#but it’ll probably work just fine as long as you introduced yourself if you wanna be a certain someone or yourself!!

[ssweetiebop]

*looks left and right*

Pssstt…

I made a Kim bot on Poe ai.. didn’t test him too much.

(But he seems to know who Harry is and his own lore.)

Go wild!!!

[foodandfolklore]

Finding balance in your spirituality

So often, we see photos and videos of elaborate spells and rituals with perfectly drawn salt circles, massive crystals, and herbs from all across the world. The casters look stunning wearing deer skulls and flowing robes while surrounded by trees and lit candles. It looks fantastic and feels right to you. And then you look around where you are. You probably live some place modern that doesn’t naturally radiate the same kind of vibes you’re hoping for. But hey, that’s okay! You just need to dress up the place. Maybe also get some of the stuff for doing spells like a cauldron, that pretty wand, some antlers, and ooo! Look at all the crystals! Just add to the cart aaaaand.....WOW that’s a lot of money! Okay fine, you pick one or two things to start with. Maybe a wee piece of rose quartz and a fancy candle. You already have salt and other herbs in your kitchen, so you’re going to do some self love meditation. You found a video for one. You need to do it every morning for 15 minutes, siting by a window or outside. You do the meditation for two days; and then on day three you wake up late you don’t have time. Day four, you’re really tired and just wanna stay in bed those few extra minutes. Then by day five, maybe you forget. When you remember later you decide it’s more effort than it’s worth and stop bothering. This blog is not meant to bash on “Witch Esthetic”, Elaborate rituals or meditations. I fully endorse expressing yourself in fashion and decoration the way you vibe with, as well as doing magic that works for you. The problem I’ve found is so often, magic is being presented to people in a way that is not sustainable long term. At lest for them. Too often we look at a set of instructions and think we need to follow it exactly. But just because it worked for the person who wrote the instructions, doesn’t always mean it’ll work for the person following the instructions. 

I want to introduce ideas and solutions for people to do magic in the every day. Instead of adding a new ritual that you need to find time for, I want to find ways to incorporate activities you already do day to day and infuse them with magic. Or at lest find ways to make doing spells less of a physical endeavor, and just have more fun with it. Magic shouldn’t feel like a chore. 

[lavenderbexlatte]

day 28 - edging

nct 1.2k words gender neutral reader insert Reader x Dong Sicheng (Winwin) NSFW

🖤 warnings: oral sex (m receiving), the joy of being asked to do something fun n sexy for your partner, banter obviously, orgasm denial also obviously 🖤

🎂 happy winwin day~

kinktober masterlist

connect with me! / masterlist

If he asks for something, it means that he really, really wants it.

You can count on one hand how many times Sicheng has had a real, serious, genuine request for you, about anything in your relationship. He's opinionated, though he is pretty easy-going, so it's not like he just acquiesces to anything to you say.

Rather, Sicheng is the type who just does what he wants.

When he wants to eat something specific? He just gets it. If he wants something to change? He changes it, or waits for it to change. He communicates just fine, and he does like to complain for the sake of complaining, but there are very few things that he specifically requests from you.

So this question is a delightful change.

"Do you think you could try doing something new, for me?"

You glance over at him, sitting in front of his computer while you're working at yours. He isn't looking at you, but his gaming headset is off one ear, expectant.

"For you? Anything."

"Don't give me free rein like that," he says, still in his usual calm, almost deadpan tone. "I'm a monster. I'll go wild."

You laugh. "Tell me and then I'll judge."

He looks slightly embarrassed, already, as he says, "You gotta promise to take me seriously."

"When don't I?"

"When don't you? Whenever you feel like it."

True, but come on. You wouldn't squander a rare opportunity to do something - anything, it could honestly be anything, in any realm of life - specially requested by your very stoic and self-sufficient favorite guy.

Once he asks, you understand his hesitation, unnecessary though it may be.

And once you actually get the chance to do the thing that he's asked you to do, you can't help but wonder how many other excellent, excellent desires are inside that pretty head.

It's a few days after he made his awkward little request, long enough that he probably started to wonder if he needed to bring it up again to remind you. As if you could forget, honestly. As if you haven't been waiting for an unhurried evening alone to get things going.

Sicheng is pretty vanilla, is the thing.

And you like that just fine, of course. Nothing wrong with having tendencies toward the safe and comfortable and kind. It just means that you almost can't believe that there's a new game on the table for you two, and that he introduced it.

"Are you sure?" you check in, for what must be the fifth time.

It must be at least that many, because Sicheng's expression is flat and unimpressed. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have asked."

"Good point."

He's naked, and just to make things fair and comfortable, so are you.

You admire his lithe dancer's body as he sits on the edge of the bed, as you plan out exactly how this will work. Sicheng's arm loops around your waist as you stand there beside him - any kind of distance also seems like it's not a great idea, for this trial run of something new. His head leans against your side, and his quiet affection definitely helps you frame the experience properly.

Nice. More than anything, you want to be nice to him. Spoil him. Let him know that of course, he can ask for things, and of course you don't mind giving him everything he wants.

No matter how counterintuitive that is.

Because what Sicheng wants...

"I think I'll do it from here," you say. "If that's okay."

You sink, then, to your knees. It's not the most comfortable for you, but you think it'll do well for him this time, so you can manage.

"Your legs are gonna hurt."

"I don't mind."

Sicheng looks dubiously down at you, even as he strokes over your head, easily in reach. "There's better ways to-"

"I wanna have you up there," you insist.

And you want yourself down here, you don't say. Below him, literally, psychologically. Not threatening. Not domineering, even if technically you're in control. Whatever you can do to make it more comfortable for him, you're going to do it.

"Alright."

But for the moment, being on the floor isn't going to help.

You're down here, and his mouth is up there. And you want to kiss Sicheng. You have to. So you do just that, surging up to meet his plush, beautiful lips, to snake your arms around his shoulders and settle your hand in his hair.

He's just so gorgeous. You almost can't stand it. Sculpted face, delicate features, planes of lean muscle and flawless skin...

And right now, his beautiful flushed cock, insistent against your thigh as you lean into him with one knee planted on the mattress between his spread legs. He's been half-hard with anticipation this whole time, but as you kiss him - nearly devour him, you're so excited - you can feel him responding in kind.

There's no telling how long you're at it, biting his lips swollen, hand roaming his shoulder, his back, tugging at the short hair at the nape of his neck just to annoy him, before you decide that it's been long enough.

You drop back to your knees.

"You're double sure?"

Sicheng manages to glare at you, even through the haze of arousal. "Yes, I'm goddamn-"

"Just checking."

He's so cute when he's mad.

You settle onto your folded legs as best you can, knowing that eventually your legs are going to fall asleep, and eventually you'll have to move. But for now, your focus is on him.

Sicheng and his pretty, pretty cock, standing proudly in front of you at this angle.

When you finally take him into your mouth, you relish the way he groans, the way his hands fly to your head to hold you - but not push you, ever the gentleman - in place. Working a good pace on him is easy, and before you know it, you've got Sicheng hissing your name, throbbing against your tongue.

The weight of him is satisfying, but eventually you pull back to the head, wrapping your hand around his length to work him over that way, instead.

You need to pay close attention, for this to work.

"Close?" you mumble.

You can barely see him nod in your peripherals, too honest, and the way he swells against your grip affirms it.

Just as his breath catches, you stop.

Mouth off, hands off, leaving him there obscene and glistening and untouched. His whine is glorious, his deep voice cracking over the sound and letting his desperation spill out.

He wanted you to edge him, you're going to edge him.

It wasn't a request you'd ever expected from Sicheng, that's true. But now that you've started, you don't know how you ever lived without this sight, these sounds, this gorgeous reality of him with his head thrown back and his skin flushed and his nerves on edge.

When he calms down, you go right back in for more.

Build him up.

Let him hang at the precipice for a moment.

And then stop.

The second time, he doesn't tell you when he's close. You know him well enough to guess, but you barely catch yourself before you stroke him to release.

The third time, you stop completely and reach for his face, to make him look at you, to check in. It's still the first time you've done this together, after all. You'd hate to push him too far, do too much too quickly.

"How many times d'you think you can do this?" you ask, more of a musing than a challenge.

But Sicheng meets you with a voice as steady as ever. "As many times as you can."

[libraryofloveletters]

hi! so i came across your blog just a couple days ago and i love your fics! if possible i have a request for an eddie diaz and buckley!read fic? it might sound like a weird idea and it might not follow the time line. but the reader is a buckley, her and eddie slept together and they were about to start dating. then his wife comes back and the reader leaves la because of that reason. she then comes back 3ish years later with a daughter. her siblings know it’s eddie’s baby and tries to get the reader to tell her, but she doesn’t want to. then eddie some how finds out (you can pick how) and then he tells her that he wants to be apart of both there lives. and one last thing, can the daughter be names stella? (i hope this isn’t to detailed!)

thank you and i hope you have a great day! 😊❤️

Build A Home With Me

Eddie Diaz x Buckley!Reader 

Warnings: fem!reader, slight insinuation of cheating, mentions of pregnancy, secret keeping, sibling teasing, alcohol and consumption of

Category: Angst and Fluff, lil mix of both :) 

Word Count: 5k

Author’s Note: First of all, thank you for the sweet words! I loved this request and I loved writing it! I hope you liked it!! <3

---

“What time are they going to be back ?” Eddie gets up off the bed, you shrug and grab your phone. You watched as Eddie got dressed, somehow this man always looked perfect. “Y/n ? What time are they coming back ?” he stops in front of the bed, the sound of the front door unlock causing the both of you to look towards your bedroom door. 

“Well, I guess now” 

“Y/n!” he half whispers, half shouts. “They’re going to kill me” he says, leaning down and tossing your clothes at you. “Not they Eddie, Buck. Buck’s gonna kill you” you laugh. 

“Y/n ?! We’re home!” your sister shouted from downstairs. You were currently staying with your sister, Maddie, while you came to visit LA. She was kind enough to let you stay with her because frankly, your brother could be a pain in the ass with all his routines. 

“Coming!” you shout back, Eddie grabs your arm as you go to open the door. “My shoes are downstairs” he looks at you, “okay and ? Come down and get them” 

“They're down there” his eyes go wide, the idea of your siblings seeing him was absolutely outrageous to him. 

“Eddie, I'm a grown woman. I don't think they’ll care.” 

“I do! I have to work with Buck, do you know how hard it’ll be if he’s upset about this ?” 

“Would you relax? He’s slept with 90% of my friends. Let’s go” you grab Eddie’s hand and pull him down the stairs with you. “Why are you walking so loud fu-” your brother stopped in his tracks. 

His little sister and his best friend. Holding hands. Coming down the stairs. 

Together. 

“Ed- how- wait what ? Since when?” Buck didn't know if he should be upset or congratulate them. “Buck, what’s wrong?” Maddie walks into the living room to see the 3 of you by the stairs. 

“Oh hey Eddie, wanna stay for dinner ?” 

Buck looks over at Maddie, she didn't seem surprised about the fact that their little sister just came down from her room with Eddie. “Did you know ?” Buck asks her, “I mean yeah, the walls in here aren't exactly thick” she laughs. Eddie’s face was a mix of shame and embarrassment. Buck didn't say anything, he just left the 2 of you by the stairs with Maddie. Eddie looks down at you and glances over to the direction Buck headed in. You shake your head and grab his hand again, giving it a little squeeze. 

“Come on guys, dinner’s going to get cold” Maddie smiles, walking towards the kitchen. The two of you follow her to the kitchen. Dinner was quiet, just talk about work and if you plan on moving out to LA which was still undecided as of now. Maddie asked you to help her get another bottle of wine, leaving the guys at the table together. 

“How long ?” Buck slouched in the chair, taking a sip of his beer. Eddie couldn't remember the last time he felt like this, he knows Buck is his best friend but right now, Buck was y/n’s brother and not his best friend. 

“A few days after you introduced us at the station” 

Eddie watched Buck. He was doing the math in his head, Eddie’s fingers drummed against his knees under the table, Buck looked over at him. “That’s almost 4 months” 

“It is” 

“And you didn’t tell me”

“Buck, man, she didn't want anyone to know” 

“Yeah she’s always been a private person” Eddie gave him a slight smile. “Did you introduce her to Chris ?” 

“Yeah, a few weeks ago. They really like each other” 

Maddie’s voice interrupted their conversation. “I have pie, who wants?” she turns to the fridge, the men give her a mumble which she takes as a yes. You make your way back over to the table, standing behind your brother’s chair. 

“So?” your hand rested on his shoulder, his hand comes up and pats yours, he glances over his shoulder and smiles at you. 

“Really ?” you smile at him, he nods. You lean down and kiss his cheek. Eddie watches the two of you, you remind him a lot of his relationship with his sisters when he lived at home. Maddie comes back to the table with a few plates in one hand and a pie in the other. 

“I should get going” Eddie stands from his seat, “Oh are you sure ? You don't want to stay for dessert ?” Maddie asks him, he shakes his head. 

“Thank you but I should get home to Chris” he comes around the table and pats Buck’s shoulder on his way over to Maddie. 

“Thank you for dinner” he gives her a hug, she wraps her arms around him.

“Anytime, come by anytime and it doesn’t have to be just to sleep with her,” she laughs, “you can just hang out if you want” 

“Hey, I'll walk you out” you reach for his hand, Eddie follows you to the door. He stepped outside, the cool air blowing into the house, you leaned against the door. 

“How long until the team knows?” you ask, he chuckles. “Maddie’ll tell Chim, Chim’ll tell Hen, she’ll tell Athena and then Bobby’ll find out” 

“So let’s give it two days ?” 

“2 days.” 

The two of you are just standing there, looking at each other, not saying anything. Eddie grabs your hands, “can I tell you something ?” 

“Anything” 

“You know how I'm trying to get Chris into that new school ? And I went for the interview” 

“Yeah, did everything go okay ?” 

“Yeah no, everything’s fine. It’s just that, uh- well you see,” 

“Eddie, spit it out” 

“They want to interview Shannon” he looks at you, your face is unreadable. Eddie’s brows furrow, he’s trying to read your expression. 

“His mom, right? Did you tell her? Because if that’s what it’ll take to get Chris in, you should tell her” 

Eddie sighed, a feeling of relief washed over him, “I thought you’d be upset” 

“Why ? It’s for Chris plus, nothing’s going on between you guys, right ?” looking at him, you were now trying to read his expressions. 

“Nothing’s happening, I haven’t seen her in years”  

Eddie gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. You smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. “Go home now, they're probably wondering where I am” you whisper to him, Eddie’s hands come up to your face. 

“Goodnight y/n”

“Good night Eddie” 

--

Anger, sadness, you didn't know which one you felt the most of right now. 

Eddie stood across from you, the two of you were in the living room of his house. Initially you had come by to spend the day with him and Chris, and to see how the interviews went. Upon arriving, you realized that Chris wasn’t home, Eddie told you that he was out with Shannon for lunch. 

“I didn’t- no, let me explain.” he looked over at you, taking a step over to you. You stepped back, you didn't want to be near him right now. 

“Explain then.” 

“She was feeling vulnerable, she felt like what happened to Chris was her fault and she was crying. She was blaming herself and felt horrible for leaving. I was just trying to comfort her.” 

“you couldn't comfort her without kissing her ?” you spat, your words laced with anger.

“Y/n, I didn't mean too. I pulled away, she kissed me” he tried to defend himself. 

You asked him the impossible question, the one he knew was coming, the one he didn't have an answer too. 

“Do you still love her?” you looked over at him, his answer would determine the rest of this relationship. 

“I’ll always love her, she's Christopher’s mother.” 

“Eddie, yes or no. Do you love her ? It doesn’t matter if she’s Chris’s mom.”

Eddie didn't say anything, he just stood there. You nodded, running your hand through your hair. Picking up your bag, you pull something out of your bag. Eddie watched your every move, he could see the hurt on your face, he truly never meant to hurt you, that was never his intention. Stepping towards him, you shove the picture frame from your bag to him. 

“This was for you” you say, Eddie looks down at the frame. It was a picture of the 3 of you. The 2 of you had taken Chris to the zoo one weekend and taken a few pictures, it was a picture from that weekend in one of the colourful frames from the gift shop. 

“When did you -” 

“It doesn’t matter.” 

Eddie followed your steps to the door, he watched you walk out on him. Once you go to the car, you look back at him, “You know, I hope things work out between you and Shannon, for Chris’s sake. He deserves to have both of his parents in his life.” 

Once again, Eddie doesn't say anything. He watches as you get in the car and pull out of the driveway. He watches you drive down the street, he watches until he can no longer see you. 

On the other side of the city you sat in the car. How do you tell your siblings that you ended it with Eddie because he kissed his wife? It’s not that you didn’t know he was married, he had told you but he also told you that it didn't even count to him, she wasn’t around. 

Was there even something to end ? 

The two you aren’t exactly exclusive nor did you ever say that you weren’t dating. Maddie and Buck were both at work, you took the time to go inside and pack up your things. You didn't want to leave like this but you couldn’t bring yourself to tell them in person, simply for the selfish reason that it would hurt you and to see Buck’s face when you have to tell him why you’re leaving would break you. You took all these things into consideration when you wrote the letter to them. 

To my Buck and Maddie, 

I love you both dearly, let me just start by saying that. I’m sorry that I had to leave so suddenly and with no explanation. There’s nothing here for me, at least not what I came in search of.

The two of you are my whole world, you know that. These last 5 months have been some of my favourites but our time has come to an end, at least for now. I promise I’ll come back and visit soon but I can’t stay here, not right now. I need to leave, to get myself together. I know what the two of you are thinking right now (I’m a Buckley too, don’t forget that) that you can help me get myself together but you can’t.

The reason why I’m leaving is Eddie. Well, not entirely, he didn’t tell me to leave but I feel like I should, for his sake and for Chris’s. As you both know, Eddie and I have been seeing each other but we never made it official, we just - well I just assumed we were. I went to see him today and he said he kissed Shannon and he still loves her, he “always will” so I told him that whatever we had is over and that I hope things work out for him and Shannon because Chris deserves his parents in his life, together, if they can make it work. I couldn’t tell you this in person because it would hurt, hurt me and hurt the both of you. Please remember it was my choice to leave, don’t take it out on Eddie (especially you Buck) he didn’t do anything wrong, I knew he was still married to her. If anything, I was the other woman and I don’t know why I allowed myself to get sucked into that.

Regardless of what happened between Eddie and I, don’t let that change the way you treat him. He’s a good man and he deserves happiness. I’ll find mine too, even if it’s not with him. I love you both, I’ll call you when I get home.

All my love,

Y/n.

---

*4 years later*

Buck’s birthday was this weekend. He didn’t have plans but in Buckley fashion, Maddie wouldn’t let his birthday go uncelebrated. Hence why you found yourself wandering the terminal at the airport, waiting on your brother to pick you up. 

“Uncle Buck!” the little girl shouted and sprinted down the terminal to the man in the green shirt. “Stella!” he shouted, meeting her halfway and picking her up. You made your way over to your brother, “hey birthday boy” you smile and pull him in for a hug. “Hey you, you know it’s not my birthday yet right ?” 

“I know, can't I be excited ? I missed your stupid face” 

“Oh thanks” he rolls his eyes playful, he’s carrying Stella with one arm and pulling a suitcase with the other. You tugged the other suitcase alone with you as the 3 of you make your way over to the car. Buck gets Stella strapped into the car suit and then gets in. Halfway through the drive, Stella falls asleep, she kept insisting on staying up the entire plane ride and kept talking about how excited she was to see her aunt and uncle. The car ride was quiet for the most part. Buck asked how your flight was, he caught you up on his life, you told him about Stella’s first day of school. 

“Who’s coming tomorrow ?” 

“Maddie and Chim, Hen and Karen, Bobby and Athena,” 

“Bobby and Athena.. as a couple ?” 

“Yeah, they got married”

“And neither of you told me?” you smacked his arm, he whined.

“Hey! I'm driving! anyways, Eddie and Chris are coming too” 

That’s who you really asked the question about, you wanted to know if you’d be seeing him tomorrow. 

“How’s Chris ?” 

“He’s good, he’s grown up a lot since you last saw him.”

The rest of the drive was quiet, you watched as the cars passed by and you couldn't help but think what could have been if maybe things had ended differently. Buck carried a sleeping Stella up to his apartment, you followed him with the luggage. Chim opened the door, Buck went to carry Stella up to his bed so she could get a proper nap. Chim helped you with the luggage. 

“Y/n! it’s so good to see you again” he hugs you, you smile. “It’s good to see you too! I missed you guys. Where's the boss lady ?” you follow Chim’s glance to the stairs, Maddie was giving Stella a kiss as Buck took her up. 

“Mads!” 

“Y/n!” 

She came down and pulled you into a bone crushing hug, “god I missed you” 

“I missed you even more” 

After everyone was situated, Maddie began naming off jobs. “Chim, cake and balloons tomorrow, pick up is at 2. Y/n and I will decorate, Bobby said he’s got most of the cooking done and Athena will help him. Hen and Karen offered to get a banner, I just said yes because who doesn't love a banner?” she laughed, you, Buck and Chim exchanged glances. “And Buck, you just be ready.” 

“As for right now, boys we need beer.” she said, the two of them standing there, looking at each other cluelessly. 

“Go! That means go!” you say, Buck groaned and dug his keys from his pocket. 

“I forgot how bossy the two of you are together” he teased, you pushed him towards the door and they headed out. 

You and Maddie were sitting on the couch, planning out the last minute details. “Stella’s gotten so big” she says, flipping through the binder in front of her. “Yeah, she keeps surprising me everyday” you chuckle. 

“She looks a lot like him” Maddie glances at you, the smile drops from your face and you nod. 

“His twin, she acts like him too. The same pulled together emotions, she’s a fighter just like her dad” 

“That’s good” 

“No I mean, she really is a fighter. She hit some kid for taking her snack” 

Maddie and you ended up in a laughing fit as you tell her the story. Sometime later, the sound of little feet pattering down the stairs caught your attention. “Auntie Maddie!” your daughter shouted as she straight to her aunt in the kitchen. “Hi sugarplum!” Maddie picked her up and gave her a hug. “I missed you” she says to her aunt, Maddie smiled at the little girl, “I missed you too” 

Chim and Buck come in a few minutes later, you were laying on the couch watching tv and Maddie had Stella up on the counter, they were having some sort of dance party in the kitchen. “Who’s this pretty girl with you?” Chim asks Maddie as he walks over to him. 

“This is Stella, my niece, she looks like me that's why she's pretty” Maddie tells him proudly, you roll your eyes at her comment and you hear Buck groan. “Shut it, you're just jealous you’re not hot like me” she gives Buck a look. 

“Stella, this is my boyfriend, Chim” Stella takes a seat on the counter, looking at the man for a few seconds before saying anything. “Are you a firefighter ? Like uncle Buck?” 

“I am, how’d you know?” he asks her

“Magic,” she giggles 

“I might have to hire you for my next party then,” Chim jokes, “it’s very nice to meet you Stella” he lifts his hand to give her a high five, Stella pulls him into a hug instead. 

The 5 of you have dinner before Maddie and Chim head out. You, Buck and Maddie were in the kitchen going over something and Chim sat with Stella on the couch. He was teaching her how to play some video game Buck left on, “uncle Chim?” the little girl called to him, he smiled at her and the fact that she called him uncle Chim.

“Yeah?” 

“This game is weird” her face screws into a weird expression, Chim laughs, “it is, isn't it ? How about we go see if Buck has ice cream ?”

Before he could get up, Stella had already ran off to the kitchen, Chim trailing behind her. Stella tugged on Buck’s hand, he looked down at her, “Do you have ice cream ?” 

“In the freezer, do you need help ?” 

“Nope”

She let go of his hand and waddled off to get the ice cream from the freezer. You lifted her onto the counter and opened the container for her. Your back was turned for a moment to get her a bowl and a spoon, turns out she had already found a spoon and was eating straight out of the container. Sometime after that, Buck decided he was going to bed, Stella didn’t like that idea so she followed him up the stairs and began bouncing on the bed. 

“Stels, come on, I'm tired” he told her, he watched the little girl bounce up and down on the bed. 

“No! I'm not tired, come bounce with me!” she shouted, Buck sighed. 

“5 minutes okay ?” Buck gets up on the bed with her. 

You were in the kitchen with Maddie and Chim, “excuse me for a minute, let me go get her before she kills Buck with her energy” you left them in the kitchen by themselves. 

Chim turns to Maddie, “Stella’s dad didn't want to come down for the party?” he sees how Maddie tenses up for a moment. 

“Uh, her dad isn't really in the picture” 

“Oh, does he know about her?” 

“No” 

The conversation drops, Maddie stands by the window and Chim makes his way over to her. “You know, she looks a lot like Eddie” he looks over at Maddie, her focus on something outside the window. “Maddie ?” 

“She’s his daughter” 

“He doesn’t know?” 

“Y/n left LA right when his wife came back. She found out she was pregnant a few weeks later. She had me and Buck, she didn’t want to drag Eddie into it.”

“Shannon died, Maddie. She could have told him.” 

“That’s exactly why she didn’t. He just lost his wife, she didn’t want to drag Stella into a messy relationship, Eddie needed time and she gave that to him.” 

“Do you know if she’s going to tell him ?” 

“I don't know, but that’s not our decision to make. What you heard here, stays here. Promise me that” she looks over at Chim, she loved that man with her whole heart but he wasn’t exactly the best at keeping secrets.

“I promise”

--

Turns out you can plan a party in a week. 

Everyone had arrived at Buck’s place, everyone was scattered around the apartment. Bobby and Athena in the kitchen with Karen and Maddie, Chim and Hen were by the tv with the kids, Buck was still upstairs trying to find something to wear. Stella ran over to you as you came back down from the kitchen. “Mom, look!” she pointed at the cake that was on the table, “I see it sweetie” 

“Can I have some pleaseeeee?” she looked up at you, “a little later, you gotta let Buck blow out the candles first okay ?” 

She ran off to go play with Nia and Denny. Someone knocked on the door but no one else seemed to hear it, you walked over and opened the door. 

There he was. 

“Y/n!” Chris wrapped his arms around your waist, you leaned down slightly and hugged him. “hey buddy, how are you ?” 

“I’m good, I missed you” 

“Awh, I missed you too” 

You could feel Eddie’s eyes burning into you as you and Chris walked into the apartment, he followed the two of you. Stella came running back over to you. “Stella come meet someone” you called to her, she stood beside you, looking up at Chris. 

“Who’s that momma?” 

“Chris is uncle Buck’s friend’s son, now you play nice okay ? I don't want trouble” 

“I'm Stella!”

“I’m Christopher!”

You crouch down beside her and point to Eddie, “that’s Christopher’s dad, Eddie, why don’t you say hi?” Stella marched up to him, she leaned her head back and looked up at him. “Hi!” she smiled at him, Eddie looked down at the little girl in front of him, she had to be around 3 or 4, she had brown hair and the same smile he did. Eddie glanced at you and then back to Stella and once at Chris. 

That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Hi Stella, I'm Eddie” he smiled at her, she gave him another smile and made her way over to Chris. She began telling him about the plane she took to come see her aunt and uncle, the two of them walk over to Nia and Denny together. 

Standing up, you and Eddie are now looking at each other. “Hi” he steps closer to you, you don't move. “Hey” you move slightly closer to him.

“How have you been ?” 

“Good, you ?” 

“I’m okay, can't complain” 

“You never do. Want a beer ?” 

“Sure” 

Eddie follows you to the kitchen, you pull 2 beers out of the fridge, handing one to him and opening the other for yourself. Standing across from him, he asked you “how old is she ?” 

“4″ 

“How come you never told me you had a baby ?” 

“We stopped talking after I left, I wasn’t going to call just to tell you that. I figured Buck would have told you.” 

“He didn’t” 

Right on cue, the birthday boy came down the stairs. “Wow all of you are here for me ? I must be so special” 

“You know you are” Maddie pokes his cheek. Buck went around to say hello to everyone, he started with Eddie. You took that time to leave the very awkward conversation you were having with him and made your way to the kids. 

--

Chim dropped the bottle in the trash and headed to the fridge for another one, the party was well underway and everyone was having a good time. Well, expect for Eddie. He couldn't shake the fact that Stella looked so much like him. “You want another one?” Chim asked him, setting the bottle beside him on the counter. “Yeah, thanks”

The two men stood in the kitchen, chatting about work and just catching up. Chim had a slight buzz going and he kind of let the secret he wasn’t supposed to tell, slip.

“How’s your kid?” he leans back against the counter, looking at Eddie.

“Chris ? He’s good”

Chim shook his head, “no no, Stella”

The bottle nearly fell from Eddie’s hand, he looked at Chim. “What do you mean Stella ?”

Chim realized what he said, he turned the other way and began walking. “Chim!” Eddie grabbed his arm, “what do you mean Stella ?”

“I've already said too m- oh Maddie’s calling for me, bye” Chim walked off and left Eddie standing in the kitchen by himself.  Eddie looked over at the little girl sitting beside Christopher, she looked like him, there was no denying it. She had his smile, the same brown hair, she even had the same hazel brown eyes. You were walking into the kitchen when Eddie grabbed your arm.

“What ?” you look at him.

“I need to talk to you”

“Let go of my arm and maybe we can talk” you push his hand off of your arm. Buck made his way over to the kitchen, he could feel the tension. “Is everything okay ?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine Buck, Eddie’s just gonna come with me to get the candles from the jeep, right, Eddie ?”

“Yeah, we’ll be back in a few”

The two of you stepped out of the apartment and walked down to the parking lot. You did forget the candles in the jeep so it wasn’t a total lie. “Is she mine?” Eddie blurts out, you turn to face him. “Is who yours?”

“Stella. Is Stella my daughter ?”

“How’d you-”

“Chim let it slip”

You groaned, Maddie must have told him. It wasn’t a big deal that she told him, it was a big deal that Eddie knew.

“She is.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“It didn't make sense too”

“Y/n, she’s my daughter! of course it makes sense to tell me!”

“You had just gotten back with Shannon, I didn't want to drag you back into something you didn't want. I’ve raised her for the last 4 years and I'll continue to do so, it doesn’t have to change now because you know she’s yours.”

“Shannon’s- she’s dead.”

“I know, Buck told me, I'm sorry.”

Eddie let out a sigh, his hand ran through his hair. You stood in front of him, the two of you in the blistering heat, having a conversation you never planned on having.

“She wouldn't have stopped me from being in Stella’s life”

“I know.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Eddie, you had just lost your wife when Stella was born. It didn’t seem like the right time to come to LA and tell you I had a baby, your baby.”

“What about after that ? It's been 4 years y/n”

“Eddie, come on. Would it have made a difference ? It wouldn't have fixed anything. I would have still just been some girl you slept with.”

Eddie looks at you, his expression softened, “is that what you think ? that you're “just some girl” I slept with ?”

You didn't answer him, you didn't have an answer for him. There were so many times you had wanted to call Eddie and tell him about Stella. When she said her first word, took her first steps, her first day of school. You wanted to share all those times with him, like a normal family.

“Y/n,” Eddie stepped towards you. “You were more than just some girl. You always said that Chris deserved to have both of his parents right ? And he did but what about Stella ? Doesn't she deserve that too ?”  Eddie’s arms wrap around you, your hands on his chest.

“She does,” you sigh, “I can't just tell her your uncle’s friend is your dad, Eddie.”

“So we’ll take it one day at a time. I want to get to know her, and you. I want you back in my life, in our lives.”

“Eddie, I have a life, a job, Stella has school. We can't just leave everything.”

“As I said, one day at a time. I want this to work, don't you ?”

“I do”

“How about we get lunch ? Or dinner? The 4 of us. If you feel like this is something you want to do, you want us to try and make things work, for the kids, we can. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Eddie pulled you into a hug, things felt at ease for once, like a weight was lifted off your shoulders, you weren't carrying a secret anymore. You never meant to give in so easily but Eddie had this hold over you, one you couldn't shake, regardless of how much time you spent apart. You ended things because of what happened between him and Shannon in a parking lot and here you were, making up with him in a parking lot.

Talk about full circle.

--- 

taglist: @mikaelson-emma @ssa-volturi @advicefromnixxxx @keenmarvellover @venusrosepetal

[electricbarnes]

time is not on our side 

steve rogers x reader 

summary: ever since steve went against the sokovia accords, he’s been on the run. but he still takes time to see you, even if it’s only for a night. 

↳ songs i listened to for inspiration

wc: 2.8k | warnings: pretty fluffy i would say, but its got a little angst, implied smut 

note: it’s missing steve hrs

Nat: Don’t be gone too long.

Steve reads the text on the small screen of his flip phone, but he doesn’t bother to reply back. He shoves the phone back into his pocket as he turns into a dark alleyway. He glances behind him, making sure no one is watching him. The streets are fairly empty considering the late hour.

Steve carefully climbs his way up one of the fire escapes. The creaking of the old metal echoes through the empty alley. He goes up to the third floor and slides open an unlocked window. Steve ducks inside the dark apartment that’s only dimly lit by the street lights outside. His eyes do a quick scan of the room, looking for any possible dangers.  

He closes the window and flips the latch, making sure it’s locked this time. Just as he turns around, the hallway light turns on, revealing your silhouette. You clearly just woke up, judging by the flyaways of your hair and the old tee shirt you usually wear to bed. You squint your eyes into the darkness and they widen at the sight of the man standing in your living room.

“Steve?”

A gasp escapes your lips and you practically throw yourself on him, but Steve easily catches you. Your arms wrap around his neck while his automatically circles around your waist, pulling you in close. He ignores the pain from the bruise on his ribs, focusing on the feeling of having you in his arms again instead. The tension leaves his body as he melts into your embrace. His senses filled with the familiar sweet scent of your lotion.

Your soft clean skin contrasts the dirt and grime that covers him and his tattered suit. Though, you don’t seem to mind. He knows he should’ve cleaned up before he got here, but his time is limited and he wanted as much time with you as possible.

You pull back from him after a moment to get a good look at his face. Steve sees your smile morph into a frown and your eyebrows scrunch together. Your hand goes to his forehead, fingers carefully tracing the cut above his eyebrow. He forgot about the small injury.

Though he hates seeing you upset, Steve can’t help the small smile that appears on his face. He leans in, placing a kiss between your furrowed brows. He whispers an “I’m okay,” to ease your worries. It seems to work because your adoring smile returns.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” you say quietly, as if this were a dream that would end at any moment. It makes him wonder if you have dreams about him like he has of you. He knows all too well that feeling of disappointment when he wakes up alone, wishing the dream had lasted a little longer.

“I’m here,” he affirms, squeezing your hips as a confirmation that this was real. He seals it with a kiss that you immediately fall into. Your hand combs through his, now longer, hair as the kiss deepens. Before it could go any further, you pull away from him. Steve chases your lips for one more kiss, earning a giggle from you. He’s missed that adorable laugh of yours.

Your hand brushes over his beard. He had forgotten about that too. His look has changed a lot since the last time he’s seen you. Being a wanted criminal meant that he could skip the shaving in order to hide his face more. He’s far from the golden boy image that he was before.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” you say, as you take his hand into yours and lead him to the bathroom.

Steve sits patiently while you clean the cut on his face. You’re standing in between his legs and his hands rest on the curve of your hips, just wanting to keep you close. He watches your concentrated expression, thinking it’s cute. He loves how much you care for even the smallest of cuts. He’s pretty sure if he got a papercut, you’d treat it the same.

“It’ll be healed by tomorrow, you know?” he tells you.

“I know,” you say as you toss away the cotton you were using to clean his cut. You shrug, placing both of your hands on his shoulders, “I just wanna take care of you.”

Steve’s heart warms at your words. He looks up at you in disbelief. How did he get so lucky to have you? Even after months apart with radio silence, you still welcome him with open arms. You still care for him. He worries about the day when you’ll get tired of the distance. When it’ll become too much and you’ll give up on this barely there relationship. He knows it isn’t fair to you and you deserve far more than he can give. And yet... you’re still here.

Your hands move up to his cheeks, pulling him in for a quick kiss before leaving his side to turn on the shower.

“Alright, you take a shower and I’ll get you some clothes,” you tell him.

“Care to join me?” Steve asks with a smirk. He walks over to you, his hands wandering to the band of your sleep shorts.

You match his smile but shake your head, “Nuh uh, I don’t think you need any distractions.” You remove his hands from your waist and step back from him, “Now take off your suit.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t just say that and leave me by myself,” he groans, throwing his head back.

“I think you’ll be fine,” you say with a laugh and he can’t help but laugh too. Though he’s slightly disappointed in your rejection, he knows it's probably for the best.  

Once he’s out of his suit, you take his gear from him and leave to give him some privacy. Steve steps into the shower and involuntarily lets out a sigh of relief as the hot water instantly relaxes his muscles. He hasn’t had a good shower in far too long. The grueling weeks of underground missions and uncomfortable nights in the quinjet washes off of him. For a moment, Steve wonders if this is how it could always be. Feeling at peace, not having to be so guarded all the time. Just being here with you in your home makes him forget about the dark life he’s been leading for nearly a year now. Here, he feels like he can finally catch his breath.

Though he wants to stay longer under the hot water, he washes up quickly because he doesn’t want to waste anymore time without you. He gets dressed in the white tee shirt and grey sweats you left for him on the counter. Thankfully, you always keep spare clothes for him.

Just as Steve walks out of the bathroom, you walk into the room holding two mugs.

“I made some tea,” you say, handing him a blue mug with his iconic shield printed on the side. It made him chuckle. He secretly loved how you would keep these little reminders of him.

“And I cleaned your suit as best as I could. The star’s a little loose though,” you tell him.  

“Dont worry about it,” Steve takes the mug and pulls you in with his free hand, giving you a kiss on your forehead. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Soon enough, half filled cups of tea are forgotten on the nightstand. Clothing thrown around the room without care. Steve couldn’t help himself after craving your touch for so long. He’s sure you’ve felt the same, your breathy “please” told him so. Though he didn’t give in so quick, never missing a chance to tease you. Steve took his time rediscovering your taste. Remembering all the ways he drew out those little gasps. He’s dreamt about the way you wrap around him, but that could never compare to the real thing. He missed the way your body felt pressed against his. He missed the sounds of your moans in his ear and the sweet relief that comes after you both meet your ends.

For the rest of the night, the two of you laid in bed, legs twisted together and comfortably wrapped up in each other’s arms. Despite the late hour, you stayed up just talking.

Steve asked about what you have been up to since he’s been gone. You told him about how it’s been at work and the times you’d meet up with your friends over the weekend. You told him about the week you spent with your parents, wishing he could’ve been there. And you talked about the shows you’ve been watching, promising that you’d watch it with him one day.

Your lives were so different now. He wishes he could go back to the days when things weren’t so difficult. He wants that normalcy again, or at least what was normal for an Avenger. He thought he gave up on the idea of wanting a domestic life, forfeited to being a hero instead. But things have changed. Ever since he’s met you, you’ve unknowingly changed his mind.

Maybe it’s the time apart that’s making these moments with you that much more valuable, but it’s all he wants now. It always seems like a fleeting dream. This kind of domestic life isn’t in the cards for him. But the nights he gets to have with you give him hope that it could be possible. He knows he could never completely give up his heroic lifestyle. People need him and he is never one to turn a blind eye. He just hopes that one day he can find a compromise.

Maybe someday he can show up at your office and steal you away for lunch. Or he can join you on those nights out with your friends and get to know them. He would finally meet your family, saving you from them trying to set you up on a date. He’d finally introduce you to the team, the people he considers family. Bucky already knows about you. Steve couldn’t hide someone so important from his best friend. He's pretty sure that Sam and Natasha know where he runs off to every now and then. They even subtly remind him of how risky it is to sneak away. But after the fighting for so long, being with you is just what he needs, even if only for a night.

You were curious, of course, of what Steve has been up to in the time he was gone and where in the world he’s been. Steve avoided any details of the missions he’s gone on. He didn’t want to make you worry, though he’s sure you do anyways. He only tells you the good parts.

“Bucky has goats now,” he says with a smile, recalling the sight of Bucky helping the Wakandans on their farms.

“Really?” you raise your head from his chest, a look of surprise on your features.

“Yeah,” he says with a breathy laugh. “One of them even tried to eat Sam’s pants.”

“Oh my god,” both of your laughters break the quiet of the room.

There’s a lull in the conversation, but it’s a comfortable silence. Steve just enjoys the comforting weight of your body on top of his as he soothingly rubs his hand up and down your arm. For a second, he thinks you’ve fallen asleep but you turn your head to look up at him. He can see how sleepy you are, eyelids half closed. You stare for a moment with a small content smile. Your hand reaches for his face, delicate fingers stroking his beard.

“I like this,” you mutter.

“Yeah?”

“Mhmmm,” you affirm. “Didn’t think you could get any sexier but wow” your eyes widen, emphasizing the last part.

Steve throws his head back, laughing at your comment. You giggle along with him, tucking yourself back closer into his side.

“Guess I’ll keep it then,” he muses.

Silence takes over again. Your fingers draw random shapes across his chest, careful of the bruise on his side. Gradually, your movements get slower until your hand rests above his heart.  

“You should get some sleep sweetheart,” Steve says, kissing the top of your head. He knows he should probably sleep too, but he doesn’t want to. He just wants to enjoy having you in his arms while he can.

“Noooooo,” you let out an adorable whine.  

Steve turns to his side, both of you now face to face. Looking into your eyes, he knows this is exactly where he wants to be. His hand tucks a stray hair behind your ear, thumb caressing your face.

“Wanna stay up with you,” you say, the sleepiness evident in your voice.

Steve glances towards the window, noticing the subtle change of the sky. The dark night beginning to fade away to early morning blues.

His throat feels dry when he looks back at you and says “I have to go soon.”

The pout on your face returns and he wishes he could take it back. You let out a sigh.

“What if you just stayed, right here in this bed and we just never leave?” you asked with a teasing smile.

Steve smirks at the thought, “very tempting.”

“Or,” you begin to suggest, “what if I just went with you?”

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t given it a thought. He knows how much you want to see the world, but it shouldn’t be because you’re following a fugitive. He’s thought about asking the king for another favor, letting just one more person stay in Wakanda, so he can safely visit you more often. But you had your friends and family. He couldn’t be selfish and take you away from your life here. Above all else, he wanted to keep you safe. It was the reason for keeping your relationship a secret in the first place. He didn’t want you being associated with him in fear that you’d be used against him. He’s glad he kept you a secret, especially now that he became a part of the nation’s most wanted.

“I can’t ask that of you,” he says regretfully.

You look at him with sincerity, “I’d go anywhere with you, Steve.”

“I know,” he sighs, “but it’s too dangerous.”

You look at him sadly, before shying away from his stare. “I know.”

“Hey,” he coos softly. His finger bringing up your chin, getting you to look back at him. “Things will get better for us, I promise.”

You nod subtly, and he hopes you believe his words.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” you say, voice breaking toward the end. He can see the emotions swimming in your eyes.

“I wish I didn’t either.”

He leans in to meet your lips, hoping it’ll alleviate the pain in your heart. It damn near breaks him seeing you like this. He hates the torment he’s putting you through, but he was too selfish to actually let you go. He needed the hope you gave him. He needed you.

“I’m sorry,” you mumble, wiping away a stray tear.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he reassures you. “Being away from you is hard for me too. Trust me sweetheart, there’s no place I’d rather be than here with you.”

“I know,” you say with a sad smile.

“I love you,” he states firmly, needing you to know that he means it more than anything.

“I love you too,” you respond with a small smile.

He bumps his nose against yours, before giving you another chaste kiss.

The morning light starts to fill the bedroom, signaling his time was almost up. He looks back at you, “Go to sleep, doll.”

You don’t protest this time. Instead, you pull yourself closer, tucking yourself into his embrace. He lays back, swallowing down the sudden emotion he feels. His hand comfortingly strokes down your back, lulling you to sleep. Steve waits for your breathing to even out, making sure you were sleeping before reluctantly leaving your grip.

He quietly gets dressed in his now clean suit that was left hanging on your desk chair. He’s in no rush to leave, taking his time putting his gear back on. He looks over at you and sees you clutching your pillow in place of him. Part of him wonders what the consequences would be if he just stayed.

As he pulls on his suit, Steve notices the off-white star slightly bent off the center of his chest. He rips the whole thing off and walks over to your desk, finding a sticky note and a pen. He writes a reminder of his love for you and a promise that he’ll come back soon. He leaves the note and star on your nightstand for you to find when you wake up.

Just before he leaves, he goes to you and leans down to place a lingering kiss on your forehead, careful not to wake you up. 

He leaves your apartment the same way he came in. The air is much colder. He can hear sounds of the early risers and the birds chirping as he makes his way back down the fire escape. Steve glances one last time at your apartment window. He regretfully leaves the comfort and safety of home, back to his reality of life in the shadows.

thank you for reading! hope you liked it 🤍 as always, reblogs and feedback are much appreciated !!

[yolkyeomie]

Humanity of the Inhuman | Kim Sunwoo

summary — legends are meant for the wild fantasies of the dream world, but when one myth suddenly comes true, you find yourself tangled within its webs of reality.

word count — 4.8k words

pairing — sunwoo x female!reader (ft. x juyeon)

genre — college au, gumiho au

disclaimer — !! light mentions of death, blood, and injury !! this was supposed to be only three parts but because I’m tired I have to put the rest into a part 4 🙂☝🏽

part I | part II | part III | part IV?

I.

It’s been a week since you last saw Sunwoo in your house, and don’t worry it’s for a good reason. The gumiho didn’t just up and leave all of a sudden, he was a little too true to his word when it came to the nine tailed fox honor code.

He was simply doing what he set out to do in the first place: prove that Juyeon was a gumiho out to get you. Though seeing as it’s taken a week so far, there wasn’t a lot of information he was gathering.

It would get a little odd when you would walk into the mythology class the two of you shared and there was Sunwoo sitting in the very back. He wasn’t as close to the point where it would be suspicious but it was close enough to keep an eye on Juyeon. The awkward part was that sometimes you’d feel like the gumiho’s eyes were burning into the back of your head as well.

And yet despite his hard stare, Juyeon didn’t seem to notice at all. The first two days of Sunwoo spying on the two of you was uncomfortable but thanks to the boy’s kind nature, it was as if the gumiho’s presence disappeared completely.

You didn’t even hear the fox bead most of the time and that was your sure fire way of figuring out whether he was truly there or not.

“You wanna be partners?” Juyeon asked, closing the notebook in his hands and the class began to disperse around the two of you. “For the project I mean! Do you wanna be partners for… the project…?”

You thought about it for a moment, you always had a habit of just doing projects on your own ever since you were a child. While yes doing a project with a partner would make it easier and not as heavy of a load on you, you couldn’t stand working with others. There was always someone who decided to be the freeloader yet still got all the markers for the work. Plus, it was just faster to do it on your own.

But Juyeon is a good person, he’s been your class friend since you first stepped in the class. There was no reason for you not to believe he was a bad worker. “Sure why not,” you shrugged, “It would probably lessen the workload on the both of us and I’m sure you’ve got other things to do outside of campus.”

“How’d you know that?” He asked rather quickly, turning to you with rather curious eyes.

“I don’t know, you just seem like a busybody and a sociable guy,” you replied, giving him a half smile as he finally started to grab all of your belongings. “People like you have large friend groups and millions of extracurricular activities to keep themselves occupied.”

“Now I wouldn’t say I’m a busybody,” he tried to counter, his mannerism similar to those of a puppy’s as he spoke, “but you’re right, I do like to hang out with lots of my friends. Being around people is just… so much better than being alone.”

At those words you take a quick glance over toward where Sunwoo sat, though the gumiho was long gone now. If Juyeon liked hanging around people more than being by himself, it must have made it incredibly hard for Sunwoo to follow him around without looking suspicious.

You could just see it now, the gumiho trying to look as ordinary as possible as he practically chased down Juyeon and his abnormally large friend group. The boy lived in the dorms too so there was no way that Sunwoo was getting him completely alone. You almost giggled at the thought of the gumiho struggling.

“So where do you want to meet so we can work on the project?” Juyeon piped up, steering the conversion back to the project. Though the boy sounded a little too excited to be talking about it. “There’s the cafeteria on campus, a pretty decent coffee shop that’s nearby… oh and our homes! You know, my dorm will always be open to you. And Hyunjae will be more than happy to clean up around the place for you as well.”

“How about we just meet at my apartment for now?” You offered, standing up from your seat and urging him to follow suit.

“Really? You want me to go over to your house? Just me alone?”

You nodded your head, a laugh escaping your mouth as you replied,”I mean, yeah? It’s just a project and I trust you enough to—“

“—hey,” the two of you turned your heads, unsure on who was interrupting your conversation in such a fashion. Sunwoo stood behind the two of you with an almost amused grin, playing with his near fluffy hair with one hand and the other shoved deep into the university sweatshirt he wore. You thought he had left already, he must have blended in almost perfectly with his surroundings. “Let me join your group for the project.”

“Huh?” Both of you responded, different levels of shock exposed on your faces. Though Juyeon was the one who kept talking, “I’m sorry, but this is a solo or partner project. You’ll have to find someone else, I don’t know if we are allowed a third…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Sunwoo assured them, giving Juyeon his signature mischievous smile. You think this is the first time that the gumiho has personally interacted with the boy in public. “I’m sure the teacher will be fine with it, aren't I right?”

You both turned to look at your instructor at the front of the class, but the glint of amber yellow amber in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed to you. The teacher was attending to another student, but took a moment to look up and toward the trio that was staring back at him. He smiled at the three of you before nodding his head, “he already asked about groups of three earlier, it’s fine with me! This whole class is either going solo or in pairs and he didn’t want to be alone so this can be a small exception to the rule.”

Juyeon nodded his head in understanding, turning to face Sunwoo again before giving him a compliant half smile. “Whatever authority says goes I guess. If Y/N is okay with it then…,” he glanced at you for a second and you nodded your head, not really wanting to hear the gumiho’s complaints later if you disagreed, “welcome to the group then. I’m Juyeon, by the way. You are…?”

“You can call me Sun,” he answered, replicating the same compliant expression Juyeon had as he introduced himself. “It’ll be a pleasure working with you.”

“If that’s all then I’ll be going now. I’ll call you about times to meet for the project,” Juyeon excused himself, turning to you with his kind gaze and giving you a proper goodbye before grabbing his belongings and making his trek out of the mythology class.

You watched him leave for a moment, making sure that the boy was out of the room completely before turning to the gumiho beside you. “So? A week of following him and he was just your normal human being wasn’t he? So now your next step is to invade his daily life to try and get dirt on him?”

“What I can say, he was a slimy guy to follow,” Sunwoo admitted, moving to sit on the table you had just used as a desk. “Not only am I doing this to keep my eye on him, but I’m also doing this because you willingly invited a gumiho to your house? Now you really need my protection.”

You rolled your eyes at his claims, beginning your own journey off the campus as you replied to Sunwoo, “I told you to prove to me that Juyeon was a gumiho and I still don’t have that information yet. Until you get solid evidence, I’m going to continue to trust him like I’ve done before I met you. Plus! He’s shown no red flags to me and I’m very good at catching red flags.”

“Red flags of human men maybe, but I’m telling you!” Sunwoo argued, following after you closely, “Juyeon is not of this mortal realm and nearly killed me.”

“If Juyeon nearly killed you, how did he not recognize you the moment you asked to be in our group?” You asked him, not only to antagonize the gumiho but because you had a genuine question on the matter.

“If I’m being honest,” Sunwoo thought to himself for a moment, “I don’t know. Just mentioning the sun part of my name should have at least triggered the fight in him, but he took it like a champ…”

“Maybe the gumiho that was chasing you and tried to kill you wasn’t Juyeon,” you suggested, stopping in your tracks and turning to him before he could give you his regular counterclaim, “maybe the gumiho that was following you was just using Juyeon’s appearance as a disguise? Can’t you guys shapeshift? It would make sense that the Juyeon you saw wasn’t the real one.”

Sunwoo only let out a deep sigh, not wanting to consider your words but the logic was a little too strong to just set aside. “That makes sense but… I just can’t agree. I know that Juyeon was the one who attacked me and is targeting you, I just have to find a way to prove it.”

II.

Why did you even offer your apartment to be the meeting place for the project? What type of rose tinted glasses were you hearing in order to make that type of decision?

Because of your horrible decision making, now you were sitting in your living room on the exact couch you nearly crumbled into when Sunwoo had kissed you not even a full week before except the gumiho wasn’t the one sitting next to you. It was Juyeon. Sunwoo was sitting on the floor in front of the two of you, his smug expression was enough to know the thoughts that were running through his head.

“Since the project is about gumihos, we can easily split this up into three parts,” the boy offered, unwillingly becoming the team leader since the unseen tension between you and Sunwoo had left you speechless, “one of us does the presentation, the other person finds images to add to the presentation, and then we split the research into two parts. I was thinking Y/N could do the presentation since you definitely have a better eye than me when it comes to decorating…”

You had practically cut out Juyeon’s voice in your head. You were a little guilty of doing so, but you couldn’t help it! Not when the gumiho’s mischievous stare was burning holes into your head and the memory of you and Sunwoo sharing an intimate moment on replay in your head. You can replay the situation almost scene by scene in your head actually, that’s how ingrained in your mind it was.

It just had been a very prevalent thought in your mind recently because Sunwoo was gone most of the time. But now he’s here, and so is Juyeon.

“I don’t think Y/N wants to do the presentation actually,” Sunwoo intervened, a foxish grin appearing on his face as he offered, ”I think she wants to do the research instead. It looks like she’s got some… things… on her mind.”

“What?” You quicked added, trying not to seem as disoriented as you actually were. “No— it’s fine. I can do the presentation. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Now that you mention it, Sun,” Juyeon nodded, a frown beginning to cross his features as he watched you, “Y/N… you do seem a little out of it.”

“Maybe we should do this another day… don’t we all want to be focused on our project so we can get a good grade? If someone is distracted, we might not do as well as we can do.” Sunwoo continued, lying straight through his teeth as he encouraged Juyeon’s kindness for you.

You wanted to stop him, you wanted to prove to both of them that you were perfectly okay, but that jingle of the fox bead within Sunwoo’s possession seemed to say otherwise. “Sure, let’s meet another day. How does the day after tomorrow sound? It’ll be right after class too.”

“I’m fine with that,” Juyeon agreed and Sunwoo only nodded in response. “I’ll text you the roles I think we should all have later so you can think about what you want to do in advance. Make sure you let Sun know too.”

You all exchanged goodbyes and wanted until Juyeon left first before sitting in complete silence. You were too ashamed of letting the past distract you and Sunwoo was simply enjoying the moment that he had created.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to go and follow him,” the gumiho exclaimed, rising off the ground and stretching his limbs. “What a busy day today has been. This is the most I’ve done in a while now… maybe I’ve gotten too comfortable just living here—“

You stop him before he can walk past him, your nails threatening to dig into his skin while the other hand is hovering over the conspicuously placed talisman you own. You felt Sunwoo’s skin crawl as soon as he noticed it and gave you his most innocent smile and big baby doll eyes. “Something the matter?”

“Find out if Juyeon is a gumiho, quickly.” You hissed at him, hoping the very obvious threat was getting through that thick skull of his. “Because I don’t know if I could spend another minute on this couch with him in my house knowing damn well we kissed because of your need to be proven right.”

“What can I say!” The gumiho gleefully responded, leaning down towards you and whispering, “being a gumiho makes me a really good kisser. Of course you wouldn’t forget it so easily.”

Sunwoo yelped as you nearly punched him, slapping the talisman onto his cheek and letting go of him. You watched the nine tailed fox grovelled in pain on the ground, wanting to snatch the paper talisman off but not having the ability to touch it in the first place. “Say that again and next time everything in the house will be covered in a talisman!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry okay!” He begged, his true form struggling to tear itself out of his humanoid body. The talisman was doing its job trying to dispel and absorb the evil energy and Sunwoo was doing his best trying to keep himself from going into a withdrawal.

You couldn’t stand to watch him lay there in agony anymore. Sure it was funny for a few seconds since you got your revenge, but as time passed you noticed it was taking a lot more energy than you thought for him to keep himself stable. “Stay still for like two seconds okay? Even though that might be… a little hard for you but… whatever just— hold on!”

You drop to your knees in an instant and tear the talisman off like a bandaid, wincing on Sunwoo’s behalf as you watch him take the deepest breath he possibly could. The gumiho form of him seemed to dissipate almost immediately now that he has control over his power but it only made your mind wander.

If a small talisman months old could cause so much damage to him, you wondered how exactly he could go head to head with a gumiho of a nearly full fox bead. “You’re not like… hurt right? The talisman didn’t leave a scar or something because they looked like it hurt really badly.”

“I… really need that fox bead back.” He spoke in between breaths but that sentence gave you all the information you needed to know. The fox bead was probably the primary source of strength for gumihos, sure without it they were still dangerous but in a state like Sunwoo’s who said his was empty? You might have just reduced him to a killable state.

“I am… so sorry,” you apologized, taking the smallest step back as you watched Sunwoo get off of the ground. “If I knew you were that screwed without your original fox bead I would have never touched you with it. It’s my fault, seriously.”

The gumiho shook his head, “No, you’re fine, don’t worry. It’s the person with my fox bead we have to worry about. I don’t think I truly realized how badly of a situation we’re in right now. If I get proof that Juyeon is a gumiho and he catches me? There is no way you or me will get out of that situation alive.”

III.

And oddly enough, a week has gone by since that incident. No, not a week, a month actually.

You finished your project with Juyeon despite the fact that Sunwoo bailed at the last minute, and you've barely seen him since. He went charging after your mythology class friend to find his fox bead and gather the information you needed to prove his claims so he didn’t go far, it's just… been a moment since you’ve seen him.

You know for a fact that he’s still alive because every so often you’ll hear noises in your house while you're trying to sleep and hear the quite yet familiar tone of Sunwoo’s voice curse. But other than that? You don’t see him. Your life had gone back to normal as if you were never being hunted by a gumiho in the first place, as if you never met Sunwoo in the first place.

You did in fact get rid of that talisman though, just in case he came back and wasn’t watching his step.

“Maybe I just need to get out of the house,” you admitted to yourself, staring aimlessly at the ceiling of your room. “I don’t leave much anymore… Maybe Kevin wants to hang out or something?” You had to admit, you did not realize just how boring your life was outside of being associated with Sunwoo. Your days were nothing but wake up, go to class, come home, and repeat.

You reach for your phone amid the blankets folds, grumbling and mumbling to yourself only to grab a hold of it snatch it away from its prison. It was almost dead but that was your fault, you came in your room and immediately collapsed into the bedsheets without question. Where was your charger? Knowing yourself you probably left it in the living room without thinking, who would have known you were going to get up in the first place?

“It’s nearly midnight, Kevin is probably fast asleep by now,” you concluded, thinking about your words for a moment before a text appeared into your notification bar. “Oh, never mind.”

Though, it wasn’t the usual cryptic text you received from the boy. Actually it wasn’t Kevin at all, but it was Juyeon. The last time he had spoken to you over the phone first was when you blacked out after finding Sunwoo.

With your eyes glued to the bright white screen, you forced yourself out of the bed and practically leaped over to the living room to search for your charger with newfound energy. You reached over to flick the lights on but immediately backtracked when Juyeon started to call instead.

“Juyeon,” you start, trying to sound as normal as possible. “What brings you to my phone number tonight?”

“Can I be honest with you?” He questioned, his breaths sounding as though he was forcing them to be rhythmic and slow. You raise an eyebrow at his soft yet rather serious tone, this wasn’t a Juyeon you usually interacted with. “It’s… kinda important honestly.”

“Of course, we’re friends right? I mean… like class acquaintances… but friends nonetheless,” you agree and you might have mistaken his huff for a slightest scoff for a moment. You choose to point it out whether it was serious or not, “what's with that frustrated tone in your voice? Got an attitude or something?”

“No, no that’s not it,” he quickly countered, “it’s just that every time you say that we’re friends, you always have to mention the fact that we're just college friends. It’s a little bothersome sometimes.”

You raise a brow at his words, falling into the couch as you respond, “I mean… is that not what we are…?”

There was a pause on the other side of the phone and you patiently waited for the boy to give you a reply. Instead, he just jumped to the next topic. Typical conversation tactics of a man. “I have something for you and something to tell you, but it has to be done in person. It would feel right if it was over the phone. I was wondering if you would be free to come by the dorms sometime tomorrow?”

“That’s what you wanted to tell me in the middle of the night?” You teased, almost rolling your eyes at his decisions before answering him. “Sure, I don’t think I'll have any classes that afternoon so it should be fine.”

You could almost hear the smile on Juyeon’s face, “perfect! You have to come okay, no bailing out on me now. I’ll be waiting for you!”

You didn’t even bother answering him, slowly sitting up in your seat as goosebumps began to trail down your arms. “Y/N?” He questioned once he noticed your abnormal silence, “are you okay?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” the boy didn’t even get another word out of his mouth before you hung up on him, staring out the window of your apartment and trying your best to withhold a scream that wanted to escape. There in the corner of your window stood a figure, glowing amber yellow eyes piercing through the glass and staring straight into your soul. Unfortunately for you, you knew that amber yellow tint a little too well from your mythology studies and first hand experience.

Now you were regretting throwing away that talisman.

Though the fear that crept up your throat like bile dissipated within a moment as the light jingle of bells rang in your ear. The fox bead must be nearby, if you can hear it ringing then that means the gumiho was in the area.

You did have to be careful though, just because you could hear the fox bead didn’t necessarily mean that it was Sunwoo. After all, you haven’t seen him for about a month now. Who knows what could have happened to him… but let’s not let dark thoughts cloud the mind, right?

“Sunwoo…?” You hesitated, inching ever so slowly toward the window. You had to be careful, just because you saw a pair of glowing eyes didn't necessarily mean it was the gumiho you had come to know.

The figure didn’t respond though, in fact it barely moved from its position at the window. You stopped in your tracks, ready to run to your room for safety, when it teetered to the side before falling out of the frame. A loud thud could be heard as they fell to the ground and you finally sprung out of your seat to check. Don’t worry though, you were still extremely cautious going about your next actions.

You cracked open the door just slightly, peering your eye through the crevice to scope out the area. You didn’t exactly give yourself enough room to look around though, just barely seeing the moon’s shine on the night sky.

You were just being cautious! What if you need a quick escape back into your house because a gumiho suddenly attacked? You did live alone after all, who were you going to call if you got into trouble? Definitely not the police. Would they even believe you if you said a nine tailed fox was trying to—

“You suck at being stealthy,” your body was pulled across the doorway as the door opened wide, not even giving you a chance to react before you found yourself outside of your apartment. You looked up with a nervous grin on your face to see Sunwoo towering over you. “I’m surprised you haven’t been taken in as a gumiho’s latest feast yet.”

“You’re back,” you stand up tall, completely disregarding the nine tailed fox’s statement to talk about something else. “Where have you been? I mean— I know where you’ve been, don't get me wrong. But you were gone for a month! Any longer and I think I would have forgotten about you completely.”

“I was doing my job was I not?” He smiled, though it wasn’t his usually mischievous grin plastered onto his face. In fact, he looked a little… strained.

The way he was leaning onto the door and holding it steady so he barely had to move a muscle wasn’t helping his case either. “Now I’m back to have a nice comfortable rest, I’ll probably leave again tomorrow though, you know… gotta catch the gumiho!”

“Hold still for me,” you demanded, reaching out for his shirt collar to inspect something .

Sunwoo swiftly dodged your hand, moving away like it was a bullet coming straight for him. “I said hold still.”

“Why? Do we have a problem or something?” The gumiho asked, grabbing a hold of your curious hand this time with his free hand as Sunwoo let out a shameless giggle. “Did you miss me that much? One month away and now you can’t get your hands off of me!”

“I’m not trying to be handsy,” you scowl, pushing the door with your foot and watching Sunwoo stumble about for the loss of his support before taking his shirt collar in your hand, “I can tell your bleeding through your shirt.”

He winced as the fabric skidded against his skin, revealing the very fresh and oozing red blood that was spilling out of scar on his neck. No, it would be undermining the damage if you simply called it a scar. It was more like a wound, a wound that was rich with fresh blood and scaling down from his neck down to his side… who knew how far down it went actually.

That was just one injury you had spotted, but there were probably countless scars and wounds that dotted his skin.

Each one seemed to be of such increasing severity that it was making you nauseous. “How long have you been like this?” You asked, letting go of his shirt to save yourself from a possible black out. You made sure to grab onto Sunwoo’s arm after, seeing as he barely had enough energy to actually stand on his own.

“You’ve been gone for a month, please don’t tell me you’ve been this badly injured for a month,” you demanded, “I know you’re this… this crazy mythical creature and what not but the severity of those wounds… it’s bad, Sunwoo, even worse than when I first found you. You need to go to a hospital.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” the boy tried to reassure you, “I’m a gumiho, remember? I’m going to heal much faster than a mortal ever could so there’s no need to go to a hospital—“

“Sunwoo! Look at yourself!” You practically screech, letting go of him and watching the gumiho cling into your door frame for support. “You are hurt, Sunwoo, heavily, from your neck down. Any sane person, mythical or not, would know that you need to get proper treatment and not rely on my poor first aid knowledge and your resortive abilities!”

“For the last time, Y/N, no means no. I’m not going, everything will heal if you just give me time.” Sunwoo begged, on the verge of throwing a fit like a child at your constant nagging. He leaned up against the doorframe and slid down it with his arms crossed, a pinch of annoyance struggling to stay hidden behind his attitude.

You have to physically hold yourself back from wrapping your hands around his neck and wringing him out like a wet towel. If his wounds didn’t end up killing him then surely you would end up being the gumiho’s demise. “Fine, can you at least tell me why you’re injured and when all of this… happened?”

Sunwoo glanced toward you, resting his head in his hands as he thought about your words for a moment. You can see the usual mischief in his eyes as he did, the audacity of the gumiho to think that he wasn’t going to share this crucial information with you is absurd. “I hope you’re not in love with Juyeon, Y/N,” he told you, his eyes shifting into that amber yellow tint, “because you’re about to get your heart broken.”

You stood there for a moment, unsure of what to make of the gumiho’s words before it hit you. “Oh… you can’t be serious.”

[calaofnoldor]

Sixth Time’s the Charm [3]

(not my gif)

Characters: Sam x F!Reader, Dean

Words: 3,695

Series Summary: All the times Dean has tried to get Sam to admit his feelings for you.

Chapter Summary: Dean suggests the two of you pose as a couple for a case. Sam objects wholeheartedly. (aka Sam and Y/N go to therapy.)

Warnings: jealous!sam, jealous!reader, language, idiots in love, mutual pining, fake marriage, kind of a case!fic, slow burn, fluff, basically all the tropes

A/N: hi loves, sorry this took so long! had some trouble with this one and i’m still not completely happy with it but hopefully you guys enjoy anyway. and i’m sorry the chapters keep getting longer, haha this whole series was only supposed to be a one-shot. oops.

written for @spnfluffbingo and @girl-next-door-writes make me feel bingo!

Square Filled: Fake Marriage for @spnfluffbingo and Mutual Pining for @girl-next-door-writes​

← BACK UP | MASTERLIST | SERIES MASTERLIST

The third time was honestly quite fun for Dean. It started with a rare night of relaxation. The three of you were hanging out around a table in the bunker library, steadily working your way through a six-pack Sam had brought back from a supply run earlier. Dean had his legs crossed and feet propped up casually before him, while you and Sam were scrolling leisurely through the internet on your respective laptops.

“I think I just found us a case,” Sam had started with furrowed brows, as he sat up to get a closer look at his screen. “So get this, two married couples in Wisconsin were found dead after visiting the same couples therapist.”

“Does it say how?” you asked, fidgeting with the label on your beer bottle.

“Yeah, they all fell from windows in upper stories.”

Your brows flew up and you huffed in disbelief, “You’re right, seems like a rather unlikely coincidence, probably something up our alley.”

At this point, Dean was ready to burst with glee. God himself could not have presented a better opportunity. If things worked out, he could finally put an end to Sam’s petulant spasms and eradicate the sexual tension that hung so potently (and disturbingly) throughout the air whenever you and Sam were in the same room.

“Well, I guess we know what we gotta do…” Dean tried to fight the grin on his lips as he turned to you, “Hey, Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

With a perfectly straight face, he managed to ask, “Will you marry me?”

The mouthful of beer that Sam was about to swallow erupted forth in a cascade of tiny droplets, spritzing through the air as he began to cough and choke on what little alcohol had somehow made it down the wrong pipe.

You immediately looked over to see if he was alright, not expecting to find the usually adroit and graceful man a sputtering, red-faced mess, “Geez, Sam. Are you okay?” Rising from your seat to move towards him, you stopped when he held out a large palm and waved it at you as a form of both reassurance and interception.

“Yea- yeah, I’m fine,” Sam wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, taking a moment to recompose himself before sending you an awkward little smile of gratitude.

Dean cleared his throat, “So whaddya say, Y/N/N?”

“Huh?”

“About my proposal, before Sammy so rudely interrupted.” Sam was glaring holes through his brother now, but Dean paid him no attention.

“Oh, right,” you chose your next words carefully, “Umm, you mean you wanna go undercover?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head to the side as he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive smirk, “If the shoe fits…”

“Well aren’t you romantic?” you quipped sarcastically.

“Oh sweetheart, just you wait and see,” Dean sent you a wink that you were sure had dropped many a panty in his time yet held little to no effect over you because… well because you were busy being a little too enraptured by his baby brother. That didn’t seem to stop Dean though, “Trust me, as your loving husband-” It was Sam’s turn to clear his throat, but again Dean ignored him, “I'm gonna romance the shit outta you.”

You scoffed at him in amusement, “Right, you mean when we go to couples therapy?”

“Baby girl, you’d be surprised-”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Sam couldn’t hold it in any longer, throwing both hands up in objection, “Can we just back up for a minute? Why does anyone have to get married?”

Dean shot him an incredulous look, “Come on, Sam, we've worked enough of these cases to know this is always the easiest and fastest way.”

Through stiff jaws Sam released a harsh, conceding sigh, “OK... then... why does it have to be you and Y/N?”

“Cause we’re best friends; it'll be more believable,” Dean answered easily with a grin.

A disbelieving stare crossed Sam’s indignant features before he looked down to suppress his emotions with a sardonic nod and pursed lips. It was one thing for Dean to suggest playing your husband but to claim that you're his best friend instead of Sam's... That was too far.

“Plus, you've always been better at playing FBI,” his brother continued with that irritating smile.

Sam gave himself a moment before stating adamantly, “I don't think it should be you.”

“What, why? You don't think we can get the job done?” Dean’s tone was accusing, and you knew he was trying to provoke Sam, but ever since the notion that two out of the three of you needed to play a married couple had been introduced, you found yourself at an inevitable impasse.

“No, I-“ Sam could barely get any words out before Dean circled back to you instead.

“Y/N?” The look Dean sent you forced you to face your inner dilemma head on. On the one hand, you wanted nothing more than an excuse to get close to Sam, to hold his hand and gaze at him adoringly without worrying about anyone seeing, and so much more… but on the other hand, you feared that a glimpse of the ‘real deal’, however contrived, might just push you over the decisive edge. What if you couldn’t go back to your platonic guise after? What if you broke your own heart?

“What? Um, yeah, I think it could work,” you rubbed the back of your neck nervously, keeping your eyes on Dean’s to avoid meeting Sam’s.

Your response elicited a smug expression on the older Winchester’s face however, as he returned to questioning his brother, “So what is it, Sam? You don't think I can pretend to be in love with Y/N? Cause trust me, that'll be easy.” There was that wink again, prompting a roll of your eyes.

“No, I just-“ You were worried Sam’s jaw might fall off if he clenched it any tighter. Why did he seem to care so much anyway? Was he jealous? The thought popped into your head almost as quickly as you dismissed it.

“Then what, Sam?” Dean plucked at that final straw and an explosion of the type that had seemed to become increasingly common from the ordinarily calm and gentle giant followed.

“IT SHOULD BE ME, OK?” Sam roared in frustration, his expansive chest was heaving and his hazel irises had darkened immeasurably. “It should be me,” he repeated more quietly.

Dean smirked; this was exactly what he wanted, exactly what he expected. “Well geez, Sammy. If you wanted to get with Y/N so bad, you could’ve just said so.”

“Wha- that’s not- I don't,” Sam looked extremely distressed and you couldn’t blame him. Whatever Dean was playing at had led him to essentially force Sam to reject you out right, and being the compassionate soul that he was, you knew Sam never wanted to hurt you that way, even if it was indirectly. “I just- I think it would work better this way. You're not exactly the marriage or therapy type and you're just not-“

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You wanna shack up with Y/N and who could blame you? There’s no need to throw a hissy fit, baby brother. She’s all yours.” Dean chuckled at the sight of your averted eyes and Sam’s burning cheeks, thinking his work was just about done, “Alright, I’m gonna go get Baby ready. You kids have fun.”

When the echo of a closing door filled the room, Sam turned back to you, “Y/N, look I-“

“Don’t worry about it, Sam, I know what you meant,” you brushed him off hastily, “And you’re right, Dean would probably have a hard time keeping up the act. He’d end up flirting with the therapist or something.” Laughing always did help you conceal the pain in your chest.

As it turned out, it was a flirtatious therapist you should have been more concerned about. The woman had eyes for Sam only as soon as the two of you walked into her office and sat down on the tiny loveseat before her.

“Welcome, I’m Dr. Ryan, but you can call me Marlena,” she paused to perform a not-so-subtle scan along the length of Sam’s body before smiling at him seductively, “Why don’t we start by introducing yourselves?”

You kept your expression neutral though there was an urge to glare at her. After all, didn’t she think Sam was a married man? Perhaps this was part of the scam that got the couples before you killed, your rational side countered.

“Uh, OK…” Sam appeared rather uncomfortable beside you, pressing his lips into a tight semblance of a smile, “Umm, I'm Sam and this is my wife Y-Y/N.”

The damn Winchester was always so adorably flustered every time someone hit on him, something you never failed to find incredibly endearing, especially considering he was a 6'4” hunk of a man who could surely get inside the pants of any woman he wanted. You assumed, being that good looking, he’d be used to the attention by now, but the fact that he still reacted this way was a true testament to his humility.

“And how did you two meet?”

“Through work,” Sam answered shortly. A resounding pang had shot through his chest when he introduced you as his wife and he was still trying to recoup. If only this wasn't all make-believe, if only he could sit close to you and hold your hand in his whenever he wanted and not just for the sake of a ridiculous pretence. The Mr. and Mrs. titles and matching rings weren't even necessary. He just wanted to make you his as much as he was already yours.

Fuck, Dean was right; Sam was in deep. Just the thought of Dean acting as your husband had his heart racing and every muscle in his body tense with envy. There was no way he could have handled seeing his brother all over you, even if it was pretend. And if the fact that he had to make Dean go get the rings for your current ruse, because he had a strong suspicion the act of buying you a ring yet knowing it wasn’t real might just annihilate the final pieces of his fragile heart, wasn’t telling enough... Sam was finally beginning to realize that he could no longer deny his feelings for you.

“Tell me about that. What is it you two do?”

Although the questions were directed at both of you, Marlena’s gaze remained resolutely transfixed upon Sam, but the man was much too busy thinking about you to notice.

“Uh, well it was about 3 years ago. We’re firefighters and Y/N had been sent from another division to help out with a particularly bad… fire. But she somehow got there before we did, and when I arrived on the scene, I saw her walk out of the burning building in a blaze of smoke and dust. She was carrying a little boy, who she had just saved, covered in ash and soot, a-and there was scrape above her left brow that had left a trail of darkened blood down the side of her face,” Sam smiled to himself at the memory, “But I couldn’t move. It was just all so surreal because it was the last thing I expected to find, and I thought she was the most beautiful soul I had ever set my eyes on. I knew right then that I would gladly devote the rest of my life to getting to know her better, to becoming worthy of her, but when she came up to us, I could barely speak in full sentences and I made a fool of myself by stumbling over my own feet. My brother, who’s uh- also a firefighter, later told me he thought I was having a stroke.” Sam chuckled softly. His eyes were downcast, and he seemed to be a little lost in his own world.

By contrast, you were staring at him in shock. You remembered the day quite clearly, although in reality it was a wendigo that you were forced to kill by starting a fire since your flare gun wouldn’t work, but Sam got the rest of the details spot on. The lilt of his voice as he spoke had made it all sound so real, for a moment, you nearly tricked yourself. Who knew he had such incredible acting chops on top of all those other skills?

“Well, that sounds like a beautiful start. I’m assuming you work together now?” Taking note of the new edge in her voice, you gave her a nod and Dr. Ryan continued, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a pen, “It must be terribly hard to maintain a work-life balance and keep the romance alive. I’m sure there are issues from work that you’ll often bring home, conflicts that can never be resolved considering the lack of alone time? Maybe something you found annoying about the other that seemed bearable in the beginning but has now festered to become an unmendable chasm between the two of you?”

Your eyes narrowed of their own accord. Between the obvious flirting to the now obvious attempt to instigate discord between you and Sam, you were starting to think Marlena was undoubtedly the monster (that or she was an awful couples therapist). Her motive remained unclear though, so you played along.

“Uh, well Sam can be a bit… overprotective, at times, when we’re working, and sometimes it can get in the way of the job.”

“Ok but that’s only because Y/N can be ludicrously stubborn, at times, and she has a habit of running headfirst into danger." Sam was surprisingly quick to retort.

"It's literally our job to run into danger, Sam.” Your body was now twisted to face his, “And if I recall correctly, my ‘ludicrous stubbornness’ has led to the saving of multiple lives, yours included."

Sam lowered his head and scoffed lightly before he too turned to face you completely, golden eyes boring into yours with an intensity you were not prepared for, "I know it has but sometimes you act like other people's lives are worth more than yours and that's not true. Besides, it's my job to care about you, to protect you… I-I mean as your husband."

For a second, things got a little too real there, but you took a deep breath to remind yourself this was all just an act, "And I appreciate that Sam, but sometimes it can be a bit overbearing-"

"Well if I'm overbearing it's only because I'm terrified every time we go out there,” Sam began to enunciate every word stiffly, speaking almost entirely through gritted teeth, “Because I can't bear the thought of losing you, because I can't fathom living a life without you!"

And once again, you were left staring at him with your mouth agape. He sure was laying it on thick, or perhaps he just wanted to win the fight, because you had no idea how to argue against that.

“Alright, I think that’s enough on that topic. Maybe we should try something else,” Dr. Ryan interjected, “Oh look at that, time’s almost up! I always end my sessions with a fun little exercise. I want you to look each other in the eyes and take turns coming up with one positive word to describe the other, something you love about your partner, but it must be genuine.”

Quirking your brow, you struggled to restrain the smile on your face as you turned back to Sam. Well this’ll be easy.

“Intelligent,” you stated matter-of-factly, figuring you’d start with something relatively un-incriminating.

“Strong,” Sam came back at you immediately. There was a fierceness in his eyes, almost as if he was daring you to bring it on.

“Kind,” came your simple response.

“Discerning.” His voice seemed lower for some reason.

“Capable,” you kept your eyes locked on Sam’s as you lifted your chin.

“Tough.” There was an undeniable fondness that accompanied the word when it left his lips.

“Sassy,” you replied, unable to stop the smirk that tugged at the corner of your mouth.

“Tenacious,” Sam narrowed his eyes at you.

“Selfless.” Why did you sound so out of breath?

“Complex.” He was smiling at you now.  

“Protective,” you finally admitted despite your earlier complaints.

“Beguiling,” Why were you both whispering?

“Tall.” Was that lust you could hear in your own voice?

“Badass,” Was that lust you could hear in his voice?

“Gorgeous… or handsome if you prefer.” When did your faces get so close?

“So fucking beautif-”

“Woah! OK, I think we’re done here.” Shit, you had almost forgotten about the therapist. “That was… excessive. I don’t think I’ll be needing to see you again,” she declared as she stood up rather suddenly, prompting you and Sam to do the same though you were both still a little caught up in your game.

“Wow, you really are tall,” Marlena breathed out as she smoothed a hand down her pencil skirt. The provocative tone of her voice had you back down to earth in no time. "And those years of firefighting have definitely paid off, what with all those big muscles.”

Sam gave an awkward half laugh as he wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you tight against his side. You weren’t sure what compelled you to but as if on instinct, you raised your outer hand and placed it lightly on Sam’s stomach, feeling his abs contracting even through the soft flannel beneath your fingers as you replied, “Yeah, that’s just another one of the many things I love about Sam.”

The laugh that escaped Sam this time was much more sincere, “Thank you for your time, Dr. Ryan.” He kept his hand on your waist as he led the two of you out the door, trying his damnedest to ignore the enticing sensation your touch had evoked throughout his body, as well as the subsequent questions of what your little hand might feel like on other parts of him if a simple graze of his abdomen could produce such a dramatic effect.

“Did it seem like she was rushing us to you?” you questioned Sam pensively when you were back at the motel half an hour later.

“Yeah, like the more we spoke, the more she lost interest in us,” he agreed.

Your next words tumbled out without permission and you could only cringe at the bitter inflection of your voice, “Well, she didn’t seem to lose any interest in you.”

Sam felt himself smile at your adorableness; he couldn’t help it when your bottom lip jutted out like that. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought you were jealous.

“Are you two outta your damn minds?” Dean looked from his brother’s face to yours. “Did you even check the time? She only gave you about half of what we paid for!”

“What, really?” you and Sam responded in chorus.

“Yeah, but luckily I’m a genius and I got everything we needed within the first few minutes.” Grinning in that cocky way of his, Dean explained, “Your EMF sensors were off the charts as soon as you walked into her office, and I found ectoplasm in the bathroom.”

“She’s a ghost?” Sam did that adorable scrunchy thing with his face and you had to physically stop yourself from staring.

“Possessed by one, yeah. And I checked the records. She spent at least an hour overtime with both of the dead couples.”

“So, what, are we not good enough to be her next victims?” you wondered.

“Maybe she saw through the act?” Sam suggested.

Dean was fumbling through a stack of papers until he found something, “Yeah, I don’t think that’s it. Here, check this out.”

Sam started to read out loud, “’Grave of local girl found desecrated by joggers passing through the cemetery early Sunday morning…’”

“Turns out the kid got pushed out a window accidentally when her parents were fighting... Splat.” Dean elaborated, ever so tactfully.

You were starting to piece it together though, “So now she’s seeking out dysfunctional couples to kill them the way she died… for what, revenge? Or to stop them from accidentally murdering their own kids?”

“That’s my best guess,” Dean confirmed.

“Huh… nice work on research, buddy. I’m impressed,” the playful grin you sent Dean’s way was not lost on Sam.

“Yeah, well your husband’s not the only one who can look stuff up around here. Besides, someone had to do the work while you two were off playing Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”

“Sam and I have never tried to kill each other,” you argued.

Dean snorted while grabbing his jacket, “And that’s about the only way your relationship differs.”

When he saw your brows pull together in confusion, Sam quickly cut in to change the subject, “So uh- what’s the plan?”

His brother was nearly out the door when he responded, “Nice and easy. I’ll go burn the bones while you guys go back and distract her with your little love fest, capiche?”

The ghost was surprisingly open this time around, admitting freely to her past crimes and even explaining her methods. Apparently, flirting with the husbands was a routine and easy test to spot any cracks in the relationships, one that she claimed Sam had passed with flying colors. But you knew better than to assume his achievement had anything to do with you. After all, you’d seen the man hold fast against the fervent advances of a high-end stripper before, while he was drunk. This was nothing.

“But why kill them?” Sam questioned, with the kind of genuine curiosity that only he could exhibit towards a murderous monster.

“Because it’s better to die than stay in a loveless marriage… But of course you two wouldn’t underst-“ Dean must have completed his task because the therapist was interrupted by a shapeless black plume bursting through her mouth.

‘Oh Shit,’ you thought relentingly as you watched the spirit eject itself and disappear into a fiery cloud of dark fumes, a forlorn expression upon your face, ‘I’m in love with Sam Winchester.’

→ CARRY ON

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[joviewinchester]

Hey! So this is a Supernatural My Babysitter’s a Vampire crossover requested by @the-fifth-marauder101 The request wasn’t super specific so I kind of just ran with it. Jack’s a bit younger in this for the sake of the story. And I know that the timeline is off and stuff but like don’t @ me about it please. I know it’s off. Also this is a reader insert because, ya know, that’s literally all I write. Lol, but anyways, I hope you like it, and keep those requests coming!

Another school. Another town. Another day. That’s how it always went. Avoid making friends at all costs. Well, she had Jack at least.

“What are we here for again?” Y/N asked sighing.

“Your dad said something about vampires or werewolves. They don’t know what it is yet. Said something’s off with this one.” Jack replied glancing over at a group of whispering teens.

“What do you think their deal is?” Erica asked eyeing both Y/N and Jack.

“They don’t look like siblings, at the very least not biological ones.” Sarah responded.

“I don’t know, but can I just say, the girl is hot. Like hotter than anyone I’ve ever laid eyes on. Like if I had to choose between her and a young Carrie Fisher, I’d choose her.” Benny said.

“No way. You’re joking right?” Ethan asked.

“No. I never joke about a babe.” Benny said seriously.

“I don’t know. Personally I’d love to sink my teeth into either of them.” Erica smirked.

Y/N looked from the group to Jack in confusion. “Is it just me or do we have a literal fanclub?”

“I wouldn’t call them a fanclub. They’re just…unusually interested.” Jack responded.

“Should we introduce ourselves? Don’t get me wrong. I know we probably won’t stay for very long but…I just…it would be nice to make friends for once, you know?” She asked Jack as she looked at them, or more specifically looked at Benny.

“I mean, how could it hurt right?” They approached the group.

“Dude they’re coming over here.” Benny said while slapping Ethan’s arm.

“Yeah. I know. I can see dude.”

“Hi.” Y/N said shyly.

Jack stepped in at that point. “Hello. My name is Jack and this is my friend Y/N.” He introduced.

“It’s nice to meet you guys. I’m Sarah and this is Ethan, Benny, and Erica.” Sarah smiled.

Benny had a dumbstruck look on his face. “Excuse him. He gets nervous around girls he thinks are pretty.” Ethan said.

Benny looked at him with a glare. “Dude.” He whisper shouted at him. They then had a small slap fight.

“Alright you two are embarrassing yourselves. Hi, as Sarah said, I’m Erica, and I would love to take you under my wing, Y/N was it? Please let me give you a makeover tonight. You have so much potential if we removed the flannel and the old leggings.”

“Sorry. She’s straightforward like that. She doesn’t mean in a rude way or anything she just thinks your pretty and wants to do your makeup.” Sarah said.

“I guess I could come over.” Y/N said nervously. Jack have her a look and lowered his voice.

“Y/N, Dean said to come straight home after school, and that we can’t go out. You can’t. If you leave on my watch, Dean and Cas will, what is it that you say? ‘rip me a new one’” He quoted.

“Who’s Dean?” Ethan asked.

“My dad. He’s just a little bit overprotective, and if you don’t want me to go out without you, then just come with me.” Y/N said.

“So, you two like live together?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah. Our dads work together. It’s a whole thing.” Y/N said.

“Anyways, I’ll talk to him if he’s home and if not I’ll text him and let him know it shouldn’t be a big deal.” She said.

“Great. Sarah you’re coming too right?” Erica asked.

“Actually, I have to babysit Ethan and Jane tonight.”

“No problem we’ll just go over there.”

“Sarah’s your babysitter?” Jack asked.

“No! Well, I mean, yes, but it’s only because my mom doesn’t trust me to babysit my little sister. Benny you’re still coming over to play that new zombie game right?”

“Like I would miss that.”

“Think we have room for another player?” Ethan asked.

“Not if you’re talking about Rory.” Benny complained.

“I’m clearly talking about Jack, Benny.”

Sarah and Erica both rolled their eyes at their antics. “Come on, Y/N. We’ll walk you to class. Honestly, I swear you geeks almost scared her off.” Erica said.

Y/N waved goodbye at Benny, Ethan, and Jack, linking her arms with Erica and Sarah.

The bell then rang. “Do you guys know where Mr. G’s class is?” Jack asked.

“Yeah we have him for first period too. Follow us.” Ethan said.

School seemed to go by like a breeze with their new friends by their sides. Before they knew it, they were all heading out the doors.

“Alright. Jack and I need to head out, but we’ll meet you guys at Ethan’s house later. See ya.” Y/N said. There was a series of byes and Jack and Y/N hopped into the Jeep they had jacked from the bunker.

Erica left shortly after that saying something about how she needed to pack some clothes and makeup for later.

“I should give her a love potion.” Benny said.

“Do you remember how that turned out last time? I still have nightmares.” Ethan shuddered.

“Benny, don’t let this get to your head, but I think you might actually have a chance with her. She stared at you throughout the entirety of biology class. You should just ask her to see a movie with you or something.” Sarah advised.

“Yes. I need to be more like Han Solo. God, she’d be such a pretty Princess Leia.” Benny sighed dreamily.

“Okay lover boy. You wanna stand out here all day? We’re practically the only ones still here. Your grandma is gonna get mad if you make her wait any longer.” Sarah said glancing at the SUV Benny’s grandma sat in.

“Right. See you guys later!” Benny called.

“Bye!” They said in sync.

“I’ll see you later?” Ethan asked.

“Duh. If I want to get paid I don’t really have a choice.” Sarah joked. Ethan waved awkwardly and jogged to his mom’s car.

“Dorks.” She muttered to herself a slight smile on her face.

Y/N and Jack entered the place one of their hunter friends had loaned them and saw Sam researching by himself.

“Hey, Sam! Do you know when dad is gonna be back?” Y/N asked.

“Um…not really, but it probably won’t be for a few hours. He and Cas are interviewing at the moment. Why? Do you need something? Maybe I can help.”

“Well, Jack and I were wondering if we could go over to a friend’s house around seven ish? We’re just hanging out, nothing big.”

Sam looked up from his laptop. “You guys made friends?” He asked.

“Yeah. I know. I know. We probably won’t stay here, but it’s hard avoiding people everywhere we go and they’re really nice.” Y/N explained.

“Y/N, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. I think it’s good that you guys are making friends, and I think it’s fine if you go out as long as you’re back by 10:30 or Dean will flip.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You’re the best uncle in the world.”

“Do you need any help with research?” Jack asked.

“No. It’s fine. You probably have homework to do.” Sam replied. Jack then headed to his room with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Hey, Sam?” Y/N asked sitting across from him.

“Yeah?”

“Can I talk to you about something?”

“You know that you can tell me anything Y/N.”

“I don’t…I don’t think that I can keep doing this.” She sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“The whole moving towns constantly and the saving people hunting things…I just don’t want to keep moving around. I know that it’s stupid. You’re saving the world. All of you, but I feel like I haven’t even lived. I’ve never really gotten to stop and smell the roses you know?”

“Y/N, it’s not like we can just leave you in a town by yourself. You’re only sixteen, but you’re in luck. We’re going to be here awhile. There are multiple cases in this one town and they all seem different. I don’t know what’s going on here. It’s like a Supernatural beacon.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help with research?” Y/N asked.

“No. You have homework too I’m assuming.”

“I finished all of mine in study hall. I’m available for four hours.”

Sam sighed. “Fine. You can help. I’m just looking through lore right now to try and figure out the first case.”

After about three and a half hours of researching, they both still came up with nothing. Y/N groaned.

“Are you sure there isn’t like more than one type of vampire?” She asked.

“Not according to any hunters I’ve met.” Sam said.

“Well, we didn’t think angels existed at one point and look at Cas. Look at Jack. We got an angel and a nephilim living in our house. Not to mention me. I’m a freak of nature.”

“I don’t know, Y/N. If we haven’t encountered one before, I don’t know why we would now.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna go upstairs and grab a few things, then Jack and I are leaving. I’ll see you later Sammy.”

Sam rolled his eyes at the nickname but told her goodbye nonetheless and went back to his research. Y/N grabbed her small bag that contained hand sanitizer, chapstick, lotion, a first aid kit and a pocket knife and knocked on Jack’s door.

“You ready?” She asked.

“Yeah let’s go before we’re stopped by Dean and Cas getting home.” Jack said.

They drove over to Ethan’s house and everyone else had already arrived. Y/N knocked on the door to see Benny with his mouth full of marshmallows. Y/N gasped in excitement.

“Are you guys seeing who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth?! I bet I can win! I want in on this!” She exclaimed rushing past Jack and in the door.

“What’s the record I’m trying to beat?” Y/N asked Jane.

“It’s unclear. They argue all the time about which got the highest amount and what the highest amount is. I think it’s 176. You don’t need to waste your time here though. You should come play dress up with me and Sarah. I promise it’ll be much more fun.” Jane ranted grabbing her hand.

“Come on Y/N it’ll be way more fun.” Sarah joked. Y/N shrugged.

“You know what? Why not let’s go. You coming, Erica?”

“Playing ‘dress up’ with you is literally the only reason why I’m here. Of course I’m coming.” Erica replied grabbing her bag. They all rushed upstairs leaving the boys behind.

The marshmallows fell out of Benny’s mouth as he was watching Y/N go upstairs. Ethan fist pumped in victory.

“I win!” He yelled through a mouthful of marshmallows.

“Hey! Dude that is so not fair!”

“It’s completely fair! Just don’t get distracted next time and you might win.” Ethan said back smugly.

“Whatever. You guys wanna watch Star Wars or something?” Benny asked.

“I don’t know. Y/N might get mad if we watch it without her.” Jack half joked. Benny looked at him in exasperation.

“She likes Star Wars too?! What’s next?!”

Meanwhile, upstairs Erica had already began using Y/N as a human doll.

“Those dorks are literally not going to know what to do with themselves when they see you.” Erica praised.

“You look really pretty, Y/N. Dare I say, prettier than Debbie Dazzle.” Jane complimented.

“Is that a compliment? What’s a Debbie Dazzle?” Y/N asked Sarah.

“You mean you never had a Debbie Dazzle doll growing up?” Sarah asked. Y/N shook her head no and thought of her childhood.

“We…well, we’ve always moved around a lot, and I matured earlier than most kids. Never really got into that stuff, besides wouldn’t have anyone to play with it with anyways.”

“What about your dad or your mom?” Erica asked while brushing Y/N’s hair.

“My mom?” She asked mostly to herself. It’s not like she could straight up say that her mom was God’s sister. “My mom left us when I was young. I barely remember her.” She said. When she was born she automatically aged up to thirteen, similarly to Jack.

That was the end of that conversation. They didn’t want to pry into her personal life. Even if it felt like they’d known her for years, the truth of it was that they were practically strangers.

“Okay. All done.” Erica smiled. Y/N looked in the mirror Jane had in her room. She was shocked to say the least to see what was staring back at her. For the first time in her life, she felt normal. She felt like a regular teenage girl, not a demi-god who hunted monsters.

“Wow. I look-“

“Beautiful.” Sarah, Erica, and Jane all said at once.

https://shoplook.io/outfit-preview/2784047

“I was gonna say normal, but yeah.” She laughed.

There were a few seconds of silence then Y/N suddenly jumped out of her seat. “Is that the Star Wars theme song?!” She exclaimed. She started heading downstairs.

“What a cute little nerd.” Erica said.

“Can we go downstairs to get a snack?” Jane asked Sarah.

“Sure but you have to be in bed by 9:00 remember?” “9:30?” “Fine.”

When Y/N got downstairs she plopped on the couch in between Jack and Benny.

Benny glanced at her and did a double take. “Woah. Erica did a really good job…not that you weren’t pretty before. You’re really pretty, either way. I’m so sorry. I’m totally rambling again.”

“Are you done?” She asked jokingly.

“Yeah…well, actually,” she laughed. “So no then?”

“Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go see a movie sometime…with me. I’ll even suffer through the new Dusk if you want.”

“No way are we watching Dusk. Pick me up Friday. We’re watching the new Avengers movie.”

Benny elbowed Ethan. “Dude. Did you hear that?”

“Yes, Benny, congratulations.” Y/N’s phone abruptly began to ring.

“Shoot. I gotta take this.” She got up and walked into the other room.

“Hello?” She asked. “Y/N? Where the hell are you? I told you and Jack to come home and stay home after school. Sam is not your dad. I am. You could’ve at least called and asked.” Dean grumbled.

“And you would’ve told me no and I would’ve been mad and you would’ve been mad and it would just not be fun at all so…”

“Are there boys there?” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Does is matter?”

“Yes. It matters a lot.”

“You don’t know. I could be a lesbian.” She stated.

“Cut the crap, kid. You and Jack need to get your sorry asses home or youre grounded. Both of you.”

Y/N ignored that statement. “Well, I’d love to talk more, but I’m gonna hang up now.”

“Y/N Elaine Winchester I swear to Chuck if you hang up…”

“Calm down. We’ll be home in like twenty minutes. Bye.” She hung up before he could say anything else.

“Jack, we have to go. Dean is flipping out.” She said walking back into the living room.

“Did you just refer to your dad by his first name?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah I did. Because I’m mad. It’s a symbol of defiance…even if he can’t hear it. Anyways, we’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Y/N, with annoyance, walked into the kitchen and said goodbye to Erica, Sarah, and Jane as well, before leaving with Jack trailing behind her.

Once they got home, they were greeted by all three hunters still sitting at the table researching.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Dean asked in disgust.

“Clothes. Goodnight. Good riddance. Love you partially and all that jazz. I’m going to bed. I have school.” She said running upstairs not letting anyone else get a word in.

The three men sighed. “Were there boys there?” Dean asked Jack seriously as he had Y/N on the phone.

“Yeah. Just two. Y/N has a date Friday.” Jack responded casually.

“She what?!”

“Anyways goodnight. Good riddance. Love you. And all that jazz as Y/N would say. See you tomorrow.” Jack repeated charging up the stairs.

[atlafan]

Office Neighbors - Part Thirteen

a/n: WEDDING!!! (reblogs and feedback are super helpful!) not proofread, sorry!

warnings: FLUFF! Smut (a little bit of bum stuff, but don’t get too excited, it’s not what you think...yet)

words: 16K

masterpost

You and Harry needed to go down to Boston a few days before the wedding. You needed to go over things with Julian, and he needed to be there for when his family and friends flew in. Andy was extremely excited. Brandon’s parents would be sending him down on the bus the day before the wedding, so Andy would have a buddy during the rehearsal dinner.

It was nice to have a few days off from school, but Andy was sad to be away from Brandon. They hadn’t been able to really discuss everything that happened at the Halloween party like he had hoped. Every time he saw him he just blushed and smiled. They’d hold hands a little underneath the desks in class, and that was about it.

You were off with Julian, Phil, and your parents while Harry and Andy went to the airport to pick everyone up. Harry was somehow able to get everyone on the same flight.

“Six hours with these two buggers behind me. They were worse than the kids!” Gemma says as she hugs Harry, and then Andy. “I needed to take something to fall asleep.”

“Oi, we weren’t that bad.” Niall says.

“Yeah, it’s not our fault there was a football match on the tele.” Louis says. “You should be paying us babysitting fees for keeping those two entertained.”

Gemma glares at the guys before they rush to hug Harry and Andy. Anne hugs everyone as well. She looked pooped.

“I know, long flight and all that, but you’re here now.” Harry says.

Lizzie and Ritchie chat with Andy as they all wait for their luggage to come through baggage claim.

“How are we all going to fit in the same car?” Gemma asks.

“Oh, we rented a van for the weekend. Make things easier to get to and from the commons, so I just drove that here. You’re gonna love the hotel suite Julian’s put you lot in.”

“And you’re staying with us?” Niall says.

“Yeah, about that…” Harry rubs the back of his neck. “Nothing we’re doing is traditional, so I was sort of thinking I’d just stay with Y/N.”

“Nope, no way. Can’t have a proper bachelors night out if we send you back drunk to your fiancé.” Louis says. “You will stay with us.”

“You’re gonna sloshed the night before your wedding?” Anne asks.

“No…we’re all going out tonight. Tomorrow’s the rehearsal, and then the wedding.” He looks at his friends. “M’not spending two nights away from her.”

“You will, and you’ll like it.” Niall says.

Everyone grabs their luggage and heads out to the van, and climbs in. Harry drives back to the hotel. He helps everyone get checked in, and shows them to their suites.

“Oh, this is perfect!” Gemma says. “Look, Mum, two queens in a room for us, and two queens for all the kids, this’ll be great.”

“Andy, your friend Brandon’s coming tomorrow, right?” Anne asks him.

“Mhm.” He smiles.

“Good, it’ll be nice to see him again. He’s such a sweet boy.” She pats his head and puts hers things down. “Well, I need to take a bit of a nap. Are we all going to have a meal together later?”

“Yeah, we’ll all get together for an early dinner. Take some time to rest. Kids, there’s a pool if you feel up to it.”

“Uncle Harry, I’m pooped.” Lizzie whines. “Need a nap too.”

“Alright, darling.” Harry chuckles.

“I’ll take ‘em down later.” Gemma says. “Andy you’re staying with us?”

“Yeah!”

“Fantastic. Do you wanna stay here with us or go with Dad?”

“I’ll hang out here.” He shrugs. “Everyone they’re all doing is boring.”

“Where is Y/N, anyways?” Anne asks.

“She’s getting some last minute stuff together. Her bridal party will be here tomorrow, so you’ll meet just her immediate family tonight, and then everyone else later.”

“Sounds good.” She yawns. “Okay, off to bed for me.”

Harry heads down the hall to Louis and Niall’s room. Harry met his two best friends his first year of uni. They all played football (soccer) together on the school’s team. Harry obviously didn’t continue on with the sport once he came to the states. Louis had a serious girlfriend of his own, but she stayed home to give the boys their fun, and Niall was in-between relationships at the moment.

“So, how’s Holly.” Harry asks Louis.

“Ah, she’s fantastic. Just FaceTimed her quick. She sends all her love.”

“Tell her I send mine right back. And what about you, Casanova?” Harry smirks. “No ladies awaiting your return?”

“Nope.” Niall grins. “I’m a free man once again. I swear I have all the luck. The women I keep dating are absolutely batty. Wouldn’t mind finding a woman of my own to settle down with.”

“Y/N’s friend Nora is single, and she’s awfully sweet.” Harry says.

“Mm, a long distance relationship isn’t in the cards for me right now, but I’ll keep that in mind if I feel like getting laid this weekend.” He winks at his friend.

“Holly and I did the long distance thing in the beginning, remember? Wasn’t all bad. I had a cool place to visit, we never fought, and it was always hot.” Louis smirks. “It’s still hot, but I certainly don’t like it when she gets mad at me for not getting me knickers in the hamper.”

“Maybe get your knickers in the hamper, and she wouldn’t get mad at you. Just a thought.” Harry says.

“No shit?!” Louis says with a laugh. “Fuckin’ genius over here, it’s almost like you’re a doctor or something.”

“Come on, let’s go get your shit from your room and bring it here.” Niall says.

“Fine.” Harry sighs. “But I’ll need to hog the pillows.”

“Are you still a clingy sleeper?” Louis asks. “You’ve got psychological damage, I swear to god.”

//

After everyone had time to get situation, and rested, Harry eventually caught up with you. He explained that his friends are basically forcing him to stay with them.

“You’ll have more fun, Har.” You chuckle. “It’ll give me more time to be with your mom and sister.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“What are you guys even doing tonight?”

“Think they just wanna take me out to get drunk.” He shrugs. “Wanna come meet them?”

“Yeah!”

You hold hands as you make your way to their room. Harry knocks, and Niall opens the door.

“Hey!” He beams and hugs you immediately. “So this is the lovely lady our Harry’s just been tickled pink about.” You giggle at that and step into the room. “He hasn’t give you enough credit, you’re gorgeous, you know?” Niall keeps his arm around your shoulders and you blush.

“Oi, stop flirting with my fiancé.”

“Why? Not like you’re married yet. Still plenty of time to back out, love.”

“There she is.” Louis says with a smile and hugs you. “It’s so great to meet you. Don’t pay any attention to Nialler here, only rubbish ever comes out of his mouth.” You blink at Louis. “What?”

“You’re…you’re gonna have to speak a little slower.” You chuckle. “Your accent is a little…thick.”

“Maybe yours is thick! Didja ever think o’that?” He looks at you seriously and then laughs. “Only teasing, love, only teasing.”

“How long have you all known each other again?”

“Since we were eighteen.” Harry says as he sits down on the couch in the living area of the suite. “We were all on the soccer team together, and we lived in a triple. It was great.”

“I’m sorry, did you say you were on a sports team?” You were shocked.

“I only played my first year. I’m a better coach than a player.”

“Yeah, the lad here told us there were better opportunities here and left us.” Louis says. “But we all stayed close.”

“We usually get together whenever Harry comes back to London.” Niall explains.

“And where do you both live?”

“I live in London, not too far from Harry’s family, actually.” Louis says.

“Same here, actually. The city was calling my name.” Niall says. “You’re from this area, right?”

“Yeah.” You smile. “Born and raised. It’s the perfect sized city, in my opinion. I never felt overwhelmed or small. I like going to New York once in a wall, but I always get so anxious.”

“London should be fun for you then. You’re coming for the holidays, yeah?” Louis says.

“She sure is.” Harry says as he puts his arm around you, kissing your cheek.

“So, what are we doing for dinner tonight?” Niall asks. “M’getting hungry.”

“We’re all going to this amazing Chinese buffet. You’ll love it.” You say and look down at your watch. “Should probably head down to the lobby soon to meet everyone.”

“Good thinking.” Harry says. “You both ready? We’ll probably leave for our night out from the restaurant.”

“Yup, got everything we need.” Louis says. “Don’t worry, Y/N, we won’t get him too loaded.”

“I’m sure you’ll take very good care of him.” You say with a smirk.

//

You were a bit nervous as you approached the lobby. You had been on a number of FaceTime calls with Gemma and Anne at this point, but it was still wild to be seeing them in person.

“Oh!” Anne exclaims when she spots you, and you smile. “My god, it’s so nice to finally meet in person.” She says as she hugs you.

“Same to you.”

You hug Gemma next, and introduce yourself to Lizzie and Ritchie. Your parents, Julian, and Phil come strolling into the lobby, and everyone else gets acquainted. You all make your way to the restaurant, and are brought to the private room in the back for large parties. A buffet was set up, and the kids sit together while all of the adults co-mingle. You take in everything. Your parents were chatting up Anne as Phil and Julian were talking with Gemma. Louis and Niall were keeping Harry pretty preoccupied. It was nice to see him interacting with them. He had this boyish smile on his face, and it filled you with so much joy.

“Y/N, who’s officiating for you two?” Gemma asks

“My old rabbi is coming.” You smile. “He’s going to do a few prayers for us since that was important to me, and Harry didn’t seem to mind.” He places his hand over yours. “And then our friend Janette is going to step in and do the rest. She was over the moon when we asked her. She works with us as well.”

“That’s great! Harry’s always told nice stories about Janette over the years. Will everyone else from your department be coming?”

“Yeah.” Harry answers his sister. “They’ll be coming to the reception. The ceremony is going to be everyone in this room, plus Y/N’s bridal party. Very small.”

“I like it.” Anne says. “I mean, having a big wedding is great and all, but I like that this will be much more intimate. It makes it more special, in a way.”

“I still can’t believe how quickly you were able to pull this all together.” Your mom says. “I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but I was shocked when you said it would be happening so soon.”

“We just figured what was the use in waiting a year when we knew it was going to be small. It’s not like we needed to book a large venue, and thanks to Julian, we were able to squeeze into that smaller ballroom for the reception.” You say.

“How will everything work out at the commons?” Niall asks.

“We’re having two small tents set up, one for me and one for Harry, and both parties to hang out in. I’ll be brought over in the van beforehand to take pictures and all that, and then we’re going to do a first look.” You explain.

“We really wanted that moment to be private between us. Andy’s gonna be involved in it too, it’s gonna be great.” Harry says.

“Our admin, Lucas, is taking all of the photos, he’s so talented.” You say. “We’re paying him, of course, but he’s not charging as much as a full-time professional would.”

“It’s nice you two have so many people in your corner to help out.” You dad says. “Makes me feel better about you living so far away, honey.” He gives your hand a squeeze and you smile at him.

You had never felt more blessed in your life. You were with a man your family approved of, and they were happy for you, genuinely! Your parents had been not so great to your past boyfriends, but they took a liking to Harry right away. You wondered if Andy had anything to do with it. They were skeptical, you noticed, at Thanksgiving, but it was like once they met Andy they knew you’d be alright with Harry. It must have something to do with the fact that he’s been able to keep a kid alive and safe. They knew they could trust him with you.

Dinner was great, and everyone felt plenty full. Harry tells Andy to be good and to listen to the adults taking care of him since he’d be mostly likely going to the pool at the hotel with his cousins.

“Have fun you three.” You say to the boys before you all head your separate ways. “Bring him back in one piece.”

“We’ll do our best.” Niall winks.

Harry rolls his eyes at his friends and gives you a hug and a kiss before he leaves with them. You head back to the hotel with Harry’s family after saying goodbye to your own. You meet them all down at the pool to hang out while the kids swam around.

“Have you two been to Boston often?” You ask Anne and Gemma.

“A few times, yeah. We usually fly in here, but we’ve only explored a couple of times.” Gemma explains. “We usually have to hop on the bus up to New Hampshire to get to Harry’s.”

“I think we’re planning our next visit for Andy’s fourteenth birthday since he’ll be done with middle school.”

“And that’ll be when his next birthday party will be at Harry’s house.” Gemma says. “No offense, but I have zero desire to party it up at Paige’s.”

“Oh, please.” You laugh. “I don’t blame you at all.”

“She’s a lovely woman and all, great mum to my grandson, but I’ll never forgive her for hurting my son.” Anne says as she crosses her arms and leans back in her chair, glancing over at the kids in the pool. “I was so shocked the day he called me and told me she was pregnant. He wasn’t done with school yet, and I could tell he was panicked.”

“I had to talk him off the ledge. He was so close to dropping out to find a job. Thankfully Paige had the good sense to remind him he was just about done with school and she was already working full time. I already had the twins, so I was able to give him some pointers.”

“Ah, so they’re about a year older than Andy, then?” You say.

“About, yeah, like a year and half. They all get along great, thank god. At the age they are now, it can feel like such a big gap, you know?”

“Y/N, are you and Harry hoping to have a kid, or are you leaving it with Andy?” Anne asks. “I know it’s not really any of my business, but I had always hoped he’d have more.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” You smile. “Yeah, we plan to have a baby at some point. I’m hoping to finish up my doctoral program before we start trying. It’s a lot of stress, and I’d be scared of something happening.”

“Perfectly understandable.” Gemma says. “I was happy with my two for one special.” She laughs. “Got one of each in one go, and that was plenty for me.”

“Have you two talked to Andy about him potentially being a big brother? I know he has Rachel, but that’s a little different. Feel like they’re more like buddies.” Anne says.

“We haven’t talked to him about it, no.” You sigh. “I feel like he’ll be okay with it, but sometimes we don’t really know how he’ll take things. He was awfully upset last year when Paige got engaged. He took ours much better, for whatever reason.”

“He’s a mumma’s boy, just like his father, that’s why.” Gemma smirks. “Harry used to throw a fit anytime Mum went out on a date.”

“Only when Dad and I first divorced, he got over it eventually.” Anne shrugs.

“Yeah, he started dating and said, ‘hm, maybe Mum was valid for wanting to go out’.” Gemma laughs.

“I’m glad Harry having such an older kid didn’t scare you off.” Anne says to you. “It’s one thing when you meet someone and their child is young, basically still a baby, but Andy was, like, ten when you met him, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.” You smile and think back on his chubby cheeks. He’d grown so much in just a couple of years. “I actually think it made things easier. He was able to warm up to me as a friend first, you know? Plus, I think Harry would talk about me to him.”

“He talked about you to everyone.” Anne laughs. “He was smitten before he even knew he was smitten.”

“And there I was totally oblivious to the whole thing.” You shake your head. “Well, not totally, I think I was pretending not to notice. I wasn’t totally into the idea of dating a colleague. I was so new, I didn’t want to seem unprofessional.”

“I get that.” Gemma says. “I met my late husband at work, and we definitely discussed the implications of dating before we actually went out. It can make things really complicated if it doesn’t work out.”

“That’s why I’m kinda glad we started dating in the summer time so we could ease into it a bit.” You say as your phone buzzes. You take it out of your pocket and see a message from Harry. It was a picture of him, clearly one of the boys took, drinking through a funnel. “Oh, god.” You laugh and show them. “They do this often?”

“They’re bad influences.” Gemma says. “They act like little boys when they all get together.”

“They better not make him sick, Harry promised to take us out for some fun during the day tomorrow before the rehearsal.”

//

“Why’d you send her that?!” Harry slurs as he grabs his phone from Niall.

“Thought she’d appreciate you checking in.” Niall smirks.

“Not funny.” Harry says as he tries to text you.

Harry: sooo sorry about that, I’m being good, promise

Y/N: don’t worry about it, I’m glad you’re having fun

“You’re lucky she’s easy going.” Harry says to the two of them. “No more funnels, m’too old for funnels. I’m almost thirty-four for fuck’s sake!”

“You’re, like, three months away from that, chill out.” Louis says and Harry pouts at him. “Fine, no more funnels, let’s do shots instead.”

“Good thinking, Lou, tequila sounds excellent.” Niall says and asks the bartender for three shots.

“Can we sit down? There’s a booth right over there.” Harry points to it and the boys nod. They do their shots at the bar, and Louis orders three more so they can have them at the booth. Harry sighs as he sits. “Much better.”

“Alright, so, you’re really ready to get married? Make that big leap?” Niall asks.

“Yup.” Harry smiles. “I like her a lot.” He takes his phone out. “I mean, look at how cute she is, she’s perfect.” He shows them a picture of you out in the garden, wearing one of Harry’s bucket hats and some dirt on your cheeks. “That’s my baby right there.”

“You did well, Har.” Louis chuckles and pushes Harry’s phone back to him.

“She’s amazing with Andy too, like, she always knows what to say to him. I didn’t realize how much I was doing on my own until she started coming over more and helping out. I feel like I really have someone I can lean on now.” He sniffles and Niall starts laughing.

“Please, don’t get all emotional on us, mate.” Louis says.

“I just can’t believe out of all the people in the world she’s choosing me.”  

“Why wouldn’t she?” Niall says. “I’ve never seen a guy treat a woman as well as you do. Not to mention you’re one of the funniest fuckers I’ve ever met. The key to a woman’s heart is laughter, I swear.”

“it’s true, we laugh a lot.” Harry smiles. “Although, sometimes she tells me I’m not funny even while she’s laughing.”

“That’s because you make really stupid jokes.” Louis says. “They’re so bad they’re funny.”

“Oi, I’m a dad, I get to make dad jokes.” The three do the round of shots Louis had gotten.

“Alright, I’m done with this place.” Niall says. “Onto the next one.”

“And what’s the next one?” Harry raises an eyebrow as the boys grin. “No.”

“C’mon, H.” Niall says.

“Nope, not doin’ in.”

“We have to.” Louis says. “It’s an upscale place, we checked.”

“I don’t wanna watch a bunch of women I don’t know take their clothes off and shake it all around.”

“We’re not goin’ to a strip club, we’re going to a club where there will be some bottle girls and some exotic dancers.” Niall explains. “Nothing overly risqué.”

“Ugh, fine, but let’s do another shot before we go.”

The boys do another shot, and then head to the other club. Harry was feeling loose, so he wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but he knew he’d feel guilty tomorrow when he was sober. There was loud music playing, and girls in booty shorts and crop tops walking around with drinks. Louis and Niall speak to the bouncer, and they’re brought over to an area that was roped off for them. Harry just felt thankful he could sit for a bit.

“Alright, who’s the bachelor over here?” A girl comes over with a cart.

“That would be this lad here, miss.” Louis says.

“Great! You get a rum bucket.” She grins at Harry as she starts putting the drink together, and Louis and Niall put some bills down on the cart as a tip for her.

“A rum bucket?!” Harry grows wide eyed. “That may be a bit much, I’ve been drinking tequila all night, and-“

“So you’ll nurse it, sweetie.” The girl finishes mixing the drink and hands it to him. “Whoever’s marrying you is a very lucky lady.” She smirks as she looks him up and down. “My name’s Lucy if you need anything, just holler. I’ll be covering your party tonight.”

“Thanks, Lucy.” Niall says. “This cart staying with us?”

“It sure is.” She smiles and walks away. Niall and Louis make their own drinks.

“How’s it taste, Har?” Louis asks.

“Mm, really good, actually.” Harry smiles. “Like…tastes like I’m at the beach.” He takes another decent gulp. “Refreshing.”

The rest of the night is…fuzzy for Harry. Lucy had come over a few times, she tried to flirt with him a little, but he explained not only was he probably way too old for her, but he explained, through slurred words, that he was marrying you, and even showed her some pictures. Louis and Niall got him plenty drunk at the club. Niall offered to buy him a lap dance, but Harry refused profusely. He drank two of the rum buckets, so needless to say he had no idea how he made it back to the hotel in one piece.

//

The next morning Harry wakes up with his head swimming. He almost felt drunk still. He wanted to take a long hot bath, or something. He knuckles at his eyes and sits up. He blinks a few times and jumps when he sees you sitting next to him with a book in your hand.

“Morning sleepy head.” You smile at him. “The boys let me in, wanted to check on you.”

“What is it?”

“Around 9:30. You gotta get up soon, your mom is adamant about spending the day with you before the rehearsal.”

“I know.” He yawns. “She wants to see some of the freedom trail.” He pushes you down onto your back and lays his head on your chest. You giggle as you card your fingers through his tangled hair. “I drank too much.”

“Get sick?”

“Don’t think so. Feel gross now, though.”

“You’ll feel better after some coffee and shower. I got you a small black.”

“You’re an angel, thank you.” He nuzzles further into your chest and then he looks up at you. “I have to confess something.”

“What’s that?”

“The last place we went to was, like, basically an upscale strip club, I’m sorry. I told them I didn’t want to, but they made me. I didn’t do anything though, I even showed the bottle girl pictures of you, and I refused a lap dance.”

“Harry.” You suck your bottom lip into your mouth. “I have to confess something too.”

“You were the bottle girl in disguise!” He gasps and you laugh, petting his head.

“No, baby. My friends took me to see male exotic dancers. It was a show, really, and they all stayed on the stage so it wasn’t like there was any touching or dollar bills flying around, but I did see some skin.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t want you getting jealous.” You say softly. “It was good, clean fun, just like I’m sure last night was.”

“There was a lot of skin showing last night.” He sighs. “Wish it was yours.” He tugs at the hem of your shirt and slides his hand up underneath.

“Oh! Cold hand!” You swat it away and pull it out from under your shirt. “None of that now, we have a lot to do today.”

“Shower with me?” He pouts.

“Can’t, I already did, but I’ll wait in here while you do if you want.”

“Sit in the bathroom with me so we can still chat?”

“Okay.” You chuckle.

Harry takes a few sips of coffee, and you let him use the toiler before hanging out in the bathroom with him as he showers. He tries to recall more events from last night, but he explains a lot of it still feels fuzzy.

“Didn’t take you for someone who would chug from a funnel.” You say to him, and he rips the curtain back to show his face.

“What?”

“One of the guys sent me a picture from your phone. It’s okay, it was funny.”

“Buggers.” He mutters as he gets back to washing up. He gets out and you hand him a towel.

“Better?”

“Much. I don’t know what I’d do if Andy ever saw me that fucked up. I’d me mortified. Where is he, anyways?”

“Down at breakfast with your family. I picked up Brandon from south station earlier, so they’re catching up. They practically leapt into each other’s arms, it was so cute.”

“Sorry I missed that.” Harry sighs as he gets dressed. “Cold out?”

“Not too bad, might wanna wear a sweater.”

He nods and throws one on. He puts some mousse in his hair and scrunches it up so his curls will be more defined.

“Alright, I’m a person again. Breakfast sounds really good right now.” He finishes up his coffee and walks out of the room with you. Niall and Louis were waiting in the living area.

“There is he, and you don’t even look half bad.” Louis says.

“Gee, thanks.” Harry rolls his eyes. “We’re heading to breakfast, you lot joining?”

“Yeah, mate, we were waiting for you.” Niall scoffs.

You giggle as you all had down to the small restaurant the hotel had. You spot everyone right away, and tell Harry to go sit so you can make up a plate for him at the buffet table. He presses a kiss to your lips as a thank you and he goes to sit down. Gemma smirks at him.

“What?”

“Nothin’, have a nice time last night?”

“I did, thank you.” He pours himself some coffee and looks over at all the kids chatting and getting along. “I’m gonna go say hello to my son, if that’s alright with you.” He turns his nose up at Gemma, which makes her and Anne burst out laughing. “Hey, buddy.” Harry says as he sits down next to Andy.

“Hey.” He smiles.

“Hi, Mr. Styles.”

“Hey, B, how was the trip down?”

“Good, I slept for most of it.” He shrugs.

“Pretty brave to go on a bus like that by yourself.”

“I was nervous at first, but Andy told me all about his first time flying alone and it made me feel better.”

Harry smiles at that and looks at his niece and nephew.

“You two behaving and all that?”

“When do we not?” Lizzie scoffs.

“Yeah, Uncle H, give us some credit.” Ritchie says.

“How was the pool?”

“So much fun!” Lizzie says. “And Mum let us use the hot tub, it was so cool.”

“That was nice of her.” Harry smiles, and then feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Sitting with the kids, huh?” You chuckle and place his plate in front of him. “Got you fruit and potatoes.” You kiss the top of his head.

“Thank you, darling.”

“Dad, what time is the rehearsal going to start?”

“Around three this afternoon, gotta do it while it’s still light enough out.” He pops a grape into his mouth and looks at his watch. “Plenty of time to go out and enjoy the city. Got walking sneakers on, B?”

“Mhm.” He nods. “Where are we going?”

“Well, my mum loves history, so we’re gonna walk along the freedom trail for a bit, stop at some of the different landmarks, and then we’ll grab a quick bite to eat somewhere inside Quincy Market.”

“But don’t fill up.” You warn them. “Phil’s preparing an incredible dinner for all of us tonight.”

“You’re not coming?” Andy asks you.

“No, I have to stay here to make sure the room is put together, and be here for when my friends check in. A lot of our friends are going to be coming tonight, so I wanna be a good hostess when they check in.”

“Can’t believe you trust Dad to get us around with you.”

“Oi.” Harry says with a mouth full of potatoes. “I’ve got my wits about me, I know what I’m doing. I’ve gotten you around London in piece, haven’t I?”

“Yeah, but you grew up there.” Andy remarks.

“I’ll tell you what.” You say. “If you feel like you’re lost, just call me, yeah?” You wrap your arms around Harry and rest your head on the top of his chest.

“I’m not a buffoon, we’re not gonna get lost.” He sips his coffee. “Why don’t you lot go to the bathroom before we get going?”

The kids all giggle and stand up to do as he says. You take the opportunity to sit down next him. He rests his head on your shoulder as he continues to eat, and you giggle.

“What?”

“Nothing, you’re just so fucking cute.” You kiss his cheek. “We’re getting married tomorrow.” You nuzzle your nose to his cheek and he turns to look at you.

“Oh, is that why we’re here? Thought we were just having a little family time.” He shrugs and you nudge his shoulder as smile pulls at his lips.

“They’re really cute together.” Louis says to Niall and Gemma. Anne had gotten up to go to the bathroom as well.

“I’ve never seen him like this.” Gemma says quietly. “Even when he was with Paige, like, yeah he babbled about her, but with Y/N you can really see the adoration he has for her.”

“I was gonna say the same thing!” Niall says. “He really truly adores her.”

“Paige was a first love for him, I think.” Louis says. “Which can be nice and meaningful, but that’s true love right there if I’ve ever seen it.”

“I agree completely.” Gemma says. They all smile as they see you scratch at Harry’s head and kiss his cheek. “I like her a lot, so does our mum. Harry’s chill, but he can get worked up easily, you know? Paige can be so high strung, I feel like Y/N brings a nice balance to his life because she’s also equally as chill.”

“Yeah, he said she only really stresses about her doctoral work. He never sees her fret about her classes or grading.” Louis says. “She’s just a genuinely nice person.”

“Seem like a great fit, honestly. Couldn’t want more for him.” Niall says.

Anne comes back with all the kids.

“Alright, I’m itching to get outside. It’s such a beautiful day.” Anne says.

“Tell your son.” Gemma says. “We’re waiting on him to wake up a bit more.”

You and Harry walk over to the table where everyone was waiting for him.

“Okay, let’s hit it. Everyone all set?” He asks. He gets a collective yes and he nods, then looks at you. “Call me if you need me for anything.”

“Won’t be necessary, got everything under control. I’ll meet you at the common at three.” You peck each other’s lips and off they go.

//

You get to the common with your friends and parents around 2:30 just to help them all visualize everything. You point out where the tents are going to be set up, and where the shuttle vans will be dropping everyone off when the time comes. The rabbi arrives you give him a hug. Harry and everyone else come strolling over to the spot.

“Harry! You remember the rabbi.” You say.

“Hi, yeah, nice to meet you in person.” He shakes his hand. “Thanks again for marrying us…I know it’s a little nontraditional.”

“Please, I love, love.” He scoffs. “And I’ve known this woman since she was a little girl, I’m honored to do it.”

“This is my son, Andy.” Harry grabs Andy’s elbow and has him stand in front of him. “Andy this is the rabbi that’s going to be blessing us tomorrow before Auntie Janette does the rest.”

“Hello.” Andy shakes the rabbi’s hand and he smiles at him.

“What a polite young man. You’re very lucky, getting such a lovely step-mom.”

“Yeah.” Andy smiles. “She’s pretty cool.”

“Is everyone here? Shall we get started?” The rabbi asks.

“Yeah.” You say.

You all block out how things will go tomorrow. You and your dad chuckle as you he quickly walks you up to where the alter will be. You and Harry hold hands as the rabbi explains the prayers he’ll administer and then Janette stands in his place and pretends to give her little speech. Once it’s all done you all make your way back to the hotel for dinner. You were ravenous from all the running around you did.

“How was it today?” You ask Harry as you sit down next to him.

“A lot of fun, actually. All the kids behaved, my mum was in heaven with the history, and my friends annoyed Gem, it was fantastic.” He chuckles. “Also…”, he leans in a little closer to your ear, “think something’s going on with Andy and Brandon, like, think I saw them holding hands a couple of times.”

“Oh my goodness, really?” You jaw drops as you smile.

“I think more happened at that Halloween party than he led on, but I’m choosing not to ask about it for now.”

“Probably for the best. He’ll tell us when he’s ready. They both seem to be in pretty high spirits.”

“Yup, they’ve been their usual hyena selves.”

Phil comes in dressed in his chef outfit, and few waiters follow him in with the food. He wanted to give you a plated meal since it was a smaller group tonight. Tomorrow would be the buffet.

“This looks amazing, Phil!” You beam at him. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course.” He smiles. “I hope you all enjoy.” He sits down at a seat Julian left open for him near the door so he could scoot if needed to.

Everyone mingles as they eat. You loved getting to see everyone getting to know each other better. You look at Harry and smile as he speaks with your mother. Then you look over at the kids, the four of them were enjoying mac n’cheese. You notice how Andy and Brandon keep stealing glances of each other. All around, it was a pleasant evening.

“Okay.” Nora says to you. “We’re taking you out of the hotel tonight for drinks. Don’t worry, we’re not going crazy. We don’t want you looking all tired tomorrow.”

“No ma’am.” You say. “The hair stylist should be at our suite around ten in the morning to do everyone’s hair.”

“Perfect.” She smiles. “It’s gonna be amazing. You’re gonna so fucking cool in your ensemble.”

“I’m very excited to strut my stuff.”

After going out for a few hours, you and your friends go back to your hotel suite to get some sleep. Harry had stayed in, well, he went to the hotel bar with Niall, Louis, and Gemma, but he hadn’t drank to excess like he did the night prior.

“I just wanna say goodnight to him.” You tell your friends as you put your robe on. “Be back in five minutes.”

“Mhm, right.” Mark rolls his eyes. “You’ll be back in thirty minutes, freshly fucked.”

“Well…obviously.” You scoff. “It’s the last time I get to call him my fiancé.” You wink and slip out the door and down a few hallways to his room. You knock on the door, and Louis opens it. “Hi.” You smile.

“Hello, love, what can I do for you?”

“Came to tell my fiancé goodnight.”

He grins at you and turns into the room.

“Oi! Harry, Y/N says goodnight!” He turns back to you. “Anything else?”

“Would you get out of the fucking way?” Harry yanks Louis away. “Both of you should go into the other room.” He runs a hand through his hair and tugs you inside. “Hey.” He smiles.

“Hi.” You giggle and quickly go into his room with him. “Thought it might be fun to have one last go as two people who aren’t married.”

“Always thinking, aren’t you.” He pulls the tie on your robe and lets it fall open. You had a simple silk pajama set on, nothing overly special. “Cute.” He smiles and cups your jaw.

He pulls you towards him gently and kisses you. You wrap your arms around him and drag your tongue along his bottom lip, and he opens up for you. He walks you back to the bed, and you both fall on top of it. He tugs your pants down your legs, and you shiver when you feel his hand caress your thigh.

“Don’t leave any marks tonight, I don’t want them showing up in the pictures.” You say as he mouths at your neck.

“What about between your legs?”

“Don’t think a camera will be going there.” You chuckle.

He kisses down your body and parts your legs open. He kisses from your knee all the way to the sensitive skin of your inner thigh. You gasp when you feel his teeth nip at you.

“Harry, don’t tease, it’s not like we have all night…”

“Teasing’s the best, though.”

“For you, maybe.” You pout. “Please, just want you to fuck me.”

“Did you bring any condoms?”

“No…I thought you’d have some with you.”

“You packed them in your bag, remember?”

“Jesus Christ, okay, so just pull out I guess?”

“Can I fuck you from behind?”

“Yes.”

He grins and gets all of his clothes off and so do you. You get on all fours in front of him, and he runs his hands down your back soothingly before giving you bum a smack.

“Oof!” You look behind you, started, as his second smack was against your cunt. “Harry.” You say sternly. “I can’t stay quiet if you do that, and I’d rather not put on a show for your friends.”

“Okay, okay, m’sorry.” He leans forward and pecks your lips.

He pushes his length between your folds to coat himself before he pushes inside you. You groan softly as he bottoms out. He pulls out almost all the way, and thrusts back in. He does this a few times before getting a rhythm going. He reaches forward, and pulls you back to him so you’re flush with his chest. He licks into your mouth as he rubs your clit. You were falling to pieces in front of him. You wanted it quick and fast, and that’s exactly how he’d give it to you. You were his angel, his princess, no, his queen. He’d make you happy no matter what. You were moaning into his mouth and panting all at the same time. You could feel your orgasm approaching. You tug at his hair in he moans right back into your mouth. You bite his bottom lip harshly as you come around his cock. He pushes you off him and onto the mattress. You barely had time to catch your breath before he was coming onto your back.

“Sorry, that was a close one.” He breathes. “One second, baby.”

He hops off the bed and grabs a towel to clean you up with. You use the toilet and then get dressed. He throw his sweatpants back on and pulls you into his lap as he sits on the edge of the bed. You hug him, and he cradles your head to his shoulder. You nibble on his earlobe and smirk to yourself.

“I can’t wait to feel you come inside me when we’re ready to start trying.” You say into his ear and goosebumps raise on his skin. “Bet it’ll feel so good and warm.”

“Y/N, I will fuck you again.” He says almost warning you to behave. “Be good for me, yeah? It’s hard enough I can’t sleep next to you.”

“Sorry.” You peck his lips a few times. “I’ll behave.”

“Thank you.” He kisses you again. “I can’t wait for that too, just so you know.”

“Good.” You smile and get off of him.

“Want me to walk you back to your room?”

“No, just to the door is fine, I can make it.”

He nods and leads you out to the main area, and to the front door of the suite. You kiss one last time, and say goodnight. This time tomorrow he’d be your husband, and you were absolutely buzzing.

//

The next morning you have room service ordered for you and your friends. You have your nails, hair, and makeup done over a couple of mimosas. Anne, Gemma, your mom, and Lizzie all join in.

“So you’re wearing slacks and a jacket, and then you’re changing into a little dress?” Your mom confirms.

“Yes, and I’m really glad I’m doing that because I won’t freeze outside.” You chuckle.

“Your hair looks gorgeous.” Janette says.

“Thanks.” You smile.

You had the hairdresser make two, really nice buns, sort of like the ones you make on your own. Your hair had gotten pretty long, so she was able to make them look full and loose. She took out some pieces in the front and curled the ends. You knew how much Harry liked your poofs, so you thought you’d have them made elegantly. It was perfect.

The time comes for you to put everything on, and your mother has to blink a few tears away. You both giggle and hug. Mark and Darcy walk in front of you out of the room, and Nora and Claudia walk behind you. This way no one would accidentally see you. You all climb into the van, your father, Phil, and Julian were all waiting for you. They tell you how beautiful you look.

Lucas was there waiting for you. Nora goes into the small tent for the bridal party and grabs your bouquet. You take pictures with Mark, Nora, Darcy, and Claudia, then just you and Nora, then you and your parents, then with you, Gemma, and Anne, and then just you and Anne. Then you take one with Phil and Julian, and then one of just your immediate family. Once all that is done you head inside the tent to keep warm until everyone else shows up.

The other van pulls up; Harry, Andy, Brandon, Ritchie, Louis, and Niall all come out. Harry’s suit was magenta, and it really brought out the green in his eyes. Andy, Ritchie, Louis, and Niall all had tan suits on, and Andy was given a special pocket square that was magenta. Louis, Niall, and Ritchie’s were blue. They all go wait inside the tent while Harry goes to the spot he was told to wait for the first look with you. Lucas takes a few pictures of him standing there with his back turned. You take a peek outside, and bite your bottom lip as you see Harry’s back turned. You take a deep breath and make your way out. Everyone was told not to watch so you two could have your moment.

Lucas takes plenty of photos of you walking up to Harry. You get about three feet away and stop. You take a moment to admire his features: his broad back, the way the material stretches over his bum and thighs. You take a deep breath before speaking.

“Hey, neighbor.” You say softly.

“Hey, neighbor, can I turn around now?”

“Yeah, I’m dying to see the front of that suit.”

Harry smiles as he turns around, and his eyes grow wide when he looks at you. His eyes rim with tears. He covers his mouth with one hand, and the other goes to his hip.

“You…you look…I mean, you’re breathtaking.” He says to you. He steps forward and wraps his arms around you. You were trying your hardest not to cry because you didn’t want your makeup to get messed up.

“So are you, you look so handsome.” You chuckle as you hold each other. You cup his cheeks and he grips your hips and squeezes you. “I have a dress for the reception too.”

“Sneaky.” He pecks your lips. Lucas captures everything, and takes a few photos of the two of you. “Alright, it’s our son’s turn, be back in a tick.” Harry goes back to the tent and grabs Andy. He has him cover his eyes as he walks him over to you. “Ready to see your mum, buddy?”

“Yeah.”

“Please, I really don’t wanna cry and you’re making it so hard.” You laugh.

Andy takes his hands away from his eyes and he gasps.

“You look so cool!” He throws his arms around you and you hug him back.

“Andy, you look so incredibly handsome.”

“My pocket square matches Dad’s suit.”

“I see that, very clever.”

Lucas takes some pictures of the three of you, and then everyone else is allowed out. Every combination of photo is taken for each wedding party, as well as every combination of family photo. Everyone goes to wait in the tents as the guests start to arrive. Lisa, Mateo, Sandra, and Andre all take their seats. Some of your other family comes, and a few old colleagues from both yours and Harry’s previous institutions show up.

Janette and the rabbi get into position. Anne walks Harry and Andy up to the alter, and Ritchie, Louis, and Niall follow behind. Brandon was sitting up front and he gives a small wave to Andy. Andy blushes and waves back.

Lizzie walks down the aisle first, putting out rose petals. She hugs Harry briefly, and then stands in her spot. Your mother walks arm and arm with Phil and Julian, and then they sit down. Next comes Mark, Claudia, Darcy, and Nora. Harry takes a deep breath when he sees you and your father. Your smile grows wider and wider, and Harry tears up again. Your father kisses your cheek, giving you away, and you stand hand in hand with Harry. He even wore a yarmulke for you. The rabbi addresses everyone, and says a few prayers before stepping aside to let Janette speak.

“Thank you, Rabbi.” She smiles. “I am so honored to be here today doing this for the two of you. I’ve known Harry for a long time, and I’ve been grateful for our friendship. Y/N, you and I became such fast friends, and I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. Please, don’t ever leave.” You and Harry chuckle at her. “I know it’s a little chilly out, so I’ll try to keep things brief, especially since these two have their own vows. Love is a really crazy thing. We love our friends, our family, and once in a great while we find someone that fall in love with. Watching Harry and Y/N fall for each other was fascinating. It was slow, oblivious, and all of a sudden. They left for summer break as a good friends, and came back a couple. None of us were surprised, of course, but sometimes you just gotta let the kids figure it out for themselves.” A few people laugh. “And I’m so happy you two figured it out. Now, I think the time has come for you to talk, Harry, I believe you’re first.”

“Right, thanks.” He clears his throat and looks at you. He squeezes your hands in his. “Y/N, the day we met I was just excited I was going to have an office neighbor again. Things had been quiet, and I felt bad for always bugging Andre and Sandra.” You laugh at that. “We bonded over not eating meat, and then we won a game of charades, and suddenly you were all I could think about. I wasn’t quite sure why because I hadn’t felt like that in a long time, and I almost forgot what it felt like to be so into someone. I liked you, and so did my son…who’s ours now. It’s not easy dating someone with a child, and you made it seem so natural. You…made me believe in love again.” He blinks away a few tears, and you smile. Janette nods towards you.

“That’s tough to beat.” You squeeze his hands. “When I first came to the university, I was pretty much focused on getting my doctorate. The last thing I expected was to fall in love with my colleague, as charming as he was. When we all went out to dinner that night, you said you had someone at home waiting for you, and I felt weird for feeling relieved when I found out were a single dad. I was so used to being independent and doing my own thing, that I didn’t realize how good it could feel to have someone want to take care of you. I also didn’t realize how good it could feel to want to take care of someone else, and their kid.” You lean and wink at Andy, who was beaming at you. “I’ve never felt like this before, and I’m so happy that I get to keep feeling this way.”

“Andy, the rings please.” Janette says, holding out her hand. Andy drops them into her palm. “Thank you.” She hands one to you, and one to Harry. You each slip a ring on each other’s finger. “By the power vested in, and the state of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Harry steps on the glass, and grabs you by the back of the neck to kiss you. He dips you slightly as everyone cheers. You and your parties make your way to the vans to head to the hotel. All of your guests enjoy a cocktail hour while you change into your dress. Lucas takes a few pictures of you and Harry.

“This is nice, baby.” Harry says to you.

“Thanks, I thought it would be fun to have an outfit change.” You peck his lips. “Hey, I’m your wife.”

“I know, I’m your husband.” He squishes his nose to yours.

“And for the first time as a married couple, Y/N and Harry!”

“Think that’s our cue.” You say to him and giggle. You hold hands and go into the small ballroom.

Everyone cheers as you both come inside. Groove is in the Heart starts playing, which you both chose as your first dance. It was an inside joke between the two of you. You didn’t have a lot of time to plan it, but you were able to choreograph a silly dance to it. Everyone was hollering and clapping as you hit every step. You mouth the words to each other. ‘I couldn’t ask for another. No, I couldn’t ask for another.’ It was a lot of fun. You both hug and kiss at the end, and then giggle. You were so happy Lucas had gotten everything on video.

The song for Harry’s mother-son dance starts to play, and he extends his hand out to her. Andy comes up to you and taps your shoulder. You gasp and smile endearingly at him. You dance with him as Harry dances with Anne. You weren’t expecting this from Andy at all. Next up is your dance with your father, and Harry takes the opportunity to dance with your mother, who was overjoyed.

Nora gives an incredible maid of honor speech, making everyone laugh hard. You almost snorted your champagne through your nose. Louis and Niall give a short little speech before turning the microphone to a nervous Andy. He didn’t love public speaking.

“Um, hi everyone. Th-that’s my dad.” He points to Harry and a few people chuckle. “He’s, like, the best dad in the world. He never really brought his dates around, I didn’t even know he dated. I remember when I first met Y/N…my new step-mom…I thought she was really nice. I asked my dad about her one night, and he pretty much didn’t shut up about her after that.” Everyone laughs. “But that was okay. My eleventh birthday was coming up, and we really wanted to invite her, but he was nervous. So we invited her on a hike to ease to into it. Dad was taking too long, so I asked Y/N to come to my party, and she said yes. After that she kept saying yes to us. I thought my favorite yes was when she agreed to move in, but I think today’s my new favorite.” He smiles and clears his throat. “I…I love you both.”

Everyone cheers for Andy as he comes over to you both to give you each a hug. You both tell him you love him too before he sits down. Brandon gives his shoulder a squeeze. After that, everyone makes their way to the buffet and bar area to enjoy everything. Phil had put an incredible menu together. You and Harry make your way around the room to say hello to the guests who weren’t at the ceremony. Mark was killing it as the DJ, and playing lots of music that everyone could enjoy. A slower song starts to play, so you and Harry make your way to the dancefloor so you can enjoy it.

“I think we really crushed it earlier.” You say. “No one was expecting a fun, choreographed dance.”

“I agree, blew everyone away.” He chuckles and kisses your cheek. “It’s been an incredible day.”

You nod and smile as he leads you around. You rest your head on his shoulder, and let your eyes flutter closed for a bit. You were married, you were actually married. You had the papers to prove it and everything. Sure, you weren’t Mrs. Styles, you’d be keeping your last name, which Harry had absolutely no problem with, hell, he had offered to change his own for you, but you said it wasn’t necessary.

“You know what’s gonna be super sexy of us?” He says and you look up at him with raised eyebrows. “Going on the same insurance plan.”

“God, love it when you talk dirty to me like that.” You giggle and so does he.

The song fades into a faster one, and Andy comes running over to the two of you. He tugs on Harry’s hand so they can dance together. You couldn’t stop smiling if you wanted to. At one point you and Phil share a dance as Harry and Gemma share one. Harry even dances with Julian. You weren’t sure if you had ever seen Harry have so much fun.

“Are you having fun?” Andy asks Brandon as they take a water break.

“Yeah, this is awesome. I had a lot of fun exploring yesterday too. Your family is really nice.”

“Thanks. I’m really glad your parents let you come for this.”

“Me too.” He rests his chin on his palm and smiles at Andy. He reaches with his other hand to fix the collar of his shirt. “Tan’s a nice color on you.”

“Thank you.” Andy blushes.

“Andy!” Lizzie says. “They’re gonna play the cha cha slide in a second, will you come do it with us?”

“Yeah!” He grabs Brandon’s hand to go back to the dancefloor. Everyone gets into position as the song starts.

The music was a lot different than the music that Paige had her wedding. She had more of a generic playlist. You had worked with Mark to play things everyone would like, but you also made sure to have songs on there you knew you’d be able to jam out to. So when Yeah! comes on, you and your friends squeal and all run to dance together. The kids knew the song too, but Andy had never really seen you dance the way you were right now.

“Y/N really knows how to have fun!” Brandon says.

“Yeah!” Andy says. “She really is the coolest!”

Andy knew this wasn’t his dad’s favorite kind of music so he laughs when he sees you drag him over to your friends to dance to the song. You dance up on him in a silly way, and it makes everyone laugh.

“Are they going on a honeymoon or anything?” Brandon asks Andy as they both go to grab cupcakes.

“Mhm, they’re going to Miami during Thanksgiving week. I get to stay at my mom’s for an extra couple of day which will be nice.”

“You won’t mind going back and forth?”

“Nah, it’s only for a couple of days.” Andy shrugs.

“How come her and your step-dad and Rachel aren’t here?”

“I don’t really know. My dad said he didn’t really want her here for this since they wanted to keep things really small. I guess he didn’t want to think about her or whatever.”

“Do you think Y/N and your dad are gonna try to have a baby?”

“I have no idea. I wouldn’t mind if they did, I know my dad’s always wanted to have more kids. He loves babies. Anytime we’re at a party and there’s a baby, he has to hold it. It would be cool to be a big brother, even if I’ll be a lot older.”

“My aunt is, like, ten years older than my dad, and they get along really well. I don’t think age gaps really matter when you’re older.” Andy nods as he finishes his cupcake. Another slow song starts. “Do you, um, wanna dance?” He rubs the back of his neck.

“Yeah.” Andy smiles and takes one of Brandon’s hands.

Andy keeps Brandon’s hand in his, and puts the other on his upper waist. Brandon puts his free hand on Andy’s shoulder. Ever since their kiss, Andy had this confidence about him, not that he wasn’t confident before, but he was certainly less shy now that he knew how Brandon felt about him. No one really pays too much attention to them as they dance. You and Harry notice it and just find it to be sweet.

As the night comes to end, you and Harry thank everyone for coming. Andy and Brandon head up to the hotel suite with Lizzie, Ritchie, Anne, and Gemma. You say goodbye to your family, and your friends go to their suite. Yours and Harry’s things were set up in the room you’d finally be spending the night together in. He laces his fingers in yours as you stand in the elevator. As soon as you get off, you squeal as he picks you up and carries you bridal style to your room. You giggle as you swipe the key card, and he carries you inside. There were rose petals on the floor and a bottle of champagne over ice.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt more special.” You say and he kisses you.

He sets you down gently, and gets his suit jacket off. Harry pops the champagne and pours some into a couple of glasses. You smile as you take the flute from him and take a sip.

“As if we needed more to drink.” He jokes as he takes a sip. “Did you have fun?”

“So much fun, it was perfect. Couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.” You set your glass down and kick your heels off before wrapping your arms around his neck. “I’m gonna be really busy before we go away.”

“I know, it’s alright. You promise to work while we’re gone, right?”

“I promise.” You nod and he pecks your lips.

“Are you tired? We can wait to consummate if you want.” You laugh at that and shake your head as he squeezes your hips.

“No, baby, I’m not tired. Are you?”

“Not at all. Caught a second wind, actually.”

“Mm, well, let’s put it to good use then.”

You slot your mouth over his, and nip at his bottom lip. His hands slide up under the skirt of your dress to squeeze at your ass, kneading your plushy skin. You start unbuttoning his shirt, and tug it out of his pants. You push it off his shoulders and run your fingers up and down his chest and torso. He grips the hem of your dress and pulls it off in one swoop. You grab at your breasts because you had to use an obscene amount of tape to keep them up.

“What’s all that for?”

“I couldn’t wear a bra with that dress because the back is open, and my boobs are too big to let them just bounce around so I had to tape them up. Give me a second to go take all this off. I honestly forgot about it.” You pout slightly. “Not very sexy.” You say as you walk towards the bathroom.

“I don’t about that, your ass looks great in that thong.” He smirks and you shake your head at him.

He takes the time to get out of his shoes and slacks, leaving himself in a pair of black boxers. He sits down on the edge of the bed as he waits for you. He hears you wince a couple of times, and then you come back out.

“They’re all red now.” You pout for real now and straddle him.

“You and your sensitive skin, poor thing.” He pouts back at you and then kisses on your chest. “Let me make it all better.”

Harry swirls his tongue around your tender nipple, and does the same to other one before gently sucking. You run your fingers through his soft hair as you whimper affectionately. Your hips jut forward against the bump that’s growing in his boxers. He kisses up your throat and to your mouth as he holds you close to him.

“Get back on the bed.” You say against his lips.

You get off of him and he shifts further back on the bed so he can sit up against the headboard. He spreads his legs for you as you tug at the band of his boxers. He lifts his hips to help you take them off. You also take a moment to get your thong off so you both could just be naked.

“I wanted to do that.” He pouts.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re married because we have the rest of our lives for you to take my clothes off.” You smirk and open his legs back up.

You kiss on his inner thigh, a spot where he was extremely sensitive, and suck a bruise into his skin. He grunts as you do so, and he watches your mouth works up his shift, kitten licks and kisses, up to his tip. You suckle on him and his mouth falls open with a sigh. You slobber all over him so you can pump what you can’t fit into your mouth. Your other hand goes to his balls and he moans as you massage them. You could practically feel them throbbing. You pop off his tip and continue to pump him slowly. You lay flat on your stomach and lick the flat of your tongue over one of his balls, causing his hips to buck up. You carefully mouth at his balls before bringing your mouth back to his tip, swirling your tongue around him.

“Y/N.” He groans. “Let me do you now.”

You give his tip one last harsh suck before you do as he says. You lay back on the bed, but he flips you onto your stomach. He pulls your hips up and you gasp when you feel his breath on your center. He licks into you from behind, and you clench your fists around the comforter on the bed. The noises he was making as he slurped and sucked on you were obscene, but you couldn’t find it in you to care because it felt so fucking good. He briefly sucks on your clit before he drags his tongue all the way back up to your other hole. Your body shudders when you feel two of his fingers slip inside you. His thumb works your clit while his tongue swirls around your other sensitive area. Your eyes nearly pop of your head when you feel his tongue enter you.

“Jesus, fuck.” You cry out. You look over your shoulder at him and see he’s totally lost in you.

His fingers were working wonders against your g-spot, his thumb was rubbing your clit in just the right way, and his tongue…Christ. Your senses were totally overwhelmed. He was moaning and groaning against you, and that’s what makes you totally lose it. You have to grab the pillow to scream into as your orgasm washes over you in waves. He lets go of you slowly, feeling your body shake under him. You carefully roll onto your back and look up at him. Your chest was heaving.

“What?” He asks as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“N-nothing, that just felt really good.” You bite your bottom lip. “I think I’m warming up to the idea of doing more…down there.” You swallow as his eyebrows raise. “Not tonight, obviously, but…I still think it’s only fair it happens to you first. I’ve been looking into it.”

“You have?” He reaches to stroke your cheek and you press into his touch.

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. There’s a lot of prep work that has to be done. Are you sure you’d feel comfortable with me doing it to you?”

“Mhm.”

“You wouldn’t feel emasculated?”

“I think I was, like, sixteen the last time I cared about being masculine or not.” He smirks. “I think doing something like that with each other is so intimate and special because it just proves how much we trust one another. It really excites me.” You nod at that. “We can talk more about it later…got condoms in here?”

“Yeah, I put them in the bedside table.”

Harry nods and opens the drawer to grab one. He rips the foil packet open and slides the rubber onto his length. His runs his tip through your folds and around your clit. He pushes inside you and you both sigh out in relief. He comes down to you so you’re chest to chest and you wrap your legs around him. You wanted to make love with him tonight, and he knew that. One of your hands gets lost in his hair while the other grips at his back and shoulder. He rocks in and out of you with precision and care. Soft whimpers leave your lips as he kisses on the skin just under your ear.

“I love you so much, Y/N.” He says into your ear.

“I love you too, Harry.”

He picks up the pace a little and his tip hits your g-spot over and over. You weren’t going to last much longer, and judging by how sloppy he was getting, he wouldn’t be lasting much longer either. Your nails scratch down his back as you cry out, and he spills into the condom shortly after. Once you’re both cleaned up, you flop onto his chest so he can hold you. He wraps his arms around you and kisses your forehead. He pulls the covers over the two of you, and you sigh peacefully. You felt like a big, toasty cinnamon bun, and you couldn’t have asked for anything better, honestly.

//

When you woke up the next morning, you realized you slept with your buns in. You sit up and start taking out the bobby-pins that were used to keep them together. You shake out your hair and moan with relief as you rake your nails through. Harry was sleeping soundly next to you. You reach over on the nightstand for an elastic to put your hair up in a high ponytail. You leave the same pieces out in the front. You realize you didn’t bother to take your makeup off either. How irresponsible, you think to yourself. Harry’s arm was strung across your lap, and he squeezes your thigh when you try to get up.

“Babe.” You say and he grunts. “I desperately need to wash my face, please let me get up.”

“No.”

“Harry.”

“Just a little longer.” His eyes flutter open and he looks up at you. “I don’t feel like being a dad, a brother, a son, an uncle, or a friend just yet.”

“And what would you like to be then?”

“Just your husband.”

You chuckle softly and lift his hand to your lips to kiss his knuckles.

“As sweet as that is, unfortunately, now that you’re awake you’re all of those things. You’ll love the brunch Phil’s preparing. I swear breakfast is one of his specialties.”

“Is that why you’re so good at cooking it too?” He asks as he sits up.

“Mhm, I used to practice recipes with him. It sort of helped us bond as I was getting older.” You stretch your arms out and then get out of bed. “I left all my makeup on, I feel gross.”

He lets you do your thing in the bathroom before going in himself. You throw on a sweater with some leggings, and a comfy pair of knock-off uggs. Harry puts on some joggers and a sweatshirt. You both work to pack up all your things. You sigh as you zip up your dress bag.

“You really did look stunning yesterday, in both outfits.” He says as he wraps his arms around you from behind.

“Thank you, baby.” You lean into his embrace for a moment before he lets you go. “Did you see Andy and Brandon dancing last night?”

“I did.” Harry nods with a smile. “Think they’ve got a secret little thing going on?”

“Possibly…”

“I have a feeling they’re not saying anything because they didn’t wanna have any issues with the hotel room.”

“Why would they have issues?”

“Andy’s smart, Y/N, he knows there are certain dating rules, he’s watched enough movies with me to know that two kids dating usually means they can’t sleep in the same room, let alone the same bed.”

“So if they are dating, are you going to ban sleepovers?”

“Nah, they’re only twelve.” Harry shrugs. “But…they’ll have to keep the door open. Brandon doesn’t usually sleep in Andy’s bed anyways since he only has a little twin. I’m not too worried about it.”

“You’ll have to talk with him a little, though.”

“About what?”

“The birds and the bees.” Harry grimaces at that and it makes you laugh.

“You’re his mum now, you do it.”

“Harry.” You laugh harder.

“Please, I can’t get through a conversation like that. I don’t even know what I’d say to him. He can’t really be thinking about that kind of stuff yet can he?”

“I don’t know, kids today are doing things at younger and younger ages. They could easily be kissing and making out. He should know that he really should be doing anything below the belt just yet. And like you said, he’s twelve…aren’t things a little hard to control down there at that age? He needs some guidance ahead of time in case he gets a little too excited.”

“Shit.” Harry says in agreement.

“We can wait until he tells us what’s going. It could easily be nothing still.”

“True.” He kisses your cheek and grabs a good chunk of the bags.

You both head downstairs, and into the small function room you had the rehearsal dinner in. Your nostrils are hit with coffee and waffles. Phil had set up a waffle bar, pancakes, and crepes! There was also eggs, breakfast sausage and bacon (regular and vegan), oatmeal, and yogurt. Your mouth waters from all of it, but you’re snapped out of your daze when you hear other in the room clap and holler at you and harry. You both bow and curtsey. You say your hellos and good mornings before you both pile up your plates.

“Morning.” Andy comes over to the two of you.

“Hey, buddy, how’d you sleep?” Harry says.

“Good, I conked right out, I was tired. Is everyone going back to London today?”

“M’afraid so.” Harry sighs. “We’ll see everyone again real soon though.”

“Yeah.” Andy looks over at Anne. “I’m gonna go sit with Grammy then.”

“Go ahead.” You say. “Enjoy the time with her.”

Andy nods and goes to sit with Anne. Brandon sits on his other side, although he was deep in conversation with Ritchie about the complexities of soccer versus football. Gemma was busy braiding back Lizzie’s hair.

“So, how is it?” Phil says as he plops down in the seat next to you.

“Amazing, I can’t thank you enough.”

“We’re hoping to do more catering events, so we made sure to take a lot of pictures of everything. This was like a test run.”

“Happy we could help, mate.” Harry says. Louis and Niall sit down next to him.

“Sleep well?” Louis asks Harry.

“Like a rock since I had my girl next to me.” Harry smirks.

“You two officially married now?” Niall says.

“Very much so.” Harry’s smirk grows.

“Hey!” You snap your head in their direction. “None of that at breakfast, please. My parents are right over there.” Your cheeks were beat red.

“Y/N, you and Janette have had such vulgar conversations in front of other people before-“ Harry starts, but you cut him off.

“Not in front of my fucking family.” Your gaze is warning and he nods as you turn back to speak with Phil.

The morning goes on, and everyone enjoys their breakfasts. You wait with Harry’s family and friends as their cabs to the airport would be arriving any moment. It was hugs and kisses all around. You already couldn’t wait to see them for the holidays. After wrapping things up with Julian, you, Harry, Andy, and Brandon all head to Harry’s car.

“Now, boys, this is a momentous occasion.” He turns to look at them in the backseat. “Y/N is actually letting me drive through the city.” You glare at him and he laughs.

“Keep it up and I’ll make you switch right now.”

“How come you’re not driving, Y/N?” Andy asks.

“I have a bit of a headache. The sun is a little bright for me today.” You had a pair of sunglasses on to prove it. “This is a test for your dad.”

“And I’m going to pass with flying colors.” He retorts. “Everyone buckled up?” He hears a yes from both boys and he off he goes.

Andy’s hand creeps over to Brandon’s, and they subtly latch their pinkies as they sit in the back. They look at each other briefly to smile before looking out their respective windows. Andy notices you mindlessly reach your hand out to Harry’s. Harry takes your hand in his, kisses it, and rests it in his lap as he continues to drive. It makes Andy smile softly before his eyelids become too heavy, and he drifts off.

//

“Ugh, I do not wanna go to work tomorrow.” You groan Sunday night as you go through your emails. “So many of these questions could be answered if these fucking kids just used Google, like what the actual fuck?!” Andy and Harry both blink at you. “What?”

“Maybe…close your laptop.” Harry says as he gently closes it. “You can catch up tomorrow morning like how I plan to. Just relax, yeah?”

You nod and put your laptop on the coffee table.

“What movie are we watching?” You ask the boys?

“One of my favorites.” Andy says. “Home Alone.”

“A bit early for Christmas movies, no?”

“Y/N, once it’s November, it’s Christmas.” Andy says.

“You’re just going to skip over Thanksgiving?’

“Dad doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so it’s okay.”

“Fair enough.” You chuckle. “Throw it on.” Harry puts his arm around you as Andy queues it up.

“Before we do…can I talk to you both about something?” You and Harry share a glance with each other before looking at Andy. You both sit up straight to look at him. “Don’t freak out…but I’ve sort of been keeping something to myself…about me and Brandon?”

“Oh?” You say. “Like what?”

“Well…so…at Mum’s wedding, we almost kissed, but his dad called him so we got interrupted, and then nothing happened for a while…until Caroline’s Halloween party.” He swallows. “I mean, obviously that whole thing at school happened with Greg, and sometimes we’d sort of, like, flirt I guess in class, and so at the party we were all playing truth or dare, and we got dared to go into the closet together.”

“Oh my god.” Harry says and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“It’s not what you think! We just talked while we were in there. I didn’t wanna have my first kiss to be in a closet with a bunch of people waiting for us to come out afterwards…and I told Brandon that, and then I told him I wanted him to kiss me, and he said he wanted to kiss me too, so when we came out I asked Caroline if there was somewhere he and I could go where there wouldn’t be a ton of people around and she let us go outside.” He chews his bottom lip. “I…I asked Brandon how he felt about me and we both said that we really liked each other, and then we…well, we kissed for a little while.”

“Has…anything happened since?” Harry asks carefully.

“No, well, we hold hands a lot, but that’s been it. We didn’t wanna say anything until after your wedding.”

“Why?” You say. “You can tell us anything.”

“I was scared you wouldn’t let us stay in the same room, or something. I mean I know we were with Ritchie and Lizzie, but I didn’t know if you’d make one of us sleep on the floor.”

“Are you two planning to date? I mean…does he only like boys, or does he like boys and girls like you?” Harry asks.

“I don’t really know how he feels about people one way or the other. I think he’s still figuring it out, but he knows he like likes me, and I like like him…so yeah, I think we’re gonna date. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Harry says quickly. “I mean, in the grand scheme of things I think you’re too young to be getting into a relationship, I felt the same way with Caroline, but I’m not gonna tell you no. However, some rules will have to be put into place, the same ones you had with her. Door open if you’re in your room and stuff like that. Also, if you sleep at his place, I’d prefer it if you didn’t sleep in his bed. I’m sure his parents will feel the same way.”

“Is Brandon going to tell his parents?” You ask Andy.

“Yeah, we both promised to tell tonight. He’s supposed to text me after he talks to them. His parents, luckily, are really cool about this stuff. His aunt has a wife, and she and Mr. Stewart are really close, so he doesn’t really have anything to worry about.”

Times like these you wished all kids had it as easy as Brandon and Andy.

“Alright.” Harry nods. “Then it’s all good. I’m, um, glad you two have figured things out, I know it was a little up and down for a bit.”

“Me too.” Andy smiles.

“Oh my goodness.” You sniffle and they both look at you. “You had, like, a fairytale first kiss! I’m so jealous.” You laugh and so do they.

“Why, what was yours like?” Andy asks.

“God, it was so awkward, I can’t even get into it. It wasn’t with someone special I can tell you that much. I’m really happy for you Andy.”

“Thanks.”

“You and I will need to have a little chat about…things.” Harry says to him. “But not right now, it can wait.”

“What kind of things?” Andy’s face scrunches.

“Just… things…” Harry clears his throat. “Is there anything else you wanna tell us?”

“No.” Andy shrugs and takes his phone out of his pocket to text Brandon that everything went well.

“Okay, let’s get the movie started then.” Harry grabs the remote and hits play. Andy gets up and hugs the both of you before sitting back down on the loveseat, curling up with his blanket. “Andy?”

“Yeah?”

“You plan to tell your mother right?”

“When I see her Friday I will on the car ride.”

“Good. I’m sure she’ll be just as happy for you.” Harry smiles and turns to look at the TV.

Brandon: all good over here too, my mom teared up she’s so lame lol

Andy: lol Y/N did too. Wanna meet at our lockers before homeroom tomorrow?

Brandon: definitely : )

Andy sighs happily and puts his phone down so he can pay attention to the movie. He was on cloud nine.

//

Being newlyweds was a lot of fun. As if Harry couldn’t already keep his hands off you, it was like he was jumping you every second he got. In the morning, in the shower, sometimes he’d sneak you home quick when you should be eating lunch, and if it was a weekend Andy was at Paige’s, god, he didn’t let you leave the bedroom. However, he was good about staying away from while you worked. He respected that you were in desperate need to get things done. The paper itself was just about complete, but you still needed to edit the entire thing, and work on your dissertation defense which was slated for April.

Andy sat down with Paige and Noah and told them what was going on with Brandon. He told Rachel as well. Everyone was happy for him. He said he didn’t want Lydia to know just yet. He knew she was old fashioned, and he was nervous she’d take it the wrong way. Paige completely understood, and she said she’d keep it between them.

The Ariana Grande concert was incredible, beyond incredible. You had to stay back with Caroline while Andy got to do the meet and greet, but his face said it all. He went on and on about how nice she was. Andy was so thankful you were able to take him. He made sure to wear his concert tee over a long-sleeve shirt the following Monday at school.

“Morning.” Brandon says as he meets Andy at his locker.

“Hey.” Andy smiles.

“So, how was it?”

“Amazing, like, I knew she’d sound good live, but holy shit, she was incredible.”

“What was meeting her like?”

“She was a lot shorter in person.” Andy chuckles. “But she was really nice, and she said she liked my nails, and my hair. It all happened really fast. They emailed the picture to Y/N, I’ll have to show you next time you come over.”

“I’d like that.” Brandon leans against the closed lockers as Andy gets the books he’ll need for the first half of the day. “We have that history test in a couple of days.”

“Mhm.” Andy nods, a smile creeping on his lips.

“Do you wanna come over and study together? We could order pizza and stuff.”

“Mm, so like a study date?” Andy smirks.

“If you wanna call it that, yeah.” Brandon nods.

“I’ll text my dad and see if I can come over after school.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.” Andy slots his fingers through Brandon’s so they can hold hands down the hall.

There were a few broken hearts at Thomas Hamilton Middle School. There were quite a few girls that had crushes on both Andy and Brandon. Obviously those close to the boys knew something was bound to happen between them, but anyone on the outside just thought they had a wholesome friendship.

Harry gives the okay for Andy to go over Brandon’s after school. Selfishly that meant he could fuck you when you got home from work before you needed to go up to the loft to work.

“Hi, Andy.” Mrs. Stewart says as she picks the boys up from school.

“Hello, Mrs. Stewart, how are you?”

“I’m good, honey, thank you. How are your dad and Y/N?”

“They’re good, they really like being married.”

She chuckles at that and gets the boys home. Brandon asks if they can have pizza later, and Mrs. Stewart says yes before they both go into his room.

“Uh, boys? Leave the door open, please.” She says shyly and they both nod.

“Her and my dad are still getting used to it.” Brandon explains as they both set up on his floor.

“My dad says my door has to stay open if you come over too. I had the same rules when I was with Caroline.” Andy shrugs.

“Same for when I was with Molly, now that I think about it. I don’t know what they think we’re gonna be doing in here, we’re just studying.”

“I don’t know either, parents are weird.”

After going over their notes, and quizzing each other a bit, the boys enjoy some pizza, and then decide to play some video games. It was the same as it ever was.

“Do you feel like watching TV until your parents come to get you?” Brandon asks him.

“Sure.” Andy shrugs.

Brandon switches the TV to Nickelodeon. Some reruns of Full House was on. Brandon had beanbag chairs in his room, so that was what he and Andy were sitting on. They start holding hands, and slouch into the chairs. They look at each other. Brandon’s eyes glace to the door to make sure his parents weren’t creeping around. He nods, and Andy leans in to press his lips to Brandon’s. They slouch a little further down, and Brandon cups Andy’s cheek. Andy tugs on the collar of Brandon’s shirt to pull him a little closer.

“Andy!” Mr. Stewart yells from the kitchen. The boys jump off each other. “Your dad’s here!”

“Jesus.” Andy catches his breath. “Scared the shit out of me.”

“Thought you’d be used to him yelling by now. He’s just as loud on the court.” Brandon smirks and stands up. He puts his hand out for Andy and helps him up. “I’m glad you came over today.”

“Me too, thanks for having me.” Andy cleans up his things and gets his backpack together. He leans in and kisses Brandon’s cheek before they walk out of his room. “Thanks again for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, goodnight.”

“You’re more than welcome, tell your folks we say hi.” Mr. Stewart says as Andy leaves.

He gets into the backseat of Harry’s car.

“Hey, Dad.”

“How’d the studying go?”

“Good, I’m feeling really prepared for Wednesday. Where’s Y/N?”

“Oh, she, uh, she’s a little tired so she’s in bed reading.”

“Why’s she so tired? It’s only 7:30.”

“She…” You convinced Harry to let you work uninterrupted until dinner time. He agreed, and then he fucked you on the kitchen counter while dinner was in the over. Then he fucked you again. Bent you over the bed. So, yeah, you were a little too tired to go out with him and pick Andy up. “She worked a lot today, so she just felt like staying in, that’s all.” He clears his throat.

“Can I ask you something sort of personal?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“What do you do…like…I don’t even know how to explain this, um, you know when your pants get tight?”

“When your pants get tight?”

“Yeah, like, in the front?” Andy twiddles his thumbs.

“In the…oh…oh! Yeah, is that, uh, starting to happen to you a little more often?”

“Yeah, usually if it happens in class or something, I just put my book over my lap, but I’m afraid it might happen when I’m hanging out with Brandon. It would be so embarrassing if we were kissing, you know?”

Harry takes a deep as he tries not to crash his car. These were the conversation he was dreading, but he supposed he was happy Andy felt comfortable enough to bring it up on his own.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s pretty tough to control at your age, but something you can do to help yourself out is to think of something gross or sad.”

“Like what?”

“Um…I don’t know, what grosses you out?”

“When people sneeze into their hands.”

“Alright, so think of that.”

“It works?”

“For the most part. Your head gets distracted so other parts of you don’t get as excited.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try I guess.”

“Do you two, uh, kiss a lot?”

“Well, not really since we feel like we’re being watched every two seconds. Can’t do it at school because of the teachers, and we have to keep our doors open so…” He rolls his eyes.

“That’s so you two stay respectful.”

“You know what’s interesting? Never, not once, have you and Y/N kept your bedroom door open when you both go in there.”

“We’re adults.”

“So that means you deserve privacy more than me?”

“Not necessarily, but there’s an emotional maturity that she and I have that you don’t yet. If your door’s open, you’re not gonna get any funny ideas.”

“Like what? It’s just kissing.”

Harry pulls into the garage and turns the car off. He sighs and turns to look at Andy.

“Kissing can lead to other things sometimes.”

“Like…making out?”

“Yeah.” Harry nods. “And then that leads to more serious things that you’re really not old enough for, but sometimes things happen when you’re not properly supervised, and I wanna keep you safe, as I’m sure Brandon’s parents wanna keep him safe too. Someday, when you’re older, I probably won’t make you keep your door wide open, maybe just open a crack, because you do deserve privacy, but right now you’re twelve, so.”

“Okay.” Andy sits there for a moment. “So, adults get to do whatever they want with each other whenever they want?”

“No, not at all. Self-control is a thing, asking for permission is a thing. You should always ask before you touch, and if someone says no you have to listen and respect that. You can’t take it personally.”

“Do you and Y/N ever say no to each other?”

“Sure! More often than you think, actually. I know she and I can be pretty touchy, but there are times either of us aren’t in the mood to cuddle or whatever. Communication is really important in any relationship. She and I do a pretty good job of communicating our feelings, I think.”

“Well, I would hope so, you both teach classes about it.” Andy laughs.

“You’d be surprised how dense people can be, even when they study something for years. Just make sure you and Brandon continue to communicate. You should be doing things you both feel comfortable with. There’s no need for you two to rush anything either.”

“Alright, thanks, Dad.”

“Any time.”

They both get out of the car and head inside. Andy says he’s going to take a quick shower and then get ready for bed. Harry goes into your shared room to see you still reading.

“Did he have a good time?”

“Yeah.” Harry says as he sits gets changed into his pj’s. “We had an interesting chat in the car.”

“About what?”

“Guy stuff.” You scoff at him. “What?”

“What does guy stuff entail?”

“He asked me what he should do if he accidentally gets a stiffy while kissing.” Your eyes widen and your jaw drops. “He didn’t word it like that, obviously.”

“Did that happen to him tonight?”

“No, but he’s scared that it could.”

“What did you tell him to do?”

“I told him to think of something that grosses him out.” He shrugs, and sits next to you on the bed with his own book.

“Gotta be so tough being a boy.” You pout sarcastically. “Having to hide your boners all the time.” Harry side eyes you. “It’s what you get for having everything else in your lives be so easy. You’re sitting there dealing with that while us girls are sitting there hoping we haven’t randomly started bleeding.”

“Yeah, I remember Gem coming home from school a few times to change her clothes.”

“It’s literally the worst! You can’t tell if it feels like discharge or if you’re just randomly a little wet, so you panic and run to the bathroom, and then you’re relieved when it’s nothing. Plus, you’re crazy irregular at that age, so even if you’re tracking it, it can still be random.”

“That really does suck.” You hum your response. “Am I good to you when you have your period? Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

“Oh, Harry, don’t be silly.”

“M’serious! Should we keep more dark chocolate in the house? Oh! I could get one of those hot water presses to put on your back, or-“

“Babe.” You put your hand on his shoulder. “You do plenty, thank you very much.” You lean over and kiss his cheek.

“I’m kinda glad you got it tonight so you won’t have it on our trip.”

“Me too. Would have been a pain in the ass for sure.” You bite your bottom lip. “I’m very excited for Miami.”

“Same here, the weather’s looking good. We’ll be able to go to the beach, and go to bars, all that fun stuff.”

“Mhm.” You smile and get back to your book.

You had a few things up your sleeve for your week away, but you wanted it to be a pleasant surprise for your husband, so you were doing your absolute best to keep it to yourself.

[missyasf]

Game Of Hearts

| 3 |  

↳ Summary: Your life is in monotonous tones of grey, day in, day out. Nothing matters besides your sister, the only thing you remember is seeing fireworks before waking up to Tokyo abandoned . Soon enough you are properly introduced to the deadly Borderlands where you must fight for your life in Games to survive. When things can’t possibly get worse soon division arises and rivalries are made. No matter what though, you are constantly plagued by a blonde who, no matter how hard you try, just can’t seem to go too far without.

↳ Pairing: Chishiya/Reader

↳ Genre: Angst, smut, thriller

Word Count: 9.5k

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Trigger Warning: ⚠️ much like the manga/Netflix adaptation this will be a dark fic which includes mentions of prostitution, attempted murder, child ab*se, sexual harassment, heavy grief and attempted suic*de among other things. Additional warnings will be added for chapters when triggers are brought up. Please read with caution if these are triggers for you or just skip all together! 

3rd Day Sojourn 

“Looks like we got a smartass here don’t we?” 

You felt torn on whether to intervene or not. Chishiya, was by no means a hero or a prince charming. You didn’t need to know him to know he was going to be the last person to save you out of good will. Not like you needed saving regardless but you couldn’t help but wonder what his motive was. 

Chishiya still had that cold smirk on his face, as if extremely amused at the furious Niragi you had held him up by the jacket, even face to face he not once had a change in expression, as if he just genuinely didn’t care about whatever Niragi felt. 

“Probably because I am smarter than you.” Chishiya lifted his chin a little a devious icy smile on his lips like he was getting a rise out of the way Niragi simmered and growled at him, his hands tightening around his jacket and you were briefly worried if Chishiya didn’t shut up that he was going to be beat into a pulp. No matter how smart he was, he couldn’t outwit his way from getting throat punched. Although...you wouldn’t deny a secret part of you would find that mildly funny. You also wanted to throat punch him on certain occasions. 

“I believe that’s enough Niragi.” Everyone paused at the sight of someone new arriving, Ryu had gotten out of the pool to stand next to you and Hiroko as he whispered, “That’s number three, Kuzuryuu. He often keeps everyone in their place when Hatter isn’t around.” 

Niragi stuck his tongue as he began to cackle, letting go of Chishiya. Breathing in relief you relaxed a little as everyone did the same. Just within a split second though you could hardly comprehend the sight of Niragi immediately decking Chishiya right across the jaw who was knocked off balance. People were already intervening as you stood there gaping. You didn’t think Niragi would actually punch him. 

You had thought Chishiya’s expression would’ve changed but much to your disbelief it was as if he was even more settled into his resolve, grabbing his jaw as a viscous smile appeared on his lips, spitting out blood as he goaded, “So you agree then? Anyone with half a brain would be able to reply instead of resort to violence.” 

Did this man really wanna die on his first day in the Beach? 

Niragi was pulled away and back to his group with steam practically pouring out of his ears, attempting to get back to Chishiya before he was yanked back by perhaps the most physically intimidating man you had ever seen, “That’s number 2, Agni, the leader of the militant sect.” Hiroko clarified to you but it fell on deaf ears as you hurried over to Chishiya, now feeling immensely bad that regardless of his intentions he was hurt for what? Gloating? Was his ego truly that big, “God are you insane!?” You cried out in a whisper kneeling down, your maternal instincts on overdrive as you grabbed his face immediately checking for any bruising. 

Chishiya almost like a cat that didn’t want to be touched pulled away from your grip unappreciative, “I don’t like annoying or stupid people.” He replied immediately, his eyes leering ungratefully, “And he was ruining a perfectly good day for me. If you think I’d care for someone like you then you’re more delusional then you look. Besides it’s just blood, it’ll go stop.” 

Ouch.

You rolled your eyes at him deciding to not take his words to heart though a tiny part of you wondered if he only said that due to the conversation you both had last night. Or maybe he just really didn’t care. Regardless it didn’t matter, “He had a fucking rifle!” You whispered angrily, “I get it, we aren’t best friends but I don’t wanna see you get shot you asshole.” 

“We aren’t friends at all,” Chishiya replied coolly, his eyes analytical and calculating, his gaze like ice that glared you down as if you were his new target for a reason unknown, “We aren’t even acquaintances. We’re just strangers and I’d prefer to keep it that way. I don’t need your concern or care, so stay out of my way.” 

You felt thoroughly indignant at his words as you clenched your jaw, “You know what? I doubt you’ve ever had anyone care for you and I can see why. I hope he hits you harder next time you jerk.” This man drove you utterly insane! And you couldn’t even understand why. Chishiya was so cold and for no reason…! 

Walking back to your pool chair you snatched your shorts, “Y/n…! Y/n! Are you okay!?” Nanami hurried to your side, you had forgotten all about your sister being in full range of the horror show she had just finished watching between you and Niragi. Probably too scared to try and intervene and you didn’t blame her. Had it been anyone else besides your sister in your shoes you would’ve kept to yourself as well. 

“I’m fine, I’d say you should check on Chishiya but apparently he doesn’t need anybody!” You flailed your arms before plopping down on the seat still mad, “What a…! A…! Pathetic, bitter way to live! He’s so conceited!” You curled your fists as you pulled your shorts up before buttoning them as you grabbed your sheer cover up jacket. 

Nanami frowned as she grabbed her hands, “Well…” You whipped around in anger, silently staring at her, just daring her to try and come up with some excuse for this guy. Nanami, was a soft hearted person, she never wanted to judge a book by it’s cover and always gave the benefit of the doubt. You admired that about her, but you sometimes wished she was a bit more….realistic with people, “I’m sure he’ll come around.” She decided to not pursue her original words as she offered a weak smile. 

“You can deal with that if you want, but I’m done with him. Anytime I try to be relatively nice, I just get spit in the face.” Huffing you crossed your arms, “I’m going on a walk.” And true to your words you did, you needed to be by yourself for a while to clear your head after what had all transpired just minutes ago. 

“Originally I helped run a ranch but I wanted to see all the sights so I moved out of my pops and came here to the city!” The music was loud in here and so many people were dancing, makeshift stripper poles had been made and honestly. You understood the Beach was supposed to be an escape, but that didn’t make it a bit of a pathetic sight to see people attempting to swing around and accidentally break it. Multiple times. 

You were currently sat at the table with Akari, Hiroko and Ryu everyone having a fairly good time and the longer you talked to Hiroko the less intimidating she became, “I don’t really remember much to be honest,” Akari scratched her head as she hummed, “Just that after I finished putting groceries up I saw fireworks out of my window.”

You straightened up in curiosity, you had seen the same thing! “Yeah we all did,” You slumped at Ryu’s words as he frowned, “Nobody can remember anything after seeing them except waking up here in the Borderlands.”

“What were you guys before this…?” You asked, not wanting to linger for long on just where you were, in a city that was a replica of Tokyo with only a handful of what? A hundred people, maybe a little more? You didn’t have the mindset right now to even try and grasp what was going on or what had happened. 

“I was a lawyer,” Hiroko answered first, her expression clearly proud and you’d imagine why, this meant she was older than you! “I did quite a bit of traveling around and dabbled in attorney work for awhile...That’s what my dad wanted me to go in as,” She rolled her eyes, “But I found I’m better at building a case.” 

Somehow...you weren’t surprised, you smiled regardless wrapping your arms around yourself, the more you talked to them the more comfortable you began to feel, “One morning I was late to getting to the courthouse and this idiot ended up spilling coffee on me,” Hiroko’s words may have been harsh but she looked Ryu with the softest expression you had ever seen her wear.

Obvious fondness in her eyes, “It was by chance he did that I like to think it was by fate I ended up meeting him again except he was behind the counter at the coffeeshop I always went too.” 

Ryu’s cheeks dusted pink as he gave an awkward smile, “I worked evening shifts but got switched over to mornings, best decision I ever made! I’m currently in my last year of college for being an art curator!” 

“A cure what now?” Akari cocked her head to the side and for some reason the three of you busted out laughing at her as she parted her lips, “Hey don’t laugh! I’m being serious! Is that some kind of professional coffee maker?” 

You closed your eyes giggling as you shook your head, “What about you Y/n? What were you before all of this?” You paused for a second at Hiroko’s question as the table quieted down, suddenly your memory swiped back to the night of the fireworks. What happened at work, how you were supposed to go to class the next day. How your night ended early.

“Ah…” You rubbed the back of your neck as you sheepishly smiled, unsure of where to even begin. It wasn’t that...you were ashamed of your work you just- felt often misunderstood by people. Anytime you said you were a sex worker you either recieved wild looks and suddenly you were treated lowly or people- men in particular would begin to send you uncomfortable innuendo’s. 

 “Ah…! Y/n!” You straightened up at the muffled screech that sounded like your sister as your eyes shot around the room only to find Nanami fumbling towards you with a whine, suddenly hiding behind you as you frowned standing up, “Good! Good! I’m glad you’re here!” She chuckled nervously as your expression contorted. 

“Where is that bitch!?” 

Oh...why did this seem vaguely familiar, “What did you do?” You hissed as you turned to Nanami as she rubbed her neck sheepishly only for you to whirl back around again at the sight of a raging woman, the most notable feature her breasts nearly spilling from her loose bikini top as she pointed an accusing finger at your sister, “Why don’t you stop being a slut trying to get with MY boyfriend and take it up with me!” 

“Nanami!” You hissed as she cowered behind you, her lips tugging into a pout as she poked both her pointer fingers together with a frown. You had an obligation as a big sister to at least try to defend her before feeding her to the wolves, “Maybe you should give that energy to your boyfriend...Wasn’t he the one supposed to stay loyal?” You raised your brows as you spoke. 

You shrieked as you ducked down, a beer bottle flying above you as the girl raged on. 

“That’s Kokona, resident miss possessive.” Hiroko leaned back in her seat as she sipped her drink, obviously this wasn’t too odd of a sight as she shrugged, “You might wanna run.” 

You brows raised at her words only to see Kokona gathering three other men around as Hiroko snorted, “She’s got a whole pack of guys willing to do her bidding.” 

“Y/n…!” Nanami whined, grabbing your arm as you watched the three men approach, you looked between Nanami and them as your lips parted in a half sincere apology. 

“...Sorry Nami that's what happens when you try to sleep with someone's boyfriend!” You shoved past her as you heard her yelling at you as she split off on the other side of the room. People did nothing to effort to try and move out of your way as you shoved between them, ducking down as weaved through the crowd in hopes of attempting to lose them, you really didn’t want this to become a reputation for you and your sister. 

Diving into a booth seat you felt the stares of two men as you offered an awkward smile, “Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to not get killed…” You offered a quirked smile as you grabbed the long island tea off the table, tipping it towards them as they all bubbled out cheers as you took a long sip, your eyes carefully watching over the crowd as you spot the one guy that must’ve been sent after you. 

After all you weren’t the one that Kokona wanted to kill, it was a pretty common occurrence you had experienced except...at least the woman before wasn't psychotic enough to actually try to kill you. You supposed the Borderlands were different. Very different. 

“Hey you should totally hang with us! We got your back babe.” You looked up at the dorky grin of the man you had sat next to your lying figure, which you were trying to use the table as coverage, “No extra cost needed beside a good laugh!”

You offered a weak smile, “I’m Y/n!” You introduced, endeared at the oddly innocent smile on his face as you awkwardly shifted, “My sister tried to sleep with someone's boyfriend and I somehow got dragged into it.” 

“Kokona’s a mean one,” The guy across the table hiccuped as he lifted his glass, “I’d stay away from her if I were.” You lifted up onto your elbows as you glanced up at him, his eyes heavily dilated before you realized he had obviously been as high as a kite and drinking...No wonder they looked so out of it. 

Watching the three men rally back together you quickly pressed back against the seats as you closed your eyes, “Yeah, I can tell...Is she like this with everyone....?” You grabbed the glass once more for another sip, needing something to take the edge off of this whole day. If your sister wasn’t so horny you wouldn’t be in this position right now!

“Nah, mainly girls.” The one beside you waved a hand, “She’s pretty cool otherwise, a little ruthless though. She gloats about her speciality being hearts a lot so she thinks it makes her automatically superior since most of us are spades or clubs players.” 

Sitting up a little you tilted your head in confusion, holding the drink you now claimed as yours as you drank it once more, “Specialty? Are venues specified towards…? What? A certain type of suit?” 

“No! No! Nothing like that, specialty just means what you naturally have a knack for! All games are still random at each venue,” The guy beside you sloshed his drink, obviously semi drunk himself as he explained, “That's why Hatter sends a team of four or three where each person has a specialty in each suit- except there isn’t a lot of hearts player, because we haven’t really encountered any…” 

Jiggling your drink you looked down at the ice that was slowly melting as you hummed, “Okay that makes sense.” You nodded remembering Hatter mentioning this was well, it would only be natural that the longer you survived you’d have a preference for a suit. 

“Hey aren’t you new?” The guy across the table pointed a sluggish finger at you, “Shouldn’t you be a little more...freaked out…?” 

You offered a weak smile as you glanced away, “Oftentimes in traumatic situations hysteria doesn’t always hit first, it’s likely that my psyche is still in shock and hasn’t fully processed what I’ve seen the past day…” The guy across the table squinted his eyes as he nodded with his lips parted as if in awe at your words, “It’s a mental thing,” You waved at your head, “To try and keep the psychological state of my mind in one piece.” 

You wouldn’t deny, there was a certain part of you that felt numb to everything and a smaller part of yourself wondered how you could intake all this information without going hysterical. But...the way you saw it was if this was your reality now, there was nothing you could do to change it. It was better you just got as much information as you could and try your best to adapt if you were going to live on. 

Glancing out over the crowd you noticed the men had disappeared once again as you offered both the guys a smile, “Thanks for letting me stay! But I’d better get going.” You gave a small nod, getting up as you held the glass, looking down at it as you frowned...You really hoped this wasn’t laced with anything or else it was going to be a very long night. 

Pushing through the crowd you couldn’t find Nanami anywhere but you did spot the girl you had sent three guys after you both like a fucking dog. Squeezing the glass you took a long drink as you approached her, “Kokona,” You called out with a smile as you waved, her eyes sharp as she immediately glared you down, “Listen…” You approached her with an easy smile, “I’m not here to make enemies, my sister is young and she probably didn’t realize it was your boyfriend…But like I said, you don’t really want a guy like that around…”

“Listen here you walmart knock off barbie,” Kokona pointed a sharp nail at you making your lips part a little in surprise at just how aggressive she was, “I don’t give a fuck. I don’t have the time or patience, here of all places. I’m sure you understand right?” She offered a gritty smile, “So tell that bitchy little sister of yours to stay out of my sight if she doesn’t want her hair ripped out.” 

Pressing your tongue to your cheek you looked away for a second before down at your drink...Well, she asked for it. 

You without a second thought held the drink up before splashing it all over her, “Say what you want about me I don’t give a fuck,” You stepped closer to her as you offered a gritty smile of your own, “But don’t ever say anything about my sister. I’m sure I’ll see you later.” You waved a hand as you turned around, walking back to the table where Akari, Ryu and Hiroko looked like they were all preparing to duck for cover at the show Kokona had put on for them unknowingly.

Setting the glass down at the table you collapsed in your chair as you whined, “Why are women so unfriendly here!?” 

Hiroko snorted as she shrugged, obviously not bugged like you were about it, “In this world it’s either kill or be killed, a lot of people don’t have time for niceties anymore. You’ll get used to it. Besides, Kokona is just a bitch to everyone. Don’t take it so personal.” She shrugged, “While you and Nanami were getting chased down we were talking…” 

You frowned as you looked up at all three of them as Akari smacked the table, “We should all go out for a game tonight! I know! I know, counterproductive especially with our visa’s stocked for the next few days but I think it’d be fun!” 

“Fun!?” The three of them paused as you sat up in your seat, looking at them all like they were insane because they obviously had to be, “Fun!?” You repeated again with even more emphasis, “Guys…! You- you could die!” 

“We could die just trying to breath here,” Hiroko scoffed as she shrugged, nonpulsed at your reaction as she picked her nails, ‘Besides you don’t have to go, I get it. We were all like this when we were new too. But I figured we’d make a good team logically. My speciality is diamond, Ryu’s is clubs and we just found out Akari is spades. And we have you, our wild card to figure out what you’re good at. It’s unlikely we’d die. By statistics at least.” 

You rubbed your neck, feeling a little more at ease with Hiroko’s rationality as you mumbled, “Well what about Nanami…?” Your eyes washed over the crowd, finally spotting your sister against the wall sipping something trying to act like there weren't three guys after her. 

“I doubt you’d want her to go?” Hiroko raised her brows, “Besides she still has three days left on her visa, she’ll be fine. Again, I’m not gonna pressure you into going, if all you’re gonna do is panic you probably will get lynched.” 

Her words made you puff your chest a little as you looked back to Nanami before back to the table, well...if they all had a strong suit then why not? “Alright, I’m in!” Who knows when you’d get the opportunity again to get more days on your visa in a considerably safe group. 

“I get it you’re like a walking model but seriously?” Hiroko leaned against the bathroom wall as she sighed picking at her nails, “You weren’t even in a full bikini.” 

“This has nothing to do with vanity and everything to do with comfort!” You called back, pulling up the loose sweatpants, “I’m not going to possibly go into a game that makes me run while wearing swimwear, I don’t hate myself that much!” You pulled the loose t-shirt over your head before pulling out the maroon jacket as you walked out, stuffing your swim attire in the bag. You had been at the venue for the past five minutes now, having not crossed the threshold but you still have time before it closed. 

“How many people have showed up?” You asked as you stood next to Hiroko who dropped her hand as she looked at you rolling her eyes as she sighed, standing up as you both walked to where Akari and Ryu were discussing the possibilities of what the game would be tonight. 

“Eh, like four? Maybe? I think that guy you know is in there.” Hiroko shrugged casually, “Looks like a good setup for a spades game, they typically have a bigger group number.” 

“What?” Your brows furrowed, what guy? Your mind drew a blank briefly as Ryu stretched out with a nod.

“Well if we’re all ready to go then let's head inside it’s almost six.” Ryu nodded once more as everyone followed behind him, you tossed your bag against the wall, it’s not like you had to be worried about anyone stealing in this climate. Your heartbeat picked up as you crossed the threshold. 

Noticing indeed four other people here before your lips parted and your face screwed into irritation, “Really!?” You muttered under your breath, immediately turning away from the familiar white hood as you stubbornly crossed your arms, “Hiroko why didn’t you say it was him!?” You hissed a whisper to her. 

Hiroko looked between you and Chishiya who was on his phone, earbuds in and ignoring the outside world before she tried to hold a laugh, “Did you two fuck or something?” You immediately flailed at her words making both her and Akari start laughing at both your misery and anger as you glared at her in unappreciation. 

“You think i’d fuck someone like him!?” You hissed out, “No, he's a total jerk! I…! Why can’t I go anywhere without him showing up!” You groaned as you crossed your arms, “Whatever, maybe he’ll get his guts ripped out tonight.” 

“Ouch, that’s a little harsh.” Ryu frowned, innocent as ever as he held his hands together, before offering a cute smile, “I’m sure he’ll come around, we’re all a part of the beach after all.” You sourly crossed your arms as you looked at the clock, striking six just in time for you to get tonight started with whatever death trap awaited.” 

Somehow, you doubt Chishiya held any loyalty to any of you at all just because you all slept in the same hotel…

The TV on the wall lit up as everyone's attention turned to it, obviously nobody was new here tonight as no one spoke to each other.

Game

Difficulty: 3♡ 

“A heart's game?” Ryu mumbled, his brows furrowed as he looked between you all as you gave a little shrug, your face twisted in concern as you wrapped your arms around yourself, “Well at least it’s a low difficulty! I’m sure it won’t be too hard to solve!” 

“The game you will be participating in is Blind Man's Bluff. Everyone will be required to wear a blindfold for one minute where the tagger will pass their tag off,” The screen depicted a faceless man passing quite literally a name tag off to one sitting down “Tags pertain to who is a player and who is the tagger. You will have twenty minutes to complete the game. It’s a Game ‘Clear’ if the tagger is discovered before the end of the last round, it’s a Game Over for the players if the tagger remains undiscovered.” 

Rules:

After each tagging sequence players will remain seated to take off their blindfold and find out if they have been selected as the tagger.

Blindfolds must be worn and kept on for the whole minute during the tagging sequence or it’s a Game Over.

Violence against other players is strictly prohibited and will result in a Game Over.

Players must remain seated for the whole time period of the tagging sequence or it’s a Game Over.

Game Clear conditions: If the players find out who the tagger is before the time runs out or it’s a Game Over for all players.

Tension had risen in the air a little as you felt your throat become dry, everyone immediately looked at each other somewhat suspiciously as the doors opened to the school gym, it was dark and empty outside of eleven chairs lined in a circle, all backs facing each other. 

“It could be worse.” Hiroko whispered to you as everyone grabbed a blindfold off the table that stood off in the distance, “As long as we just keep passing the tagger off to someone else we should be fine.” 

“Unless one of us gets picked by the end?” You quirked a brow as you rubbed the back of your neck, chances of that happening was one in ten but still, “I don’t like those odds Hiroko.” 

Hiroko only snorted as you both walked up, grabbing a blindfold as your eyes darted to the tags that laid out. Your brows furrowed at the stuffed bear with a blindfold on, his name tag ‘Rikku’ that took up his whole stomach, grabbing a tag as you turned back to face Hiroko.

“All we have to do is get a confession out of the tagger, it can’t be that hard.” Hiroko shrugged as she grabbed her blindfold as you puffed a breath of air, you hadn’t known her for long and despite knowing she was a lawyer before all of this...it was just still hard to imagine unless she was pressuring. Not exactly your method of going about stuff like this. 

Walking to a chair towards the left side of the room you sat down, crossing your legs as you looked up at the two clocks, one at twenty minutes that began ticking away and another holding at one minute. 

Looking towards your left your gaze immediately snapped back forward as your lips curled a little at the insufferable sight of blonde hair who made no effort to try and speak to you. 

Was he just sitting here purposely to annoy you? Because if you got tagger you would most definitely put it on him next. 

“The one minute for the tagging sequence getting ready to begin, blindfolds on.” 

Putting on your blindfold you tied it in a loose knot as you relaxed back into your chair, not being the tagger was perhaps the boring part of this game, the whole minute passed by and you briefly felt something press against your blindfold before it left. 

“Blinds off. Ten second cool down starts now.” Taking off your blindfold you flipped it over only to find the tag player stuck on it, attached magnetically as you pulled it off, proceeding to wait the ten seconds before the scoreboard went off and everyone stood up. 

“Maybe we should start easy and just show who has a name tag?” Ryu coughed a little as he scuffed his shoe against the ground, rubbing his neck as he frowned, everyone, as if it was possible, became all the more tense. 

You looked around at all the blindfolds that were being held, “I don’t think that will work, we've most likely all been provided a nametag, the only odd man out is the one with tagger. But they’ve most likely hidden it. All we can do is just take a guess of who it could be.” 

Nobody spoke for a moment making Hiroko heave a sigh as she cracked her neck, “Alright I’ll do it, I’m used to this in court. What about you!” She suddenly pointed to a shorter girl who had been fiddling with her skirt, suddenly jumping at the accusation. 

“What!? I’m- I’m not the tagger!” She squeaked out, nervousness suddenly on her expression and many of the wolves of the group were definitely preying on her right now as Hiroko puffed a breath crossing her arms. 

“Then why do you look so nervous?” She raised an accusing brow, making you shift in your spot, crossing your arms, you couldn’t agree with Hiroko’s approach to this that was just stoking fire to an already stressful atmosphere where everyone was quickly beginning to pin the blame on each other. 

You could only stand there and watch as everyone began to argue as you pinched the bridge of your nose, “We’re never gonna get anything solved if we go about it like this.” You muttered to yourself as you sighed.

“If you’re that confident in doing better then you should assert yourself more.” 

You turned to Chishiya who was also standing not quite close enough for you to say he was next to you, but close enough. Your eyes squinted into a glare as you spoke, “Right and how do I know you’re not the tagger?” 

“Because I would’ve tagged you next if I was.” Chishiya shrugged casually making you clench your fists as you let out a noise of irritation, you hated that…! Annoying smirk of his! Despite not knowing him for long you could get the idea he obviously got off on annoying you and it only fueled your irritation that much more. 

“The feelings are mutual, stranger.” You hissed as you crossed your arms, “And I’ll have you know I am not going to insert myself into...that!” You waved your hand at the sight of two of the men now shouting at each other, the taller one immediately grabbing the other by the shirt, “Because at that point you’ll just be accused with any sort of logic.” 

You puffed a breath as you wrapped your jacket around yourself, “And besides, this chaos is a great scapegoat for the real tagger to just sit back and watch everyone pick each other off-” You paused as you turned to Chishiya as you silently berated yourself, why were you even rambling to this guy!? He was a total jerk and you were not about to let go of this morning where you were only trying to help, “Why are you even talking to me? Didn’t you want us to...what? Stay strangers?” 

“I’m...not talking to you?” He raised his brows, his lips quirking into an infuriating half smile as if he had a point making your lips pucker together and your jaw clench in effort to try and keep your obvious anger to a minimum, “It’s not my fault you won’t shut up.” He had the audacity to shrug. 

You couldn’t help but stomp your foot as you glared at him, “You know what!? I get the feeling if you didn’t care you would’ve gone and sulked in the corner the whole game. In fact, I bet you like listening to me ramble. After all the whole day and a half I’ve known you that's all you do other than instigate unnecessary fights!” 

Chishiya’s gaze narrowed a little and you watched his body coil a little away from you at your words, “In what world would you think I care to listen to you?” His lips twitched into cruel smirk as he spoke, “Besides your irrational anger and blabbering, you don’t have an ounce of sense or logic in your body. You're probably best suited for hearts because all you do is spill emotion.” 

“That is not what hearts are about!” You retaliated as you threw your hands even more frustrated, “Why are you so defensive the moment I say anything in relation to you possibly not being some emotionless humanoid!? I get it,” You flailed your arms as you spoke louder, “I was a total dick for comparing you to a sociopath! Okay? I can admit that, and usually I can understand where people are coming from but- but you!? I genuinely don’t get you! At all! One moment you wanna pretend like everything's cool between us and then the next you wanna act like a total asshole! And that’s not cool!” 

Chishiya had looked away from you heaving a loud sigh making you stomp your foot again, here you were exerting all of your emotion into him and he really…! 

Your fists curling only to realize just how silent it was...you turned to look at the crowd of people who all had stopped fighting and...Oh...you felt your face become hot as you wrapped your arms around yourself in embarrassment...Were you really that loud…

“If you and your boyfriend are done arguing we have more important things to solve!” A man pointed a finger at you with a hiss making you curl away, your ears burning at his words as you snapped back, “He is not my boyfriend! Besides you aren’t getting anything done just yelling at each other,” You turned away from Chishiya now unable to even look him in the eyes at the moment, “The real question is who has been silent up until now? The tagger would obviously sit back and watch because why would they insert themselves when you’re doing a great job at killing time.” 

“The one minute for the tagging sequence getting ready to begin, blindfolds on.” 

Clenching your jaw you sat in your chair as everyone proceeded to do the same, it was now silent as you put on your blindfold, now angry and not even at the game. You wasted your whole time, not even arguing with Chishiya which somehow made you feel even more angry. 

It was like talking to a wall.

Crossing your legs you curled up against yourself, mad just...Why were you even mad? You shouldn’t be letting someone like this get under your skin. You briefly wondered why it bothered you so much. Come to think of it, you supposed it was for the exact reason you said. 

Chishiya, puzzled you to no end and you had never experienced that with someone, ever. You couldn’t figure out what he was thinking nor find an understanding as to why he was so back and forth with you. Maybe it was your misinterpretation? But...You shook your head a little despite your gaze darkened from the blindfold, it wasn’t that. 

It was obvious, for whatever reason, he was holding himself back, From what? You didn’t know, but for now…

“Blinds off. Ten second cool down starts now.” 

Pulling off your blindfold you looked at it, the same tag remaining of Player on it. You needed to focus on finding out who the tagger was, really this was like a game of hot potato, chances of the tagger getting killed was just as high as all the players dying, and who would want to take that chance? 

Maybe some, you stood up after the scoreboard went off and the original clock resumed as you turned around facing everyone to judge their reactions, Hiroko and Ryu were the same and so was Akari to your knowledge. Your eyes briefly flickered to Chishiya who had remained seated, his hands in his pockets, he also...You doubted yourself briefly, you couldn’t rule him out. 

“Who here wasn’t talking last round?” You asked, looking around at everyone, who obviously everyone immediately began speaking much to your frustration, you couldn’t expect someone to answer honestly which only meant...Puffing a breath, “Alright, how about this, let’s all trace a conversation with one person we talked too last round.” 

...You’d just have to manipulate the tagger into confessing

First you’d need to trace who was absolutely not the tagger and narrow it from there, “I’ll go first as an example since everyone seemed to hear last round,” You looked away briefly, a somewhat awkward smile on your lips, “I was talking to Chishiya about why he’s such an asshole. You don’t need his confirmation given everyone saw it, but typically you’d need someone to vouch for you in order to confirm you were talking. Now to those that didn’t talk, it doesn’t make them guilty, just more suspect.” 

“Me and Ryu were talking to each other about who the possible tagger was.” Hiroko spoke up, pulling a hand around Ryu’s waist who looked a little flush as he nodded, semi shy as you nodded yourself. That answer wasn’t too surprising. 

“Well I was talkin’ to this fine gentleman here about how I wasn’t the tagger.” Akari waved a hand to the guy beside her, who still leered but nodded in confirmation which cleared the both of them. You had hoped...this would keep civil, but as everyone went around, there was bound to be some who just genuinely didn’t remember because they were arguing with everyone, and those who were lying…

Which meant by this deduction things were narrowed down, for most people the chance of being found out you were the tagger is too stressful to be worth possibly being the only one to live in the end, thus handing it off, which meant there was...what? One in third chance each round the tagger was someone new? There were a few people you had to suspect that could have held the tagger without giving it up. 

The guy towards the middle who was very strangely calm during all of this with very empty looking eyes, and then there was the other man more towards you left who had been calmly de-escalating the situation but you didn’t miss the undertones of manipulation. It was one in third chance they could be holding it. Which meant you’d need to make sure they weren’t.

Walking over you stood more near Hiroko and Ryu as you watched two guys begin arguing again, “Every time I think we’ve made progress, it always ends up getting disturbed.” 

“Well that is the way of the world.” You kept a straight expression at the man who offered a smile that looked so unnatural to his empty eyes, you couldn’t help but feel a bit creeped out at how...insanely calm he was. You could get a sense of tension from at least Chishiya, granted it was most likely from you. 

“I’m Y/n,” You introduced, “Sense we should all be working together I figured it’d be best we at least learn each other's names.” You offered a sweet smile as you wrapped your jacket around yourself in effort to try and look unsuspecting. 

“I see how much anger you have inside you know? It’s quite obvious, from the way you lash out at others when you don’t get the response you want to the way you feel entitled to everyone's feelings, that’s not good for your health you know?” Your lips parted a little at his words, not even offended because...while he was right in some ways...he was very wrong in others, “But I understand your nature is tedious and complex, for all we not the same way?” Okay...this guy was definitely a psychopath, “I’m Sunato Banda, pleased to meet you.” He offered another smile. 

Empty eyes, disturbingly calm demeanor, even with your lives on the line he wasn’t disturbed at all, it wasn’t that he didn’t care. He just wasn’t affected, at all, like this could be a walk in the park for him. 

Psychopath, definitely. 

You’d need to be careful if tagger got in his possession otherwise he’d lie straight through his teeth and he’d never blink twice about it and you and everyone else would be unsuspecting about it.

“Well, us humans are very complex,” You nodded offering yet another smile making effort to look almost starstruck at his very poor deduction skills, again, somewhat correct, otherwise wrong. Afterall, how could someone who feels no remorse, truly understand the complexity of human nature? “Do you by any chance know who the tagger would be?” 

You’d need to make yourself look weak, pliable, if you were to get any use out of this guy, all he knew was how to do was take advantage of people, obviously, Banda offered a sly smile as he looked out over the room, his eyes washing over everyone, “Him,” He pointed a finger, “He keeps adjusting his coat as if he has something placed in there that’s uncomfortable.” 

You followed his line of sight to what looked like a business man in a suit and bowler hat, he did in fact, look quite nervous, “And why not call him out?” You asked, tilting your head exaggerated as you brimmed with curiosity. 

Banda turned to face you, a bright smile on his face as he closed his eyes, “Well I personally hope he’ll tag me next, I quite enjoy seeing a large build up in bodies.” 

..Oh...oh wow…

You gave a small nod, forcing a smile as you held yourself before excusing yourself from him, well, at least it definitely wasn’t him for now. Otherwise you’d be in trouble right now. And now you had a prime suspect. Some could overthink that and argue that perhaps he was lying just to get you off his trail. But personally? There was no way it’d be him, he wouldn’t do something like that. You got the feeling Banda, was a simple man. 

You turned to find the two guys from before who were tussling suddenly growl, one throwing a punch and before he could even fully hit the guy a deep red laser broke through the ceiling, you were frozen for a half a second at the sight of it shooting through the top of his head. Everyone was quiet as they looked down at the sight of a now dead body. 

Right...that was a rule, violence was prohibited. 

“The one minute for the tagging sequence getting ready to begin, blindfolds on.” 

You scurried back to your seat, sitting down as you pulled up your blindfold, “It’s that guy wearing the dumb bowler hat.” Your head looked towards you left despite not being able to see, Chishiya’s voice was quiet as he spoke, “While you were busy wasting time, I watched the real tagger- that school girl place it in his back pocket.” 

“The tagger can do that during the round?” You whispered back perplexed at the idea, how could you have missed that? Unless...she placed it right as you approached Banda? Thus him seeing the man realize he had been tagged and now nervously adjusting himself?

“There aren't any rules stating otherwise, makes it fair game.” Chishiya replied, he immediately quieted at the sound of footsteps tapping on the floor, they were definitely on your side of the ring. Your breath hitched a little at feeling something press against your forehead. Oh shit before the sound of footsteps walked away. 

“We just need to watch for him next round.” Chishiya spoke once more as you leaned back in your seat, trying to find a reason for why you just felt what you did. 

“Blinds off. Ten second cool down starts now. Final round will be next round” 

You hurriedly took yours off as you flipped it over looking down at it, 

Tagger

Motherfucker. 

You quickly grabbed it off, at first trying to push it into your pocket only to realize they were fake. God you hated women’s clothing, your eyes shot to the clock that only had five seconds left, with nowhere to put it you shoved it down your bra as you collected yourself. Okay you...you could make this work. 

But now you were presented with a plethora of options. You honestly didn’t think it would be passed off to you. But now...you...you could keep it...You stood up as the scoreboard went off, but...Everyone else would die. Or...you could confess and you’d die. These options were not great. Next round was the last round, so if you gave it up...you’d be reassuring someone’s victory. 

You stood next to Chishiya as his eyes kept with the man from before with the bowler hat, “He might have gotten it passed back to him.” His eyes narrowed a little onto the guy. 

Do you find a way to discreetly tell him? Or would that also count as a confession…? It wouldn’t be a confession if you made yourself suspect. But...you couldn’t honestly trust Chishiya, not after his unstable display of distrust in you. 

“He could be,” You replied, leaning in a little as you watched him, he appeared relieved once more, he was the one freaked out about this after all...you felt a brief wave of guilt inside you at what your mind had suddenly come up with. 

With Chishiya’s suspect still on the man, all you needed to do was plant it back on him and pressure a confession out of him next round. 

You were very much going to hell after this. 

“He was the one that started accusing last round too and made someone die,” You hummed as you stuffed your hands in your pocket, “That guy also thought it was him. He’s definitely good at reading people,” You thought back to the way he tried to read you, which was somewhat accurate, but people like you and him, you couldn’t always accurately read each other. Except you weren’t insane like him, “At this point we don’t have much to lose.” 

You could see the cogs turning in Chishiya’s head as he stared menacingly at the man who looked at him and jolted a little at such an intense stare, “If I were the tagger by this point,” You were treading on very thin ice at the moment, “I’d keep it just for myself, instead passing it off. He’s gone this far without anyone really pressuring him. It’d be the smartest move by now.” 

“Then we’ll settle on him.” Chishiya replied, his gaze cold as he glared down at the man who mindlessly fixed his tie, trying to look cool despite being intimidated, clearly. He had a weak mentality, if you couldn’t break him next round, Chishiya most definitely would. 

“The one minute for the tagging sequence getting ready to begin, blindfolds on.” 

You supposed he was good for something even when you couldn’t trust him. 

Sitting down in your chair you put your blindfold on and waited a second before taking it back off, standing back up as you carefully stepped as quietly as you could, pulling the Tagger out of your bra before you walked over to the man who had just tagged you before pressing it against his blindfold, you watched his lips quiver as he let out a quiet, “Please…!” 

Your expression went cold as you turned around, glancing at the clock before you walked away and sat back down in your chair, putting your blindfold back on as you waited for the announcer once more. 

“Blinds off. Ten second cool down starts now. Final round.” 

You took the blindfold off, looking down feeling content at the Player tag as you stood up along with Chishiya who’s eyes went between you and the man before he pushed his hands back into his pockets, “If you’re all done pointing fingers and wasting time,” His gaze became a little more cool as he spoke, “Then we should go ahead and show who the real tagger is.” 

Both you and Chishiya glanced at the man who was now looking insanely nervous, sweat dripping down his neck and if this wasn’t life or death, you would’ve felt a little bad...Some parts of you still did, but it was either all of you or just him. 

“He does look pretty nervous.” Hiroko narrowed her eyes on him and from this moment forward you knew it was game over for him, quite literally. With all three of you there was no way he’d survive, crossing your arms you lifted your chin a little, “Say, weren’t you the one who got really defensive when the finger got pointed at you last round?” 

“I’m…!” He flailed a little, wiping his brow with his hand as he suddenly pointed an accusing finger at you, “It’s her you want! She’s a manipulative bitch!” You pressed your hand against your chest in fake hurt as you raised your brows, “She’s the one pitting everyone against me when she’s really the tagger. She’s going to leave you all to die.” 

The majority of eyes fled to you as you shrugged, “Why would I do that when I could just give it to you?” You gave a wickedly sweet smile as you giggled a little, “And watch it all go down. I mean, you must be agreeing now?” You raised your brows as you goaded, “About being the tagger?” 

“I…!” He struggled with his words, now glaring at you as you raised your brows once more as you shook your head, “I…! Now you’re just doing this on purpose! Trying to get into everyone's head and make everyone die! Can’t- can’t you see what she’s doing!” He cried out as he backed away from everyone. 

“I dunno’ you seem pretty guilty to me.” Akari shrugged as she poked her tongue into her cheek, not looking the least bit remorseful for the guy as she leaned her weight onto one side. 

“I get it,” You shrugged as you laughed a little, “You’re probably that kinda guy who’s never really stood up for himself, you probably got bullied as a kid and let yourself get run over by people all the time, even now, and now in desperation you attempt to hold your own and yet...” You tilted your head with a frown as you mocked, “You still can’t do anything right. I guess that goes to show, that people like you just never have a spine. If you can’t assert yourself now with your life on the line, you might as well die now. Because let’s face it, people like you only end in two ways, either spineless pathetic existence or you become the abuser out of a sick need to regain what you lost as a kid.” 

Reverse psychology, worked in the most simplistic ways. 

That seemed to get him to snap, you watched his eyes dilate and pure unfurled rage cross his expression as he shrieked, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You know nothing about my life! You know nothing about me! And because I’m the tagger I’ll get to watch all you pathetic people die! Who’s in control now!?” 

It’s a shame he couldn’t take control of his life in any other circumstance. 

Everyone paused and even he himself paused at the realization, his eyes welled with tears that made something deep in your heart lurch, your eyes squinting a little as your expression wilted a little as the red laser broke through the roof shooting him straight through the top of his head. His body crumpling to the ground. 

‘Game Cleared’

Everyone was still for a moment before you looked down at the blindfold and then to your hands, the memory hazy yet the memory of red staining them still so clear as you felt ringing in your ears and your vision blur for a moment as you let the fabric slip through your fingers. Running a hand through your hair you wrapped your arms around your jacket as you walked past the body, briefly looking at the once timid man who obviously let others run his life.

“Sorry.” You whispered quietly as you stepped over the corpse, “Come on, let’s go. I don’t wanna stay around here.” You looked towards the other three who nodded, also looking semi apprehensive as well. 

Now that the moment was over, the cruel reality was back to remind you that you just gaslit someone into admitting their own suicide. It was hard to not feel innately disgusted with yourself despite your reasoning that you and all of your friends would’ve died if you had. Still, what you did was okay. You were supposed to help people like him, not encourage them to snap. 

If you didn’t feel conflicted before you certainly felt conflicted now, looking at the register you ignored the visa print as you grabbed the playing card off the table. 

And as if mocking, this was only a three of hearts. You couldn’t imagine what higher level games looked like with this. You’d definitely need to be careful in the future, “Y/n! Come on, let’s go!” You looked behind at Hiroko nodding towards the exit. 

“You guys go on, I’ll catch up later.” You looked down at the card again, Hiroko frowned at your figure, wanting to say something but she understood, the first few days of the Borderlands were never easy. With that, she left. Besides you needed to get changed before you headed for the beach again. 

Walking out of the exit you grabbed your bag that was, just as you anticipated, still against the wall, leaning down you opened it up as you began digging through to try and find your bathing suit top. Stuffing the card inside you furrowed your brows, why did the electricity have to go out so soon? 

“You could’ve kept the tagger and won but you didn’t. Why?” 

You paused your search at the sound of Chishiya’s voice, sounding like he was- not interrogating you but definitely investigating. You resumed once more as you shrugged, “I could’ve.” You agreed, and it did cross your mind after all, “I thought about it,” You admitted right after as you pulled out the swimsuit top, “But maybe to some degree you were right,” You stood up as you turned to face him, “I am spilling emotion constantly. And if there was a chance I could’ve saved all of us in turn for one? It didn’t seem like that big of a reach to do really…” You looked away from him as you grabbed your neck, feeling a bit sheepish, “It was by chance you had spotted him before and it was by luck that I was given tagger for the last round. I knew all you needed was just mutual confirmation in your assessment before initiating the end.” 

You sighed as you looked down at the elastic material in your hand as you frowned, “For what it’s worth, I would’ve probably done it to him regardless of whether he had been the tagger or not. It doesn’t take much to break the weakest link. That’s probably the saddest part to be honest.” 

You grabbed your backpack off the ground as you looked up at Chishiya before back towards the entrance where others slowly began to filter out, “I doubt he even realized the trap I set him up for,” You smiled wryly as you shook your head, “People are so easy to mislead, I forget sometimes, the power that can hold.” 

You turned around, intending to go change, “What were you before all of this?” You looked back at Chishiya, his gaze cool as ever and his eyes scanning over you as if in search for an answer that didn’t exist. Briefly your heart jumped in nervousness, did you dare tell the truth? 

Laughing you let out a sigh what was the use in hiding in this world? There were no laws and honestly, who could judge you? “I was a prostitute.” You looked away, feeling somewhat bashful as you awkwardly rubbed your neck, you could tell that was not what Chishiya had been expecting you to say.

 “Oh…!” Your lips parted suddenly feeling even more stupid at the realization that was not what he meant by his question, “You...You probably meant what I’m majoring in...sorry. Uh-” You gave him an apologetic smile that was more out of your sake of humiliation as assuming. Clearing your throat you turned back over your shoulder as you gave him one last look, holding up the three of hearts as you answered, “I’m a major in psychology ♡ ” 

[kaimelia]

Hi, I love your work. I hope you doing well. I was wondering if you have time and feel inspired would you be able to write an Amlink fanfic where Amelia and Link go away for the weekend or for work and they meet Amelia sisters.

Thanks,❤️😊😊

new beginnings

a/n: hi! thank you for the prompt and I hope you enjoy it!

--------------------------------

"You wanna find someplace to sit?" Link laughed slightly, placing his hand on the small of Amelia's back as she gained her footing. She glanced back at him and narrowed her gaze. "What? You did last time, and you're looking a little out of it right now."

"Maybe just head back to the room," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "In conclusion, sound baths mess me up." He grinned and guided her down the hallways of the hotel containing the different conference rooms. "When's your thing again?"

"Tomorrow. You've got time to recover." Amelia sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, Link's arm wrapping around her waist and supporting the weight of her body. "You look like you're gonna pass out." He watched as she shook her head.

"I'm fine-"Amelia's eyes widened dramatically as she stopped talking, and Link followed her gaze.

"Amelia?" Her body tensed as Nancy approached them, her arms outstretched to hug her sister. Link stepped away as she wrapped her arms around Amelia. "What are you doing here?"

"I-uh-Link's giving a presentation, what-uh-what are you doing here?" Nancy turned and eyed Link before holding out her hand. He shook it.

"Nice to see you," he muttered, pursing his lips in a tight smile.

"Likewise," she smiled, retracting her hand. "Liz and I needed an excuse to get out of town, and this counts as a work trip. You're giving a presentation?" She directed her question towards Link, nodding her head.

"Yeah, tomorrow. On the dangers of dependency and how physicians can take better steps to prevent it with their patients," he smiled politely.

"Where's Liz? You're sure Kathleen isn't with her, too?"

"We invited her, but she couldn't come. We should get dinner tonight."

"Yeah, so it can go like last time," Amelia shook her head. "I think we're good." Nancy reached out a hand to Amelia's shoulder.

"It won't, as long as you're not lying about who he is, but we already went through that." Amelia grimaced slightly, some of the tension in her face relaxing as Link placed his hand on her back.

"We're supposed to meet a friend of mine for dinner," Link said, shrugging his shoulders. "And, we're leaving tomorrow afternoon, right after my presentation."

"Oh," Nancy sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, we'll come to find you tomorrow? We haven't seen you in years, Amelia."

"Sure," Amelia muttered, forcing a smile on her face. "Yeah, you can come to Link's presentation."

"I think Liz got lost, I have to find her, but I'll see you tomorrow!" They waved goodbye as Nancy walked away, and once she was out of sight, Amelia turned to Link.

"If I had a nickel for every time we ran into Nancy somewhere we completely didn't expect," she ran a hand through her hair. "Thank you for covering."

"Of course," he smiled, "although I was looking forward to meeting your other sister."

"And you will, tomorrow," Amelia groaned, leaning her head back against Link's shoulder. "Do I have to?"

"I mean, I have to give the presentation, so I'll see them, but if you want, I can tell them you died after we went back to the hotel room."

"You'd be over my death in less than 24 hours?" He nodded firmly, the smirk on his face growing.

"Oh, yeah, you think you're special?"

--------------------------------

"What're you thinking about?" Link asked, taking off his watch and setting it on top of the dresser. Amelia was collapsed on the bed behind him, staring up at the ceiling.

"My sisters."

"What about them?" He swapped his day clothes with pajamas and then sat on the bed beside her.

"They don't know about Scout. And, I didn't have a problem with that; we never saw them, they never made an attempt at reaching out, but seeing them today?" She rolled to the side, placing a hand on Link's chest and resting her head beside it. "I don't know, I know they're not going to be as close as Meredith and Maggie are, but I love the family we have for Scout, and to think that there may be more people to love him that I'm holding him back from?" Link glanced down at her and tangled his fingers in her hair.

"If you tell them, you're opening yourself up to criticism of every parenting decision you've made. This means staying in contact with them, Kathleen, and your Mom finding out. I mean, are you ready for that?" She sighed.

"No. But I don't want to keep them from Scout if they're willing to be family to him. He deserves to have as much love and annoying family around him as possible." She moved her head so that her chin was on his chest, and she was looking at him. "Your parents are the best grandparents there are. And, what if my Mom wants to take him for ice cream on the weekends and send him postcards from every place she visits?"

"When was the last time your Mom was in contact with Mer's kids? They're her grandkids, and I don't think I've ever heard them mention her before." Amelia looked away and sighed again. "If you want to make an effort with them, I will be by your side the whole time. But, just think about everything that's happened between all of you, and think about if you want that around Scout." He reached down to pull the comforter over them, and Amelia grabbed her phone from the bedside table. "What're you doing?"

"Facetiming Maggie. I miss Scout." He smiled and kissed the top of her head, grins covering both of their faces as the call opened to see Scout asleep on top of his Aunt.

--------------------------------

"It'll be fine," Link muttered against her hair, pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head. "They're walking over here." Amelia smiled as her sisters approached them.

"Hey," she greeted, raising her eyebrows as Liz pulled her into a hug.

"It's been forever, Amelia; I'm so glad to see you!" She pulled back and stuck her hand out to Link. "Liz. And, I'm the last one to meet you." He shook her hand and introduced himself.

"And, the only one to meet him as himself," Nancy muttered snarkily, crossing her arms over her chest. Amelia refrained from rolling her eyes.

"We can't stay for long; our flight leaves in a few hours, and we still have to pack," Link smiled pleasantly, "but we figured we would stay to see you." They all sat down at the table in the cafe.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Amelia looked at Link, who placed his hand on her leg and squeezed gently.

"We just bought a house, one close to the hospital and to Meredith so we can be near her," Link spoke. "Other than that, working all the time. This conference is our first time away since the pandemic."

"A house?" Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Are you two getting married?"

"No," Amelia shook her head, breathing slowly to calm herself. "Just finding our own space. We were stuck watching Mer's kids for most of the pandemic, and we needed to get out of there."

"Mm, I would love to come and visit," Liz muttered, sipping her coffee, "I haven't been to Seattle since Derek needed a nerve transplant."

"Maybe we can all make a trip out of it?" Nancy added, leaning back in her chair. "We never see Derek's kids."

"Link and I have a son," Amelia blurted out, her eyes widening as soon as she said it. "Uh, sorry, I thought I should say that so you don't come to Seattle and surprise! There's a toddler running around our house." Link squeezed her leg again.

"A toddler? He's a toddler, and you didn't tell us?"

"Yeah, we don't exactly talk very often, and we were a little stressed with a newborn and Mer's kids during quarantine," Amelia paused. "His name is Scout, and he just turned two a few months ago."

"Can I see pictures?" Liz asked, leaning forward and clasping her hands together. Link smiled and pulled out his phone, opening the album with thousands of photos of Scout. He turned the phone to her. "He looks just like you, Link." Liz turned the phone towards Nancy.

"I'm sorry, how did you have a baby and not tell your family?" Nancy scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Family means being there for each other, and I didn't want to say anything after you and Kathleen spent a dinner throwing things in my face."

"After you lied to us." Amelia breathed out slowly and bit the inside of her cheek. "We're your family."

"I'm trying to move forward, and if you want to be part of the life that we have now," she motioned between her and Link, "you can. And if you don't, I have plenty of family in Seattle who will be there for us and our son. Family isn't just blood." Nancy held her hands up in defense.

"So, you don't want us in your life?"

"No," Link spoke beside her, squeezing Amelia's leg again as he sensed her upset. "We're saying that if you want to be involved, and you're willing to do that without constantly bringing up the past, we'd love to have you in our lives."

"I know my kids would love to come and visit," Liz smiled and handed the phone back. "They'll be so excited about their baby cousin, can I get your address to send things? A late birthday gift, so my kids have an excuse to buy too many baby toys." The neurosurgeon smiled and took her phone out.

"I'll text it to you," she whispered, trying to hide her joy. "We'd love to have you visit; he loves meeting new people ever since the pandemic ended."

"Does Mom know?"

"Not yet," Amelia clasped her hands together under the table. "We're figuring things out. And, I can't control whether you tell her and Kathleen, so I'll probably tell them soon."

"This is insane," Nancy shook her head, "this is insane."

"Nance, give her a chance," Liz looked over, watching as their eldest sister stood up and grabbed her jacket. "She's trying here; can't you give her some credit for that?"

"No, she doesn't get to join the family when it's convenient for her." She took her phone from the table and dropped it into her pocket. "I'll see you later, Liz, and Amelia?" Amelia raised her eyebrows. "I hope you understand, and I hope that one day, you'll make an effort to be part of the family." She walked away, leaving the three of them alone at the table. Amelia sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"I'm sorry about her," Liz whispered, glancing towards where she had left. "But, I'd love to hear more about your son, if that's okay." Amelia grinned and pulled out her phone, showing a picture of Scout with his birthday cake in front of him.

--------------------------------

"Nancy hates me," she muttered, tightening her grip on the armrests of her seat, glancing as people hurried past the waiting area they had occupied in the busy airport.

"And, Liz doesn't." Link placed his hand over hers and squeezed lightly. "You found someone who wants to be involved, who wants to be family, and maybe the others will come around. And if they don't, we don't need them. We have a perfect family back in Seattle." Amelia looked into his eyes and sighed.

"How do you always know what to say?"

"Because I know you, and I can see the wheels turning in your brain, and I'm telling you to slow them down. Take a deep breath." She did and laid her head on his shoulder. "Whatever happens, you're always going to have everyone back home. Like you said, Scout deserves to have as much love around him as possible, and some people in your family might not be willing to give that, and we don't need that." He kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm glad I told them, though."

"You've still got a phone call to make," Link muttered. "Unless you want your mother to find out through Nancy."

"I know, I know. And, I'll do it." She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" Amelia looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you."

[honey-dewey]

The Dog Days of Summer

Pairing: Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales/Reader

Word Count: 1,923

Warnings: A few mentions of Tom, but this is all fluff!

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell @star-wars-hell

On one of the warmest days of summer, Frankie takes his dog to a one man dog wash. The last thing he expected was for his dog to lead him to the future love of his life, but hey, that’s how things work here. 

“Community dog wash,” Frankie read off the flier that had been placed in his mailbox. “What do you think Red? Wanna go check it out?”

Red huffed from his spot on the couch.

Frankie chuckled, sitting beside Red. He’d always been a dog person, but could never see himself owning one. At least, not until he’d come home from his latest mission. When Tom had died, he’d left his beautiful Rottweiler dog to the boys. Apparently his wife and daughter weren’t dog people. The Millers couldn’t take Red, and Santi still hadn’t come back to the country. So the care of Red had fallen to Frankie.

Red was not a small dog. At almost 120 pounds, he could’ve been a menace if he wanted to. However, he was gentle as can be and so incredibly enthusiastic for literally anything. Frankie could still remember when Tom had brought Red to meet the boys, and he’d been a tiny fuzzy puppy who’d fallen asleep cradled in Frankie’s arms. Now, that baby was nearing 5, and was no less adorable.

The only thing Frankie hated about Red was having to bathe him.

Red was a menace on bath day. He cowered in the corner of the shower, never got close enough to the shower head to actually get clean, and bit Frankie when he tried to dry him off.

“I think we should go,” Frankie said, scratching behind Red’s ear. “Check it out. You might make some friends.”

Red boofed softly. Sometimes, he responded at just the right times and Frankie could’ve sworn he understood him.

Nearer to noon, Frankie got up off the couch and got dressed, Red dutifully following him and vibrating with excitement at Frankie put his harness on and led him to his truck.

The location of the dog wash wasn’t far. In fact, it was a few minutes away in a small public space. There were a few kiddie pools, a hose, and a single person standing there, drying off a small dog. A handmade sign read ‘Community Dog Wash.’

Frankie kept a firm hand on Red’s leash as he walked over. Tom had trained Red well, but he was still prone to overeager introductions or forgetting he was a big dog.

“Alrighty Ms. Avery, Lydia’s all clean!” you said, handing Ms. Avery her small dog back. Today was one of the nice days of summer, warm without being stifling. So you’d donned shorts, an old shirt, and a baseball cap you’d gotten from a friend and headed out to wash the neighborhood dogs. You did it every summer, and this year was no exception.

“Hello,” a slightly nervous voice said, and you looked around. A man who you’d seen once or twice around the neighborhood was standing there, a practically vibrating Rottie standing by his side. “Is this the dog wash?”

“Yep!” You said happily, kneeling down to introduce yourself to the dog. “Hello, who’re you?”

The man pat the dog’s head. “This is Red.”

Red, seizing his opportunity, licked your face.

“Red!” The man reprimanded, causing Red to whine. “No!”

“Oh it’s fine,” you reassured, wiping your face with your sleeve. “My dog is so much worse.”

As if on cue, your dog came ambling over. The man’s eyes went wide. “That’s not a dog. That’s a small bear.”

You reached up and scratched behind your dog’s ears. “Nah. She’s a Caucasian Shepherd dog. Her name is Oboe, short for Oberon.”

“Like the Game of Thrones character?”

“Midsummer’s Night Dream actually,” you said. “I’m (Y/N).”

“Frankie.”

You stood, brushing yourself off. “Well, Frankie. Shall we?”

Red was very eager to follow you right up until he discovered this would include water. At which he pulled on his leash and whined pitifully, trying to escape.

“I’m so sorry,” Frankie said as you stood by one of the pools and tried to contain your laughter. “He’s always like this when I try to bathe him.”

Oboe snorted, as if she was laughing. She had curled on the grass, bathing in the warm summer sun. You sighed. You’d have to get her some ice, or else she’d overheat herself.

You walked over to Red, grabbing him and lifting him with ease, which shocked Frankie. He stood there, wide eyed, as you plopped Red in the kiddie pool and got in with him, straddling the dog and squeezing his hips with your legs. “See, this isn’t so bad.”

Red whined and tried to run, but your grip on him tightened. “Frankie, can you hand me the hose?”

Frankie grabbed the hose and handed it to you, smiling as Red gave him a very betrayed look. “Sorry buddy,” he said, kneeling down. “But you smell.”

You gasped overdramatically. “No!” You said, smiling. “He smells just fine!”

Frankie laughed. “Mhm. Sure he does.”

Getting Red wet wasn’t hard. Between the pool and the hose, he was soaked in minutes. However, Frankie had to shed his shoes and join you in the pool because Red wouldn’t sit still. Now, with Red soaked and both of you getting sore, you reached to grab the soap and immediately got a face full of water as Red shook violently.

“Red!” You gasped, looking down at yourself. You’d been a bit damp from your previous dogs, but this wasn’t just a bit wet. Water raced down your arms and legs, and you completely abandoned your ball cap, sighing. “Gonna have to wash that.”

Frankie mirrored your action, tossing his hat beside yours. “Yeah. He’s prone to shaking. Sorry.” His face was just as wet as yours, water dripping off his chin and cheeks.

You shrugged, putting soap in your hands and throwing your leg over Red’s back again. “It’s fine,” you said, starting to lather the soap into Red’s fur. “Oboe’s got all that long fur, and when she shakes, it’s hell.”

Frankie nodded. “Where’d you even find her?”

“A breeder,” you said, scratching Red’s shoulder and laughing as he began to kick. “Breeder was a good friend of mine, and she had a puppy who no one wanted because she was the runt. I had just moved here, and said screw it, I’ll take her. They named her Oberon. All the puppies in that litter had Midsummer names.”

“She’s a runt?” Frankie looked at Oboe, surprised.

You nodded. “She was,” you said. “She’s actually still on the small side for her breed.” Red squirmed out of your soapy grip, but Frankie caught him before he could make a getaway. You smiled and picked up the hose. “Red, stop squirming.”

Red didn’t listen. He continued to wriggle, now trying to bite the hose water. You used one hand to clear the soap from Red’s fur, grinning as he kissed your chin when you bent down.

“So, how’d you end up with Red?” You asked, looking up briefly at Frankie.

“Oh.” He was quiet for a second. “I was in the military, and we lost a good man on a mission not too long ago. Red was his dog.”

You paused in your actions. “I’m so sorry.”

Frankie shrugged halfheartedly, still crouched in the water. “It took a while, but we recovered.”

Red gave you no time to feel much regret about your words. Instead, he tried to bite you as you washed his paws, and you gave him a light bop on the nose. Not enough to hurt him in any way, but enough to warn him. He didn’t try again, thankfully.

Once Red’s front paws were clean, you turned around and started to wash Red’s back half. Oboe had joined the fray, licking moisture out of Frankie’s shirt. He didn’t seem to mind much as he held Red’s face and kept him from going anywhere. As you scratched your nails over Red’s butt, he began to wiggle harder, one leg coming up and then the other.

“He’s dancing!” You said joyfully, continuing to scratch. Frankie laughed, watching Red kick.

Finishing your job only took a few more minutes, and then you were drying Red off and strapping him into his harness again. He kissed you anytime you came close to his face, and you laughed when his entire back half wiggled when he tried to wag his tail.

“Alright,” you said, finally done. “He’s as clean as he’s gonna get!”

“It’ll last all of ten minutes,” Frankie promised, picking his hat up but not putting it on. “I’ll see you around?”

You nodded. “Of course. I’m here every weekend to play with Oboe. We haven’t got a huge backyard, and she likes to run.”

Frankie smiled. “Maybe we’ll have to come play with you and Oboe one weekend.”

“I think we’d both like that.”

Frankie left after that, and you watched him herd Red into his truck. He waved as he drove off, and you waved back.

“Alright Oboe,” you said, turning back to your dog, who was chewing absently on the brim of your hat. “Hey!”

You pulled the hat from her mouth and immediately felt your stomach flip. This wasn’t your hat. The oil company logo was faded and unfamiliar, and you looked around. Frankie’s truck was nowhere to be seen. He probably hadn’t even noticed he’d left with your hat instead of his.

After an hour, the sun got to be too much, and you relented, putting Frankie’s hat on your head. You had to adjust it so it would fit, but it did a decent job of keeping the sun off your face.

When you finally ended up home, you hung the hat up and let Oboe loose in the house. She immediately curled up in her bed, and you slowly made yourself dinner. You were halfway through chopping some vegetables when your phone rang.

“Hello?” You wedged the phone between your shoulder and ear.

“Hey.”

You smiled. “Frankie!”

Frankie chuckled. “I think you have something of mine.”

“I could say the same about you,” you said, glancing at the hat on your coat hook by the door.

“Yeah. Sorry about that,” Frankie said. “Glad you wrote your number in it though.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot I did that,” you admitted, dumping the vegetables into a bowl. “Oboe and I are going to go back to the community space tomorrow to watch the neighborhood soccer team play. Wanna come with?”

Frankie was quiet for a second, and you could hear shuffling. When he spoke again, he sounded strained. “Yeah. Sorry, Red had my shoe.”

You laughed. “Tell that rascal he needs to be nice to his daddy!”

Red barked in the background, and you smiled. “Anyway, tomorrow. The team plays at noon, but I’m always there at eleven to help set up.”

“I can be there at noon,” Frankie said. “I won’t bring Red though. He’s spending the day with his uncles.”

You leaned against your counter and tried to wipe your grin off your face. “It’ll just be the two of us. And Oboe.”

Oboe looked up when you said her name, but quickly went right back to sleep.

“That works,” Frankie promised. “This almost sounds like a date.”

You tried to cover your nervousness. “Maybe it is a date.”

Frankie had a grin in his voice when he spoke again. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date.”

“Same here.”

“I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then.”

You nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be seeing you. Don’t forget my hat.”

“Don’t forget mine,” Frankie replied. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” you echoed, hanging up and looking at Oboe. “Oboe. I think I’m in love.”

[osakaso5]

Riku Nanase RabbiTube Rabbit TV Part 1: Spending Time With Riku

Part 2 | Part 3

Staff: …Now, on to the RabbiTube project.

Staff: Our plan is to introduce the videos by featuring clips on NEXT Re:vale!

Staff: We’d really appreciate it if you could show a side of yourselves that people don’t usually get to see on TV. It’s a pleasure to be working with you!

Momo: We’ve got high hopes for you guys!

Yuki: Feel free to fully expose yourselves to the public.

Mitsuki Izumi: Ahaha, please be gentle with us! Looks like I’m gonna have to do a RabbiTube study marathon..!

Gaku Yaotome: By the way, Tenn, I saw you watching RabbiTube videos the other day. Do you know any good ones?

Tenn Kujo: …I was just watching cat videos.

Gaku Yaotome: Cats, huh. That’s not gonna help us learn anything.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: …I think they might help! You could learn ways to entertain and soothe people…

Gaku Yaotome: Ryu, not all of us are gonna be able to do that…

Yuki: …I’m liking the idea of Kitty Gaku.

Tenn Kujo: …Pfft…

Gaku Yaotome: Tenn, why’re you laughing!?

Riku Nanase: Kitties..! So could it be like a video of Iori going into a cat café?

Iori Izumi: Why do I have to go to a cat café!?

Yamato Nikaido: I’m not too excited about making videos like that, either…

Tamaki Yotsuba: I wanna do a pudding tasting!

Sogo Osaka: …Personally, I’d like to rank my top 100 spices from all around the world…

Nagi Rokuya: And I shall hold a Cocona watch party!

Mitsuki Izumi: You guys aren’t bringing anything new to the table!

Iori Izumi: …Actually, I suppose animal videos do have their appeal, despite how banal they are…

Riku Nanase: Did you say something, Iori?

Iori Izumi: No, nothing.

Momo: Ahaha! Great, you’re already brainstorming ideas!

Momo: You’ve all got the right idea! We wanna see you act natural for your RabbiTubes!

Yuki: Let’s have a fun year doing this.

IDOLiSH7 & TRIGGER: Yessir! 

- - - -

Riku Nanase: We’re going to be RabbiTubers for our birthday project this year..!

Sogo Osaka: All the group chats up until now were fun, so it’s kind of a shame that we won’t be doing one this year.

Mitsuki Izumi: …Fair enough. It’ll be awesome to make videos for our fans, but I wish we could have our own celebrations too!

Yamato Nikaido: It’s become kind of a tradition by now.

Nagi Rokuya: …We do not work together as much as we used to. Though I understand that it is difficult to match all our schedules…

Tamaki Yotsuba: Do we not get to eat Mikki’s cakes this year?

Mitsuki Izumi: The cakes are the one thing we’re gonna make for sure! Right, Iori!?

Iori Izumi: Yes. I’ll help, too.

Riku Nanase: Hmm… Celebrations…

Riku Nanase: Ah! Why don’t we all go somewhere together for our birthdays?

Riku Nanase: I guess we probably can’t all go… But we can get our manager to arrange it so at least some of us can hang out!

Mitsuki Izumi: Going out, huh… That does sound like a nice change of pace from all the group RabbitChats!

Yamato Nikaido: It’s a shame that we won’t all be able to go, but getting to choose a spot does make it feel more special. …You should take me to a beer brewery, by the way.

Mitsuki Izumi: Sounds like you’ve already got one in mind!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Let’s take lots of pics and videos for the guys who can’t go. We can send them over RabbitChat.

Nagi Rokuya: OH! A wonderful idea. It will make us all feel as if we are there.

Iori Izumi: I’m sure uploading them to Rabitter would make many people happy, as well.

Sogo Osaka: That sounds fun..! Let’s ask our manager about it tomorrow.

Riku Nanase: Yep! …Looks like we’re going to have pretty fun birthdays again! 

- - - -

Riku Nanase: Wow..! This place is so cute! Where are we!?

Iori Izumi: A glamping area.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Glamping, which is a simpler, more casual form of camping, is very popular nowadays!

Nagi Rokuya: Riku, have you ever gone glamping as a child!?

Riku Nanase: As a child? Um, I don't really remember...

Iori Izumi: Let's enjoy ourselves as though we were still young children.

Nagi Rokuya: We have prepared plenty of meat and fish for the occasion! And sweets, of course...!

Nagi Rokuya: We have a long night ahead of us, Riku!

Iori Izumi: You're allowed to stay up all night, just this once. Right, Manager?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yes! I'll do everything I can to help you.

Riku Nanase: Thank you..!

Riku Nanase: I can't believe even a killjoy like Iori is going to let me stay up late!

Iori Izumi: As long as you don't make a habit out of it. Today is a special occasion...

Riku Nanase: And thank you for all the food, Nagi! We're going to have a feast tonight!

Nagi Rokuya: YES! A forest party it shall be!

Riku Nanase: Let's get started right away!

Nagi & Iori: Yeah..! 

- - - -

Riku Nanase: Hey, Iori. How do I light this coal?

Iori Izumi: Ah, I'll take care of it, you just sit down.

Iori Izumi: I wouldn't want you to inhale the smoke...

Riku Nanase: ...Okay. Sorry for getting in the way.

Riku Nanase: Hey, Nagi. Is there anything I can help you with?

Nagi Rokuya: OH, I am in the midst of a heated battle with the dreaded Onion Demon! My eyes..! Riku, you must flee without me..!

Riku Nanase: O-okay..!

Riku Nanase: ........

Tsumugi Takanashi: Riku-san.

Riku Nanase: Ah, Manager.

Riku Nanase: It looks like all I get to do is sit tight. I was really hoping to do stuff with them, though...

Tsumugi Takanashi: Your cheeks have a bit more color than usual in them. It's probably thanks to how  stable your condition has been lately...

Riku Nanase: Ehehe. Yeah, probably.

Tsumugi Takanashi: ...Let's cook something! It'll be a surprise for Iori-san and Nagi-san!

Riku Nanase: I don't know if I'm allowed...

Tsumugi Takanashi: Of course you are. We came here for you.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Just try not to work yourself too hard, like you've already promised us!

Riku Nanase: ...Yeah. I'll make something they're sure to love!

Riku Nanase: ...Or I'll try, at the very least...

Iori Izumi: Nanase-san? What were you talking about?

Riku Nanase: It's a secret! Iori, we'll have to make dinner, right?

Iori Izumi: Right...

Nagi Rokuya: Wow, will you help prepare our supper, Riku?

Riku Nanase: Ahaha, yep, that was my plan! ...Say, let's have a competition to see which one of us can make the best food!

Iori Izumi: What? Do you seriously think you'll win against me?

Nagi Rokuya: Heh... I would not underestimate the palate I have cultivated over many years, if I were you.

Riku Nanase: Anyway, our time limit will be one hour! ...Ready, get set, start!

- - - -

Riku Nanase: ...Uh... Can I add this in as is..?

Iori Izumi: I'm begging you, please don't add it in there without at least peeling it first..!

Nagi Rokuya: Iori. Should you be looking at other people's dishes? Something smells quite foul on your end...

Iori Izumi: ...Huh? Aah..!

Riku Nanase: ...Hmm? I think I smell something burning... Wait, Iori! Your meat, it's completely scorched!

Iori Izumi: Ugh, I got careless..!

Iori Izumi: ...But Nanase-san, you didn't even cook yours properly before adding it to the sauce!

Iori Izumi: Not to mention, you left your vegetables unpeeled... It was such a trainwreck to watch that I couldn't pay attention to my own cooking!

Riku Nanase: Huh!? So you're saying it's MY fault you burned your meat!? That doesn't make any sense!

Nagi Rokuya: OH, I was hoping to enjoy a relaxing glamping excursion, yet there they are, making a mess once again.

Nagi Rokuya: Their bickering is almost like the soundtrack to my elegant gourmet cooking.

Tsumugi Takanashi: A-ahaha... 

- - - -

Riku Nanase: Finished!

Nagi Rokuya: It smells delicious!

Iori Izumi: At least we all managed to put together something. It's time to show the others what we made.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Remember to face the camera!

Riku Nanase: Okay! I made Hamburg steak stew!

Nagi Rokuya: Hamburg steak! How wonderful, Riku!

Riku Nanase: Ehehe. Pretty great, huh? You would know, considering how much you like Hamburg steak!

Iori Izumi: I'll admit that it sounds more complex than what I expected from you.

Riku Nanase: Even I can just throw stuff into a pot and cook it!

Iori Izumi: So not complex at all, then...

Riku Nanase: ...And I used frozen burgers and a ready- made sauce mix.

Nagi Rokuya: Heh, you are outing yourself as quite the lazy cook.

Nagi Rokuya: Iori, what did you make?

Iori Izumi: Beef stroganoff.

Nagi Rokuya: Wow, it looks to be of a much higher quality than a glamping trip would warrant.

Riku Nanase: That seems like a dish Yaotome-san would make, not you!

Iori Izumi: Excuse me..? I only made it because it requires little prep time, and is much simpler to actually prepare than many would think.  

Riku Nanase: What did you make, Nagi?

Nagi Rokuya: I made grilled sandwiches with ham, egg, and cheese!

Riku Nanase: Wow, the bread is so nicely browned! It looks good!

Iori Izumi: They're also very well stacked.

Nagi Rokuya: YES! I piled on the ingredients as I grilled the bread. A task so simple, even I could do it.

Riku Nanase: Is it just me, or does glamping make even simple foods look like gourmet!?

Nagi Rokuya: Heh. A fine dinner, is it not?

Riku Nanase: Yeah, it's the best..! Let's eat while it's all still hot!

Iori Izumi: Yes. ...Nanase-san, we won't stay here for very long, so I hope you'll take every chance you can to get some rest and fresh air.

Iori Izumi: We can all come here again at a later date.

Riku Nanase: ...Okay! Thank you so much for setting this all up for me. I don't think I'll ever forget this day!

Iori Izumi: You're being overly dramatic, as usual.

Nagi Rokuya: Iori, Riku! Show your best smiles, we are about to take a picture.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Here I go! Say cheese..! 

End of Part 1.

[kyouxa]

Diabolik lovers Chaos Lineage: Kino (Story 13+CG)

In terms of the gameplay: The black choices lead up to a bad ending, the white choices lead up to a good ending. Please no reposting onto other sites, ask me before translating this into another language too! If you enjoy these translations, please consider supporting me on ko-fi.

Monologue

I knew that the unexpected return of one’s visual memories could be quite intense.

But despite knowing that, I had Ayato-kun and Subaru-kun call for both, Kanato-kun and Laito-kun. I sent them since both of them regained their memories already.

And of course, I was also aware that the pictures on the smartphone wouldn’t awake any good memories they have—

After all, Ayato-kun and Subaru-kun were bawling and being absent minded for a while after that too.

But we simply didn’t have time for them to recover. We were leaving those two to Ayato-kun and Subaru-kun, while Kino-kun and I hurried over to Scarlet’s mansion.

The ones we had to save from there were obviously Shu-san and Reiji-san.

Kino-kun and I, who already forcibly opened the door of the mansion’s entrance hall, also forcibly showed the photos on the smartphone to them.

Place: Scarlet mansion — Entrance hall

Shu: Nn… what’s this...

Reiji: This is way too foolish… I still am the eldest son of the Scarlet mansion. I also am very much unaware of a family titled “Sakamaki”...

Yui: (It’s still the same thing. Trying to show them those imagines will end up bringing their memories back, but for the price of them suffering)

(And even though they will suffer, I have to make use of what I have in my hands to make them remember…)

Shu-san, Reiji-san… do you know who I am?

Reiji: ...Yes, I do know now. Thanks to your… actions.

Shu: That was a really unpleasant encounter just now.

Yui: ...I’m really sorry about that. But, I’m more than glad you’re back to your usual selves now…

Monologue

Armed with the ultimate weapon of Kino-kun’s data, we were able to safely regain the memories of all the Sakamaki family members.

I still can’t help but wonder what Kino-kun was thinking about when he stared at me during that process.

After that, I asked about Yuma-kun, who was apparently already absent from the house, and then went into the forest with Shu-san and Reiji-san.

Ayato-kun and the others were already waiting in the cave I happened to find in the depths of the forest.

And then, the Sakamaki brothers, who had their memories returned, finally came together.

Place: Outside — Cave

Yui: Seems to me as if Laito-kun and Kanato-kun are doing okay too, right?

Subaru: I guess. They completely lost their temper at first, but they’ve finally calmed down now.

Yui: I see, I’m happy they calmed down...

(So it was a risky way to have them all regain their memories this way after all…)

(I’m so sorry, everyone…)

Subaru: So, what’s going to happen to us from now on?

Yui: I sadly don’t know any details about that either.

However, there’s no doubt that someone gathered us here and rewrote everyone’s memories in order to make us fight one another.

Subaru: Our memories… ?

Yui: Besides, it also seems as if the place we’re currently staying is something like a miniature garden made with magic, so it won’t be easy for us to get out of here...

Subaru: Seriously... ?

Laito: Sounds like it’s unmanageable, doesn’t it?

Kanato: So you’re saying that we still can’t go home from this place for a while, is that it?

Yui: Laito-kun! Kanato-kun!

Laito: Nfu, sorry. I just simply had to eavesdrop.

Yui: Are you two fine enough to stand up already though?

Kanato: It’s more than frustrating to continuously lie down.

Yui: I-I see...

Reiji: It appears as if Kanato and Laito have finally awakened as well, how pleasant.

Yui: Reiji-san and Shu-san!

Reiji: We now have to discuss our current circumstances. Everyone, come here.

Yui: Ah… yes!

*everyone gathers*

Yui: (It honestly feels quite out of place to see everyone gather together after such a long time…)

(I guess I somehow became used to only seeing Kino-kun as representation for the Sakamaki mansion…)

Kino: ...Guess this is the final game over, hm?

Yui: Eh… ?

Kino: Now that everyone here regained their memories, they’re probably going to suspect me all the time.

Yui: I know it’ll be okay if you seriously explain yourself to everyone.

Kino: What exactly am I going to explain to them? If I tell them about my true colors, they’ll be even more cautious than they were before.

“I was aiming for amicable fire, but I had no other choice but to aim for you depending on the current situation.”

Yui: D-Don’t cover it up… !

Reiji: Please be quiet.

I have heard a little bit in advance already, but please explain what exactly is happening again.

Yui: (..... ! He’s looking at me. That’s right, I’m the one who still knows this situation better than anyone else)

I don’t know if I’ll be able to explain it cleverly, but I’ll still try my best…

Monologue

I summarized the acquired knowledge I’ve gathered during my time here until now to everyone.

This is undoubtedly a space created by someone’s magical powers.

And according to that, we’ve also been taken here by the mentioned person we don’t know anything about yet.

Lastly, this person changed up our memories to make us start a fight between each other—

Place: Outside — Cave

Subaru: So we don’t know who it is yet, but I’m guessing we were manipulated by that old bastard again. Damn it!

Laito: Now that my memories returned, I can also clearly sense that this is all feeling out of place.

I was already wondering why everyone was so desperately motivated to fight over something like a supreme ruler.

Subaru: You weren’t showing any sort of eagerness whatsoever!

Shu: Be quiet already… at least we understand the situation now.

But there’s still one more thing we have to get confirmation about.

Reiji: ...That is indeed right. Now then, there appears to be one unfamiliar person here, is that right?

Yui: …..Nn!

Kino: There you go, they noticed immediately.

Ayato: What the, so I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know that guy.

Laito: And I already thought I was familiar with everyone, but I guess there’s still someone we need to get acquaintance with.

Kanato: I wouldn’t even have noticed him. Who are you? Please introduce yourself.

Yui: (Kino-kun…)

Kino: Fine with me. I’m Kino. Karlheinz’s zeroth son.

Subaru: Zeroth son? You mean that old man… ?

Yui: Kino-kun is… Karlheinz-sama’s secret child.

Ayato: Secret child!?

Laito: Heh, so there’s still another brother aside from us, you say?

Kanato: I haven’t heard anything about there possibly being a secret child.

Subaru: That’s also the first time I’m hearing about this.

Shu: Well, that old man could possibly pull off anything.

Yui: Shu-san…

Reiji: I agree on that. That could be a quite possible story for him indeed.

Nevertheless, none of my siblings here share any possible knowledge about your existence either.

Which is simply too convenient for this situation and your sudden appearance. The timing seems to be way too perfect for that.

Kino: What are you trying to say? Can’t you tell me what you wanna say bluntly?

Reiji: Then I will simply say it straightforwardly. Is it not that you are the main culprit behind this situation?

Yui: ….. !

Kino: See, I already knew it would come to this.

Yui: (Now everyone’s eyes are really watching him with suspicion… !)

Shu: I remember I received an anonymous letter while my memories were still weird. And because of that, I got into a lot of uncalled trouble.

Wasn’t that your doing as well?

Kino: As expected from you, Shu. Quite a good guess, I’d say. That’s right. I was the one who sent that letter.

Yui: Kino-kun!

Shu: You admitted that really easily.

Reiji: I see, so it was truly you who bothered doing such a trivial mischief.

Kino: That’s correct. Well, I have no other choice but to say the truth after coming this far, right?

Or maybe this is just an evasion, so I sound too imprudent to come up with this kind of kind?

Yui: (I have to talk about this. I have to aim to stir up this family circle, to get everything to somehow work out)

(And if I succeed, everyone might end up being hostile with each other… !)

Well, um!

Yui: To tell you all the truth, Kino-kun has also continuously been helping me until now!

Kino: ...Hah?

Shu: He helped you?

Reiji: What an abrupt call… but what is it that you mean by what you said just now?

Yui: U-Um, that is...

(I know there’s no way I could directly lie to either Shu-san or Reiji-san’s eyes…)

(But even if that’s so… I’ll just tell them the truth of that matter then)

The day I regained my memory was the same day I woke up in the church and then got taken away to the Scarlet mansion.

Subaru: You remembered that early already!?

Yui: Exactly. At first, I was awfully confused about everything though. After all, Reiji-san and everyone else were in a really weird state.

I didn’t know where this place was, and neither could I try to discuss it with anyone.

Reiji: ...That is indeed true.

Yui: But Kino-kun already remembered way earlier than I did already, so he ended up helping me a lot.

And when all of you were about to kill each other, he gave out fake information and therefore disturbed that plan.

Because of that, Ruki-kun and Carla-san were unable to do anything as well.

Laito: Hmm, now that you say it, it does sound plausible, right?

I mean, Carla’s plan to go seal away Bitch-chan was eventually canceled at the end.

Kanato: Ruki also told me and Ayato about that certain thing. We’ve been merely looking at the situation for a while by now.

Yui: He didn’t only do that though, he also helped me when I was about to fall off a cliff.

And just after that, Kino-kun was the one who extended the conflict between Ayato-kun and Subaru-kun.

Ayato: Ahh… come to think of it, that really was the case.

Subaru: Thanks to that, nobody got beat up at the end.

Yui: If Kino-kun hadn’t been there, someone might’ve ended up being injured. And that… could’ve been me as well at that point.

So, please… believe in him, for my sake.

Kino: You...

Shu: Even if you suddenly end up saying that, there’s still no way I can believe this so easily.

...You’re lying about this guy, aren’t you?

Yui: That’s not the case whatsoever.

Reiji: Is there any evidence of his innocence then?

Yui: Evidence, you say...

(There’s no evidence. And since there’s not… I have to make something up)

The evidence is that all of us want to go home from this place. And because of that, Kino-kun’s power is definitely being really useful.

That’s the only proof I can give you.

Kino: You, what are you being so selfish for… !

Reiji: I see. You are trying to prove his innocence in order to get benefits out of it.

Yui: (I can’t look away now. I know it’s difficult, but I can’t act timid)

(I’ll never let Kino-kun be isolated ever again)

Reiji: ...Okay, I sense those are your true feelings in this situation. It is meaningless to continue this dispute anyway.

We shall try setting aside our misgivings about this man for the time being then.

Yui: ….. ! Reiji-san…

Reiji: Does anyone have any objections about this?

Shu: Not really, just do as you please.

Ayato: It was difficult to understand and neither did I listen to everything. But not understanding anything is better sometimes, right?

Yui: (And here I was wanting everyone to listen to me all the way)

Subaru: Heh… well, just in case you’re really a bad guy, we’ll just crush you before you can do anything.

Kanato: I’ve been fine with this from the beginning.

Laito: Seems as if everyone has no objection then, Bitch-chan.

Yui: That’s good to hear… thank you, everyone!

(The suspicion might’ve not completely vanished yet, but that’s totally fine enough for now)

Kino: ...You really did that, hm? But you know that I’ve never said anything about not trying to do anything in those circumstances anymore, right?

Yui: Kino-kun, you won’t do anything weird anymore. I’ll guarantee that myself.

Kino: Why would you be able to guarantee that? Ah, whatever, I lost motivation either way...

Laito: Say, why don’t you go and settle this discussion in a rather calmer place than here?

I’m not really in my best conditions right now, which is also probably because my memories just returned to me.

Kanato: I’m also… still feeling somewhat dizzy to be honest...

Yui: Then I think it would be best if you laid down a little again.

Reiji: There is no point in proceeding with this discussion if we are unable to come to a conclusion, is there?

Let us do as she suggested, and rest. We should be able to think about a way to get out of this place here at a later time as well.

Yui: Yes!

*time passed*

Yui: (I’m so happy to see everyone with their memories back now)

(And luckily, Kino-kun won’t be suspected for the time being either…)

Kino: Hey, you. Come with me for a bit.

Yui: Eh? Okay, sure.

(I wonder what it is? ...Oh no, could it be about the retribution I made up just now!?)

(Err, what will I do if I can’t have faith in him? I should figure it out for myself)

Place: Forest — Lakeside 

Yui: Kino-kun... where exactly are we going? You know, everyone will be worried if we leave the cave any longer than that.

Kino: ...You unnecessarily covered me up.

Yui: Eh?

Kino: Tell me, why did you protect me by covering my actions?

Choices

1) Because you did help me (white)♡♡♡

2) Because I don’t want you to fight (black)

— Because you did help me♡

Yui: It’s true that Kino-kun helped me through a lot though. And that’s simply what I told them.

Kino: You only cut those parts out of the story that didn’t seem very convenient to tell them, isn’t that right?

Yui: T-That’s... well, I guess you’re right.

— Because I don’t want you to fight

Yui: Because I didn’t want any of you as brothers to fight in this situation right now.

Besides, I didn’t want anyone to hate on you either…

Kino: That again? You’re not gonna stop telling me about this stupid playing brothers thing anytime soon, right? I have no intention of working together.

Yui: But when I talked to them about it, they seriously seemed as if they were ready to accept you.

Kino: I don’t know about that. I’m still skeptical. After all, you’ve only told them about convenient information about myself.

end Choices

Kino: Say, you threw them into utter confusion by lying to their faces, right?

You also hide the fact that my true intentions were to kill all of them, right? I wonder, is it really okay for you to lie to them like that?

Yui: Err, that’s...

(I know very well that it’s not good that I’m hiding this. It would just be so terrible to talk about something like this now. But then, I also might be careless with driving everyone into an either life or death position with hiding it)

(But the moment I would’ve told them those exact things, they would’ve also started to look at Kino-kun as their opponent—)

...That’s fine.

Kino: Hah?

Yui: As long as I know Kino-kun’s safe, I accept lying to all of them.

And no matter what I would’ve told them, I wouldn’t leave you by yourself anymore.

Kino: What did you just...

Yui: Ah...

(What I said right now is how I really feel, so why am I the one with a rising temperature!?)

(Besides, he’ll leave me once we’re out of here anyway… that’s right, Kino-kun will go to Yuri-san when he returns)

Err, anyway… don’t you think it would be best if everyone escaped from here together by now too?

We should definitely concentrate on that first before anything else. It also seems as if Shu-san and the others are willing to cooperate with that plan.

Kino: ...Why would you bring up their names now all of the sudden?

Yui: Eh?

Kino: You must be happy, your so-called important Sakamaki’s finally returned to being normal. Guess you’re really satisfied about that.

Yui: Y-Yeah, I’m really happy they’re back.

(I just hope Kino-kun won’t start a fight with them in any way)

Kino: ...That smile, it pisses me off.

*Kino grabs Yui*

Yui: Eh? Kino-kun. I can’t move when you hold onto both of my arms like that...

Kino: That’s exactly what I’m aiming for… Nn

Yui: Ah… d-don’t bite into my ear, stop that...

Kino: So this really is your weak point after all. And you felt it even though my fangs just touched them?

Yui: Ngh...

(My whole body got all over the place because of that. I have to admit that it doesn’t feel unpleasant, but I can’t stand this either way… Nn)

Kino: I know I sucked from there already, so this time I’ll try and do it more gently.

You let out such a nice voice the last time I sucked there after all… Nn… Nn...

Yui: ….. !? Kino-kun, please… no more… Nn…

*Yui struggles*

Kino: It’s no use trying to struggle, y’know. Here, look at me properly. You have to feel me through your whole body.

Yui: Even if you say things like that...

Kino: I’ll release you once I get a full taste of your blood. This time I’ll go for the neck...

Nn… Hmm...

Yui: Ah… Ahh...

(This is weird, I feel no particular pain this time. Maybe it’s because he almost sucked all the possible places on my body already… but is that really it?)

(I can feel Kino-kun’s voice and breath burn into my skin… my whole body feels as if it’s on fire, it’s so hot…)

It’s… it’s no good…

*Yui falls over*

Kino: Oh, did you lose strength?

Yui: That’s because… you’re sucking my blood like that…

Kino: And that’s the reason why you lost your strength? I mean, I didn’t even suck that much yet.

Not only that, but you also have a bright red face. Did you feel good or something?

Yui: (...Uwah, he saw right through me)

Kino: Well, whatevs. Seeing your face red like that was kinda refreshing to be honest.

If my dear princess wishes for me to cooperate with them, I might as well do so for her sake now.

Yui: (...Nn, he just told me for the first time ever that he’d cooperate with me)

Do you… mean that… ?

Kino: I mean, I can still crush them after we returned back to the real world. On top of that, I really wanna get out of here as soon as possible.

Yui: Ah…

(That’s right. There’s still a person waiting for Kino-kun to come home… Yuri-san. He surely wants to leave for her sake)

(Why… Why is it that my chest hurts)

(...I know I shouldn’t feel like this. I have to continue to think positively until the very end)

Thank you. Let’s work together to make sure all of us get home safely!

Kino: With everyone, hm?

Yui: Eh? Did you say something?

Kino: Nothing in particular. Anyway, let’s go back there now.

Yui: Ah… y-yes.

Monologue

As I watched Kino-kun’s back, while we started walking, it still looked as if he’s very lonely to me.

I felt my chest tightening itself when I saw this, so I hurried up to be able to walk with him side by side.

And then, as I casually looked up, I saw the starry sky shining down on us.

[poedameronloverx]

A New Way Of Life

Life In Lockdown Series Masterlist

Poe Dameron x F!Reader

Summary - As the reality of working from home sets in, you and your friends have to learn to work around one another, whilst also finding things to relax you to make evenings with your friends a lot of fun.

Warnings - Mentions of covid

Word Count - 2090

Week 1 – March 2020

The first few days of lockdown were a challenge. Trying to get in touch with people from work was proving more difficult than you’d first thought. You were getting easily distracted as well. BeeBee spent his time going between Poe in the dining room and you in the living room, the open plan nature basically making it a massive room for him to wander around in. Anytime he came near you, you couldn’t resist picking him up for snuggles. Poe was a distraction too, he liked to sing to himself as he worked and the sound of his voice was distracting you from whatever work you were doing. After reading the same line of an email 4 times you decided to take a break, you headed to the kitchen and started up the coffee machine. BeeBee followed you, deciding to have his own drink break with his bowl of water. Rose appeared in the kitchen whilst you were waiting for your coffee to be done.

“How’s it going?” she asked

“It’s a lot more challenging than I thought. Everything is distracting me!”

“Me too” she replied “And most people aren’t picking up calls today because they’ve all obviously had to close their offices as well”

“I can’t get hold of management” you replied “And BeeBee keeps wanting attention and he’s so cute I always give in! We should put a smart watch on him. He’s probably done 10000 steps walking between Poe and I”

“How’s Poe as a colleague?”

“Distracting, he keeps singing”

“He’s a good singer, could be worse” Rose chuckled

“Yeah he’s great but my mind just hears singing and thinks it’s done with work” you replied “Have you heard anything from Finn?”

“No, the doors been closed all morning. I don’t think he even came out for a break”

“Hopefully it’s going alright for him”

“Why don’t we do something tonight” Rose said “We’re all having weird days so maybe we could plan fun things in the evenings”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Movie night tonight” she replied “We can make dinner then watch a bunch of movies. We can plan other things for other evenings”

“I’m in” you replied “It’ll be nice to have something to look forward to”

“What are we looking forward to?” Poe asked as he joined you in the kitchen

“Oh, Rose was just saying we should plan fun things to do in the evenings, starting with movie night tonight”

“Sounds great. This working remotely thing is really not fun”

“BeeBee likes it” you smiled “He’s enjoying going between us”

“Well as long as the best boy is happy then we all are” Poe chuckled, leaning down to scoop the dog into his arms “You’re the best little buddy aren’t you”

“So cute!” Rose whispered

Rose’s idea for a movie night was just what everyone needed after the first day of the strange new reality the world found itself in. The 4 of you picked a movie each, the genres ranged from musicals, to Disney, to action and finally horror. You didn’t hate horror movies but they would never be your first choice. BeeBee who had taken residence in your lap for movie night suddenly found himself being hugged a lot tighter than previously. Rose and Finn were sat on one sofa all cuddled up, Rose had a blanket over her head and Finn was chuckling at her anytime she jumped at the scares from the movie. Poe and you were sat on the opposite side of the room. A blanket covered your legs, which were crossed underneath you. Poe was stretched out, his feet hanging off the end of the sofa and his head rested on a pillow a few inches away from you. He sat up when you jumped at one particularly bad jump scare.

“Hey, you alright?” he whispered

“Just not really my kind of movie” you replied

“Me neither, but Finn loves them so I’ve got used to them! I can hold your hand if you want”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. It’s just a stupid movie right?”

“Right” Poe smiled, he sat up and moved closer to you “Just incase anyone tries to grab you, I’ll not let them”

The sun decided to make an appearance on the 3rd and 4th days of lockdown. It wasn't tropical temperatures or anything but you could get away with being in the garden as long as you had a hoodie on. Rose was completely snowed under at work and you rarely saw Finn apart from lunch. Poe’s boss had taken pity on them all after a stressful few days and given them the Friday as a day off. You could see him sat in the garden with BeeBee whilst you worked. It was approaching 12.00 and you were slowly losing the will to live. You managed to push through until 1pm when you were ready for lunch. Your boss emailed to give everyone the afternoon off so you made your lunch, pulled a hoodie on and headed out to the garden to join Poe. As soon as the sun hit your skin, you instantly felt relaxed. It had been a strange week and you were grateful to be able to start your weekend a few hours early. You grabbed one of the garden chairs and moved it over next to Poe.

“Happy weekend” he said as you sat down

“It’s been the weirdest week in the entire world. I’m so glad we made it to the weekend”

“Me too, and I’m really glad you got an early finish. Bee isn’t the best conversation holder” he winked

“He’s cute though, he gets points for that at least!”

“That goes without saying”

The dog must’ve known he was being spoken about. He got up from his place in the shade to come and get some attention.

“Wanna take him a walk with me later?” Poe asked “The ice cream kiosk in the park is open, we could get something there, and it would be nice to have some company”

“Yeah, that sounds good”

Finn and Rose were still upstairs working when it came time for BeeBee’s walk. You texted Rose to tell her you’d gone with Poe. The park was beautiful in the sun, you couldn’t remember the last time you’d actually visited it. It was only a 10 minute walk away from the house but you didn't really have a reason to go to it. There were families out on walks, people on their own, people with dogs. Everyone was out enjoying the weather and taking their one form of daily outdoor exercise. You chuckled as BeeBee tried to make friends with every other dog and human he came across, his little tail wagging the entire time. Poe led you over to the ice cream kiosk he had mentioned; there was a long socially distanced queue.

“You keep an eye on Bee and I’ll get us some ice cream” he smiled “There’s a bench just round the back of this kiosk, nobody ever sits at it but it’s at a really good bit for Bee to run around. I’ll come and get you once I get the ice cream”

You nodded and made your way round to the bench Poe had mentioned. Like he said, the area was quiet; there was one woman with a dog that you’d seen earlier on, BeeBee and her dog had sniffed one another when you'd walked passed her just after walking into the park. You took the ball you’d lifted before leaving the house out of your pocket and threw it for the little dog. He happily chased after it, always bringing it back. He set it down for a second to talk to the woman who was stood at the other side of the grass, her dog spotted it’s opportunity and grabbed it. The woman chased after her dog and eventually got the ball back. She walked over to the bench and stood far enough away from where you were, but close enough to lay the ball down.

“Sorry about that, he’s terrible for stealing from other dogs”

You chuckled “It’s not a problem, it’s this ones fault for trying to be too sociable”

She smiled “Your dog is so cute!”

“He is cute, but sadly he’s not mine. I have to give him back”

“Ah, he’s your boyfriends. The guy you were walking with earlier”

You could feel yourself blushing “Em, yeah he belongs to him, but he’s not my boyfriend. Just a friend and lockdown house mate”

“Oh, I’m sorry I just assumed” she replied “You guys looked liked a super cute couple  when I spotted you earlier”

“It’s fine” you replied with a shrug.

You wished he was your boyfriend, you’d had a crush on the man since the first day you met him. The two of you had clicked right away when Ben had introduced you. Him and Poe had been classmates that didn’t keep in touch, you vaguely remembered seeing Poe at your brothers birthday parties when you were kids but nobody paid you much attention back then because they were all older and you were the annoying little sister of their friend. Poe and Ben had met back up again when Ben became a client of Poe’s work. You were introduced to Poe when Ben and Rey got engaged and had a party. You’d later found out you had a mutual friend in Finn and the 3 of you started to hang out. You’d known Finn since high school, you never went to the same school but you both had a part time job at a local café. Finding out Poe was Finn’s best friend and roommate made you re-connect with Finn. You’d kept in touch on social media for years but didn’t really spend a lot of time together so through Poe that all changed. When you’d introduced Finn and Rose it had been love at first sight. The 4 of you could be found hanging out on a regular basis; everyone always assumed it was a double date because of how close you and Poe were. He was a touchy, feely guy. He would often be found with his arm round your shoulders, his hand on your back when you were walking anywhere with him. You loved it but also hated it because you always wanted more. The reason you had never mentioned anything was because you were scared he wouldn’t feel the same and you didn’t want such a good friendship to fall apart if you told him and made things awkward. Rose knew, but she promised she wouldn't tell Poe.

BeeBee and the other dog went back to playing together and the woman wandered back to where she had originally been stood. You took a few photos on your phone and uploaded them to social media. Everyone needed a boost during the weird times you were in and you thought there was no better way to cheer people up than photos of cute dogs. After what felt like hours, Poe finally came to join you. He handed you a small tub of ice cream and a slushie.

“Man are they busy” he said, flopping down next to you on the bench “Did Bee behave?”

“He did, that dog he’s playing with stole his ball but they’re on friendly terms now”

“That’s good news” Poe chuckled

The two of you sat and enjoyed your ice creams, the weather and one another’s company. When you were ready to head back home Poe phoned Finn, the local takeaways were open for delivery and Poe decided it was too nice a night for anyone to be cooking. The evening was spent eating as much pizza as you could and watching videos on YouTube. Finn was really into the ones exploring abandoned places and you all fell down a rabbit hole of watching video after video. Rose fell asleep first, and you soon followed. Eventually leaning over and falling onto Poe’s shoulder. Poe and Finn smiled at one another. You had all survived a crazy week, you’d had to adapt to an all new way of life and there had been some hiccups but overall you’d all coped. You were thankfully all healthy, and you had good company and were surrounded by your best friends. Life was far from perfect but both of them knew that things could be a lot worse, and that worldwide things would get worse before they improved.

So once again please let me know what you thought, I want to get better as a writer and I can only do that with your help. Thank you for all of the kind comments one the last part, they really made me smile! <3

[darthkruge]

Kai Parker Imagine ~ Ignored

Summary: You’re Elena’s sister and are feeling pretty alone and ignored in Mystic Falls. One day, you meet a stranger who happens to understand.

Warnings: language, like one small innuendo, fluff :)

Words: 2024

She promised. She promised today she’d finally spend some time with me. It’s not that you need your sister’s attention everyday. Truly, you’re fine being on your own. You’ve gotten used to it over the years. But she cancelled the last three times to spend time with her boyfriend, Damon, instead. Again, you get it. You know she loves him. You know she’d probably prefer to spend her time with him and not you. But she promised and broke it again, blowing me off last minute.

That’s how you ended up here. Alone, in your house, on a Saturday night, staring at your refrigerator trying to pick out which leftover to reheat. You know what? Fuck it, I’m not just going to sit here alone. 

You pull out your cell phone, dialing Caroline’s number. 

“Hello!” The chipper blonde’s voice answers after the first ring

“Hey, Care! I was wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner at the Grill. Elena’s out with Damon again and I’m bored”. 

“Oh shit, y/n, I’m sorry but Stefan is like two blocks away and I was going to introduce him to The Notebook. Maybe another time? And Bonnie might be free, you should call her”

You sigh, “Yeah, alright. Thanks anyway. Send pics if he ends up crying”

She laughs “Of course, babe. Goodnight”

“Goodnight!” You say, hanging up the phone. 

You lean back against the counter, sighing. You know it’s not that deep, all your friends are in relationships and you aren’t, it’s a given that they’ll be busy on Saturdays. But you had a really fucking stressful week and you just didn’t want to spend another night alone. 

You decide it’s worth a shot, try Bonnie

“Hey! How are you”

You smile, relieved she answered. “I’m okay, kinda bored, though. You wanna meet at the Grill and get food? I haven’t eaten yet and wasn’t sure if you had plans…” 

“Sorry Y/N, I’ve actually been trying to perfect this spell from the grimoire all day and I’m exhausted. I swear, if I wasn’t so drained I would” 

Shit, she was trying to learn that tracking spell today!! I should have remembered! “Oh, of course, Bon! Don’t worry about it. Get some rest and take care of yourself!” 

“Thanks, you too!”

“Goodnight! Make sure to drink water”

Bonnie laughs, “You’ve always been the mom of the group. Goodnight” 

You hang up the phone and put it down, placing your head in your hands. Another night in, it is. You go back to trying to pick out dinner and realize that you might as well go to the Grill and pick up some food, anyway. You still have to eat and, to be honest, talking about the restaurant has given you a serious craving for their fries. You decide to order on your phone to make the trip as quick as possible. 

You get in the car, driving there, and see lots of people talking and eating together. Dejected, you try and keep your emotions in check as you get out of the car. You did not want to lose it at the Mystic Grill. The stress was just getting to you. You had exams this week and were studying non-stop, and after not being able to hang out and your sister ignoring and choosing her boyfriend over you, you were pretty fucking frustrated. Just a little bit more, then you can have the food and just go home.

Walking inside, you see Elena and Damon in the corner booth, smiling and laughing. You smile, happy for them. They really worked well together and after everything your family has gone through, you wanted your sister to be happy. She truly deserved it. You just sometimes wished the universe saved some happiness for you. You’d never been in a relationship, never had someone like you back. Sure, you didn’t need a relationship and you weren’t desperate by any means, but it would be nice on nights like this. 

“Order for Y/N,” You say, walking up the bar

“Yup, it’ll be ready in just a few minutes” the server replies

You smile and nod, pulling out your phone to check if you have any messages. None. Your heart drops a bit. You didn’t expect any, but it just feels like the day is compiling onto itself. Tears start to well up again and you lean your head against the wall, trying to force them back. 

“Hey, you okay?” You hear

You turn to look at the man who spoke to you and holy shit, he’s pretty cute. You wipe the tears from your eyes, “Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” You add a strained laugh at the end, hoping it helps him realize you aren’t completely insane. 

He doesn’t look impressed, rather amused by your poor attempt to hide your emotions. “You sure, gorgeous? Because, not to be rude, but you don’t look it”

“I am, I swear. It’s stupid, just a bad day. Just, everything on top of everything else,” You say, gesturing with your hands

“Yeah. I know what you mean. I’m Kai, by the way”

“Y/N” You say, shaking his hand. 

You’re broken from your thoughts by the server returning with your food. “Here you go, Ms. l/n” 

“Thank you!” You take the bag and smile

“Mr. Parker, yours will be out in just a second”

“Alright, thanks” Kai says, turning back to you

“So,” He starts, “I would ask you how your day has been, but I think I got a pretty good idea”

You laugh. “Yeah, I think this,” You say, gesturing to your face and appearance, “pretty much sums it up. But what about you? You had a better experience in this world today?”

“Well, good days, bad days. It’s all relative. But I guess you could say this one is looking up. I met someone recently. Beautiful, (h/l) (h/c) hair, about this tall” He says, holding his arm to just above your eye level.

“She seems lovely. You should introduce me”

Kai laughs and takes his food that’s now ready.

“So, you wanna get out of here?”

You take a step back, wondering who the hell could be so goddamn forward

“Sorry! Poor wording. I wasn’t talking about that. But I mean… if you’re game…?” 

You look at him, glaring but still clearly having a joking look in your eyes

He laughs and holds his hands up in mock-surrender. “Sorry, again, sweetheart. I just meant there’s a nice little lookout area nearby. I know the sun has already set, but it’s where I like to go to look at the stars.”

You notice that he gets a bit of a faraway look in his eyes that you know all too well. Perhaps he’s the perfect person for you to spend this evening with. 

“Sure, lead the way” You say. I mean, cute guy, possibly safe, why the hell not?

He quickly takes your hand and leads you out of the Grill. You try to catch Elena’s eye on your way out, but she doesn’t notice you. Kai, however, does. You see him look at your fallen expression and frown, following your gaze to your sister, then back to you. You shake it off, though, and smile back at him, continuing to walk to the exit. 

You walk a few blocks, talking about everything and, yet, nothing of immense importance. You missed just spending time with someone. Someone who wasn’t preoccupied or just hanging out with you because their first choice was busy. You missed the banter and the fun and feeling of freedom. You hated being in that house. You always felt so trapped there. Because even though, yeah, you could technically leave, you couldn’t do anything. You were still alone. 

He lets go of your hand to climb up onto this rock, then holds out his hand to help you do the same. Smiling, you open your food and begin to eat, him doing the same. You look into his eyes, smiling even more. Something about this boy just makes you happy. You don’t know why, I mean, you’ve just met him. But there’s just something about him.

He clears his throat, smiling right back at you, “So, do you wanna talk about it?”

“Um, I- I don’t know” 

“It’s okay if you don’t,” Kai says, stealing one of your fries, “But if you do, you can. I’ve been told I’m a good listener”

“Yeah, okay, yeah. That might be nice”

You start retelling the story of your sister and friends, all in relationships. He nods, knowingly. “I just, I’m glad they’re happy. I really am. Please, I need to make sure you know that. I want them to be happy. But I just wish they’d sometimes check in on me. I’m tired. I don’t want to be the only one alone,” Your voice breaks and you pause, a few tears running down your cheeks, “I don’t want to feel like without me doing all the work, I wouldn’t have a relationship with them. I just wish, at least once, they’d ditch their boyfriends and just get dinner with me”

You look at him, realizing he’s frowning and you start to back-track. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I know it’s not a big deal. Like, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that important. I was just having a bad day, I didn’t mean to like unload my trauma and abandonment issues on you, I’m sorry-”

He cuts you off, gently. “Breathe, sweetheart. It’s okay. I’m not mad at or upset with you. I just know the feeling all too well. Loneliness sucks, huh?”

You laugh, relieved you didn’t scare him away. “You can say that again”

“I am sorry about your friends. And you sister. I assume that was the one you were staring at back there?”

“Yeah, that’s her”

“Hm. I get it.” He says and you just know he does. There’s something about being abandoned and feeling alone in your own family that people may sympathize with, but they never really get it unless they felt it first-hand. 

You lean in, kissing him. He kisses you back and, shit, it feels good. You haven’t been close to a person in so long that when he puts his hand against your cheek, you involuntarily start crying. 

“Oh, I’m sorry! I thought-” He starts, pulling away

“No, no, no, Kai, it’s not you. I just wasn’t used to someone being there with me. It was just a bit overwhelming. But it’s not you at all. It felt incredible” Great, now not only does he know you’re lonely and sad, but also that you’re touch starved. Awesome.

Kai gently pulls you back to him, kissing you again. He wraps his arms around you, deeping the embrace and you do the same. You kiss him, only breaking apart when your head is swimming with the need for air. 

After a while, you both pull back and he rests his forehead against yours. You gently move your head and put it on his shoulder, his arm coming around you. You wrap yours around him as well, looking up at the stars, a goofy smile on your face. 

“Well, I defer to you, gorgeous. But if you ever need a break from the loneliness, I’m here. I know I can’t make it all better or anything. That hole from your family and friends is impossible to make go away forever. But I like to think I can possibly shrink it a bit. Or at least take away a bit of your pain” He says, looking at you deeply.

“Yeah, I think that could work,” You say, leaning in and kissing once more. You then gesture toward the stars and he follows your gaze. You spend the night staring at the galaxy, as if it’s just the two of you, and you know that you finally have someone in your corner. Someone who would pick you first. It’s a terrifying feeling that you’re not used to and, frankly, neither is he. But if he’s willing to try, so am I.