasts to battle.

“Hi mom!”

[coulsons-fullmetal-cellist]

To Catch a Thief

Featuring one Detective Tim Rockford and a certain thief

Words: 1, 985

The thief had eluded me once more, outsmarted me like a fox. I’ve been staring at the board for hours now, hoping a clue would call out to me, but nothing was popping out.

Normally, I wouldn’t give robbery my time, it just being some petty thief liberating rich assholes of their treasures. But rich assholes are loud and make one hell of a fuss about their property being stolen. I would’ve written this off as some Robin Hood type vigilante except they skipped the give-to-the-poor part.

This thief has proven a challenge to me. He’s like a flowing river; always running, being one step ahead of me, and stepping into its current would surely sweep me away, so I have to stand on the shore and hope to build a dam in time. He’s stolen from all the big-name families, no rhyme or reason to his method. No evidence: not a fingerprint or even an eyelash left behind. It’s like he’s mocking me, a spectre always behind me.

Fuck, I’m tired. I’ve been staring at this board for too long. I should take my mama’s advice and sleep on it, come back to it with fresh eyes. Driving back home, I’m running on autopilot. The darkness greets me as I open the door to my empty apartment. Not bothering to even take my shoes off, I’m out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow.

The morning wakes me up with her horrible city noises. I slept on my bad shoulder which I regretted as soon as I moved from my slumber. Not even a scalding hot shower could each the eternal ache. It just makes the ugly scar stand out further.

Arriving at the station, I walk into a hurricane of chaos. Another robbery in the night. Once again, the thief has gone under my nose, tickling me with that feather of mockery. There was not enough cheap coffee in the world to deal with this shit storm.

“Rockford, it’s bad. The Ashford’s were hit this time.”

“What was taken?”

“All contents of their safe.”

“Don’t these people use banks anymore?”

Of course, they were making an even bigger storm in the kettle of the interview room. Priceless jewels stolen; family heirlooms gone forever. These rich snobs have all the money in the world and yet they go for the cheapest security because who would dare to steal from them? I’d never say they were asking for it, but you get what you paid for. When you pay for nothing, you end up with nothing in return. I’m sure once their insurance kicks in, they can buy new family heirlooms.

I added this case to my ever growing board and wait for another clue to call to me, but my captain was on my ass about catching this guy. His wife must be friends with these high society types. He’d always brag about the fancy parties he’d attended the night before, sipping on champagne while the rest of us have to deal with cheap instant coffee.

Sipping this cheap swill, my team formulated a plan to set a trap. The Montgomery’s were having some fancy shindig, unveiling a new work of art they purchased for some amount of money that would’ve bought be hot meals for life. Art was the first thing stolen, must’ve had a love of it before going onto things much shinier.

The whole place was swept over like a vacuum cleaner, picking up any bugs of contempt. Security cameras installed and several officers placed around the party scene, uniforms apparently being a downer in the festive atmosphere. And because my captain was attending, I also had to be on alert.

I never understood the rich lifestyle, too much spending money on things that don’t make sense. Who needs a bathroom with two bathtubs? And who enjoys the salty crap of caviar served on a cheap cracker? Give me a roof over my head and a bottle of something alcoholic to ease my pain and I’m happy.

I had to admit my heart wasn’t in it tonight, not completely on the job. I felt more of a thrill in the chase rather than waiting for a mouse to fall into an obvious trap. I was sure nothing would come of this aimless escapade. I was handed a glass of something fancy, so I settled myself down on a chair out of the way of the noise and partook of my gifted libation. Well, liquid gold does have a taste to it.

“Detective!”

I don’t remember falling asleep, the only thing I do remember was being shook awoke by a passing officer. The thief struck again. The easel empty of its work of art. The only thing left was a note.

The first clue and it was deliberately left to mock me. So either he got cocky, or we were so useless at finding even a crumb, he had to start leaving us whole meals out for us. Again, no fingerprints, not even a cobweb was disturbed. Security footage returned nothing, the phantom flying through once again.

Until next time.

“Take this to get the handwriting looked at. Notify me as soon as you have something” I managed to pass the note to an officer, the lad managing to get out before my captain came barging in, all hell following in his wake.

“Rockford! What the hell?”

I quickly rubbed the sleep from my face, hoping he wouldn’t notice I was out in the land of nod when it happened.

“Rockford, how in the hell did this bastard manage to get past us again?”

“Honestly, I only have theories. We were the only ones who knew the plan. Someone must have ratted us out or, it was an inside job. I’ll have to question everyone in the team.”

“An inside job? What kind of crazy are you talking here?”

“It’s the only theory that makes sense.”

“Sense? Tim, when was the last time you looked in the mirror?”

“I avoid it when I can.”

“Well, you look like shit is what you look like. You know what? You’re off the case.”

That hit me like a freight train running a red light.

“Boss, you can’t take this case away from me. I’m close, I know it.”

“I’m sorry but, you haven’t been the same since the accident.”

“I only got shot, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“No, I made a mistake bringing you back too early. I thought a minor case would ease back in, but it’s spiralled out of control.”

“It hasn’t”

“Ten thefts! In the last three months! Ten families robbed of their valuables.”

A dark thought crossed my mind, but thankfully my mouth had control of itself before I could say they deserved what they got. Instead, I just stood there, head hanging in shame and anger.

“You need a bit more time off. Take a vacation somewhere nice.”

I would’ve told him where to take his vacation but decided drowning my sorrows to be a better use of my time. I grabbed a bottle of something on my way out. These rich folks neither minding nor caring whether they had a bottle less in their collection.

My apartment was still empty when I returned; the sunshine reminding me of the loneliness I was set to face. Half a bottle of alcohol in my bloodstream would soon cure me of that, making my brain forget the world existed. I welcomed the darkness like a hug from my mama.

Until I was rudely awakened by thunder. The night greeted me with a display of a thunderstorm Frankenstein would’ve welcomed in his madness. And a creature was on the prowl, making me aware that I wasn’t alone in my apartment. The goosebumps on my arms prickled, alerting me to a presence close by. Drawing my gun I proceeded to hunt down this bastard once and for all. He was a sneaky one, I admit, slithering away out of sight while tempting me with that Forbidden fruit. I swear I would just see him out of the corner of my eye, only to have him disappear as soon as I turned the corner. This twisted cat and mouse game was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of my phone.

“What?”

“Detective Rockford? I have the results.”

“Results?”

I nearly forgot what he was talking about.

“Yeah, we did a writing analysis on the note left at the crime scene.”

A sudden movement caught me by the corner of my eye.

“The handwriting doesn’t match any known criminals” he continued while I slowly approached the shadow, “All we know is that it was done on a notepad found in the house and used with a pen also found there. It’s one of those fancy fountain pens that leaks so the culprit would have smudges on his fingers but sadly no fingerprints.”

I had him now, I said I’d call back and hung up before getting a reply. He was here now, right in front of me. I raised my gun.

“Settle down there, don’t go shooting in here, you could hurt yourself.”

I slowly lowered my gun and stared him square in the eye, something about them strangely familiar to me.

“I have you now.”

“Yes, you do. But let’s have a drink first before you drag me in.”

He held up the once empty glass of mine, in smudges visible on his fingers.

“For a man who hates the rich, you sure do have excellent taste.”

“Cut the drabble, tell me how you managed all those thefts.”

“You know how I did it.”

The man in front of me was talking in riddles. Giving me puzzle pieces without showing me the picture.

“How’d you get in here?”

“You know how I got in here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Lightning flashed, showing his full form. I dropped the glass from my hand, it shattering on the floor. I didn’t remember being handed one and raised my hand in confusion, noticing ink smudges on my fingers. The thief raised his hand and I looked back into his eyes.

The puzzle pieces in my head were slowly being put back into place.

“Are you me?”

“No, I’m me, you’re you. We just, how do you say it? Have a lot in common.”

It was like looking into a mirror, literally. I’d been avoiding my reflection for months since I got shot, too ashamed to look at myself. My reflection must have taken a life of its own.

“There you were, defending some rich couple getting into their car, being held up by some petty thief. Then you, the good detective goes and gets shot defending their honour. And what do you get in return?”

My scar burned at the memory of it. I scratched away at it, so did he.

“All that pain and suffering, and not even a thank you. In fact…”

“They blamed me for letting him get away.”

The puzzle completed now; the picture came flooding back into your memory. All the pain and humiliation I was put through.

“A desk job was all I was good for when I got back to work.”

“A smart man like you being made to sit the day away in boredom? No wonder your mind started to wander.”

“A challenge was needed.”.”

“Only one you could solve. It was a fun challenge.”

“Fun indeed.”

“And you happened to get revenge against all those rich fuckers who left you to rot in the gutter.”

My smile was demonic now.

“It was fun to see their faces.”

“All to see that smile on your face.”

His smile matched mine. I thanked him with a nod, and he nodded in return. He raised a new glass and brought it to his lips. The whiskey tasted divine on my tongue.

[piedoesnotequalpi]

I’m apparently even bad at coming up with fake titles so based entirely on what I’m currently listening to: “anyway the wind blows” for the fake fic thingy!

Hello sorry it took me a little while to answer this; I was trying to come up with an idea and also wanted to make sure my answer to yours didn't suck. I even did an actual one-shot for this instead of a plot outline.

Anyway I have grad school on the brain since I just, y'know, finished with that. This would've been done earlier, but my parents roped me into watching a weird Australian sitcom. Enjoy!

The problem with meeting your girlfriend in grad school, Katherine had decided, was that when it came time to finish grad school and move on to postdocs there was no guarantee you'd end up in the same place as said girlfriend.

She and Sarah had applied to as many geographically convenient positions as they could find - they'd even applied to a couple of the same universities. But at the end of the day, Sarah's only offer had been at Wellesley, and now that Katherine had heard back from all her interviews, she only had one offer too...in Virginia.

Katherine knew being at UVA would be a great opportunity, and the contract only lasted three years, but it still meant three years away from the person that she knew at this point was the love of her life. Sighing, she opened a new tab to look at transportation options between Boston and Charlottesville.

We should've gotten married, Katherine thought bitterly. Postdoc positions weren't exactly known for offering spousal appointments, but she couldn't help thinking it would've somehow changed things. But between the amount of time she and Sarah had been spending on their dissertations and the enjoyment she got out of telling her parents she still wasn't married, they'd never found the time. She wasn't opposed to it, but she was definitely too busy.

She was comparing the academic calendars for her and Sarah's respective universities when she heard the door open.

"Hey," Sarah said. She kicked her shoes off by the door before she came into the living room and dropped her bag onto the floor. She threw herself onto the couch next to Katherine and kissed the top of her head. "You're home early."

"No office hours today," Katherine reminded her. "Thought I'd leave early and get started on dinner, but then..."

"You got distracted?" Sarah offered.

"Something like that," Katherine murmured.

"Distracted by - " Sarah peered over her shoulder - "Charlottesville, Virginia? You hate the south."

"At least Charlottesville still goes below freezing sometimes." Katherine knew she was avoiding the topic, but in all her browsing calendars and plane schedules, she'd forgotten about the most important part - actually telling Sarah they'd be spending the next three years in a long-distance relationship.

"Hang on a minute." Sarah elbowed her. "You got the UVA position."

Katherine looked down at her keyboard. "Yes."

"Katherine!" Sarah exclaimed. "You got a job! Congratulations!" She threw her arms around her.

"Well, yes, but - "

Sarah pulled away from her. "Yeah?"

"It's a nine hour drive," Katherine reminded her. "Or a plane ride. And it's - "

"And it's worth it," Sarah finished. "You're worth it. Unless you don't - "

"I want to stay with you," Katherine confirmed. "It's just...distance is hard. The last time I tried, it crashed and burned, and what if it - "

"It'll be different this time," Sarah said. "We know how to communicate, we already live together, and us being long distance has a set end date."

"Only if some university is willing to hire both of us," Katherine muttered. "Or two universities in the same city."

"Well..." Sarah smiled as she reached for her bag. "I'd been debating when I should do this, but I - " She pulled out a box.

"You - you - " Katherine couldn't get the words out.

Sarah dropped to the floor. "Yeah." She opened the box to reveal a small emerald ring. "I probably should've thought of something to say first, but - Katherine. I am so, so lucky to call you my girlfriend, and I don't care where I end up after Wellesley, as long as it's with you. Will you - will you marry me?"

Katherine placed her laptop on the cushion next to her before she stood up, pulling Sarah up with her. "Yes!" She stood on her tiptoes to kiss Sarah, only distantly aware of Sarah putting the ring on her ring finer. "Yes, I'll marry you."

"I was a little worried you'd say no," Sarah said sheepishly. "With your parents and all."

"I care about you more than I care about going against my parents' expectations." Katherine laughed. "Besides, our wedding doesn't have to be traditional."

"You know," Sarah said thoughtfully, "If we get married before we graduate, we could both become Dr. Plumber-Jacobs."

"The doctors Plumber-Jacobs." Katherine grinned. "I like it. Think we can plan a wedding in a month?"

Sarah pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Who said anything about us planning it?"

Katherine looked down at the screen to see that Sarah was composing a text to her brother and his boyfriend. "I like the way you think."

[leonsrightlations]

The Earth is Online Chapter 4.2

The spiritual weirdo shook his head in dismay.

“We haven’t started to search yet.”

The little girl said angrily, “You seriously haven’t looked yet? At meal time I took advantage of the teacher not paying attention and with great difficulty snuck out to find you guys. The first day is almost over. Afternoon classes are finished and I have to go home. If my mom finds out, I’m done for.”

Tang Mo said, “Do you have any clues? Do you remember any information about that book?”

The little girl’s twin-tails shook. “I don’t remember.”

The spiritual weirdo urgently said, “You won’t give us a clue?”

The little girl suddenly said, “Ah, I remembered. Today I found this feather in my room. Right, this is a demon’s feather! I only know that I definitely didn’t lose the book. It’s that damned demon who stole it! Those demons are all bastards who most like to cheat. I hate demons the most. That evil demon. I must capture him, break his wings, then put him into a popcorn machine and pop him into my favorite popcorn!”

The little girl took out a black feather and handed it to Tang Mo. Then she once more skipped away.

[Ding dong! The angel camp received hint number one - a demon’s feather.]

Tang Mo: “...”

The spiritual weirdo: “...”

After a moment, Tang Mo said, “This is our hint?”

The spiritual weirdo was also a little confused. He thought about it and said, “Does this feather have some other function?”

Tang Mo stroked the feather and, holding it aloft, swung it twice. It seemed to be merely an ordinary feather without even half a point of magical power. Tang Mo tried hard to test and see if it actually had hidden mystical power, but it maintained the same tranquil shape as before, silently ridiculing him.

The lights at this time suddenly went out. The spiritual weirdo let out a shriek.

The entire city library was submerged in darkness in a flash and Tang Mo’s heart skipped a beat. He happened to be standing beside the service desk and subconsciously switched on the old fashioned desk lamp with a “ka-ta.” Feeble, yellow lamp light flickered and illuminated a meter around the service desk. Tang Mo and the spiritual weirdo were both encircled within it.

Tang Mo’s eyes stared without blinking into those bookshelves which were enveloped by darkness. He endured the tension and attempted to turn on the other light, but discovered that, aside from the desktop lamp, no other light could turn on. The two people standing closely to the service sat down.

In this endless darkness, their dread became even more obvious. In the whole third floor of the city library, there was only this little bit of dusky lamp light. It was insufficient to illuminate the rest of the space. It seemed as though there was an immense, ferocious beat hiding in the dark, and that so long as they moved even a step outward, they would surely be mercilessly devoured into its belly.

“Did you hear that sound!?” The spiritual weirdo leaned fearfully toward Tang Mo.

At this, Tang Mo’s scalp went numb. He listened carefully for a moment. 

“No, I didn’t hear anything.“

The spiritual weirdo swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “Why did the day suddenly go dark…”

Tang Mo remembered the nursery rhyme that the childlike voice had sung at the start: “'Three days and three nights without speaking, the angel and demon want it.' During the day the angel may obtain a hint and during the night the demon may burn down a bookshelf…Could it be that this game’s day and night have a different rate of flow from ours?”

The spiritual weirdo was too afraid to think.

Tang Mo forced himself to calm down. “It’s two hours.”

“What?”

“The game began at 17:52 and it’s currently 19:58. Two hours are one ‘day.’”

The spiritual weirdo said, “Your memory is this good!?”

He vaguely remembered the nursery rhyme that had been sung. It really seemed to have mentioned a time period. However, at that time he was extremely afraid. How could he pay attention then, let alone remember now? Tang Mo had seriously memorized it?

Actually, Tang Mo was also very astonished. He had also noticed that his memory was currently unusually good. For example, he still remembered that the Minnie Mouse on the little girl’s pink book bag had a yellow bow and that she was holding a pink lollipop in her hand.

Since when was his memory this good?

He didn’t have the time to think about it right now.

Tang Mo calmly said, “For the time being, let’s assume that two hours serves as one ‘day.’ The nursery rhyme said, ‘three days and three nights without speaking.’ After three days, the little girl will die. So…we can infer that this ‘night’ is also two hours. During the ‘night’ period, the demon will come out and burn down a bookshelf.”

After that, Tang Mo and the spiritual weirdo stared unwaveringly with wide eyes at the twenty-three pitch black bookshelves. Although they knew that the game forbade violence, an unknown dread enveloped the two of them. They did not dare relax their tight grips on the stun batons, as though it was a psychological comfort.

However, half an hour passed and they did not see a single person or the scene of a bookshelf burning down.

The spiritual weirdo said, “Is there a demon?”

Tang Mo tightly pursed his lips and turned to look at the spiritual weirdo. “There should be.”

“Why hasn’t that guy burned down a bookshelf yet?”

Tang Mo leaned against the service desk’s tabletop and meaningfully said one sentence, “I also want to know why he has not yet burned down a bookshelf.”

The spiritual weirdo didn’t clearly hear this sentence, but Tang Mo had already turned his head, his grip on the stun baton tight as he gazed deeply at the spiritual weirdo. “Mr. Chen, why do you think the demon hasn’t yet burned down…”

“Boom!” The sound of an enormous explosion abruptly went off in the city library.

Tang Mo looked with wide eyes toward the place where the explosion had sounded and saw at that moment a monstrous flame. A raging inferno had swallowed the seventh bookshelf. An enormous blaze appearing in the city library was incomparably frightening. The fire illuminated everything.

Tang Mo and the spiritual weirdo watched that place closely until the end, but up until the fire was completely extinguished, they didn’t see anyone emerge.

On the second ‘day,’ the little girl again skipped over with that Minnie book bag on her back.

“You still haven’t found my book? Today my mom went to visit Uncle Mole’s house. It wasn't easy but I’ve hidden it from her and she still hasn’t found out that my book was stolen. I can’t hide it from my mom. She will definitely find out. When can you help me find my book?”

Tang Mo’s complexion was slightly pale. He massaged his temples. “Do you remember a clue about the book today?”

The little girl very discontentedly said, “Like I said, I don’t remember, I don’t remember, I don’t remember!”

Tang Mo reminded, “This is the second ‘day.’”

After this sentence fell, the little girl did not speak again, but Tang Mo got the impression that beneath the layers of mosaic, she should be looking at him with a very bizarre expression.

She said, “You are an angel. You’ve read so many books. You naturally know where the book is. I’m not an angel and I most hate reading. How can I know a clue about the book? Clearly you know!”

[Ding dong! The angel camp obtained the second hint - Mosaic’s Disdain.]

Tang Mo: “...”

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Translation Notes:

Not much to say today except that I've changed the way I schedule my translation time which gives me more time to edit. Hopefully the quality will be better from here on out. I might go back and edit previous chapters at some point.

I'm guessing the references to Minnie will be cut in the official English translation but I'm really curious to see what happens to a certain other heavily trademarked character that appears later on LMFAO.

[musingsofabookworm1]

Early November 2024 Reads

My Name Was Eden by Eleanor Barker White - I can’t remember where I stumbled upon this one. It had the makings to be good for a lot of the way through. But the ending was just ridiculous.

In the beginning of the book, teenager Eden nearly drowns. When she recovers, she believes she is her twin brother, Eli, who died in the womb. Eli died early in the pregnancy and was absorbed by Eden. Her current doctor believes this will pass, but as time goes on, it does not. And her mother begins to wonder if she truly is Eli. 

Don’t waste your time on this one. 2 stars. 

The Marvels by Brian Selznick  - This is an older Selznick release. It actually made me wonder when he’s coming out with another. Soon is what I discovered!

The first half of this one is told only in pictures. It’s the story of generations of an acting family tracing back to 1766. This part of the story stops suddenly in 1900. Then the writing starts. In the 1990s, we meet Joseph. He’s run away from his boarding school to find his uncle whom he’s never met in hopes that he takes him in. Obviously the two stories intertwine, but it was not done so in the way I thought. It was just a tad bit disappointing, but overall, a good story. Good characters. Well written. 4 stars. 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune - The sequel to The House on the Cerulean Sea! I read the first one in one sitting in the car on the way to Kansas City two summers ago. So engrossed, I noticed nothing on that part of the ride. If I hadn’t started this later last Saturday night, it’d have been a one-sitting read. But it was a three-sitting-in-24-hours read. 

If you’ve not read The House on the Cerulean Sea, read it. Then read this. They will be amazing back-to-back. 

I know too many of you have read the first, and I hope that, like me, you go into the second blind. You’ll love it. 4 stars. 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin - I ordered this one long ago and didn’t realize Ruta Sepetys co-wrote it. I thought it was just her.  My guess is that each author wrote one of the characters: brother and sister Jakob and Lizzie Novis. The reader follows them at the title spot. I was unaware, but this is home to codebreakers in WWII London. We meet them in the summer of 1940 when Lizzie is supposed to be going to America to live with their grandmother. Instead, she outsmarts some adults to find Jakob. She is more interested in one specific part of the war. The part that killed their mother. So others believe. Lizzie is holding out hope that she is still alive and starts to believe that some messages she and her brother are receiving are from her mother. 

This one just didn’t grab me. The characters weren’t all that likable. The end was unsatisfying. 2 stars.

Looking forward to the next book Ruta Sepetys writes solo. 

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins - I was the first one in line for this at the library on its release day! It’s no Girl on the Train, but I liked it more than its two predecessors. 

The book is set on Eris: an island off the coast of Scotland. Only one person lives in the one house that stands there: unreachable only 12 hours a day due to the tides. Years ago it was home to a famous artist. Now it is home to Grace. 

A piece of art by said artist is on loan to a gallery in London when an expert discovers that the bone used to make it, believed to have been an animal bone, is actually a human bone. That’s when the secrets start to unravel. 

This is a psychological thriller through and through. The back-in-forth in time worked for me. The diary entries by Vanessa, the artist, were the highlight. Grace is a memorable character whose interesting backstory creeps slowly into present-day as the plot moves forward. 

I’m still not sure how I feel about the end. But it was quick, and I’m glad I read it.  3.5 stars (rounded to 4 on Goodreads)

[avictimofthejazz]

Templeton exhaled slowly as Abraham put his hands on his hips like an argumentative child. His reaction had nothing to do with reigning in his temper, and everything to do with not laughing at the irate man’s posturing. If Abraham could read the thoughts running through Templeton’s mind right now, he would only take more offense at having a temporary companion.

“Generally, whenever I hear a response similar to ‘long enough to know’, I merely assume you’re still fairly wet behind the ears. Anyone daft enough to think they know what they’re doing in this slightly unsavory line of work is one who has not been in it for long. There’s a reason there are very few old spies.” He observed drily. “The minute you think you’ve got a grasp on the situation is generally the minute the Kings men show up at your door with questions.” He inclined his head, “I’m sure a magistrate’s son does have many reasons for being in York City, especially one who farms himself, and has some level of responsibility for his father’s goods as well. But how much time do you spend actually carrying out your proposed reason for being in town? Do you spend half the day in the market negotiating prices for your cabbages? Do you attend classes at one of the universities there? Are you dining in the homes of your father’s city friends, and cultivating those relationships?” The British were getting more paranoid by the day. What they had assumed would be a handful of quick skirmishes with untrained rabble, a view supported by the first few inglorious encounters with the Colonists, had dragged out for years now. The Colonists, drawing from the resources of their own communities, had an easier time of it than the Crown did. They had to fund a war thousands of miles away from London, and transport many of the needed goods. This, on the heels of the Seven Year War in Europe, and ringed round by other conflicts on the Continent meant the English government must be running short of easily attainable money. The unruly Colonists were certainly becoming a drain on the royal coffers by now.  The Crown was eager to end conflict, and that included choking out any advantage their enemy had gained for themselves. Hunting for spies had become crucial in the last few months, and any man who caught one would likely be guaranteed a promotion. A notorious spy might even be worth a commission to an enlisted man, and a step forward into a better social sphere.

Needless to say, the waters were becoming a bit hot all over the Colonies. Maintaining a viable cover, and having the proof to back up one’s actions was now of vital importance. Templeton quickly straightened his head and shrugged rather carelessly. “Once Baracus and I are settled into my rooms, I’ll see what strikes my fancy. I have a few business associates who have invited me over to dine with their families—I think one is trying to get me to marry his daughter. Two military officers stationed in the city have no idea about my own disgraced exit from the army, and want to speak to me about the prospects in Philadelphia for an officer of private means. I also have a few less reputable acquaintances that I need to check in with… but that’s my own private affair.” Most of the contacts he casually referenced were the products of months of careful cultivation. He spent hours staging ‘accidental’ meetings, and making friends with the connections that could move him toward his target. Finagling invitations to dinner parties, appearing in the right social scenes in his current city of residence, and suffering through the company of some truly odious people was only half the espionage battle, however. Baracus, a free man posing as Templeton’s slave, had access to a whole other valuable realm. At every party where Templeton rubbed elbows with important people, Baracus was shunted toward the stables or the kitchens to wait until his master was ready to leave. A gruff voice and rough manner disguised one of the warmest hearts God ever made, and Baracus quickly made friends. All slaves and servants knew their masters’ business better than their masters did themselves, and an assumption of shared grievances loosened tongues easily. Back in their rooms, the two men compared notes and decided what information was valuable, what they would keep for their private use, and what was worth sending on to interested Continental parties. That was all information that he saw no point in sharing with Abraham, however. After all, the cabbage farmer already knew what he was doing. “And you?” he asked almost too innocently. “What is your plan once you see if this boarding house of yours still has a room you can rent, and how many other people occupy the bed already?”  

Almost before the cabbage farmer had finished speaking, Templeton could feel his eyebrows shifting toward his hairline. “Excuse me?” he tried very hard not to laugh, but a strangled note at the back of his throat came out anyways. “And your grand history with these kinds of delicate operations is…what? Six months? A year?” That was a mere drop in the bucket to Templeton’s experience, which was easily over a decade by now. At least, that was his official experience. As a man who had grown up between a small orphanage and the streets of Ipswich, he developed an infinity for snooping at an early age. He had barely reached ten years old when he began to realize how much power information had—and a few years after that, he started a series of brutal lessons on how information could ruin lives if it fell into the wrong hands.   Since then, he had become very interested in manipulating that power source, and directing it toward the areas that he felt were the best. Espionage was simply the official name for his actions. His connections with the Culper Ring were nebulous at best. Officially he was a businessman from Philadelphia, who often traveled to York City for connected reasons. The fact that these trips occasionally took him through Setauket, and he enjoyed patronizing Mrs. Strong’s tavern for a meal, or renting a room so he could avoid traveling at night, seemed perfectly innocent on the surface. Just because packets of paper occasionally left the hidden pockets in his jacket, and made it into Anna’s hands… well… that hardly had to be public knowledge. Having to work directly with Mr. Woodhull, however, was a bit galling. He preferred dropping off interesting information that he wanted the Patriots to get, and leaving. Connections meant complications. Especially when they were arrogant connections.

He huffed a sigh and adjusted his cuffs carefully, before trying to pick a more reasonable course for his next words. “I know we have to travel to York City together—but what makes you think you’re that much better at entering the city than I am? You don’t even have a place to stay if I understand correctly. I have regular lodgings in the city, and a landlord that asks few questions.”