#but ONLY if it's outdoors (grilling) and that amused me a lot because it is SO true in my family

[libraryleopard]

Graphic nonfiction comic

Based on a series of interviews that Ewing conducted with fifty-six people about gender 

Excerpts of interviews into chapters based on subject, such as how gender relates to bodies, relationships, or healthcare

Has the feel of an illustrated documentary

Complex yet digestible read

Vulnerable and thoughtful compilation of both personal stories and broader insights

[norabrice1701]

Twist My Heart - Ch. 6

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Jake “Hangman” Seresin

- A TG:M Twister AU -

Series Main List

Also on AO3

Ch. 6 Warnings: Idiots in love; domestic fluff

A/N: Thank you all for reading this fic!! ❤️

3 years later

“You’re going the wrong way,” Jake says, setting his beer down. “Here, give me that.”

He plucks the remote control from Bradley’s hand, and Bradley doesn’t fight him. Despite scrolling through the list of hundreds of channels in the ‘Live TV’ guide, he still hasn’t found the channel they’re looking for. They’ve only had this TV installed for a week now, and Bradley still doesn’t have an intuitive feel for the built-in channel guide. And to compound his ineptitude, there isn’t even a search feature for him to enter ‘NBC Kentucky Derby’.

Jake finds the channel with ease, and the sights and sounds of Churchill Downs fill the screened-in porch. Bradley leans forward on the outdoor couch, dragging a tortilla chip through the accompanying queso fundido. Well, maybe calling it that is too generous – it’s just melted Velveeta and breakfast sausage – but neither of them boast gourmet kitchen prowess. Perhaps it’s something they can work on, but between Jake’s mastery of the grill and Bradley’s skill with a saute pan, they haven’t managed to starve yet. 

Or burn down the kitchen. Or the rest of their house. 

Because that fact still… god. 

He co-owns a house with Jake. 

Together. 

A house that they intend to turn into their home. 

They’re making good progress, especially after spending today in the yard. The landscaping had needed lots of love - still does - but after pulling tons of weeds, raking up all the dead shit in the flowerbeds, and mowing the lawn, they have earned the right to a lazy night on the couch. 

Bradley shifts against the all-weather cushion as he takes a swig of beer. He drapes an arm along the back of the couch, gazing up at the wall-mounted TV as Jake leans forward, munching a queso-slathered chip. 

Jake snags another chip before reaching for his beer. “Who’s your money on for the race?” 

Bradley doesn’t bother to hide his indifference. “I have no idea. I don’t even know who all’s in the field.” 

“Forte scratched this morning.” Jake supplies, licking a stray drop of beer foam from his top lip. “Tapit Trice is expected to perform well, along with Two Phils.” 

He arches a brow in disbelief even as his mouth quirks with amusement. “Didn’t know you played the ponies.” 

Jake doesn’t quite roll his eyes. “That phrase only applies if you put down money, Roo - and luckily for you, I don’t.” 

And Bradley does know that’s true. He’s learned much about Jake’s inner-workings and bad habits - and gambling doesn’t make the list. He continues to relax against the couch, taking in Jake’s profile set against the colors of sunset. Tall white clouds hang in the eastern sky, reflecting the brilliant colors back at them - and Bradley’s struck with another moment of incredulity. 

This handsome man is now his husband. The white gold band on Jake’s finger gleams against the beer koozie, matching the ring that adorns Bradley’s finger. Honesty, the metal band still feels a little foreign but each time he takes it off, he feels lost without it. 

“Then, I’ll go for Two Phils.” Bradley eventually says, tapping his wedding ring against the neck of the better bottle with a clink. “Always go for the funny name, right?” 

“In that case, you’d want Raise Cain or Cyclone Mischief.” Jake’s mouth curls with a smile against the rim of his beer bottle. “Though, neither one of them has great odds.” 

Bradley reaches for another chip, sweeping it through the queso. “Trying to impress me, hmm?” 

Jake’s laugh warms his chest. “Little late for that, don’t you think?” 

Bradley wipes a smudge of queso from his mustache. “Don’t think just because we’re already married doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.” He returns his arm to the back of the couch, fingers bushing against the strong line of Jake’s shoulders. “You got to keep proving that I made the right choice, right?” 

Jake’s eyes blaze with playful indignation. “Careful now, sweetheart - gotta keep proving that we made the right choice. I coulda said no, you know.” 

He squeezes Jake’s shoulder gently, heart fluttering as Jake leans into him. “I know you coulda. And that would have broken my heart.” 

Jake settles against his side and a wave of contentment washes over Bradley. A gentle breeze blows through the screened-in porch as they relax in their little backyard, and Bradley feels his face split wide with a stupid grin. He’s glad that Jake can’t see it and tease him for it. Ducking his head, he brushes a kiss to whatever part of Jake he can reach before taking another sip of his beer and returning his attention to the TV screen. 

The horses parade out of the stables and onto the track. Announcers recap the top contenders, identifying the contestants as they make their way towards the starting gate. Bradley doesn’t consider himself overly fond of horse racing, but there’s something fun about watching the fastest two minutes in all of the sports’ world.

“Well, if you knew anything about horse racing,” Jake rumbles softly. “You’d know that you’re supposed to pick three horses - one each for win, place, and show.” 

“That’s why I have you,” Bradley counters. “If we ever go to Churchill Downs, you can place the bets.” 

“Is that on your bucket list?” Jake asks, words deforming against the beer bottle lip. 

Bradley’s brows furrow. “I don’t know… guess I haven’t thought about it, really.” Maybe it’s because of how his dad died, but the idea of a bucket list doesn’t sit well with him. While he doesn’t deny the power of having dreams and goals, he also learned at a young age to just be grateful for everything life has given him and consider everything else as icing on the cake. He wets his top lip, sighing gently. “How about you?” 

“Only if you wear one of those big, gaudy hats.” Jake nods towards the screen as the camera zooms in on a woman in an oversized bright yellow, red, and white hat. 

Bradley grimaces. “No chance in hell, man.” 

“Maybe if you lose a bet?” Jake prods, mischief in his eyes and smile. “Or if Tapit Trice wins?” 

A chuckle works up Bradley’s throat, fading as the TV screen jumps to a split-screen showing the local news station studio. 

“Good evening, we apologize for interrupting the Kentucky Derby, but we have a severe weather situation brewing in Nowata County to bring you up to speed on.”

A Doppler radar now dominates half the screen as Jake and Bradley both stare with rapt interest. Severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watch banners light up the top and bottom of the shot as the strong supercell, in shades of angry red and orange, bears down on the noted towns.

“Now, this powerful storm is currently located just two miles east of Delaware, Oklahoma - and already we have reports of golf ball sized hail ranging up to baseball sized hail. This is not a storm to mess around with, folks, especially with the strong winds and lightning. Tornado watches are in effect for all of Nowata County, but as you can see…” 

Jake lets out a low whistle. “Just look at that,” he muses, nodding towards the TV. “That’s the perfect formation for a hook echo.” 

Bradley nods as his throat goes dry. “Yeah… especially with those wind speeds. And just look at that outflow boundary.”  

As if summoned by their words, big bold letters declaring a tornado warning flash across their screen. 

“Alright, now we have a tornado warning in effect - I repeat, tornado warning in effect - for Nowata County. Seek shelter in a basement or storm cellar or interior room of your house…” 

The on-screen radar image updates, and the text-book perfect hook echo formation appears on screen. A tracking cone emanates from it as the meteorologist continues to outline the storm’s projected path, taking it nowhere near their home. Despite the contentment with Jake at his side, the desire to hop in the SUV and chase it down still nags at him. Perhaps it always will - and if it weren’t their weekend off, perhaps they would already be on the scene. 

“You ever considered a job in television?” Jake asks, clinking his own ring against the glass bottle neck. “It’d give us all something much better to look at.” 

Bradley resists another eye-roll. “And miss the chance to be out in the field with the rain on my face and the wind in my hair?” He glances over at Jake. “Not a chance in hell.” 

Something proud sparks in Jake’s gaze, laced with innate understanding. Slowly, he drags his gaze back to the TV nodding up at the screen. “Almost makes me want to be out there, you know? I’m sure they’re getting some good action.” 

Bradley nods gently, letting himself settle more visibly against the couch. “Yeah, I know what you mean,” he says, coaxing Jake back with him. “But there’ll always be another storm, right? Besides,” he flashes his husband a teasing, alluring grin. “I can definitely promise you much better action in our bedroom later tonight.”  

Jake’s eyes wrinkle with laughter as he shakes his head. “Better? Hmm, debatable. Infinitely more satisfying?” He leans in for a quick kiss. “Every time, darlin’.” 

Fin

Series Main List

Tag List: @redfurrycat

[ashxketchum]

Summer Ship asks for TyHil (because a) if i reblogged this i wouldn't get a single ask, b) who's stopping me lol)

🌼 Who likes to go outdoors and who prefers to stay inside?

In the summer Hilary prefers to stay inside, have late-night at-home movie dates or bake/cook together. Tyson is a beach person through and through (am I ever letting go of my surfer hc NO) and in order to get Hilary out and about, he has to make a lot of promises about doing extra chores or studying. But it's all worth it in the end when Hilary steps out in a bikini.

👙Who got a new swimsuit that the other can’t stop looking at?

Hilary 🧜🏻‍♀️ Tyson 😳

🩴Who breaks their flip flops?

Oddly enough, Hilary and Tyson finds it annoying since when they do go to the beach she just curls up in a corner with a book and doesn't move about, so how does she manage to break it every single time 🧐

🐚Who likes collecting shells?

Tyson, and then he gives the best ones to Hilary. Which isn't a great idea since she's a hoarder so by the time they're old, she just has jars and jars full of shells given to her by Tyson.

Sometimes Tyson keeps the really good finds to show to his father whenever they meet.

🌞Who handles the heat better?

Tyson, Hilary complains a lot and never lends her handheld electric fan to anyone.

⛈Who’s afraid of thunderstorms?

Also Hilary, but she wouldn't exactly be scared of it, but just that they maker her uncomfortable and she prefers not to be alone when it's happening.

🌈Who enjoys the longer days the most?

I think this would really depend on the phase of their lives. When they're in school together then both of them would love longer days because that would mean being able to spend more time in each other's company. When they're in uni or when they start working, then they just want the day to get over so they can get home and see each other again.

⭐️Who likes to look at stars?

Tyson because he has a faint memory of his father pointing out the constellations to him when he was little, Hilary also becomes interested in astronomy after Tyson mentions this. And then she becomes the person Tyson goes to with all his questions astronomical questions.

🌊Freshwater or saltwater?

Tyson would love saltwater because he likes to swim/surf in the ocean during summers, Hilary likes freshwater because she enjoys sitting by a pond on a spring morning.

🍉Which one loves watermelon? Who spits the seeds like it’s a sport? Or who hates the seeds?

They both love watermelon and they definitely compete over who can spit the seeds out faster. Every now and then Tyson lets Hilary win so he can see her celebrate unabashedly.

🫐Do they like to go berry picking? Who picks the most berries? Who eats more than they pick?

This would be something that Hilary would plan for the two of them just so they can avoid going to the beach for a day. Tyson will obviously eat more berries than he picks and then sulk when Hilary finishes off with a larger amount than him.

🥩Who’s grilling? What are they grilling?

I can see Tyson as one of those guys who're really particular about their grilling equipment and techniques. They probably bring out the grill for cookouts and beach parties so Tyson would probably choose to grill some meat.

🛶Who’s never been on a kayak/canon? Do they tip over?

Hilary's probably never been because Tyson keeps teasing her about how he will tip her over.

✈️Do they travel over the summer? Where to?

I think when they're in their 20s they'd travel during every vacation they get, especially during the summers I can see them making plans to visit Max in America, or Rei in China. But when their kids are born, they prefer to do more domestic trips and save international travels for special occasions.

🎢Are they amusement park people? If so, what’s their favorite ride?

They weren't really until they decided to have 4 kids with wildly different personalities who can only ever agree on doing one activity together, riding a roller coaster. Hilary sits this one out though.

[wayward-dreamer]

Life’s Lessons - Going To California

AO3 Link: Read Here

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader

Word count: 6,964

Summary: When Sam and Eileen back out of going to California, Dean and Y/N take a trip to the golden state in their place. Dean reflects on his relationship with Y/N, making a decision on what his next step should be.

Warnings: Lots of fluff, Dean being sweet (yes, that’s a warning), Swearing, Smut, Dirty talk, Oral sex (Male and Female receiving), Unprotected sex (wrap it up before you tap it people), more fluff.

Music: Going to California by Led Zeppelin (Dean and Y/N starting their journey scene)

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist

A/N: Time stamp #3 is here! I’m so excited to share it with you all! There’s so much more to come for these two, but more on that at a later stage! ;) As always, happy reading and enjoy! :)

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Life’s Lessons Saga Masterlist

Dean walked through the house from the kitchen, twisting off the caps on two beers, the necks of the bottles resting between his fingers. He stepped out onto the back porch, walking over to his little brother, who was manning the grill while he was gone. He handed one over to him and then took over turning the burgers. It was a warm evening, the sun slowly setting and bathing the sky in a light purple hue. A soft breeze started, making it a perfect night to sit out and eat dinner.

It had been a while since the brothers saw each other, Sam having been busy with case after case, so when the weekend came and he had nothing work related to do, they made the plan for Sam and Eileen to come over for dinner to his house. Eileen had said she didn’t mind them coming over to her and Sam’s apartment, but Y/N had put her foot down, because no one was going to let the pregnant woman do anything at this point.

Tapping Sam on the shoulder, Dean gestured for him to move. Sam frowned, tapping his older brother back in defiance, not making a move to step away.

“Alright, scoot, let me show you how it’s done,” Dean muttered, as he pushed Sam away from the grill.

“Dude, I know what I’m doing,” Sam grumbled, as he moved to the side, his brother taking over, the flames of the grill fanning a little higher.

“No, you don’t,” Dean stated, chuckling when he saw Sam roll his eyes. He flipped the burgers over, one side browned to perfection already.

“How’s things?” Sam asked, smiling.

“Good,” Dean replied, moving away from the grill slightly, as the flames were too hot. “Amazing, actually.”

“That’s great, man,” Sam said, his smile growing.

Dean nodded, biting his lip as he wondered whether he should tell his little brother what he had been thinking about recently.

“Dean.” Sam got his older brother’s attention when he saw the look on his face. That one always meant there was something Dean wasn’t telling him. “What’s going on?”

“I, uh…” Dean smiled, unable to hide it anymore. “I think this is it.”

Sam frowned slightly as he didn’t completely understand. However, his eyes widened as things became clear very quickly. “Wait… you mean…?”

“Yeah, Sammy,” Dean muttered, smirking. “I wanna ask Y/N to marry me.”

“Oh my god.” Sam was in complete shock, but if it were even possible, the smile on his face became bigger. “Oh my god!”

“Shh,” Dean hissed, looking back into the house behind Sam. “She’ll fucking hear you, man.”

“Sorry,” Sam apologized, quietly. “This is great, Dean.”

Dean chuckled as he nodded. “I know. It’s insane, it’s only been 4 months that we’ve been together officially, but it just feels right.”

“So, when-when are you going to do it?” Sam asked, leaning back against the outdoor dining table as he looked at his brother.

“I don’t know, man. I’m just… I’m scared if I do it too soon and things go south, then it’s all screwed to hell. I just wanna enjoy our time together, we’re having so much fun… I don’t want to ruin that,” Dean explained, his shoulders tensed as his jaw clenched.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think that’ll happen,” Sam reassured his older brother, offering him a soft smile.

“Thanks, Sammy.” Dean raised his hand and tapped Sam’s shoulder. “Let’s just keep it on the down low, for now. Okay?”

“Yeah. You bet.” Sam nodded and held his beer out. Dean smirked and clinked his bottle against Sam’s.

Y/N walked out onto the back porch, holding a tray with all the fixings for burgers on top of it. Eileen walked out behind her, a beer in one hand for Y/N, a glass of water in the other for herself. Putting everything down on the table, she helped Eileen sit down, pushing the table back slightly to give her more room with her round belly.

“How are you?” she signed, smiling.

Eileen frowned, shaking her head. “I feel like a whale,” she responded, signing but also speaking loud enough that Sam heard her.

“You are not.” Sam signed as he came over and kissed the top of her head, but she looked up at him and glared.

“Easy for you to say. I can’t see my feet,” she signed at him, shaking her head.

Sam tried to say something, but they were interrupted by Dean announcing that the burgers were ready.

He walked over to the table and put the platter down, moving behind Y/N as he passed her. Grabbing his hand, she stopped him and leaned up, pressing her lips to his in a sensual kiss. Dean’s arms came around her waist and pulled her in closer. He pulled away after a moment, smiling against her lips.

“Kiss me like that again some time. Okay?” he asked, smirking.

“Okay,” she laughed, pecking his cheek.

“Ugh, not while we’re eating,” Sam groaned, looking away from them.

“Shut up, Sam.” Dean tapped his little brother on the head, ducking away when Sam tried to get him back. He sat down next to Y/N, chuckling as he started assembling his burger.

They all started to eat, everyone complimenting Dean on the taste of the patties.

“So, there’s something I wanted to ask you guys.” Sam got Dean and Y/N’s attention after swallowing his bite, looking between both of them.

“Shoot,” Dean muttered around the morsel in his mouth.

“How do you both feel about a little getaway to California?” Sam asked.

“Aww Sammy, are you asking us to come on your little trip with Eileen?” Dean asked in return, teasing his little brother. Y/N chuckled lightly, nudging Dean’s arm to stop messing with him.

“No, I mean just the two of you,” Sam replied, rolling his eyes. He looked at Eileen and she laughed. “A friend from college owns a beach house there, but he and his wife are going to be in Europe for the summer.”

“Man, that’s the life,” Y/N sighed as Dean nodded to what she said.

“And we would go and keep an eye on things for two weeks before his sister comes to take care of the place, but Eileen feels like she can’t make the trip in the car,” Sam explained, looking at his wife before looking back at his brother.

“And I can’t fly now, so that sucks too,” Eileen signed, pouting. Y/N frowned and held her hand across the table, squeezing it.

“So, what do you guys say?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. “You want to go?”

Dean and Y/N looked at each other. A smile grew on her face, not even having to think it over. Dean smirked, biting his lip. He turned to Sam and gave him a simple nod. “Hell yeah, we’re in.”

“Great, I’ll let him know,” Sam informed, quickly taking out his phone and sending a text to his friend.

They all continued eating, talking and laughing as the sun completely set, enjoying the summer breeze that blew around them. As Sam and Eileen left and Dean and Y/N got ready for bed, neither of them could keep the smiles off their faces. A little two-week getaway to California was exactly what they needed, and Y/N couldn’t wait to spend some uninterrupted, quality time with her boyfriend.

“So, you’re really not going to tell me why we’re driving instead of flying to California?”

Y/N dumped her bags in the trunk of the Impala, standing in front of Dean as he closed it and she waited for him to say something to her question. It was the same one that had come up a few days ago, while Dean and Y/N were at John and Mary’s for dinner. After she asked why they weren’t flying, his parents both laughed quietly to themselves and John added a “I’m sure Dean will tell you eventually” and left her to figure out the rest.

Dean got into the driver’s seat as Y/N got into the passenger’s side and turned to him, eying him suspiciously. He looked through his box of cassette tapes, ignoring her as she looked at him. She narrowed her eyes as a thought came to her, and the realisation quickly dawned on her as her eyes widened.

“Dean Winchester… are you scared of flying?” she asked, an amused smile gracing her face.

“No.” He was lying, and he knew he had no reason to; it’s not like she would make fun of him for it, but it was a little embarrassing for him.

“Dean.” She got his attention, smiling at him when he looked at her, clearly annoyed that she had figured it out. “It’s okay. It’s not a big deal.”

“Exactly, so let’s forget about it,” he mumbled, choosing a tape and shoving the box back under the seat.

“You know that it’s the fastest and safest form travel, though, right?” she asked. She wanted to make him see there was nothing to fear. “And I would be right next you, talking you through the whole thing if you got scared.”

“Yeah, you’re not getting me in one of those flying death traps, sweetheart,” he declared, shoving the tape into the player.

She laughed, shaking her head. “Fine. You win. For now.”

The tape began to play, causing her to sigh as she heard the first few notes of “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin play out.

“A little on the nose, huh?” he asked, chuckling.

“A little, but it’s good,” she replied, leaning over and kissing him, softly.

“Alright,” he said, turning the key in the ignition of the Impala, grinning as it came to life. He turned to her, the smile not leaving his face. “You ready?”

“Absolutely,” she said, smiling wide.

Dean backed out of the driveway and took one last glance at the house, speeding off down the street, more than ready to spend two weeks in sunny California.

They drove for 11 hours, taking turns in driving after they would take a break at a rest stop. Y/N was glad he trusted her enough to drive his beloved Baby, after she had reassured him that she had driven an older car before and would be able to handle it. Luckily, it didn’t take too long for him to agree. However, when neither of them could afford to keep their eyes open any longer, Dean pulled into a motel somewhere outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their heads hit the pillows of the uncomfortable bed and they fell asleep instantly, not caring what the mattress felt like because of how exhausted they were.

The next morning, they woke up early and got ready, had breakfast at a small diner across the street from the motel and were back on the road after they had eaten. Once again taking turns, they made it to Malibu in 10 hours, with Dean not really taking speed limits into account, citing he wanted to get there sooner. Y/N was annoyed but she couldn’t be too mad at him, knowing she couldn’t wait to get there either. By the time Dean did his poor rendition of Free Fallin’, it was around 6pm when they got there, stopping at a grocery store and picking up things they would need, before driving to the house.

As Dean drove down the streets lined with fancy beach houses, both he and Y/N started to feel a little awkward as they passed each one, knowing this wasn’t something they were used to. Looking down at her phone, Y/N confirmed the address and Dean pulled into the driveway, turning the car off. They both stared up at the white, two-storey house with large windows, a freshly mowed lawn and long path leading up to the front steps.

“Is it too late to go back?” he asked, turning to her.

She shook her head, moving across the seat and leaning into him. “We’re not going anywhere, but inside that house and just having a great two weeks to ourselves.”

“Damn straight,” he nodded with a small smile, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

He got out of the Impala and went over to the trunk, taking out the bags and closing it as Y/N walked ahead of him.

She keyed in the number on the lockbox that was given to them by Sam after he spoke to his friend, and took out the key to the large double doors of the house. She unlocked the door and swung them open, gasping as she walked in. The house was big but modest, which was a pleasant surprise as she walked through. Everything was open concept, the kitchen and living area leading out to the outdoor area, which had an amazing view of the ocean. Dean came in and dropped the bags near the staircase, immediately standing next to her as they looked out at the Pacific coast.

“I was right,” she muttered, quietly as the ocean breeze blew her hair back softly. “This must be the life.”

“Damn,” Dean whispered as he looked out at the sparkling blue ocean. A life like this wouldn’t be so bad he thought to himself as he walked out onto the balcony.

There were a few wicker armchairs, a coffee table and benches outside, along with a wooden dining set and on the far side of the outdoor area was a fire pit, with a few chairs around it. He sighed happily, smirking when he felt Y/N’s arms wrap around his waist, her lips pressing a soft kiss to the nape of his neck.

“Should we unpack?” she asked, softly as her lips brushed the skin of his neck.

“Yeah,” he replied, turning around and taking her hand in his as they walked into the house.

They both couldn’t wait to kick off their little trip in the golden state.

Y/N sighed contently, feeling the warmth of the sun against her face as it hit the shade above her. She crossed her bare legs that were out of the shade, extended on the beach chair and getting a great tan going. Pulling down her sunglasses with her finger, she smiled as she spotted her boyfriend coming out of the water, her own personal James Bond walking towards her, as he shook off the seawater from his hair. Beads of water dripped down his muscles, glistening as the sun shined down on him. She bit her lip as she thought about everything that she couldn’t wait to do with him when they got back to the house. He smirked at her as he got to the lounge chair, picking up his towel and wiping himself down.

They had been in California for a few days and were having an incredible time. They had spent their days exploring Malibu and the surrounding areas, driving around in the Impala and stopping whenever they would see a look-out spot, taking a selfie everywhere they went. They had made dinner and just relaxed for a few nights at the house, but later that night they were going out for dinner to a restaurant they saw while they were driving around and really wanted to go to.

Y/N continued to watch Dean as he sat down on the beach chair next to hers, the shade covering his face as he leaned back. He turned his head and smirked at her, giving her a wink.

“You’re so obvious, you know that right?” he teased, knowing she had been checking him out.

“Shut up,” she mumbled, pushing her glasses up.

He chuckled, looking out at the gorgeous view in front of him.

“Water’s great, not too cold right now,” he told her, his eyes closing as he felt the sun over the shade warming his face.

“Might have to get in later,” she said, smiling but was more than happy to stay there and enjoy the view in front of her.

“Or… now,” Dean suggested, standing up from the beach chair and holding his hand out to her. His eyes roamed over her red with white polka dots high waist bikini, his lip tucking in between his teeth as he gazed at her.

“But I’m so comfortable,” she protested, wriggling in against the chair. “And you were just in the water.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. He leaned down and took her hand in his, tugging on it. “Come on, sweetheart. You’re coming in with me.”

She looked up at him with a frown but gazed out at the ocean, the waves mesmerizing as they came up and receded back.

“Alright,” she agreed, a smile playing at her lips. She got up and took off her wide-brim beach hat, dropping it on the chair along with her sunglasses. Her hand slipped back into his, as they walked out towards the water.

Dean and Y/N moved through the waves and under once they got to waist height. They swam and splashed around, laughing and enjoying their time in the water. They stayed for a while, before they knew they had to get out and back to the house. They swam to the shore, walking out onto the sand and wiping themselves down before packing up the chairs and their belongings. They walked from the public beach to the private one the property was situated on, leaving the chairs and soiled flip-flops in the lower mud room before they walked up the stairs to the house.

They took turns having a shower, as Y/N refused Dean’s offer of showering together to avoid the obvious distraction that he always posed whenever they did. After she had freshened up, Y/N took a little time to get ready, wanting things to be perfect. There wasn’t anything different about tonight, but she still wanted to make it special for the two of them. This was their first little trip together and it had been wonderful so far, so she couldn’t wait to continue to have an amazing time with Dean for the rest of their days there.

She kept her make-up light and her hair open, sweeping it over her shoulder. She wore a red A-line dress with small, white floral pattern and a sweetheart neckline with off-shoulder straps. She put on her strappy nude heels, picked up her purse and walked out of the bedroom, her heels loud against the wood planks of the staircase.

Dean was dressed in a navy-blue half-sleeve, button-up shirt, blue jeans and his boots and sitting in the living area, waiting on Y/N. He looked up when he heard her shoes against the wooden floors, smiling when he saw her. He got up from the armchair and met her halfway, stopping in front of her to cup her face in his hands. He leaned in, kissing her softly before he pulled away, grinning at her.

“You look amazing,” he told her, his smile beaming.

She felt her cheeks heat up as she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You clean up pretty well, too, handsome.”

“Ready?” he asked, moving back and instantly taking her hand in his.

“Ready,” she confirmed, smiling.

They left the house and locked up, Dean walking to the car and opening the door for Y/N. She pecked his lips before getting in, watching as he closed her door and then walked over to the driver’s side. He got in and smiled at her, immediately starting the car and backing out of the driveway, heading in the direction of the restaurant. Dean parked down the street once they arrived, taking Y/N’s hand as they walked down. Having made a reservation already, they were led to their table quickly, in the back outdoor area, sitting across from each other. There were fairy lights above them, wrapped around the beams and a candle at each table, bathing the area in a warm glow. Y/N beamed as she watched Dean taking everything in, a soft, peaceful smile on his face. She was so glad he was getting this break from work, knowing he deserved a little time off after working so hard.

The waitress came around and took their drink orders, coming back quickly with Dean’s beer and Y/N’s Negroni. She leaned forward on the table, taking Dean’s hand in hers and clasping it, tightly. There was a peaceful hum of patrons around them, but she didn’t see anything past the love of her life in front of her.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he asked, softly.

She nodded, looking down at their joined hands. “I am. I don’t think I’ve ever been more okay in my life.”

He grinned, unable to stop his heart from skipping a beat when he heard what she said. He felt exactly the same way.

“I guess Sammy didn’t have such a bad idea about us coming here, huh?” he asked, chuckling softly.

“Definitely not,” she replied, shaking her head as she sipped her cocktail. “I’m so glad we could do this.”

“Me too,” he agreed, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

After their drinks, they ordered dinner. As they ate, Y/N looked around to see that a live band had started, smiling as they played a few familiar tunes, causing people at other tables to sing along. As the waitress cleared their plates, Dean looked over at Y/N and smiled, seeing her lost in the music as she swayed to it.

“Ready to go?” he asked. He smiled when she turned around and faced him, a content expression on her face. “Maybe we can take a walk along the pier?”

“Yeah,” she said, softly as she nodded. She picked up her purse and followed him out once they returned his card, linking her hand with his as they walked down to the pier.

The weather was perfect, a pleasant breeze dancing around them, the salty sea air mixing through it. They walked along the pier, hand in hand, in a slow and peaceful pace, the waves washing up onto the shore along with the music coming from the restaurant the only sounds that they could hear. Dean turned to face Y/N, as his hand moved around her hip and brought her close to him, taking her hand in his as her other one curved over his shoulder. They swayed back and forth slowly, basking in the serenity around them.

“Kinda wanted it to be just us when we did this,” he told her, looking down into her eyes.

“Good call,” she stated, leaning up and kissing him, softly. “This is much better.”

“Can I… Can I ask you something?” he wondered, clearing his throat nervously.

She nodded, smiling up at him. “Of course.”

“I know… I know we put getting married and having kids on the table real early, but…” he started, but took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts to speak coherently. “You still want all those things, right?”

She was slightly taken aback, but a reassuring smile graced her face. “Dean… I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

He breathed out, relieved as he nodded. “I know that, I do. I just-”

Y/N leaned up, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes despite wearing heels, and kissed him, stopping whatever negative thought he was about to have. She kissed him sensually, putting everything she felt for him into it, before she pulled away and looked into his eyes.

“When it comes to what I want for us… there’s nothing for you to worry about, Dean,” she said, as she moved in closer, resting her head against his chest as they swayed to the music. “I love you and I know we’re going to spend our lives together, forever.”

“I love you,” he whispered, leaning his cheek against her head.

Y/N’s hand left his and moved up around his neck, the other sliding up from his shoulder to lock around him, as she pushed herself up and kissed him, a little harder than before. Dean’s hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her up as he held her close, her feet dangling above the ground. Suddenly desperate for each other, she tugged at the collar of shirt as their lips moved against each other’s, unable to pull away. She nipped at his bottom lip as her hands moved into his short hair, bringing him closer to her.

Dean pulled away, however, breathing heavily as he smirked at her. “Let’s get outta here.”

Dean put Y/N down, their hands immediately linking as they rushed down the pier, her heels loud against the wooden planks as they hurried back to the car. Dean drove at the required speed, getting annoyed as he wanted nothing more than to hightail it back to the house. It didn’t help that Y/N had slid over on the bench seat, kissing and nipping at his neck, distracting him.

“Sweetheart, you gotta stop or we won’t make it back,” he said, a choked laugh leaving his mouth as she sucked at his pulse point.

“Fine.” She sighed, annoyed that she had stop as she moved away from him, sliding back against the passenger side of the car. She had been more than ready for him all day, their day out at the beach only making her desire for him stronger.

They made it back to the house a few short moments later and hurried to the entrance. Y/N struggled to open the door as Dean wrapped his arms around her waist, his turn to pay attention to the soft skin of her neck with his lips. She turned the lock and it finally clicked, swinging the door open as they staggered in. Y/N turned to Dean and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. He kicked the door closed, both of them stumbling further into the house.

“Dean,” she moaned, her lips brushing against his. “I need you.”

“Fuck, I need you too, sweetheart,” he groaned, in between kisses. “Been teasing me all day, especially in that bikini…”

He picked her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he held her tight. She bit her lip as she looked into his eyes, moving in to kiss him again, their mouths rough and sensual against each other. She felt the bulge of his jeans against her, knowing he was hard already. He walked them towards the staircase, relying on instinct to get up to the bedroom, considering he couldn’t see anything past Y/N and her lips against his. He made it up to the room without tripping, setting her down as his hands moved to the zip on the side of her dress. She smiled up at him as she made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. She shimmied out of the dress once he pulled the zipper down, letting it fall and pool around her feet, leaving her in a pastel pink strapless bra and matching lace panties.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, as he leaned in and kissed her again, a little softer this time. However, knowing how much he wanted her after a day where the tension was building up constantly, he deepened the kiss.

Y/N walked backwards as she undid his belt and unzipped his jeans, blindly, the action second nature to her after having done it so many times. Dean placed his hands on her waist and pushed her onto the bed, only rough enough for a small moan to leave her as she looked up at him. He bent down and took off his boots, ridding himself of his jeans and boxers at the same time. His hard cock sprung free from the confines of his boxers, causing her to bite her lip at the sight. No matter how many times she had seen him naked, it still stunned her that she got to have him.

She sat up on the bed, moving to sit on the edge and closer to Dean. She looked up at him with that smile of hers he loved, that mischievous one that always let him know what kind of mood she was in and took hold of his cock. Dropping some of her saliva onto his shaft, her hand wrapped around and pumped up and down, slowly at first but started to build up. She leaned forward, her mouth sucking at the tip of cock, licking away the pre-cum. She sunk her mouth lower, taking him in inch by inch, until he hit the back of her throat. Dean groaned as she began to bob her head, his hands cupping her face as he looked down her. She looked up at him as she moved back and forth, her mouth gliding over his cock, her hand wrapped around the base in a light grip.

“Fuck, you’re too good at that, sweetheart,” he groaned out, his thumb stroking her hollowed cheek.

Pulling back, she licked at the tip of cock, her tongue circling it. She grinned as her hand stroked him and she leaned forward, kissing his hip bone. “You love seeing your cock in my mouth, don’t you?”

He growled as he cupped her face and leaned down, kissing her roughly. “Fuck yeah, love it so much,” he muttered against her lips.

“You taste so good, Dean,” she sighed, pecking his lips.

He hummed as he kissed her again, his hands moving to her shoulders as he lightly pushed her, her back hitting the bed. “So do you, gorgeous.”

Moving over her, he leaned down to kiss along her neck, leaving soft nips at her skin. He drifted down, his lips leaving a trail of kisses down her chest, nipping at her covered breasts, down her stomach and stopping at her covered mound. He kissed her inner thigh, his fingers rubbing over her panties, feeling how wet she already was.

“Did sucking my cock get you this wet, baby?” he asked, chuckling.

She looked down the length of her body, their eyes meeting as she nodded.

He grinned as his fingers slipped into the edge of her panties, pulling them down and over her legs, tossing them over his shoulder.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss to her sex. A low moan left her mouth, her hands gripping the covers beneath her as her eyes fluttered closed in anticipation of what was about to happen. The things he could do with his mouth still amazed her.

With his tongue, he licked a long stripe from her entrance to her clit, lightly circling the nub. Pressing his mouth over it, his tongue continued to move around the bundle of nerves, causing a moan to fall from her lips.

“Fuck,” she sighed, as she looked down at him. She threw her head back when he drifted down, his tongue licking along the length of her folds before it moved down her entrance. He alternated between sucking at her clit and licking her folds, bringing his fingers to her wet canal and inserting them, thrusting them in and out in a slow rhythm, but picking up the pace as her moans became louder.

“You taste so fucking incredible, Y/N,” he groaned between his ministrations, looking up at her.

“Feels so good,” she moaned loudly, gripping his hair tightly in her hands, bringing him in closer. “Oh god, Dean… fuck, I-I love what you do to me.”

He grinned as his fingers moved steadily within her, ready to bring her to the edge. “Yeah? You love feeling my tongue on your clit, sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” she gasped, as her hands continued to comb through his short hair.

“You love my fingers inside you?” he asked, emphasising the question by moving them a little faster, the pads of his fingers rubbing along her walls. He felt her clench around them, signalling she was close.

“Fuck, yeah,” she moaned, breathlessly. “I fucking love them so much.”

He smiled against her sex, kissing her skin as he looked up at her. “You’re close, aren’t you, Y/N?”

“Yeah, so close.” She nodded, frantically, ready to let go. “Make me cum, Dean.”

“You wanna cum on tongue, don’t you?” He smirked, already knowing that’s what she would want.

“Yeah, wanna cum on your tongue,” she whimpered.

Dean leaned in, sucking the nub into his mouth, his fingers picking up the pace. He thrust in and out of her, feeling her grip around him as he moved them within her. He felt her getting wetter, knowing she was close. He moved his mouth down, her moans rising in volume as his fingers continued. The coil in her stomach tightened more and more, bringing her closer to her release.

“Dean, oh my god! Fuck!” she shrieked, as the coil snapped. She moaned through her release, wetting Dean’s fingers and his mouth, his tongue lapping up her juices and continuing to lazily thrust his fingers as she came down from her high.

When he was satisfied that he taken everything she gave him, Dean leaned up and hovered over her, leaning down to kiss Y/N. She moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him closer. She pushed her body into him and turned, rolling him onto his back while he was distracted by her lips. Pulling away, she sat up and looked into his eyes. He smiled as he looked up at her, his hands sliding over the smooth skin of her legs.

She planted her hands on his chest, shifting back until she felt his cock against her heat. Reaching down with her right hand, she took a hold of his cock as she lifted herself up, lining it up to her entrance. She sighed, letting out a shaky breath as she sank down, his length completely sheathed by her walls. Dean groaned as he felt her heat around his cock, his hands moving up to her hips and holding onto her. She began to rock back and forth, her hips thrusting down as he brought his up to meet hers, in a slow and sensual pace. She ran her fingers along his chest, moaning softly.

“How do I feel, Dean?” she asked, as she looked down at him. She grinded her hips down, feeling his cock deep within her.

“Amazing,” he replied, as he smiled up at her. He let her control the rhythm, meeting her hips as he thrusted up into her.

She leaned down, bringing her face closer to his. “You love feeling me wrapped around your cock, don’t you?” she asked, her voice low and husky.

“Fucking love it, sweetheart,” he growled, gripping her hips tighter in his hands.

“Love feeling you inside me, Dean,” she whispered against his lips, kissing him softly. “Love feeling your big cock inside my tight, wet pussy.”

“Fuck, Y/N,” he groaned, looking into her eyes. Holding her close, he sat up, his chest pressing against her covered breasts. His hands moved up her back, unclasping her bra and pulling it away from her body. He leaned in, kissing the soft flesh of her breasts, leaving soft bites along her skin. Her hands combed into his hair, bringing him closer into her. She moaned as she felt him take her left nipple into his mouth, licking over the nub, stiff from the air in the room.

“I love you so much, Dean,” she whispered into his ear, her fingertips lightly scraping through his hair. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

Releasing her nipple with slight pop, he looked up into her eyes, as she continued rock her hips down on his.

“You don’t ever have to worry about how I feel,” she reassured him, reiterating what she told him at the pier. “I’m yours. Forever.”

She leaned down, kissing him passionately as she gripped the hair at the nape of his neck. His hands moved up her back as he pulled her in, not wanting to let go of her. He was completely floored by the love he saw in her eyes. He knew he shouldn’t be; he knew she loved him, but somehow it still shocked him that anyone could love him as much as she did. Yet again, he thought about grateful he was for her.

“I love you so fucking much, Y/N,” he whispered back, his breath brushing against her lips.

She moaned, feeling the pressure in her belly building up again, as she continued to meet his thrusts.

“Dean,” she moaned against his lips, looking into his eyes. Her hips picked up pace, chasing her release. “I’m so close.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” he muttered, as he held her tighter.

The familiar feeling rose in her stomach, telling her she was closer as their hips continued to smack into each other, their thrusts faster than before.

“Cum with me,” she whimpered, her eyes not looking away from his, not even for a second. “Dean, please… cum with me.”

“Oh fuck, Y/N,” he groaned. His hands flew down to her hips, gripping tight as he felt his cock pulse inside her, her walls clenching around him. “Fuck, let go for me, sweetheart. Fucking cum on my cock.”

For a second time that night, the band snapped, a string of moans erupting from her lips as she threw her head back, her hands tight in his hair. He grunted as he dropped his head onto her shoulder. He felt his cock throb, a strangled moan leaving his mouth as spurts of cum bathed her walls, mixing with her climax.

They breathed heavily as they came down from their high, feeling only the frantic heartbeats in their chests. As they started to come down, the rush of the waves on the beach reached their ears from the open door to the balcony. Dean lifted his head from Y/N’s shoulder, his hands coming up to cup her face, bringing her close to him. He kissed her, lovingly as he held her tight. He didn’t want to let go of her. Hearing her words as they made love made his heart soar. He had never felt that way before her. Y/N picked up on his quietness, pulling away to look into his eyes.

“You okay?” she asked, smiling softly.

Dean smiled in return, nodding slowly. “Never been better, gorgeous.”

Y/N squealed and laughed as Dean turned them over, throwing her down on the bed. They continued their passionate exchange into the early hours, finally falling asleep to the moon shining into the room and the soothing sounds of the ocean.

The next two weeks flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for Dean and Y/N to leave the beach house behind and return to their normal lives in Lawrence. Dean packed up the Impala, a small frown on his face as he did so. He didn’t want to leave, having had such an amazing time there with his girlfriend. They had so much fun together, swimming in the ocean during the day, walks on the beach at night, going out for dinner or cooking at the house, and absolutely ravishing each other after all of it. This trip had not only been relaxing, but a great eye-opener for him. He already knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Y/N but hearing it from her only solidified the decision he had already made.

He was going to ask Y/N to marry him.

It may have seemed too early in their relationship to think that way, but if he could’ve married her back at Christmas, one kiss into their relationship and all, he would’ve done it in a heartbeat. As he closed the trunk and leaned against the car to wait for Y/N, he started thinking about how to go about things. He knew he had to talk to his mom about her ring, hoping that it would be okay with her to give it to Y/N.

He lifted his head as he heard the front door to the house shut. He smiled as he saw Y/N walking down the path, her long, printed summer dress flowing in the breeze as she came towards him. She smiled softly as she got closer to him, an eyebrow lifted as she saw his expression.

“What?” she asked, laughing slightly.

He shook his head, not wanting her to clue into anything he was thinking just yet. “Nothing. Just… thank you.”

“For what?” She stood in front of him, placing her hands on his shoulders as she looked at him.

“For coming with me on this trip, for dealing with me… for just being amazing,” he told her, placing his hands on her hips.

“You’re pretty easy to deal with, Dean Winchester,” she said, softly as she leaned up, kissing him.

“You say that now,” he said, chuckling.

“I’ll say it always,” she countered, kissing him again quickly, before she moved away to the passenger side of the car.

As they pulled away from the house and made their way onto the highway, Dean smirked as he looked out at the road ahead of him. He glanced at Y/N, smiling as he saw her texting, no doubt telling Sam they had left and would be back home in a day. As he drove, he couldn’t help but think about everything that had changed in his life, and how much more it would continue to do so. He couldn’t help but think about how happy he was, how much more confident he was in himself, and how much better his life had become.

For all of that and so much more, he knew he had the beautiful woman sitting beside him to thank.

-x-

If you’re crossed out, I can’t tag you :(

Tags: @deanwanddamons @winchest09 @downanddirtydean @jensengirl83 @wonder-cole @that-one-gay-girl @flamencodiva @ellewritesfix05 @roonyxx @akshi8278 @hobby27 @michellethetvaddict @spngirl05 @kyjey @halesandy @440mxs-wife @stoneyggirl @deanswaywardgirl @redbarn1995 @marianita195 @babypink224221 @deans-baby-momma @parinarain @thoughts-and-funnies @mandalou29 @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @superaveng @supernatural-love14 @vicmc624 @prettyboyswow @lunarmoon8 @supernatural-bellawinchester​

[bundleofyarrow]

requests open!

new milo x reader content appears! hello world, i'm fresh to the pokemon fandom trying out writing fanfiction for the first time. i've started the first few chapters of my milo x reader over at AO3 called A Bundle of Yarrow. i'm also taking requests for general milo x reader imagines or longer scenes that can fit into ABoY's universe. while i will be writing the main storyline, i thought it would be fun to make a part of it collaborative and have other milo x reader fans send in ideas for scenes that fit between chapters. check out the rules page for more!

i'm new to all of this, so people feel free to comment or message me with suggestions. the link to the fic on AO3 is above, but in case you prefer reading on tumblr, below the cut is the first chapter. just a heads up, it starts in leon x reader land but moves into milo x reader as the story progresses.

enjoy!

Chapter 1: Postwick

Galar is a land of hills. Or at least, Postwick is, and it’s just about the only thing you’ve seen since you arrived. Soft curves of verdant green, sometimes tawny gold with a bale of hay or two. There’s a sign around here that says this is a farming town since days of yore, and the near constant whines of Wooloo are determined to never let you forget it. Lying on one such hill, almost completely vertical, you oversee the main road were balls of wool roll where they please. You feel transported, like you’re viewing another planet from some place outside.

The giddy hollering of children and Pokemon at the house not far away pulls you back to earth. A young girl bounds up to you with an anxious-looking blue creature in her arms.

“Look! It’s my new Sobble~ Leon got it for me! Isnt’s he great?”

Your cousin’s bright eyes implore you to sit up, propping yourself on your right arm once you realize one of your legs has fallen asleep.

“He’s adorable Gloria.”

You lean in closer to take a look, you’ve never seen a Pokemon like this before. The Sobble turns his face into Gloria, clearly shy and overwhelmed.

“It looks like he’s already taken to you!”

She looks down and holds him closer, beaming, rocking slightly.

“It’s okay, this is my cousin. That means part of our family!” Gloria turns slightly so her Pokemon can safely peek out at you. “I’m sure he’ll warm up to you too!”

You give the Pokemon your softest smile, and while he doesn’t completely warm up to you, he leans in a little to get a better look at you. Baby steps.

“Oh yeah, I also came here to say that dinner’s ready!”

The sound of sizzling meat and peppers hasn’t escaped your notice, but now the smell entices you to go and socialize with the family neighbors. Gloria shuffles back down the hill towards the fanciest house of Postwick, where the Champion of Galar and his family lives.

You take your time getting up and brushing off the grass from your clothes. A breeze rolled over the hill, reminding you that your Alolan wardrobe is way too thin for Galar’s climate. As you climb down, you see the neighbor boy, Hop, waving skewers at you before turning back to his bunny Pokemon, who kicks up some embers to give the meat a little extra char. You try to put on a smile as your auntie puts food in your hands and introduces you to everyone. It’s hard not too feel awkward, being not only new to this group of people but to this entire region, but you genuinely are looking forward to having the best time you can while you’re here. Eventually the adults get distracted by Hop’s antics, where he ropes in Gloria to do yet another trick with their new Pokemon. You sit down at the table nearby and just watch for a bit.

If you had been distracted, you wouldn’t have noticed the pair of big eyes pop up from the side of the table, topped with green tufts of hair shaped like leaves. You must have had quite the expression of surprise on your face when a little orange hand darted towards your food, because two bigger hands immediately scooped up the trickster before he could make off with your food.

“Now now Grookey, that’s not champion behavior!”

The admittedly cute Pokemon flailed in Leon’s grasp for a bit, shedding some fake tears until he was given a wedge of grilled Mago berry.

“Sorry about that, this little one is quite the handful around food.” He tried to seem stern but you could tell he was more amused. “He didn’t startle you too badly, did he?”

You strangely don’t feel that shy around Leon. It feels like you should be more star-struck, but maybe because this is the first time you even really knew he existed, he came off more as an ordinary guy with a flair for the dramatic. He seemed like a nice guy, wanting to give everyone a little attention, which also made him seem a bit spread thin. But you could see him start to settle as the light faded from the sky and fans stopped coming by to cheer at him.

“Oh not at all, I was just a little surprised! If I wasn’t paying attention, he would have be feasting like a king.”

The Grookey pouts as you let out a light chuckle, taking a finger and lightly rubbing his forehead.

“And have a massive stomachache tomorrow that I would have to deal with!”

Leon says everything with a little bit of a laugh, and his eyes seem like they are permanently smiling. He looks between you and Grookey while seeming in thought.

“You’re staying here in Galar for a while now, yeah? What are your plans?”

You slide over a bit to let Leon sit next to you as he sets Grookey on the table between you. His cape and hair make him seem larger than he is, and talking with him at eye-level feels like talking to Leon, the person not Leon, the Champion.

“I’m not entirely sure to be honest. I just had to…” You’re never sure what to say about your past, and the uncertainty of your future. “…get away for a bit. Maybe start over, find a clean slate.”

The breeze picks up again and you feel the sleeve of your shirt slide a little down your shoulder, exposing some skin. You don’t realize that you should be embarrassed about it until you catch Leon’s gaze eyeing your collarbone and then quickly looking back to the Grookey. It was common to show skin on the hot coasts of the Alolan islands, but as you take a look around, everyone around you is more covered up.

“I’d like a bit of adventure, I think.” You say absent-mindedly as you readjust your top, oblivious to Leon fidgeting a bit.

“Ah, well-” He moves in his seat again, “what do you think of this here Grookey?” Leon rests a hand on his head and lightly rustles it. “I think you two might get along!”

This took you by surprise, the last thing you were expecting was to be offered a foreign Pokemon.

“O-oh really?? But I thought you were going to train him to become a part of your champion team or something?”

He smirked at ‘or something,’ as if entertained by your complete lack of interest in the most popular Galarian sport.

“That was the plan, but you said you wanted some adventure! Can’t get around many places here without a Pokemon. Being a trainer lets you travel a lot here in Galar. Maybe you’ll get to compete in the upcoming Gym Challenge if you’re up for it!” He grinned some more here. “Who knows, maybe you’ll end up facing me in the end. Wouldn’t that be an adventure?”

You laughed a bit, shaking your head but trying to show an appreciative face. “Me? Be a trainer? And a good enough one to face you?? You’re funny.”

Hop has already regaled the crowd at dinner about how excited he is for camping in the Wild Area, hiking through ruins and snow, getting lost in haunted forests. You’ve never been one for the outdoors, and don’t think moving regions would change that.

“That’s kind of you, and he is cute. But that wasn’t the kind of adventure I was thinking of.” You smile at them both. “I appreciate you though!”

Leon seems a little confused at first, but recovers quickly and nods. Eventually the kids come over still hollering over Pokemon, and Hop quickly begins to monologue about his favorite topic: Leon, his brother. Hop drags you inside once he realizes how little you know about Galar’s Gym Challenge, Gloria and Leon trailing behind, with the former happy to be spared from the lecture about the Champion for once. You all found yourselves in Leon’s room, Hop showing you different magazines and eagerly pointing at different pictures of his brother’s most memorable fights. The trophies throughout the house and the weights in his room really do scream Champion. Is there ever a moment when he's not? Eventually Hop decides that Gloria and himself need to look up more information on their new Pokemon, and pulls her away into his room, leaving you and Leon alone.

The Champion, who really just seems like a man rather than a god to you, sheepishly rubs the back of his head and shrugs.

“Sorry about that, once Hop gets going, it’s hard to make him stop.”

He begins to collect all the magazines his brother pulled out and carefully places them back where they belong. It just hits you now how carefully organized everything is, and how little escapes his attention. You notice all the hats neatly arranged around his room, walking up towards the rows of shelves and scanning all the different kinds he owns.

“I like your collection.” You mean that, you’ve always enjoyed window shopping at boutiques and spotting people who took fashion seriously. “If I didn’t just hear everything your brother told me, I’d think you were the Champion of Streetwear.”

His chuckle comes from right behind you, startling you a bit. Turning around, you meet his intense and mischievous gaze.

“Adventure, huh?”

He steps a foot towards you, and you instinctually press back against the dresser behind you. Leon closes the distance between you and meets your lips with his, only making your heart race faster. What is happening?? You melt into the kiss, I mean, this is the Champion we’re talking about here, and go along with his lead. He doesn’t draw it out or take it too far; it wasn’t a sweet kiss but one of intrigue.

Parting just moments away from your lips, he breathes out a “You’re so different, too bad-”

“KIDS? Are you up there!? It’s getting late and time to go home!”

The moment is broken by a yell from your auntie, and the shuffling of feet all over the house makes Leon swiftly give you some space. You’re still a bit flustered, and confused honestly, but you know to shyly smile in these situations.

“Pity we won’t be seeing much of each other, now that challenge season is on.” He takes your hand and guides you off his dresser and towards the threshold of his room. “But I hope you find that thing you’re looking for.”

He winks as Gloria pops her head in and calls for you, and watches her take your hand to pull you away. You wave to Leon, not really knowing what to say.

Outside it is dark, the faintest hints of dusk dropping further behind the hills. Butterfree flutter from tree to tree, and your aunt’s Budew are nestled in the front yard. All you can hear are Gloria's footfalls up towards her house and the thumping of your heart against your chest. Your cousin is quite tuckered out from all the excitement, and you only stay up a little with your auntie with the family’s Munchlax resting in your lap. She asks the usual ‘how are you adjusting’s and ‘do you think you’ll enjoy it here’s, and you begin to think you made a mistake turning down Leon’s offer. Eventually you take Munchlax over to the guest bedroom and nestle into bed, hoping to understand what you’re supposed to do in this new land.

~*~*~*~

The sounds of yelling and Pokemon cries jolts you from your sleep. It takes you a couple moments to realize an organized battle is going on, rather than some emergency.

“How do people get used to battling happening all the time?”

Yawning, you pawed the blankets of the bed until you found the lump that was Munchlax.

“Rise and shine, if I have to wake up, so do you~” Groans of protest shuffled under the covers, only twisting more into a warm cocoon. “Well, don’t blame me if auntie doesn’t prepare you breakfast.”

You hear frantic scrambling as you leave bed and head towards the kitchen, where your aunt is already drinking tea and checking her phone. You exchange usual pleasantries, making toast for yourself and ducking out to take a shower as soon as you could find a way to excuse yourself.

Eventually you find yourself wandering out of the house and into the late-morning air, smelling greenery and hay as usual. You notice a Wooloo hitting itself into a nearby gate, and shrug it off. 

Walking down the main path, you see Hop containing a tantrum within himself as he stands over his fainted Scorbunny. It looks like Leon is giving Gloria and Hop a speech of sorts, something about being rivals, and you’re able to pass by with a wave. Leon nods at you with a cordial smile, not at all seeming like a man who kissed you the night before. It seems like in public, he always needs to be the Champion. 

Unsure of how you feel about that, you decide to pick a new resting spot, down closer to Route 1.

[aliciameade]

“The Great Indoors”

Author: aliciameade Rating: G Pairing: Beca/Chloe Summary: Beca and Chloe accidentally get locked inside an R.E.I. (An outdoor activities supply store, for those unfamiliar.) Hijinks ensue.

This one goes out to @beyond-bechloe for their generous donation to the @ppfandomdrive​! Thank you for your support!

Also on AO3

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

Beca didn’t consider herself particularly outdoorsy (she could get sunburned at night and she was allergic to every type of stinging insect, among other inconveniences), but she enjoyed fewer shopping excursions than those to R.E.I. to be Chloe’s helper whenever she had an upcoming trip. Beca was in charge of the shopping cart and telling Chloe whether or not the gear she was trying on looked cute while still being functional.

And Beca liked the gear and supplies. It was cool how there were so many specialized shoes and backpacks and jackets for all manner of activities. She wouldn’t mind being less prone to emergencies to be able to try something new once in a while.

Plus, she kind of liked Chloe’s dedication to always trying to convince Beca to join her on her next adventure.

She also liked Chloe pouting until Beca admitted whatever she was trying on was indeed cute. Beca always thinks Chloe’s cute but it’s not like she can tell her that all the time. That would be weird. Friends don’t do that.

“Who are you going with?” she asks as Chloe stands in front of a display of kayaking gear.

“The same crew I went out to Zion with. They’re always encouraging everyone to bring a friend. You should totes come with me.”

Beca surveys the kayaks leaning against the wall and visions of flipping over, getting stuck, and drowning flash through her mind. “Pass,” she says quickly. “Maybe something more...terrestrial.”

“Okay,” Chloe says with a shrug. She never argues with Beca over it, but she does always re-extend the invitation. “What do you think: black or pink?” she continues as she plucks two helmets off the display to turn and hold them up for Beca’s opinion.

“Let’s see ‘em in action,” she answers, gesturing for Chloe to try them on.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

“What kind of adventure would you be down for?” Chloe asks, somewhat unexpectedly, as they meander through displays and racks of camping gear. They’ve already picked out everything on her list but still find themselves browsing. “When you said ‘more terrestrial,’” she adds. “Camping?”

Beca’s about to answer when the PA system interrupts, informing shoppers the store will be closing in 15 minutes. She waits until they’re finished.

“Yeah, camping, I guess,” she says with a vague wave of her hand toward the staged campground the store has set up to display their wide variety of tents, coolers, chairs, and portable grills. “Just maybe not in the middle of nowhere like you do.”

She knows her answer excites Chloe by the way her eyes light up and her back straightens. “I don’t even own a tent because I’m always sharing with someone else on the trip.” She’s already on her hands and knees crawling through the entrance of a small tent before Beca can argue.

Not that she has a point to argue.

Chloe’s kneeling inside and looking out at Beca expectantly. “Come on! Let’s try this one.”

Beca just gives a shake of her head and kneels down to crawl into the tent, too. She hears Chloe zip the flap behind her and then she’s being dragged down until they’re lying side by side.

“We fit!” Chloe declares as she makes it a point to spread out and take up space until she’s crowding Beca.

“Obviously we fit,” she says, trying not to laugh as Chloe’s elbow digs into her ribs until she’s forced to roll onto her side to escape it. “It’s a two-person tent. We are two people.” She should have known better to turn, though, because the second she does, Chloe’s on her like a magnet, making Beca her little spoon as she does so often.

Not that she minds Chloe’s propensity to be close to Beca.

She kind of loves it, in fact.

“See, and we can cuddle for body heat if it gets chilly overnight.”

“Right,” Beca says, letting herself smile when she feels the way Chloe’s almost nuzzling her. It drives her crazy, too. Chloe is so physically affectionate with Beca, more so than anyone Beca’s ever dated, and she and Chloe are definitively not dating. It feels like they are, though, from the way they check in with one another throughout the day if they’re apart and how they download their days when they’re together to their Co-Captain Conferences which is just a serious-sounding name that allows them to lock themselves in Chloe’s room under the guise of working on the Bellas’ next set when they’re actually watching movies or talking or napping and not getting interrupted.

The way Beca’s heart aches when Chloe does go on her weeklong excursions...that, too, makes it feel a lot like they’re dating.

But...they’re not.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

It’s the last thought that floats through her mind before her eyes are fluttering open to near darkness.

She’s disoriented and her shoulder and hip ache from whatever hard surface she’s lying on. The only thing she does recognize is the scent, sound, and feel of Chloe asleep behind her and she jostles her until she’s startling awake, too.

“Hmm, what?” Chloe says, voice gravelly with sleep.

“We fell asleep in the tent,” Beca says once her brain stitches the events together. Once she sits up and glances out of the tent’s mesh window and is met with the dimly lit retail floor, her heart stops. “Chloe?”

“Hmm?” she says through a yawn as she sits up, too.

“What time is it?”

She watches Chloe pull her phone out of her back pocket—Beca’s own phone is in her purse which...she realizes with additional terror...was left in the cart before they decided to try the tent—and check it. “10:34.”

Beca inhales at that and holds her breath, waiting for Chloe to connect the dots, too.

“Oh, my gosh, it’s 10:34!”

“And it’s dark in here.” Beca leans forward to unzip the tent’s flap and crawl out, relieved to find her purse in the cart, everything right where they left it by some miracle. “Chlo, the store’s closed.”

She watches Chloe crawl out, too, and stand to survey everything, just like Beca’s doing. “There must be a security guard or something,” Chloe says confidently as she starts walking toward the entrance.

There is no security guard, they find. They also decide to not try the doors because setting off an alarm might be really bad. A phone call to the company’s customer support number instructs them to call back during the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

“Okay, we don’t need to panic,” Beca says when she watches Chloe start to do her panic-pacing. “We’re fine. We’re safe.”

“We’re trapped in here!” Chloe screeches.

It makes Beca flinch and she grabs Chloe by the forearms when she paces past again. “Chloe, chill out!”

Chloe gulps and Beca can see the fear in her eyes.

“Chill, okay?” she says, lowering her voice. “They’ll open in the morning and we can leave. They have bathrooms and water, and I know you have at least one granola bar in your purse, right?”

Chloe nods and her eyes start to look a bit less wild.

“Good.” Beca smiles, and then lets herself smile bigger. “We’re locked in a store.”

Chloe whines. “I know, Beca!” 

“No, Chloe. We’re locked in a store!” she turns them so Chloe’s facing toward the sporting goods supplier’s floor, devoid of other shoppers and employees. “Didn’t you ever dream about this as a kid?”

She can tell Chloe’s considering it, thinking about it, until a smile starts to tug at her lips. “Okay, yeah.”

“Then, come on!” Beca grabs her hand to run—not out of necessity but out of excitement—back into the depths of the store. “I want to play with everything. What first?”

“Bikes! Let’s get bikes,” Chloe says pointing off to their left. “This place is huge; we can get around faster!”

“Yes, yes—I love the way you think.”

Armed with speedy transportation, they make it a point to visit every department, trying on hiking boots and life jackets and snowboards. Chloe decides to document the adventure on her Instagram so every department needs to have its own photoshoot.

Eventually, they end up back in the paddling department and Beca’s helping Chloe maneuver a massive tandem kayak down from where it’s leaning against the wall.

“Get in,” Chloe says, gesturing at the front seat while she lowers herself into the back after grabbing a couple of paddles. “I’ll show you how easy it is.”

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Beca says as she takes the offered paddle and sits down, “but we’re not in the water right now.”

“Shush, I know. But I can show you the stroke.”

Beca can’t help the amused snort that escapes her.

“You just made that dirty.”

“Did not.”

“Yes, you did.” Chloe sounds amused. “Okay, put your hands where the grippy parts are on the paddle.”

Beca does as she’s told and then jumps a little when Chloe’s voice is suddenly close.

“Good.” Chloe’s arms suddenly frame Beca’s, her hands just outside of each of her own. “It’s just this motion.” Then they’re moving, Chloe’s push and pull directing Beca. “See how easy?”

Something about the moment makes Beca’s voice catch for a second and she has to swallow. “Yeah. Something tells me it’s not as easy in a river.”

“It’s really not difficult. Would I lie to you?”

“No, I guess not.”

Chloe hums, happy with Beca’s answer, and then her presence retreats. “Keep going; I need to take a picture. Actually, I’m going to do a video!”

“Of course you are,” Beca laughs but carries on for Chloe’s entertainment.

It’s around 2:00 AM when they’re both yawning, having eaten Chloe’s emergency stash of granola bars and a bag of gummy bears Beca swiped from the checkout area, promising Chloe she’d pay for them tomorrow with the rest of their items. They return the bicycles to their display and wander back to the camping section.

“You know, if there was ever a store to get locked in, this was a pretty good option,” Chloe says as she sits down on the edge of a fully inflated air mattress. It’s the floor’s display model, but it’s a bed nonetheless.

“So true.” Beca follows, settling on the slightly wobbly mattress next to Chloe.

Usually, like in the tent, she would flip onto her side, her back to Chloe to settle in for sleep.

For some reason, this time she turned the other way to face Chloe. Maybe because they weren’t finished talking—they didn’t yet have a plan for the morning, aka what to tell the first person who discovers them—or maybe Beca just wanted to look at Chloe for a few more seconds before going to sleep.  

“I can’t believe this happened,” Chloe says with a giggle once they’re both settled.

“I know, right? So cool.”

Chloe’s quiet for what feels like a second too long before she says, “Thank you for calming me down. You know how I can get worked up about stuff.”

Beca smiles gently. “Yeah, of course, dude. You know I got your back.”

“I know you do.”

Chloe’s eyes are on Beca’s and the silence between them is suddenly heavy. Something about it makes Beca’s heart start to race. Chloe’s just looking at her not saying anything and Beca’s about to ask why she’s staring when Chloe interrupts her.

“Can I kiss you?”

Beca’s not sure she heard correctly. It’s hard to hear over the sound of the blood rushing in her ears. She debates asking Chloe to repeat herself, but she doesn’t want her to backpedal if she thinks Beca’s response means she wasn’t okay with it. Because she is so, soooo okay with it.

And if Beca did mishear, then she’ll deal with whatever she’s about to agree to.

“Yes.”

She didn’t mishear.

She can’t help the gasp that comes when Chloe’s lips are suddenly on hers. They’re soft and gentle but confident in their purpose and Beca is sure to kiss her back once her mind catches up with it.

Chloe pulls back after a few seconds and even in the dim lighting, she can tell Chloe’s blushing. She knows she is, too. “Was that okay?” Chloe asks, eyes wide and teeth tugging nervously at the lip that was just pressed against Beca’s.

Beca lets herself start to smile; the shock is subsiding and happiness is starting to rush into its place. “Why did you stop?” she asks, bringing her hand up between them to tug on Chloe’s shirt.

It’s not hard enough to actually pull Chloe in but it gets her point across and she’s still smiling when Chloe’s gleeful laugh gets muffled between their second kiss, one that is less about determining if it’s okay and a lot more about how their tongues move together.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

They’re roused by blinding fluorescent lights a few hours later and share the story of their accidental lock-in with the very confused and highly suspicious morning shift. Chloe begs the manager-on-duty to not reprimand whoever was responsible for ensuring all guests were out of the store before locking up, blaming themselves for not paying attention to the time.

Eventually, they’re allowed to leave and pay for what they’d been shopping for yesterday, plus the two-person tent (which Chloe had run back to grab off the shelf and returned with a wink).

“Okay, what’s with the tent?” Beca asks once they’ve loaded up the back of Chloe’s car in the completely empty parking lot and sat down.

“We are totes going camping and making out under the stars.”

“Oh, are we?” Beca asks with amusement as she buckles her seatbelt.

“Yep,” Chloe says, taking advantage of Beca’s proximity to direct her right up and into a kiss. “If that’s okay with you?” she asks, eyes a little softer so Beca knows she’s being earnest.

“Yeah, okay,” she nods. “But I’m not sure it’s fair for you to ask me after you kiss me.”

“So I should withhold kisses until you answer?” Chloe says with a grin as she starts the car and drives toward the exit and street that will lead them back to the house.

“That doesn’t seem fair either,” Beca says with a thoughtful pout.

“Kinda sounds like I get my way if kisses are involved.”

Beca starts to object but instead, just smiles and looks out the passenger side window. “Yeah, it kinda does sound that way.

The End  

[et-lesailes]

family of five

pairing: dad!chris x wife!reader

word count: 2085

summary: just a typical evening in the evans household starring you, chris, and your three children.

themes: fluff, marriage, children, mentions of sex

taglist: @viarogers​ , @evanstush​ , @chibi-crazy​ ,  @pining-and-tired​ , @songforhema​, @sebabestianstan101​ , @tanyam93​ , @bval-1​, @wonderwinchester​ , @little-miss-exo​, @poerebel​ , @gogomez-509​ , @patzammit​, @a-distantdreamer, @malthestorytellerblog, @rainbowkisses31​, @jbug491writinghelp​, @quaideraid​, @melannie77​, @gigistorm, @lille-kattunge​, @teller258316​, @rohaintahquil​, @deidrashouseofpain, @firstangeldragonranch, @peach-acid, @allsortsofinterests​, @xoxabs88xox​, @heyiamthatbitch, @cptn-sgrogers, @heyyouwiththeassbutt, @bangtan-serendipity, @troublermalik, @beardburnsupersoldiers, @captainscanadian​, @rumoured-whispers​, @lemonster120​, @puddlejoy​

note: yeah idk just had muse for this lmao might make a part 2 with smut?? lmk what u guys want :))

“Hey, hey! Dad that was totally unfair, I wasn’t ready yet!” 

“Damn, maybe you’re just not ready to be on the football team then!”

You giggled fondly as you watched your husband and son playfully tantalize each other, leaning over the deck watching them practice throws and tackles. While it was normally the patriarch who manned the grill, you were more than happy to be the one currently making the burgers and hot dogs for the family- summer was coming to an end, and the five of you were making the most of each day before everything got hectic again. Sixteen-year-old Rayne with her acting classes and dance team, fifteen-year-old Lowell with his football tryouts and, well, constantly being out with his friends and his “girlfriend” of the week, and ten-year-old Mickey with her piano practices and soccer games. They were certainly an active and well rounded bunch, and you couldn’t be more proud. You and Chris had really refrained from putting too much pressure on them; the two of you had just gotten lucky with having children who had so many interests and an eagerness to get involved. 

“Mom! Mom, oh my God, look!” You looked up to an excited Rayne practically bouncing out to the deck, holding up her phone screen. “Josh just asked if I wanted to get ice cream with him tonight! Can I go??” You looked at the text with a wide smile before looking to her. “Sure sweetie, after dinner, okay? Is he picking you-”

“Excuse me, what’s going on here?” You hadn’t even heard Chris come up the stairs of the deck, but now he was already leaned over behind you, one hand on your shoulder as he inspected the message. He then looked to his eldest daughter with a playful twinkle in his eyes. “Is this the Josh who’s a senior? An older boy, Rayne? Give me that phone, let me text him.” The teenager laughed, immediately pulling it back. “Dad! You literally met him at the game last year, you said you liked him remember??” She sighed dreamily, clinging onto your arm playfully. “And he can drive. He has his own car. And he’s so mature, he’s so much better than the boys in my grade!” 

“You still have a crush on Josh?” Lowell came bounding up the stairs, blonde hair slightly sweaty from his and Chris’ little practice. “Haven’t you liked him since, like, kindergarten?” Rayne rolled her eyes, letting go of your arm and looking at her screen starting to text him back. “No, that’s ridiculous. But… he did have a really cute haircut in first grade…” You couldn’t help but laugh, turning back to the grill and flipping the patties. “Well, looks like he’s interested in you too, girlie. What are you going to wear?” The girl immediately looked up with wide blue eyes. “Shit! I gotta figure that out! I’ll be right back!” She was already dashing inside and up the stairs when you looked up, Chris calling playfully after her, “No short shorts or spaghetti straps, got it?! And tell Mickey to get off that damn iPad and come down for dinner!” 

Lowell arched an eyebrow in amusement, leaning against the railing as he crossed his arms. “Man. Rayne’s got a date tonight and I don’t? Maybe I should hit Haley up…” Chris looked to his only son, scoffing lightly though grinning. “And what happened to Chloe? I thought she was the new love of your life.” The blond teenager sighed dramatically and you couldn’t help but quietly giggle as you began moving the burgers to a platter. “Chloe’s… fine, I guess, but we don’t have a lot in common. I think I just liked her because she has big boobs. Seriously, they practically look fake, but they’re not.” You blinked and wrinkled your nose playfully, reaching out to give him a light punch. “Lowell! You can’t decide you like someone-- let alone love them-- because of their boobs!” He playfully whined, rubbing his arm. “Well I know that now, I learned my lesson! Isn’t that what I just said?” Chris laughed, taking the platter and setting it on the outdoor table. “Well, we’re proud of you for learning these important life lessons, kiddo, but I wish you had the same motivation to do so in class….” 

“Don’t get your hopes up, Daddy,” a smaller but cheeky voice sounded from the open sliding doors, your youngest daughter standing there with a playful grin. “Lowie should just stick to sports.” The older boy blinked and made a face, coming over to ruffle his sister’s hair- he had certainly inherited Chris’ height, considering that at fifteen he was already almost six feet tall and towering over little Mickey-- and even you. “Excuse you, nerd, just wait until high school. It’s harder, okay?” Chris chuckled and came over, playfully scooping Mickey up and over her shoulder as she squealed and giggled. “Don’t be such a smart ass with your brother, princess. And you,” he turned to Lowell, reaching out to ruffle his hair just as roughly, “Mick’s not a nerd. She just happened to inherit her mama’s wonderful brain.” 

“So…. Mom’s a nerd, too?” Lowell questioned playfully, giving you his signature devious grin. “Excuse me?” You put a hand on your hip as if ready to scold him, but you were obviously joking around-- it was quite a daily occurrence for your family to roast each other like this. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He ran over to hug you as if scared you were upset with him, then suddenly picked you up off your feet making you scream in surprise before laughing. “Alright, alright, put me down!” He laughed too, setting you back down on your feet. “Love ya, Mom!” He gave you his charming smirk identical to his father’s and you rolled your eyes, shaking your head fondly. “Yeah, yeah. Go set the table.” 

“And get me a beer from the fridge!” Chris called out after him, still holding Mickey over his shoulder as she playfully squirmed around. 

______________

“God I love when you wear that shirt, baby.” Chris came up behind you at the dresser in your bedroom, wrapping his arms around you as he gave your cheek a kiss. You smiled as you looked down at your Patriots tank top before turning your head to quickly catch his lips in a light peck. “Well, it makes my boobs look good, so, you know.” You answered playfully, and he smirked as he moved his large hands up your waist to nonchalantly squeeze your breasts. “Your boobs always look good. Especially since you had the kids, shit.” You giggled, turning around to face him and rubbing his chest lightly. “Let’s go say goodnight to the kids and then you’re more than welcome to worship my boobs some more,” you teased, and he laughed, leaning down to kiss you. “Mm alright, seems like a fair deal to me.” 

Rayne’s room was first. She was already laying in bed, curled up under the sheets and probably texting Josh, no doubt. She had already come to your room to tell you and Chris everything about the date; it meant a lot to you that your children could be so open about their personal lives, and you knew Chris was pleased about this too. While he joked around about being overprotective and not wanting Rayne to date, he was not strict or controlling- he understood that that would not get his children to communicate or be honest with him. And so instead, he offered them healthy advice about dating, knowing that while they would eventually make mistakes they would learn from, he could do his best to make sure they still stayed as safe as they could while exploring other relationships. 

“Alright, Ray Ray, time to say goodnight to Josh.” Chris playfully commanded as he walked in, leaning down by her bedside to give her a kiss on the head. She wrinkled her nose but shook her head cutely as she turned to look at him. “I can’t right now, Daddy, he’s telling me a really funny story!” You smiled and came over to give her a kiss as well. “Don't be up too late, sweetie. We love you.” She sat up slightly to give both of you hugs. “I love you too!” 

The two of you stepped out, heading for the game room next- you had already tucked Mickey in about an hour or two ago, the youngest always sleeping earlier partly because of her designated bedtime and partly because she ended up being sleepy so early anyways. You opened the door slightly and stood in the doorway with a light smile; Lowell had a couple of his friends sleeping over, and the three of them were currently sitting in front of the TV aggressively using the controllers. “Hey buddy. Just wanted to say goodnight! Do you boys need anything?” you asked, and one of them immediately paused the game, looking up at you almost dazed. “No, no we’re good!” Chris watched in amusement, simply wrapping his arms around you lazily from behind. “Alright, well there’s extra blankets in the laundry room. Don’t play games all night, yeah?” His friends were still staring at you, wearing rather goofy smiles. “We won’t, Mrs. E! Promise!” Chris raised an eyebrow, holding back his laughter. “Alright. Night, kiddos.” Lowell smiled up at both of you. “Night Mom, night Dad. Love you guys!” You blew him a kiss before stepping back, closing the door. “Man, your mom’s so hot,” you and Chris could faintly hear from behind the door, and you had to cover your mouth to keep from laughing. “Ew, Dylan, shut up!” Lowell scoffed, but another voice sounded after, “Alright, if not her, think I have a chance with Rayne? She’s so pretty, she looks just like your mom…”

“Jesus,” Chris mumbled as he kept his arms around you, though his smile indicated that he was just as amused. “Hell no, Rayne already has a thing with Josh Miller. Now can we stop obsessing over my mom and sister? Unless you want to talk about Mickey next,” Lowell spoke sarcastically, and they all finally returned to playing. You giggled as you let Chris pull you into your bedroom, closing the door behind you.

“They’ve got it bad for you, baby doll. How’s it feel being a MILF? Not that we didn’t know you were one already.” He teased, pulling you onto his lap as he sat down. You smiled and wrapped your arms around his neck, arching a brow. “Apparently both of us still got it, because Rayne’s friends obsess just as much over you.” 

“Mm? You jealous, pretty girl?”

“Maybe I should be, considering you clearly like younger women,” you spoke as you gestured to yourself playfully. He laughed loudly, leaning in and kissing you lovingly. “Don’t worry, baby doll, I’ll at least wait until they’re eighteen,” he joked, running his fingers through your hair. You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help but giggle; you had always shared the same sense of humor, and so he never failed to make you laugh (until he brought out the incredibly lame dad jokes). He let out a sigh afterward, pulling you down with him to lie down together, arms wrapped around you. “Damn, it’s been a long day.” He turned to face you more properly, smirking slightly. “Honey, I gotta say I’m kind of looking forward to them going back to school.” You blinked and laughed, poking his nose as you inquired, “Why?” Though you already had a pretty good idea.

“Mm so Daddy can fuck his pretty girl all day long without having to worry about any meddlesome ears listening in.” He growled close to your ear before giving your cheek a playfully rough and sloppy kiss. You hummed as you barely shivered, always turned on by his more dominant and authoritative side, running your fingers over his chest. “Maybe I can help Daddy out a little right now,” you purred, slowly moving your hand down to rub his crotch, barely smirking upon feeling his bulge through the fabric. He let out a little groan, bucking his hips. “Fuck… that’s my girl….”

It was safe to say the two of you were up late, perhaps even later than your children-- you could only imagine what the first day of school would be like. You doubted he would even let you make it to work on time, if at all.

[kureis-writing-hell]

AU Date

In which Kai didn't become Overhaul. He's looking after Eri, living in the compound. Nao is here as his "babysitter", a hero hired by Pops to monitor Kai because Kai is getting worryingly violent. They already know each other for bit now but it's first time they're trully alone.

It's fully for myself, Kai's POV, first kiss and first time hinted at the end. I may write something in this AU again in the future, I love all the stuff where Kai takes care of Eri!

*

“A date?” Kurono was looking at him… differently. Not in a way he let himself look at him when there were other people around. Kai readjusted his gloves, hiding his nervousness under a regular gesture.

“Yes. Could you look after Eri for the afternoon?”

“Of course I could.” Kurono wasn't wearing his mask and there was a smirk dancing around his lips. He knew Kai the best out of the whole Shie Hassaikai after all. “Can I ask who you decided to go out with? Why? I thought you’re not into dating.”

“Well. It’s Nao. He asked and I… didn’t feel revolted about the idea.”

For a moment Kurono looked at him surprised. Then laughed, covered his mouth and shook his head with a smile still visible in his eyes.

“You’re going on a date with your babysitter Nao? Really?”

“He’s not-” Kai sighed and readjusted his tie, in a more visibly nervous gesture. “I just hope it won’t be a disaster.”

“I’m sure it won’t.” For once Kurono smiled sincerely and turned his face back toward the documents he was reading. “I’ll watch over Eri, don’t worry. I know what to do in case of disaster. And we’ll stay up only an hour longer than she’s allowed.”

“Be sure she gets rest,” worried Kai. He knew that lack of sleep could worsen her condition and tried to avoid it at any cost. Then, seeing a smirk on his face, Kai realized Kurono was teasing him again. He huffed a quick “thanks” and turned to leave the room.

“Be back before ten!”

Kai left, grumbling swears towards Kurono.

…

Nao was dressed… at least better than usual. Kai couldn’t complain, he himself looked just like always. His white sneakers, black pants and shirt and a tie, a new one he never wore before. It was bottle green with a dark, orange flower pattern and Kai didn’t have an occasion to wear it before. And, of course, his favourite jacket. Nao had red sneakers, jeans and hawaiian shirt opened low enough to flash his chest.

Kai made sure to not stare too much. Usually Nao dressed in turtlenecks, jackets and anything that covered as much of his skin as possible. Usually Kai couldn't even see his collarbones and now he felt like he couldn't turn his gaze away.

It was where Nao took him that was somehow a problem for Kai.

“...street food.”

Nao stopped his obvious struggles with reading a menu, standing in front of one of the many stalls on the street. It was busy, loud and dirty all around them. He looked at Kai.

“You don’t like street food?” There was worry in Nao’s voice but he kept smiling in his creepy way. It used to be one of many things that Kai was irritated about - a stupid, weird smile that made everyone around Nao uneasy - but lately he started to find it… amusing.

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” sighed Kai, not wanting to sound rude for once. “I’m just wary of the way food is prepared. Street doesn’t speak… sanitary to me.”

Nao made an “oooh” face. He looked like a dumbass and Kai held back an amused huff. He turned all the way toward him, showing a more nervous expression.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think. We can go somewhere more comfortable for you.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just…” Kai looked around the stall they were standing by. The seats inside were all taken, only one or two tables outside seemed free. They looked greasy. “It’s going to be a challenge.”

Nao laughed, looked at the stall they were standing by and then down the street.

“What would you want to eat then?”

“Yakitori.”

Nao nodded and pointed to one of the stalls.

“There’s a grill over there, let’s see. Maybe they have Shioyaki too!”

This time Kai nodded and they went to check the place.

…

Actually it was more like a regular night out with the men from Shie Hassaikai than a date. Minus the loud discussion. Kai didn’t usually take part in those outings, but when he did they went through basically the same. Some grilled food, beer, a loose discussion. He didn’t really understand why they had to call this one a date. And so he voiced his concern.

“Well, I thought about taking you to a fancy restaurant but then I thought it would be more fun to just have a walk around. And, uh, I always found fancy places a bit awkward.”

“Awkward?”

“Yeah… I’m not used to places like that. I feel like I have to behave because everyone is watching me. Here I can have an open discussion with you, without worrying if someone could overhear us.”

“Oh. That’s why you wanted us to meet outside of the compound?”

“Yeah.” Nao laughed and bit the head of a fish he held on a stick in his hand. He continued with a full mouth, to Kai’s exasperation. To his dread he was starting to get used to the messy way Nao ate by now. “Kurono and Eri are always around you when I come in. And if they’re not then the others are. I wanted to have you just for myself for a while now.”

“What do you want to talk about, if they shouldn’t overhear it?” Kai took a mouthful of his beer, ignoring Nao’s last sentence. Nao, with a smirk, followed him before answering.

“Did you ever had sex?”

Chisaki choked, coughed and covered his mouth with his forearm. After calming his throat he looked at Nao, taken aback.

“Do you usually ask people about that on your first date?” he asked incredulously.

“It depends if I want to fuck them afterwards.” Nao laughed, seeing Kai’s expression. “I’m joking, don’t worry. We have known each other for a while now. I just wonder. You don’t have to answer if you feel uncomfortable about it, though.”

Nao grabbed another shioyaki to busy himself with something. Kai bit his lip, then licked over it. A group of teenagers passed them, laughing loudly.

“Actually, I didn’t,” he said, looking at Nao. He expected the other man to laugh or comment. Nao looked back at him, in the middle of a bite on the fish’s tail, chomped it off and swallowed it.

“Can I ask why? Like, was it your choice or did you just have no occasion?”

“I-” Chisaki was a little surprised. He readjusted his gloves, knowing Nao noticed and understood the tik. “You know. I’m not a fan of meeting new people. And getting intimate… let’s say I decided to wait for someone special.”

Kai grimaced only after saying that. He realized how pathetic it sounded, especially from someone like him. But Nao, again, didn’t laugh or ridicule him.

“That’s nice,” he said instead.

“...nice?”

“Yeah.” Nao took another bite and sipped his beer. “You got to experience your first time with someone you get to trust. It’s always better than fucking with the first person you’ve met and felt mildly attracted to as a teen.”

“If you say so.” For the first time in a while Kai actually showed his embarrassment. He tactically covered his flushed face, drinking his beer.

“No, I mean it!”

“Did you have sex then?”

This time Nao chuckled and blushed by himself.

“Yeah, a few times… first with a girl I met as a teen.”

Chisaki snorted and covered his lower face with surprise. He looked at Nao and the way the other man was looking back at him made him blush more.

As if he was a piece of art.

…

When they finished and went down the street, to have a walk, Kai refused to take off his mask again. It covered most of his embarrassed expression and he would like to leave it like that. Nao whined a little about it but then accepted his choice and led the way. It was getting less crowded the longer they walked till, finally, there were no people around but them. They entered some quiet neighborhood and didn't stop there, walking down the deserted street. The chill of the night was calming.

"Did you tell anyone about our date?" asked Nao suddenly

"Only Kurono." Kai reached to readjust his mask for one more time tonight and stopped himself in the middle of the movement. To keep his hands busy he brushed off his sleeves. "Oh. And Eri knows I went out with you. She probably spread it to everyone."

"So the whole Shie knows?" Nao laughed. "Hope it doesn't mean I have to marry you now."

"Why, it's a good arrangement, you'd get a position in Shie."

“I would?”

“Of course. You’d marry into the family. We may not be as powerful as we used to but we’re still respected.”

"Oh if you say it like that."

Chisaki playfully hit Nao in the side. He didn’t feel perfectly comfortable talking about it, because in the back of his head he had Pops and financial problems and everything, but he liked the loose atmosphere. Nao laughed and looked at Kai with a soft expression.

"I like when you're like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Relaxed. No need to be a big, scary yakuza gun. Just me, you and your pretty smile." Suddenly Nao stepped into Kai’s personal space, making him stop and cover his mask. He did that a lot. "Come on, show it to me."

"I don't smile."

"Oh you do!" Nao’s own, creepy smile spread over his face. "Well, maybe you don't but you can. I know it's gonna be the cutest thing!"

Kai stepped back, feeling how his face was getting warm. Nao kept looking at him and it was way too persistent. Just when Kai was getting fed up Nao stepped back, shaking his head.

"I'll get that smile out of you at some point."

"Sure."

And Kai had to actually hold himself back from making a small smile. He knew Nao wouldn't see it anyway but it was a thing of pride for him.

They arrived in a small park close to the neighborhood. It had trees and an outdoor gym, along with some stuff for kids to use, but at this hour it was obviously deserted. Nao sat on a bench, spreading his arms on the backrest. He looked expectantly at Kai, so Kai rolled his eyes and sat by Nao’s side. He also leaned back, relaxing on the bench.

"Did you ever kiss anyone?"

In a second Kai tensed, looking at Nao with surprise.

"What kind of question is that? You sound like a creep."

Nao laughed. He moved his arm closer to Kai but he made it look like an accident. Kai didn't get fooled, he knew Nao was touchy a lot, but he let it slide.

"You're avoiding the answer." Nao smiled smugly. "Do you also keep your first kiss for someone special?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Kai couldn't help but get defensive. He knew Nao was teasing him, it was really obvious, but he still took it personally.

"I don't, if anything it would make you even more adorable."

As always Nao knew what to say to turn Kai’s mood upside down. Kai immediately forgot what he was being defensive about.

"I'm not!"

"Not adorable? Prove it."

"I-" For a moment Kai wasn't sure what he was supposed to answer with. "I killed people!"

"I used to do so as well… you don't think I'm adorable?" Nao gasped theatrically.

"That's not- ugh, shut up."

Nao laughed openly, grabbing Kai’s shoulder to keep him from moving away. Kai grumbled something before leaning back against the bench again. He crossed arms over his chest, on purpose not looking toward Nao.

"I could kill you right now."

"Aw, but you would bring me back anyway."

"I'm debating that."

"We both know you'd miss me!" Nao kept laughing some more.

Reluctantly, Kai had to admit to himself that he, indeed, would bring Nao back. There were a few whys to that, too. In the first place, it was his boss that hired Nao. Eri, as well as some of his own men, liked Nao. Nao was a goddamn hero, Kai couldn't risk killing one of those and bring too much attention to Shie Hassaikai. And, finally, Nao was fine. First time in years Kai met someone he didn't feel like dying while talking to. Nao was annoying, could be an asshole and a weirdo, his quirk was horrible and he sweated like a pig because of it, but for some reason Kai was willing to leave his house with him. Have a walk around the city. Eat goddamn street food.

So, yeah, Kai would bring him back. More importantly he wouldn't even overhaul him in the first place. And, frankly, it scared the shit out of him.

"So?"

Kai wrinkled his nose.

"I kissed. Before." He made the mistake of looking at Nao. He saw big, sparkly eyes, making the other man look like a puppy. He shook his head, looking away. "With Kurono. I'm not a fan."

The silence worried him so Kai looked at Nao again, cautiously. And he had to hold back a surprised flinch. If his smile was creepy then his serious, angry even expression could be terrifying. It was pretty obvious Nao was jealous.

"It was in high school," he explained, knowing well he didn't have to explain anything. "I didn't want anything to do with other people but everyone kept talking about kissing, dating and other shit so-" Kai brushed the back of his head. "I wasn't repulsed about Kurono back then. He did it because I told him so and uh. It was just weird."

"So the only time you ever kissed was because you were curious and you had someone to use?"

"Yeah. But what's the difference? It's just a kiss."

Both of them looked at each other and Kai felt like he shouldn't have said that.

"Take the mask off. I'll show you the difference."

Nao still looked jealous. Kai had no idea what it was about Kurono that worked him up like that but he knew it was dangerous. For example right now. He held his mask protectively.

"We ate."

"Is that the only but you have about this?"

Kai frowned, wanted to argue that he didn't say "but", tell Nao that he just wasn't into it at all. Yet he nodded, led by some kind of curiosity. Nao looked like he was plotting something and, while Kai knew he wouldn't like it, he wanted to see what it was.

And maybe he actually wanted to try kissing him.

Without a word Nao got up and grabbed Kai’s hand. He led him out of the park, to the street and into a konbini, the only place there that seemed to be people around here. Observed by Kai’s golden eyes, Nao bought two toothbrushes, two water bottles and a small tube of paste, the one that people use for traveling. Already knowing what Nao’s plan was, Kai only kept rolling his eyes.

So damn cheesy.

Back in the park, Nao took the pink toothbrush and handed Kai the blue one. With amusement, Kai looked it over and then back at Nao.

"Now you don't have any buts." Nao put the toothpaste over his brush and handed it to Kai. Kai took it, prepared his own toothbrush and had Nao splash it with water.

"I guess you're right."

Kai tugged his mask down and began brushing his teeth. He observed how Nao did it at the same time. First the upper right, then left, then the same on the lower jaw. He quite enjoyed looking at it, considering how messy and disordered Nao was it was quite surprising to see him wash his mouth like that.

The toothbrushes landed in trash after they were done and then Nao looked at Kai. And Kai felt nervousness swelling in his abdomen.

"I'm going to touch you," said Nao.

"Where?"

"On the neck. And jaw."

Kai licked his lips, bit the lower one and nodded.

Nao stepped closer, as always invading his personal space. They were almost the same height so none of them had to lean down, they just looked each other in the eyes. Then Nao lifted his hand and placed it on Kai’s neck, with the thumb over his adam's apple. Kai flinched just slightly but stayed in his place. He saw how Nao was getting even closer, panicked just slightly and shut down his eyes.

There was a second hand on his neck, on the other side, making him feel excited and guiding his head. Then a touch on his lips, rough, making his skin itch but somehow not in a bad way. He sighed, getting some of the tension out of his body, trying hard to not think about what was happening right now. Not about kissing but the contact and everything else. He wanted it and he didn't want his head to interrupt them.

Softly, Nao deepened the kiss, making Kai jump a little. There was a pause but after a second Nao continued. In no time his tongue was touching Kai’s and it was the weirdest feeling ever. Kai felt his hands slide more to the back of his head, tangle into his hair, touch his ears and he relaxed even more. It felt good. So good actually. How could it feel so good? It was just a kiss after all.

Then Nao did something unexpected. He moved his body, sticking it against Kai’s. Kai wanted to stop him, that wasn't the amount of touch he agreed to, but before he could he felt a friction between his legs and gasped into Nao’s mouth. Nao turned his body in a way that made Kai feel amazing and suddenly he felt stupid for just standing there.

Warily, Kai put his arms around Nao’s shoulders, making sure his hands didn't touch him. He didn't want to. He was too worried his quirk would act up.

That obviously made Nao excited. The pace suddenly changed and he deepened the kiss even more. His teeth clicked against Kai’s and Kai felt like he had to pay back for it. From a soft, long kiss they immediately went for a wild, aggressive one, body brushing against body, hands on the small of his back-

Wait-

"Mnhao." Kai felt the warm leather on his skin on the back, under his shirt. He didn't even notice when Nao got his shirt out of his pants.

The kiss stopped but Nao didn't move back even a little.

"Do you want to stop?"

He looked… good. Too good. Breathless, flushed and hungry. And it did things to Kai. He wanted more. He wanted to see Nao… do more.

"I don't," sighed Kai. He was entering a field he knew nothing about and it was making him uneasy. But he felt enchanted.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not."

Nao was about to say something again but Kai interrupted him. He smashed his lips against Nao’s, trying to mimic what Nao did a moment ago. It made the older man chuckle but follow him slowly, giving Kai time to adjust.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" After they stopped the second kiss Nao moved one of his hands from Kai’s back and touched his neck again. Kai shivered.

"Where?"

"My place?"

Kai made a quick, jerky nod, worried he would change his mind if he waited even a little bit of time.

…

"Look at that, the young boss is coming back from his date the next day and in the same clothes."

Kai would do anything to slip by the welcoming committee and into his room, to at least change his clothes, but they were faster. Kurono, standing in the door, was smiling smugly. Eri was trying and failing to make a similar expression.

"Don't call me that."

"Where's your tie?"

Kai touched his chest and grimaced under the mask. He left his new, never used before tie ruined back at Nao’s place. Nao promised he would save it, though.

"I didn't have a tie." Kai could see how hard Kurono was holding himself back from laughing. He looked down at Eri. "And you?"

Eri blinked, looked at Kurono, looked down and murmured something but Kai couldn't hear her. He looked at Krono questioningly.

"What was that, Eri?" Kurono prompted her to speak louder.

"Why didn't you take me to the sleepover, uncle?" she said, this time loud enough. Kai felt a blush rising in his cheeks and was glad for his mask. He looked at Kurono and immediately realized he wouldn't be much of help, he was snickering into his hand.

"I didn't plan it. If I knew I'm going to stay over at Nao’s then maybe I would take you too."

Eri's eyes glimmered just slightly.

"Then! Can, can I go with you next time? For a planned sleepover?"

Kai gave himself an inner slap. He walked into that himself and had to come out with something now. So he crouched, observed by amused Kurono.

"How about the next time we invite Nao here?"

Eri's big eyes glimmered even more now. She nodded enthusiastically before Kai took a hold on her and lifted her up. She was fully clothed, she even wore her gloves, which she started doing more willingly after meeting Nao. Another good outcome of his existence.

Right after straightening Kai handed the girl to Kurono. He felt his back and hips protesting. And Kurono obviously noticed that something was off.

"Just make sure the exercises aren't too difficult once he stays for the night. We don't want to be woken up by you two."

"Exercise? Why would you exercise on a sleepover?"

Kai looked at Kurono tiredly and then at Eri. He entered the house.

"That's what adults do during sleepovers."

"Exercise?" She seemed offended. "That's boring."

"If he comes we're going to do what you want, okay?" Eri nodded with relief. It was almost funny, to be honest. "Did you have breakfast?"

Kai took off his shoes and entered the house. Kurono, holding Eri, moved after him.

"We didn't, she wanted to eat with you."

"I need to change first," sighed Kai. "Go to the kitchen, I'll join you."

Kurono smiled and put Eri down. She looked at him.

"I need to talk with your uncle about work, go first. You can prepare the table." Eri nodded and ran toward the kitchen. Kai looked after her, exasperated, then at Kurono, honestly expecting anything. "How was it? I assume good, since you're back in the morning?"

Kai readjusted his gloves, walking toward his room. He made sure they're intact before looking at Kurono again. He couldn't get rid of the memories from the night, how nice it was, how unexpectedly good it felt. And Kurono obviously noticed how he drifted away for a moment there.

"Was it that good?"

"I guess."

"Did you really have sex on your first date?"

"I- what? Where did you come out with that?" Was it really that obvious? Of course he ached here and there and his clothes were crinkled but-

"Did you miss the whole conversation we just had?" laughed Kurono.

"You didn't have to bring that up though."

"Maybe. But I need to know if we should celebrate or not." Kurono joked but at the same time took a cautious step away from Kai. Chisaki frowned, clenching his fists.

"You should celebrate being alive," he grumbled. Kurono was getting ahead of himself and Kai didn’t like that. "Go make some use of himself and make breakfast."

"Oh, didn't Nao treat you to-"

Kai shut the door to his room right in front of Kurono’s face.

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

How far do you think the Adds take the Elrios equivalent of Fourth of July (if Elrios has a holiday like that?) By a lot of his dialogue (especially in Elder) he strikes me as a pyromaniac

I do think Add would like fireworks but only the big ones when he can see them. I think the little kiddie things that just make a loud popping noise freak him out a little bit.

Doom Bringer has DEFINITELY lit multiple fireworks at the same time. I don't think his Raven lets him near them without supervision after that because he almost set everything on fire. He is also probably not allowed near the grill after he decided to use it for an experiment one year and they had to buy a completely new one last minute. I just don't think Doom Bringer can be trusted with anything remotely resembling fire or explosives or anything that can be used to cook because of his lack of impulse control and the fact that has no curiosity inhibitor to speak of.

I definitely see the El Search Party in general doing an outdoor barbeque (at least the alt and canon routes). Dominator probably helps set the table since I headcanon he likes decorating for holidays. He also wasn't an idiot like Doom Bringer and therefore is allowed near the fireworks. That being said, he probably talked Catasteophe Lu/Ciel into doing something stupid with them one time for his own amusement and that probably got them in trouble. I feel like Dominator is pretty chill and doesn't do anything stupid on 4th of July. He probably just goads his friends into doing stupid shit so he can laugh at them.

Despite Dominator being chill on his own, I feel like if him and Doom Bringer were to both be celebrating it, it would very much resemble Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings. Doom Bringer's missing curiosity inhibitor and lack of a brain to mouth filter would make him say something that would pique Dominator's interest and then after shooting it down immediately cuz it's stupid he'd end up thinking about it a little more and wanting an answer himself. Dominator probably tried to leave Doom Bringer to take the fall when they inevitably got in trouble the first few times, but Doom Bringer had NONE of that. So yeah.

I don't really think any of the dark routes would celebrate anything like the fourth of July tbh. I think it's too minor a thing to interrupt their usual routine for. I think they celebrate Christmas and Halloween and maybe one or two other "bigger" holidays.

[literupture]

The Autumnal Equinox Cookout

[AO3] | [Fanfiction]

Summary:  The annual barbecue in the Last City is great for ushering in the new harvest. Vallory sees it as an opportunity to flirt with the Drifter.

Rating: T

Ship: The Drifter x Female Guardian

   The sun hung in the middle of the sky, cradled by hazy clouds. Summer was fading; no longer did noon bring a sweltering heat, and evenings cooled the metal surface of the building known as the Last City's Tower. Shades of orange began to show themselves on foliage, food, and even clothing.

     For Vallory, the food was the best part of this time of the year. She could enjoy spicier dishes and other foods at a higher temperature. She didn't have to break a sweat while cooking, and she didn't feel like her skin would turn to a crisp when she manned the grills.

    With the turn of the season came the annual Autumnal Equinox Cookout, an event held at the Tower for citizens and Guardians to enjoy fellowship and the plentiful harvest. Tower staff and Guardians volunteered their time to prep and cook food and drink, hand out flyers, and host activities such as raffles and workshops. There was even a dance-off, but since Vallory wasn't too keen on dancing, her main focus was the cuisine.

     This year, she'd spent the early hours of the day helping with food prep. She had cut vegetables and marinated meat and set them aside to be grilled. She'd asked about grill duty, but an event organizer told her someone else had already reserved that position. She was a little skeptical, but shook the worry from her mind--it didn't take a mastermind to grill meats.

     The event was set to start at five, with entry available at four. At half an hour till five Val hands her reservation ticket to the door committee, then dumps a handful of glimmer into the donation box, enough to cover her meal three times over.

     Her eyes scanned the wide outdoor space of the Bazaar. To her left was a long table displaying door prizes, such as a pumpkin-shaped Ghost shell, an overflowing cornucopia, and other various knickknacks. There were pop-up stalls near the prize table with people offering trial crafting classes such as wood-carving, knitting, and painting. The space where Ikora Rey was normally found was cleared to accommodate a wooden dance floor and DJ set up. Vallory wondered if Ikora would participate in the dance competition; that would be a rare sight to behold, and Val bet that the Warlock Vanguard would put everyone to shame with her moves.

     Amidst the chatter she heard a faint sizzling sound, paired with the biting smell of charcoal. She turned her eyes to the sky to see a pillar of smoke rising from the garden terrace.

     She'd sacrifice dancing and crafting to sate her appetite any day.

     She weaved through small groups of people talking and eating, past a craft table, and the mini dance floor set up near the center of the bazaar. When she stepped onto the terrace, she saw a bald Awoken Titan standing before an enormous metal grill. He wore an apron draped over his silver and red armor.

     Well, she certainly didn't expect the Commander of the Vanguard to be the grill master.

     "Glad to see a familiar face in charge of the grilling," Vallory smiled at Zavala. "Nice apron, by the way."

     Zavala turned towards Val and gave her a nod, then looked down at his apron. Val guessed he had nearly forgotten that he was wearing one. The apron was zebra print and had the words "Raise the Steaks" in cyan, rounded lettering. Tacky, Val thought, and definitely something that the serious Titan Vanguard would be hesitant to wear.

     "It was... a gift." There was a hint of sadness in his voice; Zavala averted his gaze and poked at one of the steaks with a pair of tongs. It sizzled deliciously, and Val felt her mouth water. "There are plates and utensils over on the table there, with some of the finished meats. Take as much as you want."

     Val bumped a fist to his bicep. "Thanks."

     She grabbed two sets of silverware and plates at the end of the buffet line. The line was long but moved fast; people were eager to eat, and Val couldn't help but smile at how food brought people together.

     She loaded up her two plates with slices of brisket, sausage links, cuts of prime rib, and some potato salad. Each item on the plates was something she helped prep, and it looked like Zavala cooked the meats well. Exiting the line, she spotted a wide cooler.

   She swore under her breath and briefly wished she was an Eliksni; those four arms would've been useful for her predicament.

     Like a shining beacon in the sea of bodies was a singular, empty table not far from the drink cooler. Val breathed a sigh of relief, placing the heavy plates on the table. She bent and opened the cooler, and was met with a wave of cool air. Glass bottles and aluminum cans of varying colors and labels poked from the bed of ice. She fished out two dark bottles of beer, tucked them in the crook of her arm, and let the lid of the chest fall shut.

     She retrieved the plates and weaved back the way she came, passing a few more empty spots. She only had one destination in mind, and it wasn't anywhere out in the open.

     Once she passed the closed ramen shop that was being used for extra seating, Val entered the dimly lit hallway. She ducked underneath the gate, balancing the plates and beverages with ease. When she stood, she saw the familiar figure of the man known as Drifter, hunched slightly over his workbench.

     "Hey, hot stuff."

     The Drifter turned toward Val and moved away from his work. "Well, if it ain't my favorite Guardian," he drawled. His eyes flicked toward the plates of food that Val held, but he looked back to meet her eyes. "Wasn't expecting any visitors, what with the party goin' on outside. What brings you here?"

     Val offered a plate to him. "Figured I'd come bug you."

     A grin spread across his face as he took the plate from her. "That's why you're my favorite."

     "Is it, now?" She sassed, but handed him a beer and set of utensils. She was certain that she wasn't the only Guardian he'd used that line on. "I'm your favorite because I feed you, or because I like to bug you?"

    "Both," Drifter replied. "Just a few of the reasons." He set the beer down on the table beside him and gripped the fork. Val placed her own beer on the felled vending machine opposite from him.

     "Looks tasty," he said, eyeing his meal.

     "I get that a lot." Val shot him a flirty smile.

     "Bet you do," Drifter chuckled. "And rightfully so." He gave her a once-over, but was quick to return his focus on the food. She couldn't blame him; in fact, his love of food was one of the reasons why she enjoyed his company. He stabbed his fork into a thick slice of prime rib and bit into it.

     "Hope it tastes as good as it looks. I didn't do any grilling, but I seasoned all the meats."

     The Drifter's eyes closed as he chewed. "Mmm, that's real good." He finished the slice, and then moved onto the brisket. He reacted similarly, chewing slowly to savor the taste of each different entree before digging into his meal without any reservations. "You sure know how to handle your meats."

     "Oh, I definitely do," Val winked at him before shoving a cut of meat into her mouth. She was thankful that grill duty was in good hands; each bite was juicy and tender, nearly melting in her mouth.

     "Think you could show me, sometime?" Drifter said in between bites, returning her wink.

     "I'd love to."

     Talking drew to a minimum as both Val and Drifter scarfed down their food. Val set down her plate and reached for her beer. She glanced at him, and then angled the top of the bottle against the edge of the vending machine. She brought her hand down against the bottle, and the cap came off with a resounding pop. She took a hefty swig and leaned against the machine, watching him.

     His expression was mild amusement as he set down his own plate and picked up the beer. He thumbed his finger over the paper label: a cartoon drawing of a monstrous skull and crossbones, but in place of the crossed bones were two crossed rockets.

    "Ahamkhara Ale, eh?" Drifter turned the bottle over in his hands. "Used to serve a similar drink back at my old bar. You've got good taste."

     Val was about to say something regarding herself, but stopped when she noticed Drifter flipping the bottle cap in the air with his fingers. Her lips parted and she blinked in awe--when did he remove the cap?

     He smirked as he deftly passed the cap over his knuckles in a cascading motion, from his index to his pinky finger, then back again toward his index finger. He moved it with such ease that any Guardian could've guessed it was one of his jade coins.

     "You're pretty good with your fingers," Val managed, her eyes fixed on his hand.

     "Been around a long time," Drifter replied. "Had a lot of time to get experienced with them." His blue eyes met her yellow ones as he opened his palm in a wave, the cap nowhere to be seen. "Could give you a private session. Know a few tricks that would make you shiver."

     The way he drawled out the last phrase did indeed make her squirm; Val tried to hide it by shifting her weight and taking another swig of her beer. She was sure he'd seen it, and part of her wanted him to notice, but she was the tiniest bit annoyed with herself. Flirting came naturally to her, but she had never met anyone who had such a way with words the way Drifter did. She was drawn to him, but he was pulling her into a dizzying dance; a game Val never considered that she might walk away from as the one who got played.

     Just as Val took a step toward Drifter, the walls and floor of the room began to vibrate. Deep, bassy music came the direction of the bazaar, but then cut out suddenly. They must have been doing a sound test for the dance party.

     She had no interest in dancing, though, so she returned her focus to the man before her. "Where do I sign up for these private sessions of yours?"

     Drifter held her gaze with a mischievous smile that reached the corners of his eyes. Val felt that hint of doubt again, like she was playing right into his skillful hands.

    "Drifter!" A high-pitched voice called from beyond the gate, and moments later a girl with light brown hair came sliding through the gap. "What are you--oh," the girl said as she stood, sensing that Drifter wasn't alone.

    "Cock-blocked," Val mumbled. Drifter stifled a laugh.

    "What?" The girl blurted, and when her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room, her face lit up in recognition. "Val, oh my God! What are you doing here?"

     "Hey, Karyna," Val nodded at her. "I should be asking you that."

     Karyna frowned. "Well, I needed a dance partner, and I was dared to ask The Drifter to come out onto the dance floor," she explained, glancing at him. "But since you're here, I'll take you instead!"

     She crossed the room and tugged at Val's arm. "C'mon, I wanna dance! Err, you're welcome to tag along too, Drifter." She smiled sheepishly at him, not meeting his eyes. "Let's goooo," she pleaded, pulling her friend's arm with more force.

     Val sighed. "You know I can't dance."

     "Can't dance, or won't dance?"

    "Yes."

     Karyna groaned. "I'm not leaving here empty-handed."

     Drifter crossed his arms, but smiled warmly at the two women. "Ya'll go on ahead. Too busy to dance."

     "You heard the man," Karyna said with another tug.

     Val rolled her eyes. She had no desire to dance, but she didn't feel like getting her arm pulled out of its socket, either. She knew her friend wasn't going to leave the two of them alone, so she gave up the fight and let her friend pull her toward the gate.

     When Karyna ducked under the gate, Val looked back at The Drifter apologetically.

     He winked at her. "Thanks for the grub. I'll be seein' you."

     "Rain check on that private session," Val replied, and then ducked out of the hallway.

[crimsonblackrose]

As part of the week leading up to Chuseok my school was super busy. My students had soccer games in the middle of the day, there were cultural festivities and guests and all sorts of fun things that meant I barely had any classes at all. The only day where I was with my students at my main school for the majority of the day was when we all went on a field trip to Yongin which is an area near Suwon, South of Seoul. We went to a folk village that my coworkers had trouble explaining to me beyond “The vice principal thinks it will be good for you.” It’s been awhile since I’ve been invited to go on one of the field trips so I was excited.

We took three buses to Yongin and as soon as we were there we headed straight to one of the performances. There are about three small performance areas all next to each other that host different shows. I managed to see three throughout the day. The first one we all went to was Equestrian Feats 마상무예  which happens twice daily at 11:30 and 3:00pm. It was really fun to watch the performances and tricks they were able to do.

There was however limited seating and availability to see. By the time we arrived most of it was already taken up by other school groups on field trips.

After the equestrian feats performance we split up for lunch. The students packed picnic lunches and all ate together with their classes and homeroom teachers, except for the older students who were allowed to do what they wanted and their teachers joined the other miscellaneous staff like myself at a restaurant. It was near the entrance where all the other food stands and snack shops were. However it had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, unlike the stands. The restaurant offered a variety of Korean food and was set up like a Korean food court. You order your food, pay, and then head towards the corresponding counter to give them your receipt and wait for your food. They sold bibimbap and rice dishes, soups and stews, grilled fish and noodle dish, a variety of meat platters like jokbal (a sweet pig feet dish) and snacks. The majority of my coworkers ordered Andong-style wild vegetable bibimbap (8,000 won). I like bibimbap but it usually comes with gochujang already a part of the dish and thus spicy. Even though the menu didn’t make it look spicy what my coworkers ended up with did have that red pepper paste in it. Instead I ordered the Pyongyang-style cold buckwheat noodles or 평양 물냉면 which was refreshing on such a humid hot day and cheaper at 7,000won. Everything like water, chopsticks, scissors, spoons and accoutrements were near the pick up counters.

After some confusion I learned that I didn’t have to stay with anyone and could just wander about at my leisure until we met up later, so I headed off to explore the amusement park and see what it was. It was cute, with interesting looking buildings.

I found some of my students waiting in line for the Viking and buying gelato in some of the shops. There are about 15 rides and it’s a popular spot leading to long waits. My students told me that they didn’t ride a lot of them due to how long some of the lines were or the wait time. They had fun though, a few even went in the Ghost Zone which tells stories about the different types of ghosts found in Korea. It costs 3,000 won per adult and 2,000 for children (2,500 for teens) to visit. This isn’t the only scary ride, there is also one called “Legendary Hometown” which is 500 won more expensive no matter the age then the Horror of the Ghost Zone. I am not sure, since I didn’t go in, how much of these rides would be easy to understand since they seem to be story based.

After bidding my students farewell to wait in lines I headed across the river to visit the folk museum and some of the more historic and cultural buildings.

The first spot I visited was Seowon which was a Confucian Institute. It was also one of the filming sites for Korean dramas. Because of how big the Korean Folk Village is and all of its historical grounds it’s a popular spot for historical Korean dramas to be filmed at, having hosted film crews for various shows since 1983.

Nearby were other experiences like viewing traditional houses and how they vary depending on region, a ferryboat ride experience that was available only in the afternoon and by buying tickets at the nearby convenience store for 2,000 won for children and 3,000 won for adults.

I also visited the folk museum which had some English but not enough for me to fully enjoy it. There were many cartoons about Korean traditions and beliefs but they were in Korean. There was plenty to look at though and I was quite happy to see some old type pieces that made me missing using the printing press at my college.

Throughout the grounds were  plenty of places to get snacks or drinks. Including a scholar’s home that had been converted into a traditional cafe with beautiful art.

I didn’t get anything. Instead I pressed on and found a pocket of my students sitting around eating ice cream which seemed like a good idea.

There were also a lot of other traditional buildings including one where a fortune teller stayed.

At this point it was time to head back to where the performances were held and meet up with my coworkers and students. I ended up catching part of the Farmers Music and Dance 농악놀이 performance that happens twice at 10:30 am and at 2:00 pm across from the event we were all meeting up for.

Before going home we watched the Acrobatics on a tightrope 줄타기 which I was able to see once before in Suwon. Like the other performances this occurs twice daily at 11:00 and 2:30pm. At this point I saw all of the large performances except for the traditional wedding which happens at the Nobleman’s mansion at 12 and 4pm.  (except during winter from December through February)

We got good seats to see one of the tightropes but were blocked from seeing the other. I’d try to get a seat somewhere where you can see both because we were unlucky and the performer used the rope that was blocked partially from our view. The students greatly enjoyed the show and it was fun. I noticed that the host for the show was the same one who’d hosted the equestrian event and the farmer’s music and dance. From the two tightrope performances I’ve seen it seems that the performer is always accompanied by music (in this case a janggu, traditional drum) and someone else to talk with who adds some sort of comedy to the performance. It’s always fun.

I had a good time walking around the Korean Folk Village on my own. I do wish I’d had time to pop into the information building before going in to get a map with things to do before I’d gone in and been at a loss of where I was or what there was to do. I didn’t even find their website which is available in many languages including English here. My students had a lot of fun during the day, learning and enjoying their time. It seems to be a very popular spot for school trips and I can see why, there’s a little bit of educational, cultural and historical things included with fun performances and a small amusement park. Hours vary by season and weekday versus weekend but it opens daily at 9:30am and tends to close between 5:30pm and 7pm. There was plenty to do and it was very easy to spend the majority of our day there. Ticket prices range from 13,000 won to 27,000 won.

한국민속촌 Korean Folk Village As part of the week leading up to Chuseok my school was super busy. My students had soccer games in the middle of the day, there were cultural festivities and guests and all sorts of fun things that meant I barely had any classes at all.

[avaalons]

Chris Evans Fic: Hiking and Hypocrisy (Chapter 1)

This was born from a prompt given by the fabulous @yourtropegirl based on Anthony Mackie’s 2015 assertion to E! that all Chris Evans needs is a normal girl in his life. And, as always, I got totally carried away with it.

Hiking and Hypocrisy also features basically every trope known to man, including everyone’s favourite: there’s only one bed! Enjoy!

“Chris needs a regular girl. Chris needs a girl who is just down to earth, who’s smart and that’s hard to find,” Mackie revealed to E! News exclusively before playing golf at the 11th annual Irie Weekend benefiting the Irie Foundation. “Those girls are not celebrities. Those are not girls you know.”

Mackie continued, “Chris just needs a regular and down to earth smart girl…Somebody that can take care of him you know because he is Captain America.”

***

‘Honey, you know I love you and I know you mean well, but she’s not going to thank you when she figures out what you’ve done and I’m telling you right now that this is a bad idea,’ Sheletta tried reasoning with her husband, who was currently scrolling through his contacts to find your number.

‘How can this be bad? They’re both single and haven’t I always said that Chris just needs a steady, regular girl? I don’t know why I haven’t thought about this before now,’ Anthony’s thumb hovered over your contact, ready to call. ‘Let’s just have them over for dinner. Just once. Please?’

Sheletta threw her hands up in surrender, ‘Okay, baby, but this is on your head and yours alone. Let it be known that at this very moment, I told you it was a bad idea. I know you think Chris needs a steady girl but wants and needs don’t always match up with that guy. If she ends up getting caught in some Hollywood crossfire and getting hurt, it’s your fault, got that?’

Her husband nodded, barely even listening to a word.

‘Now I got to go get the kids from school but I’ll host on one condition: you tell her straight up what the deal is. That way she can back out if she wants to. Don’t send her in blind Anthony, for the love of God.’

‘Got it. I’ll tell her. See you in a little while honey,’ he finished as his wife walked out of the front door and he pressed ‘call’ under your name.

***

‘Hey stranger!’ You’d heard your phone ringing and a smile stretched across your face when you saw who it was. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘I think it’s about time we had you over for dinner. Sheletta misses you, the kids miss you and, to a lesser extent, I miss you too,’ you rolled your eyes in amusement at his comment, ‘so we need some catch up time. How’s next Friday for you?’

‘Yeah, I can do Friday. I’d love to come round and see Sheletta and the kids and, to a lesser extent, you. Any special occasion I should be aware of?’

‘No, nothing at all. Just a nice family dinner with friends.’

‘Okay, sounds great. See you around seven? I’ll bring dessert as usual.’

‘I’ll let Sheletta know. See you Friday!’

***

You’d finished work on Friday, making sure you had planned your lessons for the Monday and Tuesday and put your resources in for copying. You decided on taking your smallest class of work home to mark over the weekend and packed up your bags to head out.

You popped your head in at the door of your closest colleague’s classroom to wish them a good weekend.

‘Got any nice plans?’ Nina looked up from her pile of marking on her desk to smile at you, a wry nod towards the amount of bags you were taking home.

‘Just a tiny bit of marking this weekend, I swear! I’m going for dinner at a friends’ house tonight, I need to get home to bake dessert to take with me.’

‘Oooh, what kind of ‘friend’ are we talking here?’ She was instantly interested, marking pen paused in her hand.

‘No, nothing like that! It’s a couple that I’m friends with. They take pity on my single state every once in a while and invite me round for food so I don’t need to cook for myself on a Friday.’

‘Sweetie, you need to get out more,’ Nina shook her head, ‘I know we’re teachers but we are allowed our own lives, not just spend all our weekends marking and planning.’

‘Who are you trying to convince here, Neen, me or you? Because it’s five pm on a Friday and you’re the one still sat at your desk,’ you grinned.

‘That’s because I’m going out tomorrow. I plan to spend all tomorrow getting pampered and all of Sunday lying in my bed nursing a very bad tequila hangover. Leave the bag of marking here and come out with me and my friends tomorrow.’

‘I need to get these done though…’ you knew Nina could hear the weakness in your voice. A night out did sound incredible.

‘Come on, stop being coy. Go dump it in your room and I’ll text you the details. We need to find you a man, or get you under one at least.’

You’d already started walking back to your room but still heard her crude comments and told her so.

‘I heard that Nina!’ You called back.

‘You were supposed to, dumb ass!’

***

A couple of hours later, you were on the doorstep of the Mackie household, clutching your handbag, presents for the kids, a chocolate pecan pie in a ceramic pie dish and two bottles of wine, struggling to balance everything as you reached up for the doorbell when you heard a deep, melodic voice from behind you.

‘Here let me get that.’

An arm snaked past your head and a finger pushed the bell. You turned to look at who this mysterious stranger was, only to find a man you knew was Chris Evans.

He smiled before reaching for the pie dish and taking it from your grip so you could hold the wine bottles properly.

‘Wouldn’t want you to drop anything, especially something that looks this good,’ he told you, nodding towards the pie.

All you could do was stare, unable to find your words. What the fuck was he doing here? You knew he and Mackie had become friends over their years working together, but he’d never visited the family home as far as you were aware. You’d always figured they were ‘bros’ at work, but that their friendship hadn’t really extended into having dinner with each other’s families. Apparently you were wrong.

It was all you could do to blink and as you heard the door open behind you, you spun around to see Mackie’s smiling face.

‘So you two have already met, I see!’

And you instantly knew what was up.

***

‘Letta! He’s totally blindsided me!’ You whisper-shouted at her in the kitchen as she poured you a large glass of wine.

Mackie had taken Chris out to the back garden where he was planning on grilling dinner. You could see them through the window, laughing and drinking from beer bottles as the boys ran around playing soccer and you rolled your eyes, frustrated mainly at Mackie but also for some reason at Chris. Just his presence was annoying you, considering what Mackie had tried to set up.

‘I know sweetie, I’m so sorry. I told him and told him this was a bad idea. I told him to tell you what the deal was when he called. Asshole.’

‘What can possibly have made him think that I’d be interested in Chris fucking Evans? Does Mackie know me at all? Do I look like the type that wants to spend an evening with a dumb jock? I’m a high school teacher for Christ’s sake, I deal with enough of them at school.’

Sheletta sighed, clearly sympathetic, but then she tried to placate you, ‘Look, it’s just dinner, right? I’m going to having a few words with my husband later but it’s just a couple of hours and you never need to see Chris again if you don’t want to. But I would say, he’s an okay dude, no worse than your average charming guy who likes sports and drinking with his buddies. I think Mackie was thinking some, you know, not famous company might be good for him.’

You evened your breathing and took a sip of your wine before resolving to make the best of a bad situation.

‘Don’t worry Letta, I’ll play nice, for you. But don’t expect me to laugh at his stupid jokes or bat my eyelashes at him.’

Sheletta raised her glass to yours in a cheers, ‘I would never expect you to.’

***

‘So what is it that you do?’ Chris asked from your right hand side. Of course Anthony had manoeuvred the seating so you were sat side by side at the outdoor dining table.

Granted, it hadn’t been too awful so far. The kids had kept you entertained for the most part and Mackie and Sheletta were clearly working hard to keep the conversation flowing and prevent any awkwardness. But there had been a lull in the conversation as Mackie helped Letta take the dishes inside from the main course and fetch more beers, and the boys had run off to play with the toys you had brought them. You’d tried to get up and help Sheletta but Mackie insisted you stay exactly where you were so you slumped back in your seat reluctantly, realising you were about you be left on your own with Chris and that was exactly what Mackie wanted, of course.

You reached for your glass and settled in for some mundane and predictable conversation.

‘I’m a high school history teacher,’ you told him.

‘Brave lady,’ he grinned. ‘My mom teaches theatre groups but it tends to only be younger ones and they-‘

‘-choose to be there? Yeah, not so lucky with high school. I got to drag them all through, one way or another. They’re not bad though, it’s less of a battle than you’d think, mostly.’

‘I bet you run on sarcasm though, right?’

‘Me?! What would ever give you such an idea?’ You purposefully over-egged it for comedy effect.

‘There it is. A teenager’s best friend.’

You raised an eyebrow at him, ‘Know a lot of teenagers, do you?’

‘No, but I was one, once.’

‘And I bet you still are in your head, right?’

He inclined his head in acknowledgement, ‘Sometimes. Probably more than I’m willing to admit. But being grown up one hundred per cent of the time isn’t much fun, is it? Besides, my niece and nephews would never forgive me if I tried to be too mature all the time.’

Family man? You hadn’t expected that.

‘How many do you have?’

‘Three, two nephews, one niece. All siblings. My sister Carly’s kids.’

You worked out the implication in his words, ‘So I guess you have more than one sibling then?’

‘Yeah, two sisters, one brother. Carly, Shanna and Scott. Shanna, Scott and I all remain childless so far though, leaving the favourite child title to Carly. My mom loves being a grandma.’

You saw your opening to tease him. May as well have some fun while you were here, right?

‘Oh, so the hunt for a baby mama is on, is it? Try and get back in the good books?’

He laughed at that: at your openness or shamelessness, you didn’t know. You waited to see if he would bring up the obvious set up arrangement of the evening, but he didn’t.

‘Nah, I’m her oldest boy, I can do no wrong,’ he smiled around his bottle as he took a mouthful. ‘How about you? Big family?’

‘Not really. My parents live on the other side of the country. I don’t really see them that often but we check in from time to time. My brother is high up in a law firm in Chicago. Divorce law. I see him even less,’ you had to stop yourself rolling your eyes. You and your brother couldn’t be more different if one of you had been adopted.

‘Not a big family girl then?’

You thought for a moment. Was Chris trying to scope you out? You felt immediately on the defensive, affronted that he found it so easy to pass judgement against you. You almost told him he didn’t need to bother, that you had zero intention of ever seeing him again after tonight, but you remembered your promise to Sheletta.

‘It’s not that. I guess my family aren’t ‘big family’ people. That’s why I live out here I think. I made my own family out of friends. I’m basically a fake auntie to the Mackie kids, for example. There’s plenty of people I consider to be as close to me as family.’

You looked at him to see what his reaction was but he just smiled at you, not giving much away, and then there was a lot of hustle and bustle as the Mackies returned to the table. Anthony was weighed down with beer bottles and wine and Sheletta carried your pecan pie dessert and a jug of cream.

‘Sweetheart, this looks delicious,’ Sheletta told you as she placed the dish in the middle of the table. ‘Boys! Come and get dessert!’

‘You should serve it up, it being of your own creation and all,’ Anthony addressed you, handing you a cake knife.

‘Okay, but I’m warning you, no little slices around here. Go big or go home,’ you said jokingly but you subtly glanced at Chris as you began serving extra generous helpings of pie, expecting him to make some gym-related excuse as to why he couldn’t possibly enjoy a slice of dessert, but he didn’t. He took the plate you offered him with polite thanks and moaned his appreciation when he ate a huge spoonful.

‘This is incredible! Wasted as a teacher, clearly!’

There he went again, making assumptions about you and your life. And you resented that he talked down your career so easily. Who did he think he was to make a comment like that? He had no idea about anything to do with you, so why did he keep on insisting that he did? It would have been so easy to have made a ruthlessly sarcastic comment back, but you kept your mouth shut and your eyes trained on your dessert.

Whether Mackie and Sheletta noticed your discomfort or not, you weren’t sure, but they kept the conversation going between them and aside from the few comments that made you bristle, the evening wasn’t a total disaster you supposed. You felt exhausted though, probably from being so on edge all evening, the large elephant in the room (or patio, as was the case) shaped like a blind date weighing you down. You always had hated feeling the expectation that came with dates, like you were supposed to just switch on this charming, flirtatious version of yourself. You hated that it seemed to always be down to the woman to make the man feel at ease, feel attractive, feel funny, even if she didn’t really like him. You… well you wanted someone to feel like they needed to work a little harder to get your attention. Why should it be all on you?

The conversation circled around to weekend plans and you were asked if you were going hiking this weekend. The boys instantly tuned into the conversation and you got a chorus of ‘when we can go with you again?’

You smiled at them indulgently. You loved that they enjoyed the outdoors as much as you did, and you loved introducing them to all the skills they needed to hike safely for a whole day or even a weekend. You hadn’t done a camping hike with them yet, but you had done a full day, teaching them how to make the most of their food and how to make water drinkable if they ran out.

‘Not this weekend boys, I have somewhere to be tomorrow night. Next weekend maybe? Do you want to do all day Saturday?’

You looked to Mackie and Sheletta to check that would be all right with them and Sheletta began to nod slowly, obviously checking her calendar mentally, ensuring they had nowhere to be.

‘Wait, you hike?’ you heard Chris’ surprised voice next to you.

‘Yeah, it’s quite a normal hobby, you know, for regular people,’ you kept it light so it didn’t appear too cutting but this man was working your last nerve.

‘I just meant… I’ve always loved the outdoors and loved the idea of getting into hiking but I wouldn’t know where to start on my own and I’ve never known anyone that was into it.’

Before you could tell him that the Internet was a wonderful invention if he ever wanted to do some research, Mackie interjected.

‘Hey, I’ve got an idea, why don’t we all go next Saturday?’

There was a millisecond of silence before everyone launched in at once. Sheletta glanced at you awkwardly before saying ‘Babe…’ to her husband in her most quiet warning voice, the boys yelled out their excitement, Chris was at your side declaring that he was, in fact, free next weekend, Mackie was grinning around the table, clearly pleased with himself for coming up with such a wonderful idea and you could hear the beginnings of excuses desperately tumbling from your lips but it was no good. You’d basically walked yourself into this one by telling the boys you’d take them next weekend.

Sheletta tried and you loved her for it, ‘Anthony, she’s an expert, she doesn’t want to be stuck with three kids and three adults who are hiking amateurs. That’s hardly a good use of her weekend when she’s so busy the rest of the time with work.’

But Mackie waved her off, clearly too wrapped up in his own matchmaking attempts to pick up on the edge in Sheletta’s voice.

‘She doesn’t mind, do you?’ He stated, rather than asked, looking to you, ‘The boys go with her all the time and it’s only a one day hike. We won’t take up her whole weekend. It will be fun, all of us together. You’re up for it Chris, right?’

‘Yeah, course, count me in. Just tell me what I need.’

‘Take Chris’ number so you can text him the details,’ Mackie was on fire now. You subtly rolled your eyes at his transparent attempts to keep this thing going when you knew full well it was a pointless activity.

‘I’m sure Chris doesn’t want to give his number out to just anyone, Mackie. Can’t you just forward the details if I send them to you?’

‘That seems unnecessarily complicated. Just take it off him, he doesn’t mind.’

You sighed quietly, thinking that Mackie seemed to know an awful lot about what people did and didn’t mind tonight, but dutifully took out your phone to take Chris’ number.

‘Do I need to put you in under a pseudonym?’ You asked him teasingly as you tapped out his digits.

‘Depends, how likely are you to have your phone hacked?’ He joked back.

‘Hmm, low to zero, I would say, given my ‘nobody’ status.’

‘Then ‘Dumb Jock’ should work just fine. Unless you feel like you deal with enough of them already?’

You looked up sharply and he was grinning, knowing he’d caught you out earlier. How had he heard you say that? You and Letta had been in the kitchen and he’d been outside, hadn’t he?

‘I think I’ll just settle for Chris E,’ you looked back down quickly when your face flushed, not wanting him to see your embarrassment. You made to put your phone away when he stopped you with a hand on your arm.

‘Will you give me a callback, so I’ve got your number and I know who it is when you text?’

You looked down at his hand where it was making contact with you and you fought the urge to shake him off. Hollywood types were always so touchy-feely all the time.

When you answered, you knew you were being purposefully difficult and frosty but this was a guy who must have been so used to getting what he wanted, you just didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

‘You’ll know it’s me when you get a big list of all the kit you need to get hold of by next Saturday.’

[elvendara]

Yooran Week Extended

Ok, I’ve written the third part of day 1 First Meeting

Part One

Part Two

He wiped the condensation from the mirror and stared at himself. His lavender eyes were huge. He tried to calm down but his pulse was racing. He took a deep breath and let it out. The phone on the sink vibrated and made him jump. He grabbed it when he saw it was Saeran texting. He fumbled it and almost dropped it on the hard tile before cradling it in his hands like a precious object.

He opened it and read the text.

Saeran: Should I ring the bell or wait for you out here?

He was there already? Yoosung’s nerves took another nose dive as he began to pant. He closed his eyes and steadied himself enough to respond.

Yoosung: I’m not ready yet, I’ll ring you up and leave the door open. Just come in.

He scurried out of the bathroom and hit the buzzer to let Saeran in. He then unlocked his door and ran back to the safety of the bathroom. He towel dried his hair and quickly dressed, his feet sticking to his jeans because he had not dried himself completely. He struggled to get them on, cursing them as he did.

“Hello?” Saeran’s voice drifted into the room.

“Uh, yeah, just make yourself at home, I’ll be out in a bit.” Yoosung called through the door.

“OK, take your time, no hurry.” Saeran sounded amused.

Take my time, sure, easy for him to say. Yoosung swallowed hard and began to blow dry his hair. Why was he so nervous? He was just meeting Saeran’s brother and sister-in-law. It wasn’t as if he was going to an execution. Once his hair was dry he brushed it aside and placed his hairpins on his errant hair. Should he leave them off? Did he look like a girl? Would Saeran think they were silly? He had not seen them on Yoosung yet. His hand reached up to pull them off, but then he hesitated. He liked his hairpins. He squared his shoulders, ready to walk out the door.

He stepped into his living space, Saeran sat on one of the stools at the kitchenette. He turned when Yoosung walked in and stood instantly.

“You look great.” He smiled as he took Yoosung in. He was wearing a decent pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and an open blue button shirt. His hair was freshly brushed and he even liked the hairpins he was wearing. It was all very Yoosung.

“Thanks, you look…” Yoosung bit his lip before he said ‘hot’, but Saeran understood the unspoken word. He was dressed in black leather pants and biker boots he had not taken off, a red shirt and a thick jean jacket. His hair was tussled, the curls sticking out in all directions. It gave him a windswept appearance that tugged at Yoosung’s crotch.

He walked towards him and snaked his arms around Yoosung’s waist. Yoosung ran his fingers up Saeran’s arms and laced them behind his neck. He stood on tiptoes to better reach Saeran’s lips. Saeran bent over him and they locked lips. Yoosung’s moans were immediate as he dug his fingers into the incredibly thick hair. Saeran pulled Yoosung closer, running one hand up his spine, the other over his ass. Yoosung hooked his left leg around Saeran’s right as he felt Saeran clutching his ass in a vice like grip.

They pulled apart for air, both panting. “Damn. You make me want to do things Yoosung.” Saeran breathed deeply.

“What things?” Yoosung teased boldly. It made Saeran laugh, the boy looked so innocent, but the things he said! They hadn’t seen each other since the night he’d invited him to his brother’s BBQ. If Yoosung was interning at the vet clinic, Saeran was working, when Saeran had a day off, Yoosung had a full schedule of classes. They had kept missing each other. There were plenty of texts back and forth, but it had not been enough for Saeran. He almost wished they could just stay in Yoosung’s small apartment and see where things went.

“Things that would make us miss my brother’s BBQ, come on!” he sighed heavily and disengaged his body from Yoosung’s.

Yoosung pouted but didn’t argue. He grabbed his sneakers and leaned over to tie them on. He looked behind him and noticed that Saeran was intently watching his ass.

“Hey!” he stood up quickly, turning around.

“What? I was just admiring your ass, something wrong with that?” he laughed. “After all, can’t I admire my own boyfriend’s ass whenever I want to?” he smirked.

“Boyfriend?” Yoosung blushed, he hadn’t dared think of Saeran that way.

“Damned straight! No way am I letting anyone else have that ass!” he pulled Yoosung in for another kiss that turned into another heated exchange of saliva and tongues.

“At this rate, we’re never going to get out of here.” Yoosung panted.

“You have no idea how much I wouldn’t mind that.” Saeran chortled.

“I think I do.” Yoosung looked at him through lidded eyes. How the hell was this boy so damned cute and sexy at the same time. He made Saeran’s head spin in the best possible way. He forced himself to open the door and walk them out. Yoosung let out a disappointed whine, but followed, locking the door behind him.

He pressed himself to Saeran’s back as they raced through the streets on his motorcycle. He had given Yoosung his jacket so he wouldn’t get cold, and a helmet to wear. Yoosung wished he could lay his cheek against Saeran, but he understood the importance of the helmet. He didn’t want the ride to end and it came way too quickly for his taste. They turned into a long driveway, the foliage on the edges was overgrown, but the driveway itself was immaculately taken care of. They went up on a slight slope and when they turned the corner Yoosung gasped.

The ranch house looked like something out of a sci-fi novel. The walls were gleaming, made out of some kind of metal instead of rock or wood. The windows were large and appeared thick. There was a huge garage on the side that looked like it could fit half a dozen cars. He could see there were solar panels on the roof, and a huge satellite as well. Saeran must have had his own garage door remote, or someone on the inside had seen them coming, one of the garage doors began to open and Saeran pulled inside, parking next to a convertible Yoosung was sure was a Lamborghini. He wasn’t much into cars, but whatever type it was, it was expensive. As were the four other cars in the garage.

Saeran took the helmet from him and set it on the bike. He took his hand and led him to the door into the house. Yoosung’s eyes were wide, everything in the garage was gleaming and immaculate. They walked through the door and Yoosung stopped in his tracks. If the outside was a sci-fi novel the inside was a warm family tale. The open area was huge, the living room held a deep charcoal grey couch and several armchairs that didn’t quite match, but looked good together. There was a big screen TV over the fireplace and several gaming consoles set around it. The kitchen was large and inviting. Although the appliances were gleaming stainless steel, the décor was ease and comfort, a bouquet of wildflowers set on the counter. There was some clutter which gave it the air of being lived in.

Saeran gave him a moment to take it all in before tugging at him. He went straight to a pair of French doors that opened into the back yard. The smell hit them instantly. At the large grill stood a man that looked exactly like Saeran, only with glasses. Setting plates and utensils on a covered outdoor table was a woman with long brown hair, wearing a bikini with a wrap tied around her chest.

“Saeran!” the man at the grill set his utensils down and walked over to them, hugging his brother tightly and affectionately. His eyes were glued to Yoosung however. The woman was also there in an instant, hugging her brother-in-law just as tightly as his brother had.

“Saeyoung, MC, this is Yoosung, I told you about him.”

“It’s great to finally meet you Yoosung. Saeran hasn’t stopped talking about you for weeks!” Saeyoung laughed and embraced him as well.

“We…weeks?” he looked towards Saeran who was blushing furiously. Weeks meant that he had been talking about him after their first meeting.

MC pulled him in close and whispered in his ear, “He’s never talked about anyone like he’s talked about you, and he’s never brought anyone to meet us. You must really be something special.”

“All right all right, leave him alone, he’s taken!” Saeran pulled them apart which made MC giggle. Her laughter was sweet and genuine.

“Did you bring your swimsuit? You can go change in the bathroom, Saeran can show you.”

Yoosung’s face fell. “Oh no, I forgot.” He had been so distracted by Saeran, he’d left his swimming trunks on his bed, along with the sunscreen he had purchased since he burned so easily.

“It’s ok, we have extras, Saeran, you know where they are.” Saeyoung turned back to his grill as MC gave them a nod urging them inside.

“I feel so stupid.”

“Why? Because you forgot your swimwear?” Saeran pulled Yoosung into his arms as his body vibrated with laughter. “I seem to recall we had other things on our minds at the time.” He rubbed Yoosung’s back and Yoosung melted into him. He was glad to meet Saeran’s family, but, right now, he wished they could be alone.

The day went well, they ate, a lot, they swam, a lot, they had Yoosung dying of laughter with their stories of Saeran. Especially Saeyoung, he could spin a good tale and it seemed that Saeran was as much of a character as he had made Saeyoung out to be. Saeran kept rolling his eyes, but he hadn’t denied any details. He also quickly noticed that both the twins’ stories began around the time they were teenagers, nothing before the age of 16 that he could figure. He was curious, but did not want to pursue his curiosity. Not when it might mean it would ruin their time together. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about Saeran.

Yoosung and MC were in the kitchen, he had offered to help her clean up while Saeran helped Saeyoung with the grill. He was hesitant to become too familiar with her, but she was so nice, and he felt comfortable with her.

“MC?”

“Umhm?” she was placing the dishes they’d used into the dishwasher as Yoosung rinsed the bigger bits of food into the garbage disposal.

“Why don’t the twins talk about their childhood?”

“Oh.” She stopped loading and turned towards him, a dripping serving platter in her hands.

“If I’m stepping out of bounds, I understand, I shouldn’t have asked.” Yoosung felt embarrassed.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just, well, it isn’t for me to tell. There are just things in their past that they would rather forget.”

“But you know?”

“Yes, it took a long time for Saeyoung to be comfortable enough to share with me. It wasn’t that he didn’t love me, or trust me. It was that he had to deal with certain things about himself before he was comfortable enough to tell me, to tell anyone really. And…” she shook her head and set the platter in the dishwasher.

“It was worse for Saeran wasn’t it?” Yoosung offered. She gasped as she straightened to look into his eyes.

“How did you…?”

“I don’t know, it just feels like he’s carrying around the weight of the world on his shoulders, even as he acts like he’s ok.”

MC let out a breath, laughter bubbling out of her. She clasped her hand to her mouth, trying to hold it in. When she was in control once more she hugged Yoosung to her, tears falling silently down her cheeks.

“You’re perfect Yoosung! You’ve going to be so good for him!” she sobbed into his hair.

“Hey now! Do I need to get a water bottle and spray you to stay away from my man?” Saeran exclaimed from the doorway. MC jumped back, wiping her tears hastily before putting on a smile and turning towards Saeran.

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t brought someone so cute, this wouldn’t happen.” She quipped. Saeyoung was right behind Saeran and immediately saw his wife had been crying. Saeran’s smile died as well. He flicked his gaze from Yoosung to MC, eyes narrowing.

“Babe?” Saeyoung was by her side immediately.

“I’m fine Saeyoung, really.” She closed the dishwasher and let him enfold her in his arms.

They made no more mention of it. Saeran and Yoosung left not long after and Saeran was unusually quiet and distant. Yoosung was afraid he’d crossed a line. He should have kept his mouth shut. There was obviously a good reason Saeran did not want to talk about his childhood.

Yoosung was surprised when Saeran walked with him to his apartment, he’d assumed he would take off as soon as he dropped him off, it was getting late, but, he followed him up silently.

Once they were in his apartment, they both took their shoes off, which again, surprised Yoosung. It meant that Saeran intended to stay a while.

“Uh, I don’t have much, but, I can make some hot chocolate, or some coffee?” he asked, biting his bottom lip.

“Yoosung?”

“Yes?”

“What were you and MC talking about?” Saeran’s back was to him and Yoosung gulped. He’d never heard this tone from Saeran before, it was steady, even, and emotionless.

“Saeran, I’m sorry, I…I didn’t mean to pry, and, well, she didn’t tell me anything.”

“What. Were. You. Talking. About?” he asked crisply, his hands balling into fists.

Yoosung sighed as tears sprang into his eyes. Was he about to lose him? How could he have been so stupid?

“I…I asked why you and Saeyoung don’t talk about your…your childhood.” He finished almost inaudibly. His lower lip quivered and he could taste the saltiness of the tears flowing over his lip.

Saeran turned his head so that he could clearly see his profile. “Why?”

“Because…because I want to know everything about you, including the bad parts. I know you don’t want to talk about it. And, I respect that! I do! I…it was wrong of me. I’m sorry Saeran, please, please don’t leave me. I won’t do it again, I promise!” he was sobbing uncontrollably now, desperate to touch Saeran but terrified of the reaction he would get.

Saeran’s eyes furrowed at the barrage of words coming out of Yoosung. He turned to face the blonde and quickly embraced him against his chest. The boy was trembling so hard he was practically vibrating. He let the hysterics play out, he knew all too well what it felt like when your body was afraid. Once Yoosung was relatively calm, his tears under control, Saeran took his face into his hands. There were tear stains over his cheeks, snot escaping his nostrils, his lips shivering, and his eyes shining and scared.

Saeran sighed. He let go of Yoosung and went into the bathroom. He came back with a damp washcloth he’d found and wiped Yoosung’s face clean. He then tossed it down and kissed him. Yoosung clung to the front of Saeran’s shirt.

Parting their lips, Saeran pressed his forehead against Yoosung’s.

“You didn’t do anything wrong Yoosung. I should have said something earlier. Of course you’re curious. Of course you want to know, but, I’m not ready to share that part of my life. Can you understand that?”

Yoosung nodded, not trusting his voice.

Saeran smiled sadly as his amber eyes met Yoosung’s amethyst ones. He wanted to tell him. Wanted to share his burden. Knew that Yoosung would be understanding and compassionate. He sighed and walked away to lean over the small sofa. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the headache that had formed from getting worse. He felt Yoosung’s arms around him as the shorter man pressed himself against his back. What would it be like to share this with him? What would it feel like to have someone to trust completely? He’d spoken to Saeyoung about his relationship with MC, stunned that Saeyoung had shared everything with her. Had not spared her any of the ugly details. When he’d asked him why Saeyoung had done so, he’d answered, “Because if she’s going to love me, she has to know me. All of me. The good. And the bad. And by her knowing the bad, it makes the good that much more special.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Yoosung asked. He couldn’t imagine anyone’s childhood being bad. His was full of studying, but, it had been good. He had caring and loving parents who gave him whatever he needed, and many things he just wanted. He could not fathom a parent who did not do everything for their child. But he knew that was a naïve view. That there were parents who should never have been parents.

He didn’t really expect an answer, but one came anyway. He felt Saeran’s tears as they fell on his clasped hands.

“Yes.” He almost missed the whisper, but he felt Saeran’s body begin to shake. He heard the large intakes of breaths as he hiccupped through his tears. He swiftly turned and buried his face in Yoosung’s neck, his body wracked with the violence of his cries. They sank into the floor and Yoosung held Saeran, rocking them back and forth.

They did not get any sleep that night, as Saeran lay bare everything before Yoosung. Yoosung held him the entire time, his small body vibrating with hatred for a woman he would never know. For the innocent children, she had condemned to this pain. Part of him wishing she was not already dead, so that he could have the pleasure of causing her as much pain as she had her children. He held Saeran, he soothed Saeran, he rocked Saeran, and he loved the man more and more with each new word.

[poeticandvaguelysweet]

Prompt #173 - High School Reunion

@birdmacklin @cali-forniacationn  and several ANONS: ‘the only thing better than fake relationship fics is fake relationship fics when the pair go to one of their high school reunions and the other person ends up showing them off and in the end everyone else is jealous’ (from here)

ANON: ‘there pick up line wasn’t as good as any of mine, I’m just saying’  from: friends or more sentence starters

So, I started working on this in July last year (the 5th to be exact) it’s just shy of a year and it has killed me for all 11 months I’ve tried to get it finished. Enough to say that I hate it a little and don’t think think it’s that great but I also hate having unfinished fics sitting around. It’s also nearly 9k which is my cut off for prompts and I make them a stand alone -- but I didn’t like this one enough to be that kindly. I also hate telling people that I think something is shit because self-deprecation drives me up the wall but I just don’t want you to have any great expectations. They will probably be crushed. But, please, still read if I haven’t annoyed you enough by now.

Thank goodness it is done and hopefully it holds up to some expectation that you probably lost like 8 months ago. 

AO3

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

It was her favourite kind of warm morning. Their feet hit the pavement in a familiar rhythm, shoes thudding against concrete, breath falling from their lungs as they ran in time. He was taller than her by a bare few inches, keeping Claire on her toes in all senses of the phrase. Owen always provided for a sweet challenge, the man cocking an eyebrow as he dared her into something entirely too ridiculous. Claire couldn’t remember a time where she had been more active. Sure, she dieted and made a tri-weekly trip to the gym, but since moving to San Diego, Owen forced her outdoors. They hiked in good weather, swam too, and ran rain or shine from their arranged spot to their local coffee shop before lazily jogging back to their cars.

Owen changed her for the better, regardless of if Claire wanted him to or not. He was free to lead his own life once Jurassic World officially crumbled, and yet Owen chose to drag Claire around the city partaking in various forms of exercise. She wasn’t about ready to complain when the man she couldn’t stand suddenly became her best friend. Owen was the only one, aside from her nephews, who knew what they went through. He sympathised in the middle of the night when she called him, barely able to sleep. Returning the favour when he turned up on her doorstep looking as though he had returned from a war.

Neither of them tried to start a relationship. They were too busy trying to give the other space as they warded off all ideas of romance, unwilling to find themselves in traumatised entanglements. Instead, they ran, they met for lunch breaks and coffee dates, dancing around the idea that maybe they wanted something more from the other.

They shared a kiss in the mayhem on Main Street, Owen’s mouth pressed hotly against hers, drenched in relief and frizzled desperation. It was heat of the moment, nothing else came of it. When Claire mentioned an apartment she had found in San Diego, Owen followed because he wanted too not because they had caught themselves in an inescapable dependancy.

The local coffee shop was bright and welcoming for half past eight in the morning, brimming with patrons waiting for their liquid life. Claire was still trying to regulate her breathing as she leant against the raised table. Owen was getting their drinks, sweat already soaking a v into the back of his shirt as Claire moved from watching his form and fiddling with her fitness app.

Claire didn’t realise someone had stopped at her table until he opened his mouth, in an attempt to get her attention. ‘I’ve got a love story for you: long black meets flat white.’ The man in front of her had his hip perched on her table, cocky all-too-confident grin on his face. Claire raised an eyebrow, locking her phone as she slid it back into her pocket. She studied the man as if to determine whether he was worth the hassle or not.

‘She orders the juice.’ Owen was beside her in a second, their drinks placed on the table in front of her as his hand found the small of her back. The other man slinked away at the sight of Owen’s broad shoulders and possessive demeanour. He had no claim to Claire, but knew how to show that he did. She didn’t need his help either, but was thankful that she didn’t have to waste her breath trying to shoo away that idiot.

‘Thank you,’ Claire sighed, grabbing her juice before they moved for the door. Smile thankful as she gave it to him over her shoulder.  

Owen shrugged. His hand hovered over the small of her back as they stepped outside, warm sun greeting their eager faces. ‘Yeah, well, his pick up line wasn’t as good as any of mine.’ He hummed, grinning as Claire glared. ‘I’m just sayin’,’ He shrugged again.

‘Let’s here one then?’ She challenged, keeping her step in line with his as they stepped onto the sidewalk.

Owen grinned, devilish smile building across his cheeks as he raised a brow. ‘Still going with the coffee theme?’ He asked, waiting for her nod as he pretending to think. Claire rolled her eyes with a defeated sign, humming something about even playing field as he cleared his throat. ‘I like my ladies like I like my coffee; a hot shock to the lap.’ Claire didn’t hesitate in flinging her arm towards him hitting him square in the gut. ‘Yeah, a little lower than that.’ He teased, one had rubbing at the spot she had offended. She protested with a loud laugh. Owen was just as ridiculous as she knew he was, not that he had ever tried to prove himself otherwise.

They walked the rest of their way to their park bench in silence, Claire settling in the seat, her legs stretched in front of her as Owen dropped his heavy weight beside her. ‘So, ah.’ He stuttered, immediately altering the mood of their morning as Claire tried not to turn a concerned eye on him the second he started speaking. His hand found the back of his head, scratching nervously as he watched the space between her shoulder and her cheek. ‘My high school reunion is coming up and I, ah, I need a date.’

‘You don’t need a date, Owen.’ She rolled her eyes, smiling at him fondly as she half squinted in the sunlight.

He shrugged, hand tapping her hip shyly. He started doing that a lot since they broke free of the island; the back of his hand finding her, giving a soft tap. ‘I would really like one.’ His eyes met hers, intense puppy green trying not to frown. She sighed, straightening her posture before kicking her legs out again. Claire could have very easily said no to the question he was imply. Even without the dates she could have played off a busy weekend due to work or a long planned visit with Karen. He would talk her out of the former and if the latter were true it was likely Owen would have preferred to stay there with her; see her nephews again, check with his own two eyes that they were still okay.

‘Thought you might want to come.’ Owen shrugged as he watched the park move in front of them, people going about their day completely unaware that he was making a fool of himself. Claire agreed readily and with little thought. It would take nothing out of her schedule to accompany her friend to his high school reunion, in fact it would fill an empty weekend from the void he would have left her with if he went alone.

[…]

It wasn’t until they reached Minnesota, Owen standing in the aisle, trying to pull their bags from the overhead compartment — while Claire tried not to reach out and touch the honey skin and happy trail his shirt revealed — that Owen announced something he should have mentioned much earlier. ‘Just a heads up,’ he dropped his bag to his vacant seat. ‘My parents think we’re dating.’

She felt her neck almost snap as she raised her gaze to his, glare already burning in her eyes as she stared at him. They had been sitting on a plane for five-and-a-half hours and he had not managed to bring up the misinformation in his parents head’s.

Claire chanced a look at the other passengers slowly milling out of the plane as they collected their belongings in single file. There was a young girl standing behind Owen, waiting for him to move so she could be one step closer to exiting the plane. Claire offered her a small smile before she turned hard eyes back to the object of her frustration. ‘Are you serious?!’ She hissed, revelling in the way he flinched. Claire almost dropped back in her seat, sheer dread pulling her down. He only watched her with wide apologetic eyes, shrugging his duffle bag over his shoulder.

He was saved by the moving line of people, putting space between himself and Claire. When they had managed to disembark and step into the terminal, they were pulled into the tide of airport ruckus, too busy trying to move from Point A to Point B and collect their luggage before it disappeared. It wasn’t until Owen had managed to do a thorough check of the hire car and climb in, that Claire managed to grill him on the subject at hand.

‘Why didn’t you tell them that we’re not dating?’ She glared at him, her anger momentarily forgotten, rearing up again now they had some privacy. Owen was sure there was steam rolling out of her ears, pent up anger finally being released.

He shrugged, ‘I couldn’t’.

‘You couldn’t?’ Claire rolled her eyes, trying to hold back the slightest hint of amusement that tickled the back of her mind. She wanted to yell at him beyond seething words but something inside of her couldn’t be angry at him.

It was ridiculous for two grown adults to pretend to be in a relationship, especially in front of his family. Claire had no issue with staying in Owen’s family home when he first mentioned it. But now, now he was expecting her to act like a couple, his parents would watch her more closely and Claire wasn’t sure she was ready to look at him like that.

‘I don’t know. After years in the Navy and then Jurassic World, I guess, they just want to know that there’s a chance I’m going to settle down and stop putting my life on the line. I guess, they just heard you were coming with and immediately assumed you were my girlfriend. I just felt ridiculous trying to tell them that we’re only trying to fool people I haven’t seen in a decade, not them.’

Claire wound the window down, watching as the road broke from airport driveways into city traffic, Owen manning the wheel like he had done the trip a thousand times before. ‘What’s our story then?’  She asked, watching the side of his face before her gaze turned to the setting sun.

‘What?’

‘Our story? You said your mother thought we were dating, which means your dad does too. What do we tell them to make it seem believable?’ She was business, no nonsense, sitting in the passenger side of a rental car, her hair on fire in the setting sun. Owen turned his head to check she was being serious and found he didn’t want to look away. He was goner. It was bad enough he thought she was something more than any other woman that crossed his path and now he pulled her into this game he wasn’t going to be able to survive.

‘Um, I thought we could just be Owen and Claire? Tell the truth.’

Claire hummed, ‘We’re not in a relationship, Owen, that’s the truth’. He should have known Claire Dearing would pick this idea to pieces. ‘We need something. One consistent story so we don’t contradict each other.’

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. She had a point but Owen didn’t know where to begin. ‘We met on the island?’ Everyone was bound to know that story. The second they caught a glance of Claire, her hair a little longer now, people would realise she was the very one in the same spotted on security footage; unleashing the T-Rex. It had been a year but no body was likely to forget that redhead. Not on close inspection.

Claire rolled her head against the back of the chair, obnoxious snore lifting from her. ‘Boring.’

‘Did you —?’ He wanted to pull over just so he could stare at her. Claire was fun, she was lively, had a comedic side he thanked his lucky stars for. But never had she pretended to snore or tell him he was boring.

‘Everyone will buy it, but it’s not enough. Off-island. Maybe before you started working at Jurassic World? You spent a few weeks in Costa Rica, drinking, sightseeing, trying to find your place in civilian life before joining a research project that would either see you killed or have you down in history as the first — and only — man to train a velociraptor. We met at a bar —.’

‘And what? You became another one of my conquests? Do you really want to be known like that?’ He laughed at her, hand tapping her hip playfully.

Claire scoffed, ‘The one who tamed you, more like it’.

Owen shook his head, she was brilliant but her over thought plan wasn’t going to help. He blindly reached for her hands, swatting her phone away as Claire complained that she was taking notes. ‘No, okay. Too complicated. Plus, my mom would go bat shit if she knew I was sleeping with you for six years and never brought you home — or mentioned you.’ Claire opened her mouth, ready to explain that maybe that had been on again off again and it had only been serious until now. ‘You are brilliant, don’t get me wrong. But, we need something easier than that. Sure, we met six-years ago when I started at Jurassic World. We were introduced, I fell for you immediately. You’re smart, funny, gorgeous as hell, and refused to take a bar of me. You, well, maybe fell into irritation at first sight? I was messy, a little rogue, not used to being out from under the Navy’s thumb. Got myself pretty close to being fired for sexual harassment. We flirted around each other for a few years, mostly kept to ourselves and then maybe a few months before the incident we started something — pretty casual thing, you weren’t looking for a relationship but knew I was the only guy on the island hung larger than those beasts you had cooked up in that lab.’ He stopped, tearing his eyes from the road to wink at her as Claire grimaced, happily following his story until he got stupid. ‘It was just sex — we won’t tell my mom that — it turned into dinner, breakfast, lunch, until before we knew it our lives were intwined so deeply I couldn’t see where I ended and you began. The incident happened, we were kind of in a shit place for a bit but if anything tragedy teaches two hearts that they can survive together; they always will.’

He stopped, waiting for her opinion but was only met with silence in the car, road noise softly drifting over their heads. ‘See, simple. Pretty close to our own lives that we’re not really lying.’ He wasn’t lying about anything other than their relationship. He had fallen head over heels with Claire Dearing the first time he laid eyes on her, she didn’t even look his way and the man vowed to do whatever it took to get her attention. ‘Claire?’ He called for her, hand waving in front of her face, worried he had bored her to sleep or she’d had an aneurism and he missed it.  

‘Yeah, um — that works. I like it.’ She was already struggling to find the lines between what was really them and what wasn’t. ‘Two years?’ She asked, turning her head towards him softly. Owen nodded. ‘So, we would know quite a bit about each other, yeah?’

He nodded again, ‘Claire, no one’s going to quiz us and if they do; make it up. The only people who are going to know the answers are my parents and they’re really not into playing twenty questions.’

‘But, we should know the answers. I mean, what if your mom wants to make sure she has a breakfast food I’d like?’ Owen shrugged, chuckling softly. ‘Oh, I already had that covered. Raisin toast and that weird olive butter you like? Which, I think probably goes against your diets, but I’m not counting. No coffee, because you’re on this kick; juice — if it’s coming from a carton you prefer orange or tropical in the mornings.’ He didn’t take his eyes off the road as he spoke, completely missing the way Claire was staring at him, mouth agape. When had he learnt those things? They lived in different apartments in different parts of the city. They caught up for coffee in the mornings, but rarely did they eat together. ‘What?’ catching her out the corner of his eye, Owen laughed nervously.   Claire shook her head. ‘I just — I don’t even know what you eat for breakfast. We’ve been in San Diego a year, and I’d like to think I know a fair bit about you but I don’t think I do.’

‘Easy,’ Owen grinned, smile radiant in the evening sun. ‘I’m a porridge guy. Or peanut butter toast. Coffee black. The worse it tastes; the more I like it.’ She knew the last one. The others surprised her, although once she put some thought into she could see why those were his favourite food options in the mornings. ‘Don’t worry about it. Honestly; if anything they’ll quiz us about 1. Marriage — you won’t admit to being fascinated by the idea of seeing yourself in white and I’m not sure if I’ll ever commit that far. Though, if pressured to answer, I would say I definitely want to marry you. 2. Kids — we’ve talked about it lightly. You don’t want them. I do. And 3. What made us fall for the other — which, honestly, you can answer that however you like, I won’t be picky.’

‘You really thought about this, didn’t you?’

‘I mean, yeah, only because you’re makin’ me think about it.’ He grimaced, curious if it had been the wrong thing to do. He was only going off what he knew about her in their years of interaction, how she responded in certain situations and what she had told him in the dark of the night when nightmares wouldn’t let her sleep. ‘Seriously though, Claire, my family are going to be far more interested in you than trying to figure out if we’re dating or lying for the hell of it.’

Claire was biting off more than she could chew in a task that he thought would be so simple. When his mother said she couldn’t wait to meet his girlfriend, Owen went with it, correction stuck in his throat. Innocently and selfishly, he thought he would get away with touching her more, leaning into her side when she spoke, kissing her cheek when he thought she was brilliant, love overwhelming him. He thought, stupidly, that Claire would be comfortable enough to hold up the guise.

[…]

The house was quiet on a long street, Claire caught listening to Owen’s memories as the car rolled along the roads, his hands pointing in the dark to parklands and driveways, stories flying off his tongue. The neighbourhood was quaint, far enough from the city to pass as the suburbs but not far enough to match town life. It was the sort of place families moved to in order to let their growing children get a real childhood, local schools within walking distance, plenty of park space for extracurricular activities. In fact, she had been raised in a similar area in Madison.

It seemed so unnaturally Owen, tall teenage boy skateboarding to his friends’ places or riding his bike. It wasn’t secluded. There was no quiet space void of people. Claire couldn’t imagine his loner nature survived well in this capacity. She knew it wasn’t nurtured there regardless, that Owen’s want to be alone was born in the Navy and bred in his time there.

‘So, this is it. The final home my family moved too.’ His father was a sailor just as Owen had been, the family moving every four years to follow his career, jumping from base to base as Owen and his three brothers bounced through different schools. ‘We actually lived here when I was in Elementary and then moved, mom thought it was bittersweet that we came back and settled. I finished high school with a group of kids I actually knew. No longer the new kid but an old friend.’

‘That would have been nice.’ Claire hummed, hand in her hair, elbow leaning on the passenger door.  ‘Were they welcoming?’ Owen hummed, nodding in the dark as he turned a smile to her. They were as welcoming as a cohort of teenagers could be. He distinctly remembered that none of them had changed. A few got braces while others lost them. the girls — they changed physically, but mentally he remembered them exactly as they had been.  

‘Ready to go in?’ He asked, car parked, handbrake on, engine off in his parents’ driveway. Owen was trying not to notice the light from the front door, gold glow emitting from the open space, his mother already standing there to greet him home. ‘Fair warning; I haven’t been home in a little while and my mom can be a little overbearing at times. She means well.’ He winked at her, hand reaching over the centre console to squeeze Claire’s before he opened the door and climbed out, keys jingling in his hands.

She heard his mother greet him, her joy rising up and over the car as Claire climbed out, nerves twitching at her fingers. It had been a long time since she had stepped foot in a family home. For so long, things were just Claire and her apartment, exterior visits extending to the inside of her office and her on island apartment. It was only recently, that she started stepping into other people’s homes, Barry and Lowery, a few of Owen’s friends in San Diego. This was different; this was coming home to his parents and despite it all being a rouse, Claire really wanted them to like her. ‘You couldn’t have waited for us to knock on the door first?’ Owen teased, almost bent in half to hug his short mother, large grin on his face visible even in the dark.

Claire watched Carolyn Grady fuss over her son in the dark, squeezing him tightly before she pulled back to grasp his face in both hands. ‘You made me wait three years, I wasn’t going to wait a second longer.’

‘You haven’t been home in three years?’ Claire asked, shock slipping past her lips critiquing before she could catch it. As if forgetting herself, Carolyn jumped, almost pushing Owen aside to approach Claire, her arms outstretched.

‘I like you already; scolding!’ Carolyn chuckled, watching as her son passed them to pull Claire’s bag from the trunk of the rental car. Owen rolled his eyes, bags in one hand as the other found the small of Claire’s back and suggested that they head inside. ‘Oh look at you! Owen, she’s darling.’ Carolyn beamed, Owen and Claire now standing in the front entry of her home. She took a step back away from his mother and towards Owen, unused to someone that close inspecting her.

Owen’s hand wound around her hip, pulling her closer, his fingers splaying across her stomach in a protective hold. ‘You don’t think we can go put our things down before you smother us?’ He asked, tone light as Carolyn stepped away from them with a nod.

‘Oh, of course, how silly of me — you’ll both be in your old room, dear. I’ll go finish dinner, come down when you’re settled.’ She disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, ducking around the corner and busying herself with the promised meal.

Owen shrugged at Claire, apologising slightly as she pulled herself away from him. ‘Probably should have mentioned that I’ve never brought a girl home before and my mom has always been weird about that.’ Claire was silent, leading him up the stairs without knowing where she was going, hesitantly waiting for Owen’s instruction. ‘My brothers are all married with kids or in serious long-term relationships. I can’t tell you the number of girls that came in and out of this house when I was a kid.’ She could imagine, the walls decks in pictures of Owen’s parents and four boys varying in ages.

‘I didn’t know you had so many brothers.’ She turned a smile to him over her shoulder, waiting for Owen to step up on the landing and indicate that his room was to the left.

‘I hope you don’t mind sharing. Might be a little suspicious if I sleep on the couch.’

Claire shrugged, ‘We’re adults.’ She told him matter of fact. ‘I’m sure we can survive two nights in the same bed.’

[…]

It was easier said than done to share his teenaged double bed, the both of them unaccustomed to sleeping with another in such close proximity, their bodies warm and breaths nearby. Claire tossed and turned while he snored lightly, barely disturbing her as she failed to find sleep or a comfortable position.

He grumbled in his sleep, the sound ruffling her hair as Owen’s thick arm reached out and bit into her flesh before dragging her body towards his. Claire froze, too scared to move as his body settled around hers. She waited a beat before trying to wriggle away, body moving in a desperate attempt to free herself. Owen’s arm slipped from her, his large hand settling on her hip and squeezing, ceasing her movements. ‘I swear to God, Claire, if you don’t stop fidgeting this is going to get really awkward. Just sleep.’ He gruffed at her, eyes still closed when she turned her head to catch his gaze. her cheeks flared, red hot heat climbing across her face as she willed herself to settle in his embrace, Owen’s arm anchored over her.

When she woke, he wasn’t there, shower running down the hall as Claire sat bewildered on his side of the bed, hair a mess on her head as she stared at the wall willing sleep to lift from her. She woke on his side of the bed, still warm and smelling strongly of Owen, the man himself absent. Claire was going crazy. This was a bad idea. Only twelve hours in and she wanted to bail. He had kissed her on Main Street at the fall of Jurassic World, his mouth hot and demanding against hers. His hand was strong on the small of her back, pulling her to him, weighting her hips against his as his tongue flicked at her lips begging for entrance like their lives depended on it. He hadn’t touched her that way since, not with so much need or weight. The way he touched her, pulling her body into his as she failed to sleep, it was different but warmed her none the less, sending heat racing from top to bottom as her mind clicked into overdrive.

In the doorway, Owen made a sound, somewhere between a groan and a sigh as he stood there watching her. ‘Now there’s a sight I always wanted to see in this room. Pretty girl, messy hair, in my bed.’ He winked at her, his smile playful as she rolled her eyes and pulled herself out of his bed.

‘Shower free?’ He nodded. It really was a dream to see that sight, more so that it was Claire in the bed of his adolescent years, still waking up from her dreams. Owen had missed what she wore to bed, the woman changing and slipping under the covers before he could see, flush on her cheeks and visibly put out when he cocked his head at her. She hadn’t been planning on sharing a bed and the warm weather left her unprepared. Free from the blankets, Owen caught sight of long smooth legs, uncovered due to the sleep shorts she was wearing. The baggy t-shirt was the cherry on top, The Sex Pistols printed across the chest.

He couldn’t stop himself, Claire an inch from him as the smell of her shampoo drifted past his nose. He reached a hand out, grabbing her wrist and pulling Claire too him, Owen’s mouth landing on hers in a passionate kiss. ‘Sorry.’ He muttered, pulling away at her small squeak. ‘I thought I heard someone coming.’ His grin slid across his cheeks, Owen tearing his eyes from her face to check over his shoulder. She rolled her eyes, pulling away from him with a sharp tug as Owen’s hand tried to linger on her. ‘No harm in practice.’

[…]

‘Oh, Claire.’ Carolyn sighed. It was becoming a common sound following her name, wistful and drenched in admiration. It was as though Carolyn held her heart in her hands, offering it for sacrifice. She was completely in awe of the young woman Owen had brought home, doting on her, leaving Claire incapable of lifting a finger. They adored her. Thought the sun rose and fell in accordance to Claire’s very wishes. It was strange for Claire to be adored. Her nephews acted this way towards Owen, hung on his every word. And although Claire had once held a much coveted position at Jurassic World, no one treated her kindly for it.

James and Carolyn Grady were infatuated. Owen and women was not an idea they had previously been familiar with. Their second born was all sports, all military, all career minded. Claire was the first girl he had ever brought home; no matter the truth behind their relationship.

‘You look beautiful, darling.’ Carolyn grinned from the living room, Claire taking pause on the stairs. She had disappeared an hour ago to get dressed, knocking about in the bathroom as she did her make-up and tried to tame her hair. It was Carolyn that made her stop, the woman’s announcement loud, drawing unwanted attention to Claire. But, it was the loose jawed expression on Owen’s face that caused her heart to skip a beat.

Wickedly, she enjoyed it. He had been torturing her all day with his hand on her knee or her waist. He leant in to kiss her too many times to count, his lips lingering on her cheek or shoulder, one misguided kiss found her neck, setting Claire’s blood on fire. She couldn’t take it anymore. He was rubbing at her final nerves and wearing down a weak resolve he didn’t know existed. A perfectly innocent day with his parents left Claire fidgeting, her skin crawling with a mixture of need and impatience. All she could do was sit there and take it.

She was burning hot under the collar, her skin constantly flushed and the simple task of sitting still was becoming increasingly difficult. Claire, for one, could not wait for the weekend to be over, to escape the close proximity she was sharing with Owen.

They had a single kiss before this, caught in the moment, completely unplanned. Although, Claire wanted to argue — with the small romantic voice in her head — that they were always the best kind. Sweep you off your feet, in the heat of the moment kisses. Owen kissing her out of relief that she had saved his life on hectic Main Street was nothing more than a thankful reaction that he was still alive. She ignored all the signs that they shared sexual tension enough to fog the windows of her Isla Nublar office. At least, that was what Zara used to say — when she was still alive.

His parents looked at them as if they knew what Owen and Claire would be up to on their night shared in his tiny bedroom. Had they been a real couple, his parents might have been right. Instead, they slept uncomfortably, Claire tossing and turning until Owen had to hold her down to get his own rest.

‘You two are going to be the envy of the school!’ Carolyn grinned, ushering Claire down from the stairs as she took her in again. Her outfit was nothing special, in fact, it border-lined boring. Almost business rather than formal. She wore pants, wide leg in mustard yellow, flaring from her hip to her ankles. It almost reverted Claire right back to her tom-boy-esque roots simply for not being in a skirt. Secretly, she was thrilled in a girlish way that the trousers had pockets.

Owen grinned at her, his expression dopey as she stepped towards him. He couldn’t believe his luck. They really were going to be the envy of the guests if she was intending to look like that all night. Owen offered his arm for Claire to take as she met him on level ground, the two of them intending to head right out the door.

‘Wait, we have to get a picture!’ Carolyn hollered disappearing to find her camera before she posed them by the stairs. Owen groaned, words falling from his mouth that it wasn’t prom. ‘Not like I would know, Owen. Your date didn’t come here.’ His mother jeered in good humour, pulling a laugh out of Claire. It was in that moment she snapped the picture, Owen admiring the grin on his girlfriend’s face as Claire laughed at Carolyn.

‘C’mon, babe, we’re going to be late — and I know how you hate being late.’ Fingers intwined with hers, Owen pulled Claire towards the door.

[…]

She felt his anxiety in waves, rippling from his body as they climbed out of the car and faced the lot that housed his high school. It was surreal to be standing there, not that Claire knew it personally, but to be within the presence of adolescent memories.

‘You’re nervous?’ She stated the obvious, stepping around the car to stand beside him. Her fingers twitched at her side, daring to reach over and grasp his.

Owen shrugged, ‘I mean, these are the people who knew me as a chubby teen. I’ve tried avoiding all these people since we graduated. Only a little nervous.’ He didn’t want to admit that he was scared shitless but Owen understood that she already knew that. He wouldn’t have asked her to come if he wasn’t sure things would go smoothly. In fact, Owen invited Claire with the hopes that it would divert a little attention from himself. Claire, he could focus on directing eyes and ears to the woman beside him instead of an empty space.

Owen Grady wasn’t one for attention and when he had it, he didn’t know what to do with it.

Claire caved on her urge, taking his hand and squeezing it as she looked towards the school. ‘You’ve done so much since then.’ She promised, pulling on his hand as she stepped towards the lights of the gym. ‘Even if you show them half the man I know, they’ll think you’re wonderful.’ She grinned, teeth flashing as they stepped through the door, her hand squeezing his with tight reassurance.

Owen held his breath as she pulled him through the gym foyer, stopping at a table with a smiling brunette, the woman squinting at him for a second before her face lit up, spreading into a wide smile. ‘Owen Grady!’ She beamed, face in a slight squint as she hoped she had guessed correctly. Owen nodded, swallowing thickly as the woman scribbled his name on a sticker and handed it over. He searched for hers reading it before smiling. Rebecca. His memory was faint on her, clouded with football practice and wrestling with his brothers for who got the car on the weekend. He remembered a Rebecca, softly, in the corners of all his thoughts, always smiling and cheering him on from a distance but never approached. ‘You were harder to tack down than I expected,’ she laughed, ‘I’m surprised you even got the invitation’. Her cheeks were pink, all eyes on Owen as she flicked her gaze over his face. He stared back, nerves twitching in his fingers as he struggled to break the contact.

Claire cleared her throat. ‘Claire,’ she introduced, hand extended as she felt Owen’s arm wind around her back. Rebecca scribbled her name, just as she did for Owen, handing over the sticker and grinning at them widely.

They stepped away together, Rebecca promising she would see them again before the night was over. She bid them a good time as Claire felt Owen’s fingers flex on her hip. The gym was dark, party lights on, recreating an illusion Claire recognised from prom. It was sweet blue light, filtering over faces, hiding age as the guests stood around in small groups, drinks in their hands, getting reacquainted.

‘Okay,’ Claire stepped away from him, her hand still on his arm. ‘Game plan: we go get ourselves a drink and then you find someone you recognise.’ Her smile was small, a little nervous and comforting all the same.

Owen oozed confidence but the fact that he was nervous about interacting with a few people from his past seemed almost uncharacteristic. She followed him, letting the man take the lead towards the makeshift bar as she studied the twitch in his jaw and tense line across his shoulders.

‘You and Rebecca seemed to be pretty close.’ Claire mused, arms resting on the bar as Owen ordered their drinks. She was going to lie if he asked if she was jealous. She was. Owen couldn’t stop looking at this other woman, her kind smile and the memories that seemed to flash in her eyes. Rebecca came across friendly enough but Claire was willing to defend what she felt was hers; pretend relationship or not. It was a silly feeling, being territorial of a man she had no claim to against a woman who lived hours away. She was the one who had to sit in proximity of his warmth, share a bed in his family home and let the man touch her despite her whole body setting itself on fire whenever he did. A small payment for that would be enough in considering Owen was hers — it would be even better if she stopped denying that she wanted something more from him than their regular jogs.

He shuffled closer to her, fingers twisted to flick at the cuffs of his jacket. ‘Ah, yeah. I’m not too sure. I didn’t really talk to her in school.’ He offered, accepting their drinks when they arrived, handing one to Claire as their fingers touched, the both of them itching for it to happen again.

‘Owen Grady, as I live and breathe!’ A voice sounded behind them, loud and distinctly male as a hand clapped down on Owen’s shoulder while his arm snaked around Claire protectively, pulling her into his ribs as he turned to greet the voice. ‘Long time, no see, buddy!’ The man continued talking as Claire felt Owen’s body relax, his grip on her loosening but not quite letting go.

‘Daniel!’ He recognised the man immediately, launching into conversation without need of awkward small talk. There was a lot to catch up on when you didn’t have social media to fill the gaps, Owen refusing to give the internet that side of himself. She listened, used to being the one who was talking, as the two men discussed their youth revealing a teenaged Owen to Claire who was all about football but turned down a college scholarship.

‘Why would you turn that down?’ She asked quietly, looking up at his face with wonder in her eyes.

Owen shrugged. ‘I didn’t want to go to school. Not for sport. I wanted to be making a difference in the world, doing things with my hands immediately. Besides, if I didn’t join the Navy we would never have met.’ He squeezed her, smile on fire as his green eyes bore into hers. He looked at her like she was the only one in the room despite the fact that the space was starting to fill. She hummed, accepting his word as truth. If Owen didn’t join the Navy he would never have joined the Marines, he would never have experienced the things he had that lead him to Jurassic World. Without those crucial steps she would never have known him. Not personally. She never really thought of their lives like that.

He leant down silently, kissing the side of her head as his lips lingered out of want or show the lines were indistinguishable. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if I never met you.’ He was still looking at her, talking to her, despite the fact that Daniel was still standing there watching them intensely. ‘Claire made me a better man.’ He turned his gaze away from her, returning it to Daniel as Claire stared at him.

‘God, I wish my ex-husband still spoke about me like that.’ Another joined their small group, her name tag reading Jane. Claire was focused on Owen, noticing those growing around them, making faces at him as they recognised their former jock. His fingers were tight on her hip, her hands sliding into the back pocket of his pants and staying there as her champagne glass was replaced with water.

‘No, really.’ Owen offered them, adults in disbelief. ‘I was a mess until I met her. She gave me focus, drive. I mean, most of it was to impress her — but I wanted to keep being better for Claire and in turn, when she finally let me. She helped me further. I wouldn’t usually be seen dead wearing this.’ He laughed, getting the small group to do so too as he pulled Claire into his chest in a half hug as she rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to lie if asked; but she had bullied him only a little into wearing a suit that actually fit rather than the chino and button up combo he wanted to go with. They were the smartest dressed there, by the looks of it and Claire wasn’t remotely put off by that.

‘I could say the same for you.’ She told him honestly. ‘You made me softer.’ Claire forgot for a moment that there were people around them, group growing bigger by the minute as eyes watched them with envy, some divorced, others married happily or not so. Owen spoke of Claire with such tenderness they all had forgotten what it felt like to be loved. Even she felt her frozen heart begin to thaw, warmth spreading through her blood like a warm drink in the pits of winter.

‘How long have you two been married?’ Another voice asked, leaning against the body of their partner.

Claire flashed her bare hand as she smiled shyly, Owen tugging her closer. ‘We’re not.’

Another voice hummed, ‘Ah, that’s what it is. You guys were at Jurassic World, right? They’re still living off the Honeymoon Period from risking their lives.’ Owen shrugged, showing off a slight smirk as he let the group assume what they wanted to.

‘I mean, Claire singlehandedly holds up one of the biggest corporations in the world. Who wouldn’t be in love with a woman who could step on the throats of men but choses to show you mercy? I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.’ He grinned, turning the attention from them to her as a few men started asking questions about her work and Claire shot back facts and figures like he used to be able to play football. He was nothing in this room, a Marine who trained dolphins morphed man who used to train Velociraptors. Had they been a year earlier on this event he would have been the interesting one. But it was Claire, who brought Masrani Global back from the brink who deserved the attention in a room full of people who knew him but were not familiar with her. Besides, his favourite thing to do was listen to her. Admittedly, he never did a good job of it when they were on the island, often leaning into Barry and holding their own conversation. Since life as they knew it fell apart, Owen spent as much time as possible absorbing the sound of her voice and breaking down her opinions into dot points in his head. He couldn’t get enough of her even now, when he was spending more time with her than he ever had. Owen just never wanted to miss the opportunity where he didn’t know her thoughts, opinions, and general comments on the world.

Mentally, he took a step back while physically standing beside her watching her command the group who asked personal and business questions Claire answering them and asking others back. He disappeared to get her another drink, finding her another glass of water as he found another beer.

‘Oh, c’mon, Owen get the girl something with a little kick in it.’ A woman he didn’t recognise but had come to know was the wife of a class mate teased as he handed Claire her drink. She shook her head, telling the woman whose name tag read Kate that she was happy with water. ‘Your doctor will attest; one glass of wine is perfectly okay.’ Kate offered as Claire stuttered trying to put her meaning together.

‘Hey, you love this song. Want to dance?’ Owen interjected, pulling on Claire’s arm as he moved for the dance floor.

‘Owen did she just suggest that I was pregnant?’ Claire stuttered, following him as she put her glass down on a stray table before letting Owen sway her into an easy waltz. He shrugged at her, smile crooked and joyful as he bent to kiss her cheek.

‘No use running around and correcting them. We’re already lying anyway.’

‘You really want people to think we’re expecting a child?’

‘Nothing wrong with that? Far more interesting than your diets.’ He teased, fondness sparking in his eyes. ‘Claire,’ he started, a little wistful. ‘I like you.’

She winced. ‘That’s very high school.’

Owen rolled his eyes. ‘Okay. Sorry.’ She nodded, accepting the bemused apology. ‘Hey, Claire,’ he started again.

‘Hey, Owen.’ She echoed.

‘I don’t want this to be a lie.’ They swayed, moving to the music as Owen lead them around the floor ignoring all eyes and smiles and familiar waves. ‘I don’t want to go back to San Diego the way things were. I don’t want to lie about how much I adore you, Claire. Because I do, so much and it kills me that I can’t say it to your face in fear of you pushing me away.’ His grip on her was soft, barely there, letting Claire know that she could pull away if she needed. He wasn’t going to hold her down.

Claire sighed, fingers playing with the lapel of his jacket as she watched them move unable to look up into his green eyes. She laughed softly, the sound a little bitter as she stepped closer to him. ‘I have been waiting for you to make a move for a year.’ Her laugh bubbled a little louder. ‘Because you kissed me on Main Street and then nothing I thought — I don’t know, that it was heat of the moment and I was the first warm body within reach.’ Claire felt his head drop to the top of hers, his forehead light against her hair as he sighed breath ruffling red strands.

His hand found her chin, index finger lifting her face to his as he pulled away from her slightly. Claire blinked, feeling her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks as Owen’s face drew closer to hers. He kissed her lightly at first, testing the waters before applying a little more force, Claire melting under his touch as she opened her mouth to him.

‘I promise to never stop doing that, if you’ll let me.’

She bit her lip, nodding at him with acceptance, unable to find her voice. All in one Owen took her breath away and made her crumble to the ground, his hand on the small of her back was the only think keeping her upright, Claire sure she would fall apart if he let go. She laughed, sound bubbling up her throat, unable to hold it back as it drifted over them; Owen quirking his head at her.

‘We are so dense.’ She told him, still giggling as Owen moved them back into their dance. He echoed her words as she had done to him.

They were dense and stupid and absolutely ridiculous. He had wasted a year in her presence because he didn’t want to cross a line and she thought he wasn’t interested in her. Owen had never seen himself in someone else's life as long as he had been in Claire’s. That should have been sign enough for her that he was the real deal, looking for a life with her but unable to find the words.

[lawschoolruinedme]

Hi! I'm going to Canada soon! Just wondering if you had any local tips for the Toronto, French Canada, Vancouver or Rockies area? 😊

Holy shit you’re going to be seeing a lot of Canada (this also seriously reminded me of the “seeing all of Canada” bit in this song)

Toronto

Obvious tourist places: Hockey Hall of Fame; CN Tower; Zoo; Canada’s Wonderland Amusement Park; St. Lawrence Market etc. 

Fun outdoors stuff includes: Niagara Falls is only about 1 ½ hr drive from Toronto, and the Canada side has way more to do 

Toronto has a TON of fun escape rooms

Fran’s Restaurant and Bar for old school Diner Brunch

If you’re a sports person, there’s nothing quite like Real Sports Bar & Grill at the Air Canada Centre

Best Mac & Cheese in the world at Elephant & Castle

Vancouver

There are the obvious tourist places of Stanley Park; Seawall; Olympic Village, etc. 

Fun outdoors stuff includes: Grouse Grind; Lynn Canyon; Crystal Falls (Coquitlam);  hiking the Chief; Belcarra beach

Go to Granville Island and eat at a restaurant that only serves fish caught that same day (there’s a couple of them, but it’s a hell of an experience)

Rockies

Maybe avoid the Rockies a bit because they’re, ya know, kinda on fire right now

[mmwm]

Welcome to day 20 of 28 Days of Have Heaven, a short month of posts about heaven, paradise, perfection and desire, perfect places, art, theology, gardens, and more, using the Enya song “China Roses” as a jumping off point. Each post will look at these elements in itself, which may not obviously connect with the others, and which may only peripherally be related. I won’t attempt to tie the posts together. They’ll all be listed here, as they are posted ________________________________________________________________

This post is doubling as my Wednesday Vignette post (though it will be much much more texty and imagey than a vignette), and I am taking as my subject Anna’s subject at Flutter & Hum, the host of WV: Anticipation, and not just anticipation but anticipation of the upcoming flower & garden show in my area (hers is this week in Seattle).

There is something indeed heavenly about the Boston Flower & Garden Show, this year from 13-17 March, in the middle of our snowy and cold New England winter. Sure, “Spring” is only a few days afterward, but since it’s chilly, muddy, snowy, and gusty through much of April and can even snow in May here in central New Hampshire, it’s literally cold comfort to celebrate Spring on 20 March (5:58 p.m. ET to be exact) … though the quality of light is already changing, a foretaste of warmer, brighter, longer days to come.

*

This will be a bit tongue in cheek, because I don’t think of heaven as a proper place (more of a heterotopia, if I had to locate it), but as I anticipate attending the heavenly heterotopia of the Boston Flower & Garden show in a few weeks (Theme: The Beauty of Balance), let’s consider gardens in general and the flower show (which I’ve enjoyed for the past eight years) in particular in terms of (mostly Biblical) descriptions of heaven.

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).

The Quran also speaks of mansiony elements — raised couches, cups, cushions, carpets — which are very well represented each year at the flower show:

“With their effort [they are] satisfied. In an elevated garden, wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech. Within it is a flowing spring. Within it are couches raised high and cups put in place and cushions lined up and carpets spread around.” (Q. 88:8-16)

In (permaculture) gardens, there are many garden beds and borders, which we prepare and nurture for plants, pollinators, fungi, soil critters, birds, reptiles and amphibians, et al., as well as other separate spaces like patios, decks, allées, sheds, croquet lawns, composting areas, greenhouses, barns, orchards, food forests, fruit guilds, annual vegetable gardens, herb spirals, water gardens and aquaculture, and so on. Whether compact or spacious, small or large, garden spaces serve as inviting homes for many resident and visiting species — very mansiony!

greenhouse and gardens at Steve Whitman’s, Plymouth NH, Sept. 2014

At the flower show are also, prepared for us, numerous abodes — patios, pools, treehouses, yoga spaces, cabins, sheds, outdoor kitchens, chickens coops, tiny houses, and gardens for all species, as well as cushions, chairs, and couches:

patio with chair and waterfall, 2013

lovely (and open to interpretation) rug, mossy sofa, Kirsten Van Dijk, 2015

Pine Harbor post-and-beam shed, 2015

yoga platform, 2011

house with entryway garden, 2012

patio including couches, 2013

patio with chairs, glasses, Magma Design Group, 2015

shed, Heimlich Nurseries, 2016

stone house with roof of evergreen, Maine Stonework, 2017

kitchen and bathroom in Jamaica Cottage tiny house, 2017

chairs, fire pit, patio, Oakwood Landscaping, 2017 (photo by spouse)

outdoor kitchen with grill, fridge, Oakwood Landscape, 2017

shed living, flower roof, topiary, Miskovsky-Haskell, 2018

little house, and patio, Oakwood Landscaping, 2018

teepee, Samantha’s Garden, 2018

couch and cushions inside teepee

And this, I mean, this is heaven!

2014

There are also mansions for insects and chickens:

Yard Birds chicken enclosure, Urban Homestead Pavilion, 2016

Smart Bee hive, Urban Homestead Pavilion, 2016

mason and other bee housing, 2017

And even a bocce ball court and Zen garden in this paradise:

bocce ball court and balls, 2013

zen garden, Joseph Gray Stonework-Pleasant View Gardens, 2018

*

“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17).

Nothwithstanding that a little heat would be lovely right about now here, lots of garden structures — including pergolas, some lattices, canopies, gazebos, awnings — work to minimize summer sunlight.

pergola full of bees, Wave Hill, Riverdale, May NY, 2015

And from the Boston flower show in years past:

elaborate outdoor room with fabric canopy and drapes, floor covering, elegant furniture (and lots of Canary Island broom plants), Interiors by M.S. (Maria Sadeck), March 2014

pergola and fire pit, Oakwood Landscape, March 2017

The Bible mentions living fountains of waters and the heaven of the Quran is full of rivers, as well as “gardens of pleasure” (sometimes translated as “gardens of bliss”) and “gardens of perpetual residence” (also translated as “Gardens of Eden”):

“Beneath them rivers will flow in the Gardens of Pleasure. Their call therein will be, ‘Exalted are You, O Allah,’ and their greeting therein will be, ‘Peace.’” (Q. 10:9-10) and  “Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow.” (Q. 18:31)

Most gardens, private and botanical, have some kind of water feature, whether a bird bath; sandy, stony butterfly and dragonfly pool; fountain or waterfall; pond for ducks, fish, aquaculture, swimming, paddling around, or simply visual pleasure; creek or stream; reflecting pool; water garden; or wet-have-you.

Below, clockwise from upper left, from The Fells, Newbury, NH; Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA; Tarbin Gardens, Franklin, NH; Bedrock Gardens, Lee, NH; children’s garden, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA; Italian Water Gardens, Longwood; our garden, Waterboro, ME; tadpoles at Bedrock Gardens; and Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, MA.

And of course the Boston flower show is water-filled, just like heaven:

stepping stones, 2011

pool, Liquid Landscapes, I think, 2012

stone waterfall, 2012

EDEN by the Charles bridge and pool with koi, 2014

water wheel, Joseph Gray, 2015

goldfish in vertical aquarium, Rutland Nurseries, 2015

amusing spitting water sculpture, Joseph Gray Stonework, 2017

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“The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst” (Revelation 21:19-20).

Gardens may not typically be full of precious gemstones and jewels but the flowers, fruits, berries, and foliage therein are certainly jewel-toned and gem-coloured.

For the record, jasper is often red, due to iron content, though there is a rare greenish form; sapphire is usually a saturated blue; chalcedony usually has a soft blue or greyish white translucence; emeralds are a deep green; sardonyx is a flat-banded white, brown, and red stone; sardius (aka carnelian) is a brownish-blood red; chrysolite (aka peridot) could refer to either a yellowish-green sapphire or an olive-green tourmaline; beryl comes in many colours, and both emerald and aquamarine are beryls; topaz is yellowish brown in nature but can also be deep golden-orange, yellow, pink, red, and blue; chrysoprase is a translucent, bright apple or grassy green variety of chalcedony; jacinth (or hyacinth) is a blue stone; and amethyst (in Hebrew ahlamah, literally “dream stone”) is a violet-purple. (There is some question about the colour of a few of these in Biblical times; more info here.)

From Boston flower shows past:

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“The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21).

shimmery pearlyish masterwort (Astrantia major), in my garden, July 2017

Not a pearly gate but a beautiful ironwork one outside a garden in Charleston, SC:

The Boston flower show has gates!

lavender outside wall and gates, 2012

Newport Flower Show display, 2016

Chinese gate/garden, 2013

No gold or clear pathways that I have noticed, in any gardens or at the flower show, but still, lovely walkways abound (clockwise: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; Heritage Gardens, Sandwich, MA; Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA; Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA; The Mount, Lenox, MA; and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens):

At the Boston flower show, this Rutland Nurseries patio material, pearly shells, struck my fancy; I’d really prefer a shell, stone, or sand walkway to gold, even clear gold:

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“In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2).

So, apparently there’s a tree that bears 40 different stone fruits, but one tree bearing twelve kinds is pretty cool, heaven.

The heaven of the Quran offers fruits too, and a non-intoxicating drink:

“Those will have a provision determined — fruits; and they will be honored in gardens of pleasure on thrones facing one another. There will be circulated among them a cup from a flowing spring, white and delicious to the drinkers; no bad effect is there in it, nor from it will they be intoxicated” (Q. 37:40-47)

Fruit tree guilds are a thing in permaculture gardening — my two peaches have been over-bearing, in the best way, the past couple of years:

Other friends, depending on where they live, grow lemons, limes, oranges, kiwis, lots of berries, pears, plums, apples, grapes. Public gardens grow fruits, too, all kinds, in greenhouses and conservatories, and outside as well; here is a smattering from Longwood Gardens (nectarines, figs, grapefruit), Bedrock Gardens, Lee, NH (Asian pears, espaliered apples), and Distant Hill Garden, Walpole, NH (red seckel pears):

The Boston flower show has skimped a bit on fruiting trees, though it usually showcases ornamental plums and similar and offers a fair number of veggie garden and herbal options. Below are a container garden with an orange, an espaliered apple, a semi-edible garden with a fig, and some cranberries that were part of an Ocean Spray display — a bit paltry:

The show could definitely improve in terms of heavenliness, Garden of Edenness, with more edible gardens and fruits. Maybe some nut trees and shrubs too? A 40-fruiting tree could solve the problem.

I wonder: Might the circulating cup of delicious and non-intoxicating drink spoken of in the Quran passage be this Pellegrino (from an eternal spring, obviously, not recyclable bottles), possibly enhanced with juice of the lemon or lime? (Probably not that rose’ wine just beyond …)

Oakwood Landscape display, 2017

  “There is more pleasure in making a garden than in contemplating a paradise.” — Anne Scott-James, English journalist and garden writer

Featured image: opalescent hellebore bloom, Heimlich Nurseries display, 2018

Write 28 Days: Have Heaven ~ Day 20 :: Anticipation Welcome to day 20 of 28 Days of Have Heaven, a short month of posts about heaven, paradise, perfection and desire, perfect places, art, theology, gardens, and more, using the Enya song "China Roses" as a jumping off point.