#but she's still going to not want to sleep for very long

[mywritersmind]

TROUBLE - LN4 part two

previous part

og summary : Trouble comes in many forms, for Lando Norris, it comes in the shape of his teammates sister. A week at Oscars brings more temptation and impulse than any other start to a season.

summary : A day that was supposedly for Lando and his sight seeing turns into a day full of holding back touches, fast car rides, water fights, and his hand on hers.

listen up : i don’t know anything abt cars so don’t come for me if i said smt wrong abt the mclaren F1. dirty jokes. dual pov! comment to be on taglist!

words : 4082

⋆｡‧˚⋆

lando

I wake up to hushed voices outside my door. I practically roll out of bed, seeing that it’s five in the morning and moving to the door, still half asleep.

When I open it, I expect it to be Oscar with Lily or maybe even Nicole- what I don’t expect is a random man I've never seen, grinning down at Y/n.

She has her arms crossed and stops whispering when she sees me. She steps away from him, the man turning to look at me now. Y/n doesn’t say anything, just grabs his arm and tugs him down the hallway.

I watch her go, her hair a mess and her body barely covered by her sleep set. I blink, still confused and honestly too nosy to not get answers.

She’s back a minute later, shaking her head, “Don’t say a thing.”

I shrug, watching her run her hands over her face, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Then we’re both quiet, neither of us moving and a smirk growing on my face. She gives in easily, stomping her foot and groaning quietly, “He’s my ex. And neighbor.”

“That’s… fun.”

“No. It’s idiotic!” She leans against the wall, frowning still, “You can’t tell anyone. Oscar would freak if he saw him.”

This makes me stand up straighter, “Why?”

“He may or may not have broken my heart… long story.” She sighs, closing her eyes before turning fully towards me again, “And we didn’t do anything!”

I smile, “I believe you.”

“He just- wanted to ‘talk’.” She puts finger quotes over the word ‘talk’. “I shouldn’t have let him in.”

My eyes narrow, not judging her, just assessing her emotions. “But you did…?”

She looks at me as if I slapped her, “Go back to sleep, Lando.” I don’t think she’s ever said my first name before. “Sorry for waking you.”

“Don’t worry-” My alarm goes off on my phone at the perfect moment, “I’m getting up to run, anyway.”

She nods, still looking tired but angsty, crossing her arms. I hesitated before saying, “Wanna come?”

I know I shouldn’t have said it the second she looks at me. Her eyes curious and way too distracting. “Really?”

“Why not?”

“Not like I'm gonna get any sleep after that.” She shivers as if she’s remembering the image of him in her room, “Okay. I’ll see you out front in ten.”

⋆༺

you

When accepting Lando’s offer to join him on his morning exercise, I forgot one thing.

I cannot run.

I’m out of breath and sweaty, falling onto the couch as Lando actually LAUGHS at me! “I think I'm dying.” I mumble, feeling like i’ve just ran a 10k.

“You don’t exercise much, do you?” He walks around the couch, a smoothie in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

I scoff, “Excuse you!” He hands me the water, something so simple but very sweet to me. I chug that shit, making my breath even more ragged, “Why would I!?”

He smiles, sitting down next to me and resting his arm on the back of the couch, “Well usually when you exercise, you tend to get better at specific things. If you start running everyday you won’t look like you’ve just crawled out hell-”

I hit him with a pillow, my skin on fire even in my tight shorts and sports bra. “Fuck you.” I whisper, standing up and walking into the kitchen so he doesn’t see me smile.

“Do you know what we’re doing today?” Lando looks back at me, watching me fill my water.

“Apparently I'm showing you around? I’m not sure.” I shrug, plopping a few ice cubes into my glass, “Lily and Oscar wanted to go to the beach so maybe that too-”

Oscar walks in then, his eyes tired as he yawns and waves weakly at me, “Speak of the devil.” I mumble as he glares at me.

“Good Morning to you my amazing and wonderful sister.” He grins at me, now I know he wants something.

“Pancakes?” I ask, knowing my brother too well.

“Favorite sister.” He ruffles my hair as I push him away. He turns and stops dead in his tracks. I realize that he must have just spotted Lando, the brit watching our sibling antics quietly.

“What’re you doing?” He asks, turning back to me and eyeing my outfit.

“We went for a run.” Lando says casually, bringing his straw to his lips.

“You got her up this early to… run?” Oscar asks skeptically as I understand that he’s not just shocked that I ran, but that I ran with Lando.

“I was already up.” I try to diffuse the tension I know is coming, “Trying to clear my find and stuff.” I pull the ingredients out of the cabinet and fridge, biting my tongue.

“Right…” Oscar shakes his head, seemingly letting it go and joining Lando on the couch. As Oscar scrolls through the TV, Lando glances back at me, not giving me a smile or anything before turning back to his teammate.

I turn to the stove, my eyes wide and cheeks red. This is going to be a long week.

⋆༺

lando

“What do you mean, you’re not coming?” I ask Oscar as he pushes past me to grab Lily’s bag.

“Lily just killed her foot-” He says, looking more worried than i’ve ever seen him, “I’m taking her to the hospital.”

Y/n walks in with Lily next to her, her hand around her waist as Lily’s arm is over her shoulder. She’s limping with a pained look on her face, “Shit. I can come- I’ll drive.”

“No it’s fine!” Lily says quickly, “I’ll be fine. You two can just go explore. You should have fun.”

Y/n looks from me to Oscar, “Lily we can come with you it’s really not a prob-”

“No!” She moves away from Y/n, hopping to Oscar who wraps his arm around her, “Just- send me pictures!” And with that, they’re gone.

Y/n looks at me, blinking. Nicole hurries back inside, shutting the door, “That boy I swear…”

“Mom, do you want to come with us today? Lily won’t be back for a while and you should-”

“I’ve gotta work, love.” She explains, “Take Lando to all the touristy spots!”

Y/n turns on her heels, looking at me skeptically, “So… what do you want to do first?”

⋆༺

you

What do you do when you’re tasked with exploring your home town with a man you’ve known for one day and are extremely attracted to?

In my mind, you take him to the best place for him to get as shirtless as possible… the beach! Even though my mom said that wasn’t good enough, I’ve been craving the water.

I still bring him there, how could I not!? Best beaches in Australia are right in my hometown. He’s probably all sad and broody from grey Britain anyway!

I know I already saw Lando shirtless yesterday, but this… this is different.

Tanned, wet, sandy, AND shirtless. His curls are wet and I'm pretty sure a smile is permanently drawn onto his face. He plops down next to me, music blasting from a speaker a couple people down.

“I love the sun.” He mumbles into the towel, sitting up and unknowingly flexing his arms. I breathe in and look back at the water.

“I can tell. I’m jealous. I wish I got as tan as you.” I flick sand onto him as he rolls onto his back. He’s in blue and reminds me a bit too much of prince eric.

“Yeah you might wanna sunscreen up.” He teases, pressing my arm as if I'm bright red! I do not burn that easily, thank you!

I scoff as he tosses the bottle at me, “Fuck off!” I grab it, “You wanna put it on me?” my manner changes in an instant, seeing an opportunity and taking it.

His tooth catches on his lip as he nods. I smile and hand him the bottle gently. Ah, men… So easy to manipulate. So easy to trick.

I move my hair from my back slowly, but the second I hear the bottle unlatch, I spin around and grab it, squeezing it onto him.

“Trouble!” He yells, the sunscreen on his chest and splattered onto his face. I’m running away before he can even open his eyes again. “Get back here!”

I run straight into the water, diving under the first wave and regretting it as soon as his hand meets my ankle. He tugs me back as I come back up for air, his hands fully white and coming straight for me. “No!” I scream, trying to swim away, but his hand is on my waist and smearing the sunblock all down my arm.

“Cunt!” I yell louder, shoving him under water. He pops back up, coughing and laughing.

“You’re so dramatic!” His hands are clean now, shaking out his wet curls onto me.

“You basically called me pale!” I argue, laying back in the water and catching my breath, “I reacted like a sane woman.”

“Nothing about you is sane.” He dunks his head again. I watch him go under and match him, not being able to see him in the salt water but feeling him there.

“You’re the one who fell for it.” I shrug, not forgetting the want in his eyes.

He shakes his head, sinking into the water again so I can only see his head and shoulders, “I’m understanding the trouble thing more and more...”

I can’t help but smirk, “Good thing you can handle it.” Him. The dim kitchen light. The ice cream. His fucking eyes never leaving mine.

“You want me to handle you?” This, surprises me.

He’s matching me quicker than I expected.

I just smile and swim to shore, “Come on, Norris! We’ve got plans!”

Like I said, my mom said the beach wasn’t enough ( even though it’s only his first day here! ) so we took Oscar’s Mclaren and booked it to Fitzroy market.

Lando said he likes shopping and my favorite place to do it is here! The area is crowded with people in way cooler outfits than me and vendors with tons of vintage items.

Lando and I are still in beach wear. He’s in all black, probably baking in the sun but looking ridiculous in a shirt with cutoff sleeves and backwards hat, a camera slung around his neck.

I gravitate to some vintage juicy couture while Lando is on the rack over looking at jerseys. The woman working the booth grins when she sees me. “Y/n! My girl!” She hops over to me, side stepping the others around, “How’ve you been!?”

“Mitch!” I grin right back at her, “Better than ever, babe, i’m out of school!” She laughs, her full head of curls bouncing with her. “How are you!? Business is booming, I see!”

“Amazing! Broke up with Jonah too…” She looks down, her glasses shading her eyes for a second before she pops right back up, “But fuck him!”

“Fuck him!” I join in.

“Yeah, Fuck him.” Says a deeper voice. Jonah comes walking up behind Mitch, wrapping an arm around her before she has the chance to push him away.

“Hey, J.” I roll my eyes at him, respecting his role in Mitch’s life but definitely not the way he dated her.

“Hey.” Mitch sways my arm, leaning in a bit and lowering her voice, “Who’s the hottie?”

I glance back to my companion for the day, he’s holding up a jacket at the booth over and talking to the guy who runs it. “That is Lando…” I turn back to them.

“Boy toy?” Jonah raises a brow as I shake my head.

Not yet.

“Boyfriend?” Mitch looks so shocked that It makes me laugh.

“No! Boy i’m showing around today.” I clarify, “And someone I should probably go after before he gets lost.”

Mitch and Jonah nod, both knowing the extreme confusion one can get into at the market. I kiss Mitch on the cheek and wave goodbye to both of them.

When I turn around, Lando is handing money over to the man and smiling when he sees me. There’s that smile again.

He swings the bag in his hand as we walk away, “You come here often?” The curly haired man glances back at my friends.

“Maybe too much.” I shrug, “Mostly because Mitch carries the best shit ever.”

“Oh yeah?” He nods, “I heard you two talking… what’s up with the tall one?” I laugh when he refers to Jonah.

“They’re… a lot. Soulmates? Maybe. But definitely not meant for eachother. You know? At least, not right now.”

He scrunches up his nose, “I don’t know.”

“They love each other and stuff but Jonah needs to get his life together. All we can do is help Mitch get over him and pray that we don’t end up like them.” It sounds mean, but the two really are in a situation that I would hate.

“Shit.” He nods as we turn into a booth with a million shoes, “I had something like that once.”

This makes me turn to him suddenly, “Yeah?”

“Without the soulmates part… I think I may have been Jonah in that situation. Thank fuck it’s over, though. The girl was not as nice as Mitch.” I nod and smile at his use of my friends love life, “What do you think of these?”

The conversation switches to a horrendous pair of sneakers he’s holding up, “Oh babe… no.” I make him put them back and drag him to the correct section.

He’s like my own barbie doll! One that can talk and definitely bite back.

I knew I would lose Lando in this godforsaken place! I’m in too deep and have three bags in my hands.

I walk around to find him, possibly getting distracted by all the pretty things, but settling my eyes on him once again at a plant shop.

He’s in the corner talking to two girls and a guy, looking a bit shy and way too hot in his backwards cap. I watch him for a second, weaving through the people and walking across some shops.

He finds me pretty fast, it’s probably due to the all white i’m wearing in a sea of colorful button downs and denim. I can see him excusing himself and hurrying over to me, “You left me.”

I laugh, “I lost you!”

He shakes his head and starts walking away, “Sorry prissy, I forgot I'm babysitting you.”

He shakes his head, smiling back at me, “I got cornered by fans.”

“Better than me being there and having rumors spread on twitter of your ‘possible new girl’.” I laugh and walk out of the crowd, the sun hot on us and making me crave a cool drink.

He laughs at this, “You wish.”

I scoff, turning back to face him, “I can leave your ass in the middle of melbourne, you know?” I hold up the keys to my brothers car as he steps closer.

“I dare you.” He says, “I guarantee if you got into that car alone you’d be in a wall in five seconds flat.”

I swat the keys at him, “I’m a great driver!”

“Not in that.” He shakes his head, “Has Oscar ever actually let you driven it?”

I bite my lip, not answering.

His eyes flick down to my lips, then back up at my eyes, “Come on then.” He snatches the keys right out of my hand!

“Norris!” I yell, hurrying after him and across the street as he walks faster, “Hey!”

I catch up to him on the other side, he’s still swinging the keys around his finger with a grin on his face, “Where’s the most open, empty road you know?”

I raise a brow and follow him into the parking structure, “Why…?”

Our car is easy to spot, he walks over to it, and to my surprise, finds his way to the passengers side. Looking at me over the expensive car, he tosses me the keys, “We’re gonna hit two hundred in this thing and I want to make sure there’s no bystanders in the car of your havoc.”

He slides into the car, making me squeal and swing the door open quickly, sliding into the way far back driver's seat and turning the keys into the ignition.

He sees my eyes light up as I adjust the seat, “You ever kart as a kid?”

“A bit. Got kicked out a few times.”

“Why…?”

I eye him and click my seatbelt into place, “Too fast, too reckless…”

He shakes his head and mumbles a curse under his breath before tightening his seatbelt. “Don’t make me regret this.”

⋆༺

lando

I was right. Oscar has never let her drive his Mclaren before, and for good reason.

She can’t drive stick shift, first of all. But I only let her briefly panic before I grab a hold of the stick and tell her to go slow.

She does not go slow. Tate Mcrae is blasting through the speakers as she speeds up the empty street with the windows rolled down. The street is right next to the beach and I can see the sun about to go down.

Y/n break checks me and makes me hold on tighter. My arm is around the back of her seat so I can control the stick shift with my dominant hand. She’s laughing and going faster and faster by the second.

It doesn’t take her long before she gets the hang of it but I still hang onto the stick as she sings along to Sports Car.

I’m not stupid, I know her little games and yes, they might be working, but I will not be giving in. This week is supposed to be relaxing, recuperating, and definitely NOT romantic.

Although, the track that Y/n and I are heading is definitely not romantic. More on the side of we both want each other in a hot sexy way.

Her hair whips all around us as she turns the corner, making her way higher up the hill. I’m now realizing that the hill is more of a mountain, the street getting smaller and the trees growing farther away.

I watch her speedometer as it inches higher and higher, her smile growing bigger as it goes, “Christ, are all Piastri’s this quick?”

She laughs out loud, “Next time you compliment me try not to include my brother in it too!”

I can’t help but let out a laugh, staring at her profile as the landscape zips by us. Her cheeks are pink from the sun and I bet if I put my hand to her neck i’d be able to feel her heart racing.

I shouldn’t be thinking this. I know I shouldn’t. But my eyes wander too easily down her smooth skin, her bikini top untied with the strings hanging over her thin top like it’s nothing.

I drag my eyes off her tits and back on the road, knowing I'm in too deep for someone I just met. We slow down as we reach the top, or at least, where she thinks is close enough.

She practically jumps out of the car, running over to a small patch of flat land and a bench that overlooks the water.

“Holy shit.” I walk slowly behind her, looking out at the view and watching her figure jump up and down. I grab my camera that I forgot is around my neck and snap a photo.

She looks back at the perfect moment, her face shadowed and her hair a mess around her, but it just… fits.

I sit on the bench as she sets her ass down on the back of it, her feet tapping the wood next to me.

“So. Your first full day in Melbourne! Thoughts?”

I smile, “I’ve been here before.”

She groans, “Not with me. Was I a good tour guide?”

I nod, “The best.” We didn’t do a whole lot but that’s the best part. Y/n is completely fun but totally chill at the same time.

My phone lights up, it’s a text from Oscar.

“Osc says that Lily is Ok and they’ve been chilling at the house for a while. He’s asking where we are.” I look up at the girl whose eyes are set on the pink and orange sky.

“Tell him we’re making out sloppy style in his car.”

The only change in her behavior is a tiny tug on her mouth, “Trouble…” I mumble and text him that we’re watching the sunset and will be back soon.

“I’m only voicing what we both want.” Jesus Christ, this girl… I’m rarely speechless, especially after a comment like that. But this girl is insanely captivating and I've never wanted to give in more.

I’m struck again at how beautiful she is, the sky reflecting off her as if she’s a part of the earth.

“Nervous, Norris?” Her head dips down to my level.

“We should get back.” I say, leaning my head back on the wood.

“Cop out.” she whispers before hopping off the bench and moving back to the drivers side.

“Woah! You are not driving back.”

“Try and stop me.”

⋆༺

you

I can’t drive stick. I wasn’t lying about that. Although now that I think about it, it would be a great way to get closer to a man.

Lando’s hand is over mine the whole way back. I insisted I could do it (or at least try!) but he guided my every move anyway. Hot. As. Fuck. I try to watch the road and not his huge veiny hands on mine, but mostly fail.

We’re split up after another quick dinner. I talk to Lily about her new addition to her shoe collection (a black boot semi-permanently on her foot as of today), while Lando, Oscar, and my Mom talk about the movie they’re watching.

I’m in my bed a while later, the lights still on in the hallway and Lando’s door hasn’t creaked shut yet so I know he’s not there.

My mom had thanked me immensely for showing Lando around and Oscar gave me a small thanks while looking at me funny. I don’t think he trusts me with his friend, especially with my past and a certain neighbor.

And sure, I want him to trust me! But I want Lando more.

I’m so zoned out that I don’t notice the man in my doorway, knocking on my open door with a tired smile on his face.

Lando has one hand in his pocket, looking sunkissed and content. “Hey.” I sit up, crossing my feet under me.

“Hi.” He smiles as if he’s about to blush, “I just wanted to say… Thanks for today. It was really fun.”

“I didn’t scare you too bad in the car?” I ask as his head meets my door, his neck straining against it.

“You weren’t too bad. Definitely got my adrenaline pumping.”

“Just say I'm an amazingly fast driver and move on.” I shrug, leaning back on my hands and puffing my chest out proudly.

He watches me- watches my body. I don’t have a bra on, something obvious in the cool space of our air conditioned house. I’m wearing a new set, light yellow with lacy little shorts. He likes it and I can tell.

He groans, running a hand down his face and shutting his eyes tight. “Your brother is gonna hate me by the end of this trip.”

I quirk a brow, playing the innocence card as I push a rogue strand of hair out of my face, “Why’s that?”

He looks at me again, his tongue running over his teeth as he challenges me. I want him, that’s the truth. But i’m not that easy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, trouble.” he pushes off the door, turning around and not looking back.

“Dream about me. But don’t be too loud tonight, yeah?” I tease, “Thin walls. I learned that the hard way.” I emphasize ‘hard’ never missing an opportunity to tell a joke.

He throws up one hand, the other still on his face as he walks out of my room and turns to go to his. I smile to myself, standing up and shutting the door he was too busy to remember.

[cosmica-galaxy]

https://www.tumblr.com/cosmica-galaxy/780636195823796224/ok-funny-ideathe-cookies-are-roaming-when-they?source=share

So this... I love this...

Anyway-

Ancients trying to tame the human?

My bet is that Pure Vanilla Cookie would somehow be the best at it and would likely be the first one to find out that the human is extremely cuddly and clingy when sleepy.

Thoughts?

-❄💗🖋 (FrostedHeartWriter)

Oh, definitely! (Also YAY, my first named anon!!) Pure Vanilla is not only the kindest Ancient that the human has to deal with, but he also serves as their healer whenever they get tore up in a fight or when their health becomes of any concern. The human respects him the most and is VERY protective of him. Pure Vanilla is one of the few cookies in all of Earthbread that literally has scary dog privilege. Plus, the human does tend to take naps often and will be more than happy to cuddle Pure Vanilla while he heals some of their injuries. Though, they have to be careful not to hurt him in any way or they would never forgive themselves. So, they may cuddle him dearly while they are sleepy, but never while they are sleeping--to avoid any possible accidents. They don't want to hurt him at all. Dark Cacao would be a no-nonsense type of ancient and the human mostly respects him out of worry that he would probably cut them open while they sleep with that sharp sword of his. Plus, he just has an authoritative aura and a steely gaze that they don't wanna antagonize. If he jumps on their head and demands them to go in a certain direction, the human does so without a second of hesitation. He's rougher with the human and sometimes his hair-pulling (a cookie's way of "steering" the human) can become painful. Still, they give the hardass cookie respect and try to stay on his good side. Hollyberry would find "taming" them pretty fun. She's from a rough-and-tumble kingdom, that also has regular invasions from the local Pitaya Dragon, so she is familiar with enemies larger than her. The human mostly goes along with her antics and even tries to "bap" her from time to time to give her shield something to smack. Though, the human is definitely not using their full strength and only submits when she manages to force her way onto the top of their head. But man, don't allow a lot of hollyberrians to congregate on your body, because you may become a trampoline for entertainment or a battle zone for cookies that want to take turns to "drive" you. Golden Cheese is quite a strange cookie in references to the human. She mostly flies up to your head and perches on your cranium to get a better view of the surrounding areas. She is also rather envious that the Cookie Kingdom has a giant to look after the cookies that reside there, something she wished she had during the dark flour war. The human is tolerant of her ramblings and self-pride in her greed, as she even "judges" the human's own "hoard" from time to time. The human has to keep a close eye on all of their jewelry if they have any, because it will eventually go missing if they leave it somewhere for too long while Golden Cheese is around! Now...White Lilly is terrified of the large human companion. To her, humans are the same and are nothing more than cookie-devouring monsters. White Lily avoids or actively tries to discourage her friends from interacting with the human too much because of her worries that it will snap them up like the poor cookies from the banquet. Despite the constant reassurance by Pure Vanilla, White Lilly stands by her views and tries to limit as much contact with the human as possible. The human doesn't understand her dislike of them, but they have other friends to hang out with, so they aren't bothered by it too much. However, they are also judgemental of White Lilly as well. After all, it wasn't a witch that hurt her friends, destroyed golden cheese's kingdom, and is currently trying to plunge the world into darkness. That was all her own fault. So tension exists between White Lilly and the large human.

[ghostedgwen]

but I knew you | j.potter [part four]

note : THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ENTHUSIASM towards this fic! I can't believe I got over 400+ notes on the first three parts. This is wild! I am so grateful for u guys, pls enjoy the final part<33 p.s : my requests are open again if any of u are interested in sending anything

warning : more angst but some cute moment as well, some anxiety on your part but jsut briefly mentioned, James and his relentless firting, I swear this part is kinder, happy ending - sort of

James gets into an accident during a Quidditch game and develop amnesia - he doesn't remember the past 2 and a half years, and he currently has the mentality of fourth-year James. This doesn't bode well for you that your boyfriend of 2 years now currently thinks he's still  in love with Lily.

└——————— - [ 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 𝚃𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚏𝚝 - 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚗 ]. +

You cannot believe you are here again.

Watching over his sleeping figure in the infirmary while Madam Pomfrey fuss over him.

You all decided to keep quiet about McLaggen for now, so you lot were being chastised by the matron over the "prank gone wrong" incident that landed James on her lap again.

You could feel the anger bubble in you but kept it at bay as James' well-being came first, obviously.

"Now, I have matters to discuss with Dumbledore so you four can look after Mr.Potter here." He tells you before leaving abruptly.

None of you dared to question her and only watched her leave. Once she was gone, you turn to the other three boys and they kept quiet, seeing the scary expression you had on. Peter looked like he was about to piss himself.

"____," Remus cautiously called out your name. "Are you okay? McLaggen said some vile things back there, we hope you know that we won't let him get away with this."

Sirius huffs. "The bloody fuck we won't, fucker will deserve what's comin' for him when James wakes up."

You nod slowly at them. "Could I - ask for some privacy, with James?" You ask them, watching them all get up and nod at you with sympathetic smiles. "I just, wanna think of what to say once he wakes up and I was hoping to have him all to myself for a bit when he comes about."

"No worries, we understand." Remus tells you and he pats Sirius on their way out as the other boy looked about ready to set the castle on fire. "We'll see you back at the common room."

You give them all the best smile you could muster while they piled out and it was just you left all alone to your thoughts. Your face was immediately  encased in the palm of your hands as you allow your frustrations to settle in.

Having held onto it well enough to get James settled into the infirmary first, you could feel the tears build up. It's already bad enough your boyfriend couldn't remember you, but then he gets injured again - and you feel like everything is your fault.

You missed your James even more.

He would know how to hold you, what to say and just what to give. He always knew you so well that you couldn't even be mad at him for even a minute, he was always quick to melt your resolve and fix anything that is even remotely broken.

James was perfect - so much so that you almost thought the universe had created him exactly for you. All the time he spent chasing after another girl long forgotten when he treated you so well, and not once made you doubt his loyalty -

Lily was a story of a very distant past, but that past has come back to haunt you.

But despite all this, you still love him. It did not waver one bit, despite how much hurt you got from the Quidditch accident, despite the struggle of going through your memories by going around the castle - you still wanted James Potter.

With a resigned sigh, you look up at him again to see his sleeping figure and wondered just how it all went so badly wrong.

You look around the Great Hall pointedly ignoring the way people were whispering as you walked by, it has been like that ever since James Potter very oublicly announced that you werer the new subject of his latest fascination.

At least, that's what you thought. 

There was no way a boy who pined for a girl for 2 whole years would just up and change his mind upon meeting you. He just probably got bored by the same familiar faces in the castle and barely met anyone outside.

You knew you were fresh, and even the other boys in your year wanted their slimy hands on you. You paid them all no mind and headed for the table cluttered with students clad in red and gold. 

Almost full from the attention, you still managed to serve yourself Dinner and pointedly ignored how even the Professors barely concealed their interest in you. You barely made it into Gryffindor, almost getting sorted into Slytherin.

You wondered if Potter's demeanour would be completely different if that was the case. 

You didn't get to think too deeply on it when he made his presence known, pushing aside the 2nd year boy that sat next to you in order to provide space for himself, which he eagerly took with a charming grin your way.

"Oh hey there, ____."

You ignore him. He did not seem fazed one bit as you learned that he's quite used to the treatment, how he's not dying from shame is beyond you. You continue eating until you could barely swallow anything, too uncomfortable from the way he watched you so shamelessly.

"Bloody fuck, what do you want, Potty?"

He lets out an exasperated laugh. "We're on nickname basis, eh?"

"Don't talk to me like we're close, like I like you." you tell him off but he brushed off your harsh words as if they never even left your lips.

"Alright, I'll take it though it's too out of my style -now what to call you. . ." he trailed off, then his lips stretched into a devilish grin. "Pretty girl."

You almost choked in your own spit. "What?"

"Pretty girl, that's your nickname."

"You are unbelievable."

"Thank you." he winks, taking a sip from his goblet.

.

.

"I'm going to be completely raw and honest, and I need you to answer me without any of your jokes and witty remarks," you tell him, biting the insides of your cheeks. "Please tell me it's real."

James frowned, he can see the tears building up in your eyes and it felt like a punch to his gut to see that expression on your face. He was too used to see you either scowling at him or laughing at either his fuck-ups or his jokes, though you admit to hating his audacity, you always laughed when he earned it.

This is new.

This is a new face that he wasn't sure how to process, so he asked - "What do you mean?"

You let a brief moment of silence pass as you gather all your strength to say your thoughts out loud. Nights spent questioning everything, wondering just what and why, you couldn't just come up with the answers yourself, so here you are.

"I need you to tell me it's real. All those months you chased after me, please tell me it wasn't just some game to you to get you out of your rejection streak from Evans - Merlin, please swear to me this is real so I can stop being scared."

His frown deepened, if that was even possible, and he took careful steps towards you. hesitantly grabbing your hand so he can hold it and the action urged you to meet his eyes. Although confusion pooled in them, there was also so much sincerity.

"This is real," James assures you. "This is very real and what I feel for you is not some game. You are not a prize to be won, ____. What are you scared of?"

You let out a humorless laugh as the tears finally fall. "Merlin, I think - I know - I am falling in love with you, and I needed you to tell me it's real because I needed to know it was safe to fall."

James' look of confusion slowly faded away and his pursed lips broke into a wide grin, his hold on your hand tightening as he felt the excitement bubble inside him.

"You don't have to be afraid, pretty girl," James kissed your hand without a second thought. "I will gladly catch you if you fall."

.

.

"James, you're not listening," you tell him with a roll of your eyes and he abruptly stopped whatever he was doing to focus solely on you. "Did you hear a word I said?"

James grinned his charming grin, neglecting to answer you because you both knew what he was gonna say anyway.

You groan. "I said I can't go with you to Hogsmeade, you snogging my face off every chance you get distracted me enough from my Potions essay that is due in 2 days."

James' expression soured at that. "You said it yourself, pretty girl," he smirks with a cross of his arms. "It's 2 whole days away."

"Uh huh, and my parchment is empty, not even a single drop of ink," you roll your eyes again. "Give my lips a break so my hands can get to work - don't even make a dirty joke or I will throw you out."

James let out a bark of laughter. "You can't throw me out of my own dorm room?"

"The bloody hell I will!"

As the memories replayed in your head, you can't help but sink deeper and deeper into your thoughts. The memories always seemed so sweet and innocent, but now had bitter aftertaste from your current predicament.

They did always say to treasure the present, for how quickly it can turn into a distant past - but you are only 17, you didn't think the past would be that far behind you so quickly. 

James would apologize profusely for even bringing up Lily again, he knew how much it scared you to let yourself fall for him. How much you struggled with the vulnerability of being in love, and yet all of that came back to hit you.

You can already tell how dramatic he'd get. Maybe even get on his knees as a grand gesture.

James. . .what would he even say - 

"Galleon for your thoughts, pretty girl?" 

Your head immediately snap to the direction of the voice and you felt your tears finally fall once your eyes met his warm hazel hues. Without even asking any questions, you could already tell that he was back. Your James, he's here.

"Jamey?" You ask, hesitantly approaching him, and he flashed you his famous Potter grin.

"In the flesh," he managed to joke out with a wink. "Mind telling me why my head feels like it got assaulted by bludgers?"

You laughed, throwing your body on him to hug him. The implications could be minded later, you just wanted to celebrate the fact that he's back, you got him back and all your inhibitions melted away.

"You have a lot to make up for," you sniffled, face buried into his neck. 

He hugged you back, his hold on you tight and secure as you allowed more tears to escape your eyes. Your James is finally back, and nothing else mattered for now.

.

Sirius throws his head back laughing, almost spilling the content of his goblet. Remus scooting away to avoid getting any of it to spill on him, making a face at Sirius who failed to see his disgusted expression.

"Fucking hell! We ought to thank McLaggen instead for hitting you," Sirius continues laughing, obviously having had too much Firewhiskey. "Thanks to his cheap ass attack, we got you back, mate!"

James laughed along though his eyes rolled halfheartedly. "Fuckin' twat still has to pay for trying it on with ____."

Remus clears his throat. "He's been hiding from us ever since, quite well, might I add."

Peter laughs from his seat on the floor, lap full of empty snack wrappers. "Least he's got his own head on straight, won't work though."

Sirius finally stopped cackling like a maniac and turned to you who sat on James' lap. "What are you thinkin', ____? Exploding zits? Broken ribs? A broken nose?"

You shake your head with a chuckle. "I am gonna sit this one out. I am just happy James is back."

James smiled at you, making Sirius let out sounds of disgust and Remus with a joking 'boo!' at the cute display of affection. Then Peter perked up from his seat as if he jsut remembered something very important.

"I reckon I've been told McLaggen is deathly afraid of spiders."

the end.

masterlist

-

Tags - @sweetstrawberrianne @d1lf-loverrr @hisparentsgallerryy @jaeviii @simp-for-fiction @froggiedragon @paankhaleyaaar @cumuluscranium @acad3miawhore @notmeduhh @cupcakesnviolets @msmarklee1213 @suyaaachin ! Thank you so much for following this fic 🌸

[wlwsoccerfics]

Diagnosis(LucyBronzeXSamKerrXReader)

A/N: i did a few Changes from the request but i hope you like it. This is my Personal experience. Doesn't have to be like that for someone else.

Warnings: Reader has Autism and ADHD. Talk about Foster care, drugs and bullying.

Summary: you Play for Chelsea with Lucy and she becomes very protective of you. Realizing you and her are similiar in certain behaviors. When you go on a national break with the Matildas Sam has to call Lucy for advice.

You are 15 years old. So really Young. But still very talented. You even made it onto the Chelsea Senior Team and just got your first call Up for Matildas Camp.

It wasn't long until Lucy became protective of you and you moved in with her. Given that you didn't have any parents. Growing up in the system. She was fostering you and planned to adopt you. You were quite thankful that Lucy had a fostering license and wanted to be your Mom. Ona was also being supportive. Not sure about adopting you with Lucy ,but she was being like a cool aunt at the Moment which was fine with you. She was living in Barcelona still. Which is why she wasn't sure this would work. But a move to England was coming up this Summer so that's when she would make a decision.

Currently you were trying to get ready for bed. But your mind wouldn't let you rest. Especially not cause you weren't done with listening to your favorite song three times before brushing your teeth. But you were really frustrated right now, given the fact that you were late with your schedule. You had a routine you like to keep up with. It wasn't always possible when you had Game days and stuff but you enjoyed when things go as planned. That's why you plan in the first place. You and Lucy had hit Traffic,which meant you weren't able to walk Narla on time. That was upsetting you.

This also made Lucy think that you had alot of traits and behaviors that were similiar to hers. Feeling most free on the pitch cause that was your Element and football was your Life.

"y/n, it's late, you have online classes in the morning. Are you getting ready for bed right now?" Lucy asked from downstairs.

"soon..." You just replied, sighing softly because you didn't like being interrupted while listening to your favorite song. You became more and more frustrated with the day. Lucy made a mental note to talk to you about getting tested for adhd and Autism before national camp was starting and you would be away from home next week. By the stressed out tone in your voice Lucy knew not to talk to you more at this very moment. She was aware that you had to focus on something right now. So she didn't mess up your routine. It was a learning process for her as well.

It was almost midnight when you finally managed to get into bed. And took you another hour and fifty minutes to fall asleep.

The next morning you were up at 4:35am. Taking a quick shower. Having coffee and then turning on your favorite Anime. You still had like 3 hours left before online classes and 7 hours left before Football practice.

Around 5:30 am you heard Lucy wake up. She got ready for the day as well. Joining you on the couch after a quick shower.

"morning kiddo!" Lucy stated. Smiling softly at you. You lean your head against her shoulder.

"morning Lucy." You replied with a small smile.

"how did you sleep?" She asked, even though she was awake as well most of the night so she had heard you walking around in your room.

"we both know i didn't really sleep much and was up most of the night. Cause i heard you being up as well." You answered. Lucy chuckled a bit, but also looked more and more sure that she was on the right track with thinking you might be autistic and have adhd.

"okay, valid Point!" Lucy admitted.

"you look like you want to discuss something." You stated.

"busted. I do want to talk to you about something really important!" Lucy let you know.

"Go ahead!" You replied and offered her a small smile.

"i came to realize that you have alot in Common with me. And i am not just talking about how you Play football." Lucy explained. You just nodded your head softly.

"can you hurry this up, please? My anxiety is through the roof right now!" You admitted. Biting down on your bottom lip. Letting out a small sigh. "Sorry." You added on.

"it's okay. I think you might be autistic or have adhd as well, maybe even both." She explained.

"so i should get tested? I have thought about this as well If i am honest!" You said.

"this Is exactly what i wanted to talk to you about. I can make you an appointment. Hopefully figure this out before you go to national camp." Lucy stated.

You agreed and she made an appointment for you while you had online classes. Later that day you had practice before a game against Manchester City tomorrow night. Before that Game you would be able to go get tested for adhd and Autism. Something you were nervous about but you also wanted to know.

At the appointment you had to answer questions about what you would do in certain situations, talked about Rituals and things like that. The appointment took around three hours. Such a long time. Which did clash with your Rituals before a game. But it also confirmed that you indeed had both. Just like Lucy.

Lucy made a mental note to talk to Sam about it, since you would be going to Matildas Camp with her. And she wanted her to know about it. Maybe even be able to help you with your routine.

The final Game before your national break was on. You were starting. Together with Lucy & Sam. It was the second half of the Game. It was 0-0 right now but not for long. You were around 20 meters away from the Goal but saw the keeper was out of the Goal, so you used the opportunity and just kicked the ball, hard but with precision. And it went into the back of the net. 1-0 in Minute 87. Your Team celebrating you. Thankfully you managed to keep that score on your side and the Game ended.

Half an hour later after celebrating with the Fans, taking pictures and giving away your shirt you were back in the changing room now. You were about to take a shower when Lucy pulled you aside to let you know she will tell Sam about your diagnosis so she can keep an eye on you for her in Australia.

You arrived at Camp Yesterday. Three days ago there were some comments on the Internet that somehow knew about your diagnosis. You had no idea how the word got out but it did. Alot of people showing their support but then there were comments like:

'always knew something was wrong with her'

'so that's why she is so weird during interviews'

'she doesn't belong on the pitch'

'probably why she grew up in the system.'

'what a freak.'

During a water break at practice you look at your phone seeing more comments like that. You drop your water bottle and ran away.

"y/n!" Steph yelled after you. Kyra and Sam tried to run after you. But you were too fast.

"someone call Lucy!" Caitlin yelled out.

"i will call her." Sam stated and walked back to her bag and pulled out her phone. Kyra checking social media, because it was obviously something on your Phone that had upset you. Thanks to Google she had found what she was looking for. Showing it to Sam who was dealing Lucys number.

"that's bad." Sam said and frowned softly.

"it really is." Everyone agreed.

"Sam? What's wrong?" Lucy asked right away. Having a bad feeling.

"uh, we lost your Kid!" Sam stated.

"you did what?!what the hell happened?!" Lucy yelled into the Phone so Sam had to hold it away from her ear.

"technically she ran away. And we think we know why. Kyra found pretty nasty comments about Y/n being diagnosed and the newest ones are talking about she being yours and Chelseas charity Project! Among other nasty comments like her parents probably giving her away cause they knew about her having Autism and ADHD." Sam explained. This was of course not true. Your birth parents both were drug addicts. To the start of your Life was really rough.

"that's not okay and not true at all. She is my kid. No matter what. Those people are cruel and hateful." Lucy answered. She was angry with the people who were mean to you.

"we all know this and so does y/n. She is probably just shocked or overwhelmed." Sam admitted. "Kyra tried calling her but she won't pick up." She added.

"is there a lake nearby? She likes to sit there when she is overwhelmed." Lucy explained.

"there is! I will see If i can find her and talk to her. Gonna let you know what's going on soon!" Sam said.

"yes please." Lucy stated.

Sam went to look for you with the help of Mini and Steph. Turned out Lucy was right. You indeed sat at the nearby lake.

"y/n, hey..." Sam said softly, sitting down next to you. Mini did the same so you sat in the middle of them.

"hey...sorry for running away." You answered.

"it's okay. We saw the comments. Kyra found them." Mini explained.

"oh." Was all you said.

"they aren't true, though." Sam told you. You looked away for a bit. Trying to collect your thoughts before you spoke up again. Saying that you deep down knew about them not being true but you often struggled with being in your head alot.

Mini and Sam walked to the Hotel with you and you called Lucy.

"kiddo, hey. Glad to see you." Lucy said softly.

"glad to see you too. I heard you knew what happened." You stated.

"i did. Those comments are a lie. You are my daughter no matter what. Not a charity Project. I Love you, Kid." She told you.

"i Love you too,Mom." You answered. This was the first time you called her that. You noticed her tearing up.

"aww y/n." She said softly.

"are you crying?" You asked.

"No i got something in my eye!" She stated and smiled gently. You talked for almost an hour before you had to get back with the team. Cause tomorrow you would start in your first game. But you also looked forward to getting back to England and see Lucy again.

[tarnishedxknight]

Drace and Gabranth had fallen back to sleep again, nearly oblivious to the time and with both of them assuming that Larsa would still be in his own room. They were, of course, mistaken.

Being a far lighter sleeper than Drace, Gabranth awoke to the sound of mumbling in his room. Mumbling that most certainly not Drace, for it was farther away from him and sounded too young to be-

...too young to be...

He opened his eyes and rolled over, looking towards the door as he tried to blink away sleep as quickly as he could. Larsa. Larsa? Larsa! "Drace!" he blurted out in what could only be described as sheer panic. No, no, no, he wasn't ready to see Larsa yet, not yet, he couldn't, it was too soon, he-

That woke her up well enough and she too turned towards the door, seeing the reason for Gabranth's alarm. "Oh. Gods," she said awkwardly in a mixture of surprise, thwarted sleep, and partial annoyance. Larsa knew better than to enter either of their rooms, be it in their own time or this one, without knocking first. He knew better because they had taught him as much. But another voice in the back of her mind warned her not to be too harsh on the boy. It has been a rough couple of days for all...

Drace got out of bed, even as Gabranth drew the blankets over his head, wholly unwilling to let Larsa see him in a panicked state twice in one week. She was fully clothed, which might have helped to dispel some of the wanderings of Larsa's mind into less family-friendly territory. Running her fingers through her half-short and half-longish, graying hair, she made her way over to the boy. "Alright, let us go back to my room, young lord. You know Gabranth is not a morning person," she said.

She'd decided to conduct herself as if nothing was wrong. As if there hadn't been a shockingly painful revelation regarding the boy's parentage the day before. As if they were in their own time, and this was just another day of dealing with an intelligent albeit still very young lord. Keeping up a sense of normalcy would be good for Larsa right now, she guessed.

With a motherly hand at Larsa's back she ushered him out of the room and into the hallway. "'Tis customary to announce oneself by knocking before entering someone's private quarters, my lord. You know this," was all she said on the subject, not wanting to chastise Larsa overmuch at this moment. "Give Gabranth some little time and he will receive you, I am sure," she added, praying that was true...

Gabranth stayed frozen under the blankets until all sounds of Drace and Larsa had ceased. And then, he stayed a few minutes longer. Larsa must think me an utter dolt, he thought harshly of himself. He'd just not had his guard up, nor was his professional face worn. He'd not been prepared to see Larsa in that moment, nor had he been prepared for the boy to see him in that state.

But before long, a new panic set in. What if Larsa decided not to mind Drace anymore? Surely they'd both lost the boy's respect quite literally overnight. If Larsa decided he was coming in anyway, then who was to stop him? Would Drace insist? Perhaps... but perhaps not. And if Larsa came in again...

That was enough to have him throwing off the blankets, grabbing some clothes, and heading to the bathroom to wash and change. There was no time for a shower, but he did his best to quickly wash up and at least make himself presentable. Pausing and staring at himself in the mirror above the sink, he could see the amber color of his eyes, the orange Mist swirling around in the irises as it responded to his emotional volatility. Within minutes, however, he collected himself - or steeled himself, was perhaps a better way of saying it - and forced himself to be alright with seeing Larsa again, if the boy pressed the issue.

Larsa did not expect to be unfrozen at all, let alone in the future. When he had snuck upon Gabranth's ship set for Pharos he did it to ensure the peace would be possible. The last thing he remembered was running towards fallen Gabranth and then... Light. (Marvel AU) - tarnishedxjudgement

@tarnishedxjudgement

Noah didn't have the same abilities and resources in this time period with which to inform himself of anything and everything that was going on around him. He was in the dark, most of the time, unless directly informed of things, a condition he hated. Being at the mercy of others he neither knew nor trusted for information was not a position he usually found himself in.

It was the reason he hadn't known about Drace being found after him until she was brought one day to the training compound. Inexplicably, after executing her in his own timeline, here she was again, seemingly from another. The entire experience was wholly jarring, but not nearly as jarring as losing his only son.

So often had Noah thought of Larsa in the months following his revival in this strange time. Thoughts invaded his peace, his sleep, his ability to function, until he found himself so erratic and unhinged that he did not recognize himself anymore. Even Drace found it difficult to comfort him, and she had always been a master of that feat. There was no closure to be had, no second chances, no going back... and that knowledge was eating Noah alive from the inside out.

But once again, information had been kept from him, and yet another arrival from Ivalice to the Avengers compound was neither expected nor necessarily wanted. Would it be another Dalmascan? Gods forbid a Rozarrian. And the way the people of this time seemed to think that all Ivalicians got along and would be happy to see each other was beyond irritating to him. Nevertheless, when he was specifically summoned to greet this newcomer, Noah begrudgingly left his quarters to do so.

What he saw... stopped him dead in his tracks. Within seconds, his expression betrayed him, and within a few more, he was on his knees, his legs giving way in disbelief of the sight that lay before him. It was little Lord Larsa, looking just as he did when last Noah laid eyes on him, perfect as can be.

He knew he should say something, but words betrayed him as well as his own legs had. Instead, he merely stared, the absence of his helm serving to display to the boy all the shock, confusion, and relief at seeing him standing there. Finally, he forced out the only two words he felt he could say without falling apart.

"My lord..."

[delayeddrabbles]

LAST CALL (obx post s3) request

concept: Rafe is waiting around while Sofia and her male coworker are packing up. Sofia’s coworker is teasing her about Rafe always hanging around, picking her up after work, never leaving the bar to sit elsewhere. Rafe takes the giggling and shoving to be flirting and sulks in the car, mumbling something about how she should be more careful, especially if customers treat her that same way when he’s not around. Sofia is furious, and this forces them to discuss being exclusive.

a/n: I've resurrected my writing blog again. This one-shot is long at about 4k words, and the dividers belong to @omi-resources. possessiveness, jealousy, emotional immaturity, and some toxic behaviour. swearing. sexual references. No smut. proofed by @araybiaaa @lostsyren @cherubfille

Sofia can feel the chill of this lingering distance between them even after all these months. It's in how Rafe always keeps her at arm's length. No closer, no further. He's never fully relaxed. He's never quite affectionate enough. It takes him weeks to even want to sleep and cuddle. 

She's a guest in his house, never truly a part of the furniture. He'll play the gracious host, fetching her a towel or making her tea, but it begins to grate on her. The more months roll by, the more uncertain she gets about where they stand. 

She knows where he keeps his favourite cereal bowl, his Dyson, and the spare batteries. She could walk the length of his new home blindfolded, but he still seems to see her as something set apart. Something distinct. Foreign. She's not a part of his life but simply passing through. There’s no point getting comfortable. That's why it bothers her so much when he dares to step into hers. 

It happens one late spring Saturday evening. Rafe arrives, as always, for the last hour of her shift and slowly nurses a drink at the bar till she's done, pacing himself just enough to get a buzz but still drive them home.

He keeps to himself, shoulders tense, eyes down, ring tapping on the bar. At first, she thought it was simply shyness, but tonight she noticed how he turns his back when old school friends walk by or pretends he's heading out soon when his fellow developers offer a seat at their table.  The Kook from his drunken summer afternoons with the boys is nowhere to be seen. Instead, he shrinks, he’s awkward, loitering like a kid waiting for their mom to finish talking so they can leave. A familiar, unnerving twist tangles in her gut. 

Not again.

"Trouble in Paradise?" Greg drags her attention away from Rafe and back to stacking chairs.

"Something like that," Sofia murmured as she shook the tension out of her cheeks, relaxed her brows, and pushed herself back into packing up. The sooner she’s done, the sooner Greg can mop. The sooner they’re done, the sooner she could sink into a deep, hot bath in Rafe's beautiful, luxurious tub and shake off this day. 

Rafe isn’t Colin. He’s not going to hide you from his friends. There’s nothing to worry about. 

"Don't worry," Greg shimmied closer with a boyish grin and glimmering green eyes as his voice dropped to a cheeky whisper. "He's into you." 

A bolt of giddy nerves shot through her, and Sofia swiped at him. A giggle tumbled from her lips as her spirits lifted. "Shut up!” Her fingers caught in the edge of his curly dark hair as she shoved that proud smirk away. She covered her hot cheeks as she pointed a warning finger at the younger server. “You know nothing, remember? You pinkie promised me!" 

"And I take pinkie promises very seriously." Greg straightens with broad shoulders, a serious, stiff upper lip, and a fake tie he pretends to fix, and Sofia can't help but laugh again. "I'll never tell a soul what I saw until you two are ready for people to know... Doesn't mean I can't have opinions."

Greg had unfortunately been the first victim of Rafe’s unique ability to talk Sofia into reckless behaviour. He'd stumbled in on them during one of the many cocktail parties at the club in the coat closet Sofia had been supposed to be manning. They’d calmed him down and sworn him to secrecy. Rafe had wanted to offer him a Benjamin before Sofia had shot that down. 

"What opinions?" Sofia squints at Greg, fighting the blush and grin that threaten to flood her face. It was a relief to finally get to talk about Rafe to someone. To gush and giggle and gossip. 

"Well..." Greg fully sets aside the mop now to give the matter his full attention, propping a foot up on the wooden chair between them so he can lean down to her level. " I think you've got him whipped."

"I do not! Look at him. He won't even come and say hi!"

Greg immediately waved at a staring Rafe, who scowled and turned back to his drink. 

"Oh, he wants to eavesdrop so bad right now!"

"Don't be mean!" Sofia nudged him again.

"I'm serious! He's here every Saturday like clockwork. Every late shift you have, he picks you up, and he drops you back again. He's always here. Always hanging around. Asking to sit in your section even if it's the shit one under the porch. I’ve even seen him get distracted by you when he's here with those loser friends of his.” 

“You notice a lot.” 

“I get bored. Point being. He wants you...bad"

"I..." Sofia’s smile slowly fades as she searches the worn boards of the deck for reassurance. His words ring false in her ears. Rafe’s never that open. He’s never that obvious, at least not to her. He’ll pick and choose what he invites her to. He’ll tread so carefully. Something cold and heavy slithers through her belly. "I don't know..." she sighs with a half-hearted shrug and turns back to setting chairs up on the tables so he can clean. A weight settles in on her shoulders and cheeks again. “Maybe you’re right.”

"Well, how long has this thing been going on?" 

"Six months… give or take?"

"Then it must be serious."

"Yeah, you'd think that but...I don't know..."

It'd been a strange few months. Rafe had blown into her life like a palm frond in a storm, stumbling, jaunty, and unexpected. The first three months had whisked by before she could even comprehend them.

"It's weird… different..." Sofia couldn't quite put this unshakable dread into words. "He's different."

The sex was fun and hot, and surprisingly easy. Their time together felt natural and calm and bubbling with flirtation, like floating downstream on a hot summer’s day.

This whole thing could easily have just been chalked up to cuffing season and impending winter blues. They could've drifted apart while she was away with family for Christmas, but they didn't. They could've called it quits in the depths of January, and no one would've blamed them, but they hadn't.  Before she had really had time to process what had taken root between them, Ward had died, and all socially acceptable exit ramps for her had immediately disappeared. 

What were you supposed to do when the-person-you're-sleeping-with's parent dies? Back off? Press closer? Send flowers? How were you supposed to even grieve someone that half the town already believed was dead?

Things had shifted and deepened so sharply and swiftly. She saw him unravel when no one else did. She stayed over more and more. They kept to themselves more and more. That enclosed space, that intense amount of time together, gave her a crash course in Rafe Cameron, and now she felt dangerously close to falling for him completely. She could feel it coming, daunting and inevitable like a king tide slowly approaching. Overpowering and haunting and strangely beautiful. She'd had no chance to run. 

He had. Why hadn't he taken it? 

"Look..." Greg continued to flit around her as she worked. "Remember when you did that half day on New Year's so you could go to some stupid Kook bullshit on a boat.” 

“Yeah 

“I was restocking the glasses, and you clocked out and ran to quickly get changed?"

"I remember"

"I caught him staring at your outfit. Openly, Sofia. In public. Way before you even realized. He was all..."  Greg dramatically imitated Rafe, playing it up for dramatic effect. First, he was grouchy and sullen and standoffish. Then he pretended Rafe had drooled everywhere at the sight of her and fallen right off his stool, and Greg mimed Rafe getting a semi with a spare rag at his crotch as a tent. The ridiculousness of it caused Sofia to break down into breathless, stomach-aching laughter. "You've got nothing to-"

"Everything all good over here?" 

Sofia's heart lurched as she tried to catch her breath. The pair leapt apart, half expecting a lecture from their manager for slacking, only to find Rafe towering over them. White shirt pulled tight by his crossed arms. 

How long had he been standing there?

"Ah….” Sofia tried to respond as giggles still tremored in her voice, “Ah yeah..." Rafe was just as stern and disapproving as Steve would’ve been, but he hid his disdain behind that plastic smile and glassy, impenetrable eyes. She could see the white of his knuckles and the taut muscles in his jaw. " We’re good. Totally fine"

Those sharp eyes stayed trained on her as his jaw twitched. 

“Good.”

Slowly, he stepped between the two of them and twisted his back to shield her from Greg. The invasion of his personal space forced Greg to retreat. A rather obvious hand slid along the small of the back, and the cool half-empty glass in his hand sent goosebumps up her skin. Sofia was caught between the shiver down her spine and the anger curling in her fists. His free fingers came to rest on her hip as he ducked to press a firm, purposeful kiss on her temple. 

"We were just messing around.”

A soft, unconvinced hum vibrates against her side as Rafe shrugs and lifts his glass from her hip and over his shoulder to wave it at Greg. Once Greg takes the glass, Rafe goes straight back to paying him no mind, acting as if his presence here is no longer required. She sees his blue eyes squint to study her, try to catch her in a lie, but there's none to be found. 

"We're almost done," she tries again, knowing how immovable and stubborn he can be at the best of times, let alone when he's like...this. "Then we can go" 

Rafe mulls it over with a toss of his head and a debating pout before he quickly mutters, “I'll wait in the car," and gives her a curt nod and immediately marches straight for the parking lot.

God, the Camerons had a knack for making you feel like you were the one in the wrong! Like a kid in the principal's office. If he didn't cool off, if he was going to continue to snip and snarl, then that was his problem. She’d find her own way home. 

Being free to leave was one of the benefits of being a guest, after all. 

Once she'd finished her shift, Sofia found Rafe sitting in the car still, disappointingly, sitting in a juvenile sulking silence. She refused to play along, as he pulled out of the country club drive and sped through the balmy night to his house.

"Did you eat? Manny gave me leftovers?" She offered him a bite, between ravenous mouthfuls of roast vegetables that threatened to tumble over and stain his immaculate leather seats. 

He refused.

"Is the ice machine full? My feet are killing me!" 

A nod. 

"Can we stop to get fruit? I want smoothies in the morning." 

He quietly obeyed. 

It went on like that until they finally finished their silent shopping and settled back into the car. She finally caved, cursing under her breath before asking. "¿Ya estás?"

Are you done? Are you ready?

If he pretended not to understand her right now, she was getting out and walking home. All the way to the Cut. 

She saw him actually consider continuing his silly little game for a moment, and a surge of rage rushed through her. His blue eyes narrowed in the moonlight as he bristled, and the irritation still crackles in the air around him.

"He flirted with you..." he stated as firmly and calmly as he could, but she could still hear the restrained anger rattling on his tongue, "right in front of me...and you let him." 

"He wasn't -"  Sofia did her best to swallow her indignation. There was no point in having two hot heads in this car. 

"I'm not an idiot. He was laughing and...and strutting around! He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knows we're -" Rafe tripped on his own words and straight into the very conversation he'd been avoiding for months. 

"We're what, hm?" Sofia swung around on him instantly with tight arms folded across her chest. Rafe's mouth slammed shut. "He did nothing wrong, and you were a dick to him! Shoving your drink in his face like some servant." 

"That's his job!" 

"No! He's a bus boy who wipes tables and scrubs floors!” Perhaps she wasn’t going to be able to be the calm one this time. “You wanna wave your drink at anyone? Then do it at me. That's what I am. That's my job! Or did you forget who you’re dealing with?" 

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"God, you completely blanked him..."

"He pissed me off!" 

"He wasn't even talking to you!" 

"Yeah...” He muttered darkly, turning up the AC and tugging at the front of his shirt that no doubt was trapping hot, humid air against his skin. “He was talking to you, and you flirted." 

Sofia’s eyes widened as they finally hit that bedrock. His mind was hurtling so quickly she could barely keep up with him, let alone untangle her own messy emotions. "I what?"

"You heard me," he bit back as he turned the car onto his street. 

"No, I didn’t!"

"Yes, you did! You touched his hair and laughed at his jokes and batted his arm all cute and eh!" he pulled a face as he mocked her movements and giggles. 

"Oh! so I can't laugh now?"

"Not when you know you're encouraging a guy’s thoughts!”

"What thoughts? That I'm single?"

" He was into you."

"I wasn't flirting, " Sofia huffed, dejected and amazed, flopping back against her seat again. She shifted to stare out the window as the car wound through the bends of the long coastal road, whizzing past rows upon rows of tall hedges and camera-adorned fences.  Maybe she was too low. Maybe she didn't belong. They turned around the last bend before his house as she finally broke the silence. "What's the time?" 

"What?" 

"What's. The. Time?" 

"1:30,” Rafe answered as he pulled into the drive and turned to wind down his window. 

" That's too late to wake my parents..."

She felt his head whip around and heard the seat creak and the rustle of his shirt against the seatbelt.

"You want to go home? We're literally right outside!"

She turned to him and shrugged, "I know." 

"Sof..." He groaned and let his head fall into his hands. Clearly, the thought of him driving her home to the Cut was excruciating. He couldn't stand to be in the car with her for a moment longer. Maybe he wasn't the drive you to the airport kinda guy. 

A knot rose in her throat as pain welled in her chest.

"Never mind. It's fine." She grumbled and waved the idea away, "Just open the gate. I need to sleep." 

Sofia marched straight inside to fill the mop bucket Rafe's never touched with ice for her feet and strip out of her clothes for a shower. Her dream of a relaxing, elegant bath slipping from her clutches, now her mood has sunk. 

"Sof." Rafe appears in the doorway, unannounced and uninvited, and she can't help but groan in irritation. "You can't just ignore my question."

"I didn't hear a question. I heard an accusation," she snipped, slipping out of her white polo and socks. 

"I know what I saw." He dug his heels yet again, and Sofia sighed and kicked off her teal shorts to stand tall and straight and meet his eye.

She stood there, bare and cold in her underwear and it got no reaction from him. No sympathy. No attraction. Just folded arms and hard grey eyes.

"If you're so sure you know what happened, then why are you even asking me?" She shrugged, letting her hands slap against her thighs as they fell. " You made a scene at my place of work. You came in, throwing your weight around like some caveman chasing off my friend. You've made your point. I'm yours, and everybody knows it! What? Now you want me to admit that i'm a cheat too?"

"Flirting isn’t-"

" It is to me! So don't throw that word around like that. And you wouldn't be so mad if it didn't mean something to you, too. I can't both yours and not yours at the same time! You can't have it both ways. " She sees his retort die on his tongue and she sighs and turns on the water "Now, I'm going to take this shower and ice my feet because I've just come off a massive shift which you don't seem to give a shit about and then when I'm not tired and sore and gross anymore then maybe we can talk. Ok?" 

"Fine"

Wearing his shirt felt like giving him a win. Why had she been stupid enough to concede that he'd successfully marked his territory? Admitting he had some kind of claim on her felt like letting him justify his actions.

However, the worn Led Zeppelin shirt currently folded under her pillow still called to her, in spite of herself. The shirt was a ratty old thing covered in bubbling fabric and holes at the seams where he'd grown too fast too quickly. It was a poorly chosen gift from Rose to impress a boy who was deep in his rap and dubstep era and wouldn't like rock for at least another five years.

Sofia had rescued it from his donations box during the move and clung to it ever since. It was soft and loose and made her feel like her old Pogue self again, wandering through record stores and thrift shops and squeezing every last use out of everything she owned.  Somehow between the gifts and the mansions she could feel that girl fading.

Sofia slid the faded black shirt on and padded gently down the stairs towards the distant sound of banging and the glow of the kitchen light spilling into the hall.

She finds him surrounded by an explosion of mismatched Tupperware scattered across the white stone countertop and the designer wood and resin chopping boards covered with messily cut uneven slices of fruit. 

She leans against the doorway for a moment to take in the view. The boy who was waited on hand and foot his whole life is standing in his kitchen at 2:00 am, cutting her fruit. Meal prep and school lunches weren't exactly in his vocabulary. The sight brings a soft smile to her face and warms her heart. A soft peace washes over her.

"I needed to clear my head," he explained, feeling her watching. He's quick to cover the gesture up in practicality and selfishness. 

"Here..." she quickly crosses the kitchen to reach around him and help him repack the banana properly. "This'll brown if you don't..."

“Just let me do it…”

“No, it’s fine. I can help!”

"Stop!" The clatter of the knife slamming down onto the stone startled her. Sofia stumbled back as he turned on her with a heavy, heated sigh. Like she's a nagging wife he can't shake. "God! Can you just not correct me for one second! Fuck...."

She flinched at that curse, her fingers stuck in rigid, tight claws, and her heart pounding. Hot shame quickly melted the cold panic. "I... I didn't..."

His eyes run down over the shirt, and it somehow angers him further. Ok, so the fruit wasn't the white flag she'd thought it was. They were still very much at war. 

"This whole night, you've been acting like I'm always wrong. Like I’m crazy! Like I'm seeing things that aren't there…" 

Shaken by his outburst, Sofia fumbles for her words, a knot lodged in her throat, and tears pricking her eyes. Her voice is barely a whisper, "I... I don't think you're crazy." 

"Yeah, well, everyone else does! " He gestures to the window with an erratic, forceful hand and suddenly surges forward. "You took his side!" There's a crack of pain in his voice.  "He was hitting on you, and you just laughed!"

"Hey!" She captured his flailing wrist and pulled it tightly against his side. "Hey...” She softened her voice and loosened her grip. “I'm sorry…I'm sorry.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and pulled him into a tight hug. He stiffened at first, but she held firm. “I...." Her eyes search the room for the right words to soothe him as her calves begin to ache. "I didn't mean to make you feel like this. " She gently rubbed his back, and slowly she felt his muscles unwind and his weight rest against her as she sank back down onto her heels, and he folded with her. "It was just a stupid joke. He was being an idiot and making fun of you, and I should've stopped him, and I didn't, and I’m sorry for that. It wasn't flirting. It was...he was cheering me up." 

"He was making fun of me?" 

"Yeah...I felt weird about... this. You and me. And...and so he was trying to convince me that I had nothing to worry about.”

“You were worried?”

“Yeah..." she pulled back just enough to lift his gaze to hers "We never talk about us, Rafe. We just carry on like this is normal. Like nothing needs to be said."

"What would need to be said? You know everything."

“I don’t. We’ve been coasting, baby. You’ve had a lot going on, and I get that, and it’s fine, but this thing with me won’t just iron itself out on its own. We actually have to talk about it.”

“Do we have a problem?”

“No…” she smiled endearingly at the confused look on his face as she stroked his cheeks. “The opposite. I'm not saying I want to break up. I"m saying i want to stay. I want this to work.

"You know I'm not good at this shit…" he ducked his head in shame, mumbling that admission.

“I know, but I need you to tell me what you’re thinking…Try that at least…”

"Ah ...yeah, I mean. It’s been bothering me… I thought I could just wait it out. Follow your lead but then that asshole kid-" she perched a chiding brow and he pulled himself back from the grumbling rant he wanted to slip into. His eyes lifted back to hers again. "I want this. We’ve gotten through some gnarly shit together and you haven’t quit yet, even when you probably should’ve...”

“Rafe…”

“But I can't-... That’s all I can really say right now. Promising any more than that it-...I want you here. Now. And there’s no one else in the picture.”

Sofia had braced herself for a holding response. For him to kick the conversation down the road another few months. She hadn't prepared herself for him to jump straight to exclusivity without her having to probe him. It caught her off guard, provoking a flip in her stomach.

“No one else?" she stammers fighting a beam that wants to burst forth on her flips.

Rafe ducked his head for a moment, no doubt hearing the excitement in her voice, and thankfully, he eased the tension. "Nah," he shrugged, scrunching his nose with a teasing nonchalance.

Sofia laughed freely now, wiping away stray tears. Relief flooded her as she tugged him into a warm m deep kiss that he melted into. She knew she was owed a thousand apologies, for the accusations, the raised voices, the time wasting, all of it, and yet each gentle touch, each tender peck was enough. it showed in small ways, in quiet ways, that he cared. That he understood what a blessing she was in his life, and that she could leave at any moment. That her heart was fragile and precious and not to be trifled with.

"Let's get you to bed."

playlist

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"HE DIDN'T DESERVE YOU"

It's being a while since the last time I post a Logan fic, so I wrote a short one with an idea that came to my mind literally right now

I hope you like it! ☺💛

You didn't know what the hell you were doing there.

You promised yourself that no matter what, you wouldn't knock on his door.

That was back when you were still with your boyfriend, and he hadn't cheated on you with your best friend yet, of course.

The tears running down your cheeks made it hard to see clearly.

Still, you could make out the number 60 on his apartment door. You took a deep breath and knocked.

Logan opened it slowly, thinking it was someone trying to sell him something, but when he saw you so vulnerable on his doorstep, your makeup smeared from crying, his protective instinct took over.

"Y/n," he whispered, looking at you intently, "What happened to you?"

"I… he… she…" you began, unable to form a sentence that made sense.

"Shhh, calm down, honey," he said, pulling you into a hug as he closed the door. "Sit down, I'll get you something to drink."

You sat down on his couch, and a few seconds later, he came back with a cup of water in his hands.

His gaze scrutinized your face as you took small sips.

"Thanks for letting me into your house," you murmured, embarrassed. "Sorry for waking you up."

"It's okay," he assured her. "I don't usually sleep much." He rested his elbows on his knees. "Who did this to you?"

You took a deep breath before beginning your story.

"My best friend," you shook your head. "Well, now my ex-best friend has hooked up with Dale," you blurted out. "Do you remember him?"

“Yeah,” Logan growled. He’d never liked that guy before, he didn’t give him a good feeling. “I remember him.”

“Well… that’s what happened,” you sniffed. “I… I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I didn’t want to be home alone because otherwise I know I’m going to start thinking about it, and I don’t want that to happen.”

Logan nodded, understanding how you felt.

Despite what it might seem like, and despite his detached and sometimes rude attitude, he didn’t like being alone for too long either. When he did, his darkest memories came to light, and he wanted to bury them deep within the confines of his mind so they wouldn’t see any light.

"I'm not very good at comforting people," he began in a low voice, "so all I can tell you is that that guy whose name I no longer remember can go fuck himself," he said, making you smile through your tears. "It was clear that he didn't know how to see or appreciate what was in front of him," he explained. "He didn't deserve you."

"Thanks, Logan," you murmured. "That means a lot to me."

"You don't have to thank me, darling," he winked at you mischievously. "You know I'll always be here to help you."

[katuschka]

Olalla Chapter Sixteen 2/2

Jake Kiszka x f!OC 5.145 words

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, intended for adult readers. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental. Also, if you're under 18, go find some other entertainment elsewhere.

Warnings (are spoilers): kissing, fluff, some angst and arguing, sore muscled, talking about abortion (retrospective), alcohol consumption and intoxication, alcohol insomnia, allusions to oral sex, petting, unprotected sex, including some rough fucking in you squint, language, and as always, an unhealthy dose of heavy emotions and feelings

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Previous chapter Olalla masterpost

A lime tree was burning down like a torch, Annie sat under, getting scorched. And all the boys cried as the cinder covered her. All except one who falsely loved her.

April 22nd 2026, Mount Pierce, Jake

---

He had never felt so humiliated. 

A former jock, my ass! That was a million years ago, apparently. But still, being able to frolic onstage for hours made Jake live in an illusion that he was still perfectly fit and in good shape, despite Josh’s occasional half-hearted mocking remarks. Scrawny asshole. 

He would probably laugh his tiny ass off if he could just see them and watch how Jake’s dignity bursted like a soap bubble the moment Veela set the pace uphill, and the remaining residue prevented him from telling her to slow down. 

The chronic lack of sleep, the crazy schedule and the bad habit of drowning his sorrows in booze had really taken its toll on him after all. 

He could keep up with her for the first mile or so, but the moment the trail got steeper, she was constantly several steps ahead, full of stamina and life. Like a captured wild animal that was finally set free again. He should rejoice. And he did. Really!

But every now and then, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to wait for him while flashing him a sympathetic smile, which always made him feel like shit. 

So, he was actually glad that as soon as they reached the alpine zone, she stopped bothering. Instead, she soon disappeared from sight, no doubt too lost in her own daydreaming to care for poor old Jake who kept huffing a few hundred feet behind her. 

The rest of the way to the top felt like an eternity to him, only to get nearly swept back down by the icy gust as soon as he finally reached the large, flat summit. Whose fucking idea was this, and in the middle of fucking April, no less? Oh yeah, right, his! He cursed himself for it, regretting ever suggesting this hellish trip… until he saw her a few hundred feet ahead of him, and quickly hurried to join her. 

She was standing on a flat rock with her back turned to him, looking calm and majestic in the blustering wind. Like a statue of some fucking ancient goddess. Dishevelled strands of her long dark hair bound in a high ponytail kept flapping around her head like seaweed, but she kept still, scanning the horizon as if the whole vast space was her own queendom. 

Two more minutes passed, with Neszka lost somewhere in the introspective world of her fantasies and memories, and Jake lost in the sight of her. Then she turned around and the wilderness surrounding them could not compete with the untamed power behind her eyes. It was there for just a split second before she transformed into a human being again, but he saw it. 

That was what made him love her so much. Sure, she got a pretty face and gorgeous tits, but inside that beautiful human form lived a siren. Enchanting and deadly, stirring strong emotions deep inside his chest from the very first day, except now he no longer tried to fight it.

At last, she finally stepped down from the elevated rock to join him on his spot behind a few stunted conifers that felt a bit less exposed but still offered a breathtaking view. 

Jake expected her to say something, but instead, she just grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him. Fiercely… even though it was far from fiery, with their noses ice cold and runny. They both also nearly fell down as her sudden fierce attack made him stumble and his right crampon grated against a bare stone. No, not romantic at all… and yet. 

“Thank you,” she breathed out laughing when they finally regained balance. 

“So you like it? I hoped you would… not as impressive as the Rockies, but it reminds me a bit of Western Tatras, so I thought... Ya know, some of those places you took us to when we were there with…” Fuck. No escaping him. Not even now.

But she just smiled, seemingly ignoring the  last, unfinished sentence. “Yeah, maybe. Maybe even Karkonosze… this peak’s not that high, is it?”

“4.310 feet.” Not that high, my ass! I almost died today, Jake thought to himself, making a mental note that he should start jogging again.

“Uh huh,” she puckered her lips in mock understanding and nodded up and down appreciatively. “I love it when you speak Mongolian to me. … and I really love this place.” She pecked him on the lips again before looking around once more, obviously reluctant to get back to moving just yet, despite the wind getting stronger and darker clouds gathering on the horizon.  

At this time of year, the mountain tops were still covered with snow, but the changing weather and an occasional rain had turned some parts of the trail into an ice chute. 

Jake was already not looking forward to the way back, and the prospect of rain made it even worse. 

“I think it’s time to go back, Veela.”

“I know,” she murmured, but still didn’t move.

Jake understood. This snowy world existed completely independent of all man-made sorrows, keeping its wild beauty almost out of spite. It was, in fact, the very reason why he took her here, remembering what she once told him. This was the source of her peace of mind, away from the world’s troubles. 

But he was getting cold and as much as he loved seeing her thrive and bloom in fresh air, he longed to be back in their rented cabin. Their time spent there turned out to be the source of his comfort. 

The previous day had started with heavy rain that lasted well until early afternoon. The two of them had stayed in bed almost until lunch, listening to the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof and sharing funny childhood stories. 

The outer world couldn’t reach them there, but one can only ignore it for so long. 

And despite the serenity of this secluded place and their growing, yet still fragile intimacy, Neszka’s smile was still veiled with worry. They couldn’t really run away from it, and she didn’t want to.

A quick facetime with Maya actually made things better, in spite of Jake’s concerns. Neszka’s sister already knew what had happened from his previous phone call and he had also advised her not to talk about it, so this was mostly about the situation back home. She assured them everyone was ok and well. 

She was also still adamant in her attempts to convince their parents to leave the place, but Elena was right. They wouldn’t dare send drones so close to the mountain range. 

Cold comfort. 

When they switched to Polish, Jake cleared his throat and excused himself to go make some coffee, because he was certain they were talking about him… and judging from Veela’s sneaky sly smile and stealthy side glances, he was right. 

Comic relief. 

It was worth it, though, because even after the call ended, Veela’s smile still lingered on. Time to show her why he had brought her here in the first place. 

“We need to go to town,” he started while handing her the steaming cup. “I’d like to go out tomorrow, but we don’t even have decent boots, much less anything else.” 

And so they did. 

Neszka insisted on wearing his hat and shades despite the overcast, simply because she had tried them on earlier that day and loved the sassy look.

So did Jake. In fact, he loved this new version of her so much he didn’t even mind when she stole his cigarettes. 

Later in the evening, they played cards and then watched a couple of movies in bed again, falling asleep sometime during The Last of the Mohycans.

The new day greeted them with a sunny sky, and despite the cool breeze, the weather promised to be warm and stable at least until midday. Jake made breakfast and prepared sandwiches for the day, so Agnieszka bargained that she would cook dinner, despite his constant grumbling.

And so she did, after they finally came back from their hike, drenched and numb with cold, because they hadn’t outrun the rain. Jake didn’t argue. Instead, he disappeared in the bathroom as soon as he could. Hot shower had never felt so good. 

After dinner, Jake grabbed his guitar and a bottle of whisky and went outside to sit on the porch, because Neszka insisted on baking him a cake and he was not allowed to help, watch or even hang around. 

Their life together was slowly turning to a constant battle of who would do what. The petty bickering usually ended in a kiss… until they started anew just minutes later, stubborn heads clashing over yet another insignificant task. 

Jake secretly loved that. Sometimes he provoked her on purpose. 

However, this evening he didn’t really mind and just let her do whatever she wanted. With a new melody stuck in his head that begged to get tweaked, Jake in fact appreciated some privacy. The air was thick with mist after the late afternoon rain, turning the woods that surrounded that cabin as well as the hills in the distance into an eerie place that suited the mood of this new song. 

It didn’t take long for the world around him to turn dark blue before it got completely swallowed by darkness. Only the fog still lingered like a blanket that keeps you cold. It inspired him, helping him turn some of the weight on his shoulders into yet another sad tune. 

The only source of light that still illuminated the porch was coming through the window right behind him. It didn’t reach his fingers, but Jake’s eyes were closed now anyway, letting his hands move on their own. 

He usually didn’t bother with words, safe for several exceptions. Those songs were his and his only. He had shared and eventually reworked some of them with Chris, but a few were never meant to be played for others. Lulu’s Lullaby being one of them. Only two other people had heard it so far. 

He was still unsure about this new one. Some things just need to be said… or sung. Not by Josh, though. Not this time. 

So immersed in the chords that spoke to his heart and the hummed words through which the heart talked back, he didn’t notice her already standing in the doorway. That’s why her voice made him jump when she suddenly spoke, the tone of her voice husky and once again tinged with melancholy. 

“He used to play like that… not that well, I don’t mean… In the darkest corner of our garden after the sun came down.” 

“Who?” he croaked while grabbing the neck of the guitar to put it aside, his throat feeling strangely constricted all of the sudden. How much did she hear?

“No, please, don’t stop. Play some more… for me.” 

And so he motioned to her to sit down on the bench next to him. Once again, the fingers moved on their own, recollecting one piece he used to strum a lot while alone in his house in January. It was a simple chord progression, fit to be played by the fire by anyone with two hands. Definitely not something he’d choose to play to impress her. But that wasn’t what she wanted, anyway. 

Even the world’s most famous and haunting tunes are simple. Some masterpieces are just like that, because hurt isn’t always complicated. 

“Hey… I think I know this one,” she smiled. “Can you sing it for me?”

Jake hesitated. For several reasons. “I’m not really a good singer…”

“That’s very hard to believe.” The unspoken ‘because’ once again hung in the air and Neszka bit her lip as soon as she said that. To break the sudden silence, Jake simply started again, this time with the words. 

“Measuring a summer's day, I only find it slips away to grey. The hours they bring me pain…” Then he suddenly stopped again. “Do you know he wrote it about Jackie DeShannon?”

“I have no idea who Jackie Deshnoun is… so no.” 

That made him laugh, and the immediate change of mood was quite uplifting. To chase the feeling, he did exactly what he had promised himself to stop doing: He grabbed the opened bottle standing on the small table in front of them and took a swig. 

Before Jake could put it back, Neszka snatched the whisky from his hand and followed suit. Birds of a feather, he thought glumly. 

“Yeah, erhm,” he cleared his throat. “I mean, it’s interesting… without knowing the story, you’d automatically think it was one of Plant’s women… or no one at all… just because it was him who sang the song when they recorded it. But it’s really about Page’s broken heart after she went back to the States…” 

… and it suddenly occurred to him why he remembered this particular one. Well, fuck again. Time for another round. He gulped the whisky again and Neszka immediately reached for the bottle too. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy girl! You drank half a bottle of wine at dinner. You should be more careful with this shit.” He held the bottle at arm’s length, but Neszka simply stood up and wrenched it from his grasp with ease. 

“And I finished the bottle afterwards. So what? You should stop being so protective.”

“I won’t.” Jake’s tone was suddenly very sober… and quite uncompromising. 

“Wha’ not?” 

“I made a deal with god… or, to be more precise, with the registrar in Copenhagen city hall.”

“Jake, em serious.” 

So was he. This was really between him and god… or whatever deity kept track of their conscience. 

“Well, firstly, because your sister threatened to cut my balls off if I won’t take care of you… and she sounded determined enough to rip them off with her bare hands if necessary. And lemme tell ya,” he leaned closer to her, whispering theatrically: “She scares me!”

Neszka’s laughter rang in the air, shrill and warm. “En’ secondly?”

“And secondly…” The second reason wasn’t funny at all, and he was reluctant to shatter that unusual moment of carefree joy they shared, because such moments were still precious. But they promised each other to talk about these things, so he talked. “Last time, I didn’t care enough… until it was too late.”

Unable to think of more words, he strummed the initial chord and plucked a few following arpeggios, to remind her.

Neszka knew immediately what he meant. She had, of course, long forgotten the melody, but not the mood. “You didn’t really tell me wha’actually ‘appened.”

He sighed. “It’s pretty prosaic. She just went to have an abortion. Without even telling me she wanted to do that.”

“Tha’s not right…”

“Yeah… thinking about it, nothing about our relationship was right. She did it when I wasn’t home… which was most of the time, actually. I think Emilia was resolved to leave me long before she got pregnant.”

“Did you love her?”

“Yes.” At least I thought so. He needed more whisky.

“Hmmm, m’kay…”

Several more minutes passed in silence between them, with them just sharing the bottle and listening to the evening sounds and letting all those words settle.

He should have told her to slow down, but already quite drunk himself, he was in no position to criticize? After all those stressful weeks, they could finally breathe freely again… at least for a while. 

“M’sorry I ruined your birthday,” she slurred, breaking the pleasant silence at last. 

Jake looked at her in confusion, his own vision already a bit blurry. “Whaddaya mean? Yeh jus’ baked me a cake.”

“S’jus’ a simple sponge cake. You derserve more. An’to be with your family.”

He was suddenly desperate for a touch. Realizing he was still bending over the wooden body of his guitar instead, he quickly put it down with a dull clang and pulled her closer to him. “M’exactly where I wanna be, Veela. Besides, not sure there’s much to celebrate. Ah feel like an old man. Especially after today. Everything hurts,” he chuckled.

“Mah fault,” she snickered against his shoulder. 

“Yeah, no shit. Not gonna argue with that.”

Neszka wrapped her arms around his waist and hissed right in his face playfully. “Welcome to the ancien’ club. Zzzzhirtyyy!” 

It made him laugh. “That sounded like a diesel engine.” 

She tried to slap his stomach in mock offense, but Jake grabbed her wrist and pressed his lips to hers instead. Their kiss deepened pretty quickly and she moaned into his open mouth, making his dick twitch as the muscles of his lower abdomen spasmed. 

His brain seemed to stop working, his head was spinning with his eyes now closed, and he was getting completely lost in the sensation, filtering out everything else. The feeling of her soft, warm tongue against his and his own heavy breath was all he could focus on. He was hungry. Ravenous. Eager to devour her and to melt into her, and she bit his lower lips in response, making him growl. 

Suddenly, she straddled him. 

He could feel her fingertips digging into the stiff flesh of his lower nape and he sank his own fingers into the dark mass of her hair that hung over his head and shoulders like a curtain. It was still a bit damp from the shower she had taken after putting the sponge cake in the oven. 

Vanilla…

His world got reduced to abstract twirling visions mixed with very acute sensations. She sounded like a titmouse when he licked a stripe up her exposed neck, while his fingers traveled down her spine…

The darkness surprised him. The dryness in his mouth did not, but… something was wrong. The soft mass behind his head felt like a pillow, meaning he was in bed. 

He tried to sit, but the throbbing head and nausea made him lay down again. Think, Jake.

In an attempt to clear his head a bit, he took a deep breath through his nose and froze. The scent… still lingering on his already visible mustache… so familiar and yet so new. 

Fuck! 

The curse reverberated through the silence that surrounded him, as if he actually  said that aloud. The silence was way too silent, actually. He used his hands first to explore the space around him before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. 

It was coming back to him in flashes like a fever dream. The groping hands. The overturned chair. The cries. FUUUCK! He could still feel her on his tongue, yet she was nowhere to be found, the sheets next to him already cool. And empty. 

Panicked, he scrambled from the bed, chasing the slit of light under the closed door. 

He found her in the bathroom, sitting naked on the cold, tiled floor right next to the toilet bowl. “I was sick,” she muttered when she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. “Too much whisky. I have a terrible hangover.” 

She sounded so matter-of-factly, trying to hide her distress, yet he could still sense the disturbing undercurrent of emotions under those words. Not how it was supposed to be. He could also see she had been crying again. Eyes puffy, cheeks burning.

Quickly, he knelt down to her and pulled her shivering form into his arms. “You’re so cold, baby. Come on, get up, silly girl.” 

Instead, she buried her face in his chest as a sob ripped through her chest. “I’m sorry.”

No! “Why?”

“I’m sorry for being such a burden to you. This shouldn’t feel like such a big deal, but… I… I…” 

No, no, no! Please don’t say you regret it. 

Neszka clung to him for dear life, which was… good? “You’re not a burden, baby. You’re my love. Come back to bed now. Let’s talk about it in the morning.” He could feel her nod and helped her stand up. She refused to go back without brushing her teeth first and Jake wrapped her in a bathrobe before he scurried to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water, ignoring his own heaving stomach. 

Back in their bed, he carefully pulled the comforter over her and she let him spoon her before they both drifted back to sleep a few minutes later. 

When Jake opened his eyes again, woken by the sound of heavy rain, the room was filled with grey light. 

This time he didn’t have to guess or wonder. She wasn’t in bed. She wasn’t anywhere else in the room either. 

“Veela?”

The only response to his soft call was a continuing, oppressive silence. 

First he checked his phone. Nearly 11 am. Then he slowly got out of bed and put his sweatpants on, before he went looking for her. 

She wasn’t in the main room. The bathroom was empty as well this time. When he opened the main door to check whether she wasn’t just chilling on the porch because she loved listening to rain, he saw that his car was gone. 

Nothing else. Just the car. 

Gone. In the pouring rain. After she apologized for being a burden. After he fucked her drunk and neither of them could even remember it. 

Mad with worry, Jake dialed the number of the first – and the only – person he could think of. It rang for a while before it went straight to voicemail. He tried again. This time, he finally picked up. 

“I hope you have a good enough reason for cockblocking me on my birthday!”

“She’s gone,” Jake blurted out, sounding much more alarmed than he wanted to. It was followed by several seconds of silence before his brother spoke again. 

“Jake, what the fuck do you mean? Whaddaya mean gone? What happened?” Josh’s own tone turned from cocky to worried in milliseconds. 

“Dunno… I just woke up. She took my car. And now she’s gone. Left no message.”

Jake could hear Taffy’s annoyed voice in the distance, but Josh quickly shushed him before he spoke into the device again, repeating his previous question: “What happened?” 

“I don’t know...” Even Jake knew that it sounded very unconvincing, and he ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. 

“Did she take anything else?”

“No, just my car keys. Her jacket’s still here…”

On the other end, Josh took a deep breath before he spoke slowly and calmly, which only meant he was alarmed and his mind was racing. “Jake… is, uh, is there a reason why… why this should be concerning?”

“I don’t know… I… she… hang on!” The sound of tires on the gravel road made his heart leap. He glanced through the window to see her pull into the driveway. “Nevermind, she’s here.”

“Listen, you assho…” But Jake hung up before Josh could finish the sentence. He ran out the door and towards the car just as she got out of it, completely drenched as if she had been walking. In just her t-shirt. In this fucking freezing weather!

Jake grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her, ignoring her startled look. She seemed guilty, too. Good, she should. “Where the fuck have you been?!?!” he shouted while the rain kept pouring down on them. 

“I can explain,” Neszka responded weakly. 

“Yeah, you better!” With that, he grabbed her by the arm and forced her up the stairs and inside the cabin. 

“I just needed some time alone,” she started to explain after he dried her up with a towel and placed a cup of hot tea in front of her. They were now sitting at the table opposite each other, like a culprit and her interrogator. She hadn’t seen him this angry in months. 

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long, but that wasn’t my intention. I got lost…”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you need some time alone?”

She sighed, then took a deep breath. “What happened… my mind was not clear and it’s not very memorable either. I’m sure you’ll agree. I needed to know how I feel about it.”

“Okay…?” Jake crossed his arms and pursed his lips, getting ready for the worst part. 

“I want to do it again.”

Jake raised his eyebrows in a silent question. Outwardly, he tried to remain calm, to keep his cool, but inside he was screaming. 

“I want to do it again. I love you. Take me. Make me yours, sweet Jake.”

Agnieszka

—--------

There were no more words. He watched me for an eternity after I said what I said. Or maybe it was just a few seconds, I don’t know. 

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Or maybe I could. I know those seconds were not thought, but felt. Tingling. Every new intake of breath felt heavier inside my heaving chest, as the air around us thickened with anticipation and untamed longing. Watching it grow behind his dark eyes, I almost feared his next move, and yet I couldn’t wait. 

Then I heard the chair below him creak and suddenly we were both standing, still eyeing each other apprehensively.  

Then he moved, and after two swift leaps around the table, he was standing right next to me, so close I could feel the heat coming from his body before I even consciously registered that it was really happening. He was like a wolf, hungry and wild. 

I gasped when he grabbed me by the shoulders again and he quickly filled my open mouth with his impatient tongue. 

This was it. It was the time to give in. But not to give up. I scratched the skin that stretched over his muscles, hardened by the power with which he held me. I pulled his hair when he sank his teeth into the flesh of my neck, making him yelp and growl. 

And just like that, we danced into the bedroom, where he pulled my t-shirt over my head and threw me on the bed, reaching for the button of my jeans as soon as I lost my balance. 

I arched my back when he ran his hand down my sternum, silently begging him to squeeze my tits. My hardened nipples were desperate for his mouth, and I cried out when he leaned down with his knee between my legs and took one of the crimson buds in between his soft lips, teasing it with the tip of his tongue as if he could read my mind. 

It was maddening. My hands roamed blindly over the skin of his back, my fingernails leaving scratches there. 

Then he straightened up again, and pulled both my jeans and panties down with one swift motion. I was now completely naked under him and his scrutiny, my legs hanging over the edge of the bed. His eyes fell on me and his fingertips traced the curve of my hips. 

I scrambled up towards the headboard, to let him see what he just unwrapped. It was his, from the roots of my hair to the depths of my warm and waiting pussy. I spread my legs to let him see how impatient I was. Groaning, he pulled his sweatpants down, letting his hard cock spring free, before he climbed between my trembling thighs. 

I reached out to grab him by the nape of his neck and pulled him down. Our mouths met again, sucking, biting, our tongues fighting for dominance. 

Without warning, I suddenly felt the tip of his cock brush against my entrance. He found the way without any help and I could feel he didn’t want to waste another second. I gasped when he entered me and slowly bottomed out, and my whole body arched under his. 

He sank his fingers in my hair as his palms cradled both sides of my head, forcing me to look at him. I expected to find the previous fierceness in his eyes, but that wasn’t what he wanted me to see. 

The atmosphere in the room changed, and with it, the shared energy between us. 

What he showed me made my heart weep, and he stroked my cheek softly before he started moving inside me. 

My starlight. 

Suddenly, he was meek like a lamb. I wrapped my legs around his waist, inviting him even deeper, and he whined into my ear, rubbing his nose against the upper curve of my earlobe. 

“Please, don’t do this to me again,” he murmured, panting. “Please don’t become just a memory.” 

I felt the urgency of his words with each thrust. All the fear and frustration and tenderness he had been trying to suppress and keep under control for my sake. I suddenly felt the burden of it all, and – feeling guilty of causing it – I welcomed it. I was sure he must have felt a lot of anger too, and I urged him to let go. Grabbing his buttcheeks, I dug my fingernails into the bare, plump flesh. He moaned loudly and quickened his pace. 

“Harder,” I whispered. Surprisingly, he shook his head, so I grabbed a handful of his hair again and forced him to look at me. 

“Fuck me harder!” I hissed through my teeth. “Take me. Break me, if necessary.” 

His eyes darkened again. “That’s right!” he growled. “Mine!” He grabbed the headboard and thrusted into me with full force. I almost screamed and it only encouraged him to go on. Straightening up, he grabbed my hips and started pounding into me. The new angle made me see stars and it didn’t take long for me to tense under him as my orgasm hit me with an unexpected force. 

Jake leaned down again and kissed me softly, but still kept moving, prolonging my high, making me squeeze him. 

His moans grew higher and more urgent, and I could feel him tremble in my arms. He was so pretty, all sweaty, with his eyes closed and his mouth gasping for air. Suddenly, he frowned and looked deep into my eyes again. His hips stuttered and I grabbed his butt to push him all the way in one more time. 

“Fuck…” His eyes widened as he spilled into me, before he finally collapsed on me, panting. 

“Fuck… my baby… I love you so… fucking much!” 

We fucked two more times that day. It was his birthday, after all. 

The second time was slow, gentle and exploratory. The third time he pushed me against the wall. 

As the day progressed, the grey clouds dissipated and the sun emerged from behind them, us with a beautiful sunset. 

I was sitting on the porch, wrapped in a blanket and holding a mug of hot tea in my both hands, when Jake suddenly emerged in the doorway with a strange look on his face. 

“Veela…?”

“Yes?” I turned to him with a smile. 

“Josh is coming.” 

@thewritingbeforesunrise @fleet-of-fiction @writingcold @lvnterninthenight @its-interesting-van-kleep  @takenbythemadness  @edgingthedarkness @myownparadise96  @gvfstuddedmajesty @josh-iamyour-mama @jazzyfigz @tripthelightfantastix @sanguinebats @wetkleenex-gvf @peaceloveunitygvf @kiszkas-canvas @fleetingjake @lizzys-sunflower @hollyco @emojakekiszka @gvfmarge @Dayumclarizzel @lipstickitty @clownstarr @musicislove3389 @i-love-gvf @blankvz @psychedelectable @allof--mylove @joshylanefleet @thewaythatshebreathes @Ironlotus90 @justwantjosh @stardustsam @livviaaa

[doodledoesthing3]

HEYO!!! I GOT NEWS!!

TODAY IS THE SMILING VOICES 1ST ANNIVERSARY!!!! :D

So in honor of the anniversary, here’s the intro for Chapter 4!

CatNap used to hate waking up after his friends disappeared.

There was no point in waking up if he couldn’t see them in the morning.

He missed hearing Hoppy and Kickin’s first game of the day argument. He missed seeing Bobby comforting Hoppy whenever she lost the first game of the day against Kickin. He missed hearing Bubba reading to Kickin whenever he lost the first game of the day against Hoppy. He missed smelling Picky making breakfast. He missed watching Crafty doing her morning paintings. He missed waking up and feeling DogDay giving him head scratches.

DogDay would wake up very early in the mornings and watch the sunrise with a smile on his face. Afterwards, he would go to CatNap’s house and most of the time CatNap would leave his bedroom window open for DogDay to enter. He would always cuddle up with CatNap as soon as he laid down. Despite still being extra sleepy in the mornings, CatNap would nuzzle into DogDay’s fur and start purring. If DogDay wanted to hear more purrs, he would simply start scratching his head and back.

During winter, if CatNap felt cold, he would walk over to DogDay’s place and ask for a sleepover. There were two reasons for why CatNap did this. He didn’t like feeling cold. Whenever they would snuggle up, CatNap would always feel warm from the moment DogDay started cuddling him. The second reason was that whenever there was a loud wind of some kind, DogDay would start freaking out to the point where he would start calling some of his friends to come over. CatNap always felt bad for him whenever that happened.

He would never admit it, but he missed those little moments with his friends especially with DogDay.

But they were gone.

He had no one to watch over.

He had no one to play with.

He had no one to cuddle with.

He had no one to cook a healthy meal with.

He had no one to talk to.

That was until Purgatory happened and then they found the children that were trapped there.

He stepped up as a leader for the Sun Screamers.

Then he stepped up to protect those kids.

He learned how to speak Spanish in order to talk to his Spanish speaking team members and children. He let Diamond brush his matted fur out and after months of not grooming it, his fur felt soft again. He watched over the children as they slept just like how he used to with his friends.

Eventually, two kids in particular named Tuna and Capp’n, would wake up one night and ask him if they could sleep with him for that night. He agreed, letting the children sleep next to him as he curled up into a semi-ball. Tuna cuddled his arm as Capp’n let out snores that would make Bubba’s snores look like a joke in comparison. Occasionally, Capp’n would kick CatNap in the stomach while he was asleep. Tuna on the other hand was a special case. She wouldn’t make a sound as she slept through the night. As long as she had someone in her arms, she was sleeping like a baby.

CatNap would later learn that Tuna couldn’t speak due to her vocal cords being underdeveloped. First, he taught her how to write. CatNap gave her his old communication notebook that he used to use for his friends whenever he didn’t want to speak. Second, he taught her how to use sign language to communicate with others. Currently, he is teaching her how to sort of use her voice. She hasn’t made any progress so far, but CatNap doesn’t mind as long as she’s able to communicate with others.

One of the reasons why he helped her was because he saw so much of his former self in her. He had to protect that. One day, he failed that mission.

The kids went missing.

CatNap and his team only felt two things.

Grief and determination.

Forced to play twisted games and kill others to get answers about where the children were was sickening. CatNap cared about two things during this event. Find where the kids are and keep his team alive.

When they found the children, all of them were trapped in unbreakable glass cages and they could only save one. Spinning a wheel that had the children’s names, Fungus was picked. The moment that Fungus was out of his cage, a loud beeping was heard with flashes of red lights.

Ash screamed that they all needed to run but everyone was focused on trying to get the other children out.

That’s when the ground began to shake as the building began to collapse. The participants were forced to watch as the children that they loved so much were crushed by the rubble. CatNap watched as pieces of the ceiling landed on top of Tuna as she was curled up in the corner.

Everyone screamed and cried, some going as far as looking through the rubble to no avail. Diamond clinged onto his arm, covered in dirt and blood with tears running down her face, and yelled,

“CATNAP DO SOMETHING!”

CatNap didn’t know what to do, but he was the leader of the Sun Screamers, he needed a plan. DogDay would’ve done something by now.

“There’s… There’s nothing we can do.”

They escaped with only one child and some teammates. Everything went by so fast that the next thing CatNap knew, he was in the corner of the train crying. Diamond reassured him that everything was going to be okay even though she had watched someone she had cared about die before her very own eyes. Ash kept trying to keep him distracted by telling him random facts about engineering while trying his best not to cry. Calico let CatNap squeeze his hand as hard as he could, he was pretty sure that he broke it at some point. Topaz rested on Calico’s lap because he got a concussion from a fight before they went on the train. Lucy tried singing the lullaby that CatNap always sang to the pendants and the children, that made him even more emotional. For the first time since Fungus was revived, he cried in his uncle’s arms as they sobbed together. Eventually, he fell asleep with his teammates surrounding him.

The months after were terrible. They kept getting clues on whether or not the kids were alive. The clues got so confusing to the point where CatNap was considering blowing up the clock tower again just so he could get an answer. Luckily, he didn’t have to blow it up again. The main angel, Poppy, had come down and told them that their children were safe and healthy.

They found the children in an abandoned orphanage, but that’s when realization struck. This was not all of the children. Nearly half of them were still missing. They were resting in a coma-like state in that orphanage for four months. Once confronted with this information, Poppy claimed that some of the children didn’t make it and had either died on the way to the surface or died from the collapse. When the kids woke up, they felt weak and sick. Nobody was happy about that for obvious reasons.

Once they were better, they either went to live with their caretakers or they got their own houses. Tuna chose to have a treehouse because she wanted to be close to nature. CatNap helped build her home and even decorated it for her.

He started liking waking up again.

He got to hear Diamond and Ash arguing about what an actual breakfast looks like. He saw Calico helping Lucy brush her long fur. He let Topaz talk his ear off about whatever it was on his mind. He would see Fungus reading one of the old newspapers that Bubba kept. He got to watch Conductor attempt one of Kickin’s old stunts. He would hear Tuna playing her flute to announce her presence.

There was something to wake up to now.

That makes today no different.

Opening his tired eyes, he found himself in bed. How did he even get in bed? The last thing that he remembered was being in his living room. CatNap sat up and stretched his arms, letting out a yawn as he did so. He rubbed his eye before noticing that his fingers on his right hand had bandages.

The cat didn’t remember putting those on.

Perhaps he did it after going into the living room?

That didn’t matter at the moment, the sun was getting ready to rise. The cat dragged himself out of bed before opening his window curtains. The dark sky from the night before was starting to mix in with the morning sun’s pink sky. He opened his window and began to climb up to his roof.

The cold air danced through his fur, making the cat’s skin crawl as he climbed up. Some of the asphalt shingles on his roof needed to be replaced. CatNap could have sworn that he heard one of them crack when he pushed himself on top of the roof. Sitting up on the roof, he turned to look in the opposite direction of DogDay’s house as the sun rose up.

“Good morning, guys.” A smile crept up on his face. “How did you sleep? I think I slept a bit better than usual but it’s nothing like how I used to sleep when you guys were around.”

The sky’s pink and orange slowly faded as it was replaced with a light blue. The cold air was starting to become warm.

“Last night was weird after our talk. When I got home, Harper tried telling me something and I think that I may or may not have snapped at her. Then I saw..it again. I destroyed it for good this time.” He rambled, scratching his arm a little bit. “Anyhow, I might visit Tuna today. I promised that I would hang out with her this week.”

His legs dangled off the roof as he continued on with his ramble.

“Tuna has been trying to say words lately but she only wants to say ‘soup’ for some reason. I think it’s because I made her some fish- wait no, I think it was some kind of cheese soup? Either way, she enjoyed it.” The wind flew through the missing piece of his right ear. “I know that she keeps trying to say another word but I’m pretty sure that it’s a word that she picked up from Ash.”

“It’s probably a curse word- Oh! That reminds me that I have to tell Ash to stop swearing around the ghosts. The other day, Fungus was practicing a new spell and he heard Gabby drop an F-bomb when the spell failed.” CatNap explained with a chuckle. “He was so mad! That kid marched over to Ash’s junkyard at like three in the morning and scolded him for swearing.”

His laughter died down, the sun began to shine ever so brightly. A familiar warmth came over the cat as he hung his head with a frown.

“Anyway, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet so I’ll be getting out of your hair. I know that Picky would’ve scolded me by now…” His gaze drifted off towards the pig’s barn before shaking his head. “I’ll talk to you guys later, okay?”

No one responded to him. It’s fine, he was used to the silence. He stood up and began to climb back down to his room. As he got closer to his bedroom window, he noticed that his window sill had been snapped in half.

Did he do that?

Well, surely CatNap would’ve heard it if he did.

Shaking his head, he climbed back into his bedroom. The cat stretched with yawn before two pendants gained his attention. Hoppy and DogDay’s pendants were laying in his bed, they were half covered by a knitted blanket that CatNap had made a few years back. He made his way towards the pendants as if in a trance. Slowly taking off the knitted blanket and the cat picked up the two pendants before rubbing his face against them.

“Good mornin’, you two.” He mumbled with a small purr.

CatNap carefully placed the pendants down on his nightstand before putting on his own pendant. The moon pendant rested on chest. If only the other two pendants had chests to rest on as well.

Shaking his head, he shoved the two pendants into his bag in order to stop those thoughts from spreading. CatNap quickly left his bedroom to enter the bathroom. The cat did his usual routine.

Turn on the faucet.

Stare at himself in the mirror.

Avoid looking at his right ear.

Groan at his heavy eyebags.

Throw some water on his face to drown out those thoughts.

Stare at himself again.

Grab his toothbrush.

Brush his teeth.

And leave the bathroom.

Quick and easy as per usual!

CatNap scratched his back as he made his way into the kitchen. He could’ve sworn that he heard someone walking around. Perhaps it was Wrench and Gabby playing tricks on him again.

He made it to the kitchen counter and opened one of the cabinets. Grabbing a coffee pot, he quickly poured some warm water in it. The cat turned around to place the pot into the coffee machine-

Which was broken.

Right.

The robbers broke it.

Out of frustration, CatNap smacked his head repeatedly against the counter. His head rested on the cold marble surface. What could he use to wake himself up now? There should be some catnip laying around somewhere.

The fridge door let out a creak.

CatNap raised his head from the counter to glance at the fridge. Picky and his other friends were gathered around the fridge like a campfire. All of his hallucinations had stitches across some part of their bodies. They stared at each other for a moment.

“MRRROOOOWWW!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!”

[cillianmurphysdimples]

You probs won't want to but is there any way you can do a little fic where either yn or Cill pass later in life and what the other experiences at the time? Thxx

I can do that. But I'm going to alter it, if that's okay, and if that's not okay (if you're still around) let me know. I haven't lost a lover, and I don't think I'd do that justice, but I can do the loss of a parent and so instead, I'll write that loss from Clíodhna's POV if you're okay with that.

I've been sitting on this ask for about a month. Today, after a tearful half an hour, I actually felt ready to write it. Forgive me while I, for catharsis, use a story I know.

WARNINGS for death of a loved one. Please don't read if you don't want to.

Go raibh mile maith agat - thank you very much

Story under the cut

From Clíodhna's perspective, told in the form of her speech at the funeral.

I can't say goodbye to the best part of my life. But even if I could, even if we would, what would I say? We know that love is stronger than hate, harder than suffering, hurts more than pain, and if this is the end, well darling it's been everything.

......Like both Aran and Malachy had already said, it was a shock. It came so suddenly, nobody expected it. Mam and Dad had been slowly getting older, of course, but it didn't really hit me until I watched Dad at his seventieth birthday dinner. Seventy isn't old, like, but something about Dad that night felt different and I know that Mal and Aran saw it too. By seventy one, as so many of you know, Dad was diagnosed with cancer. We knew by the time that it was all confirmed, it wasn't a good prognosis and time was...short. But Dad, y'know, he smiled and he said:

"Ah, sure...don't we all have to go some time, leanbh?"

He was right, of course. But that smile didn't last too long, and when he had Mal and Aran over that night to tell them he cried for the first time. Dad was emotional at times, but I only ever remember him really crying when Granny and Granddad died. But it hurt him to tell my big brothers that he was sick, and he'd be leaving us behind when he so badly wanted to be here. He sat with us, and Mam, and Auntie Von, and he said:

"Promise me something? Look out for one another - you three. You five."

Mam told him he was maudlin, and she was right - but she was too. He had so many more plans, so much more work, another meeting with Enda! He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready as he went to his appointments, as he took the medication, as he sat for the scans and x-rays, as he slept... You all know Dad liked his sleep, but this was...all he could do.

So many of you have reached out to Mam and me, and we are so grateful. The house rattles, now, when we walk around it - small though he always was, he was everything. So many of you have sent cards and messages, there's been calls and visits, and youse are all so kind for that. You tried, we know, to visit while he was sick and he wouldn't allow it. But please know that he appreciated every one who reached out.

One thing I know that nobody knows is that we were all there, when he went. Mam, Yvonne, Malachy, Aoife, Aran and me. Holding his hands, talking about the good times, playing music we know he loved because he tortured us with it all the while! And, y'know, while he didn't talk back, and he didn't open his eyes, I know he knew we were all there and I know he heard every word. I know he felt us, and heard us, and I know he knew that, to us, he was....everything.

He was my Magic Daddy - and I learned only too recently that that wasn't the sentimental thing I always believed it to be! But he was. Mam swears he's the reason I survived as a thirty-week preemie. He treated me like royalty, and he honoured Mam like she was.... everything. He told me, every day of my life, that I had two of the best big brothers anyone could have, and he was so fucking right. Of course he was - my Magic Daddy.

Mam's been falling apart slowly since Dad got sick, but I've seen her sparkle disappear entirely since he passed. She hasn't smiled, or laughed, or spoken more than the words she's had to. Dad saved her, you know? He took my Mam from someone who wanted to be better than her past, and loved her enough to love herself enough to do that. He fought battles alongside her, and jays did they fight like cat and dog?! But fuck it, to each other, they were.... everything.

To quote a film that Dad would absolutely hate me for quoting, because he'd see it as celebrating him and we all know how modest he was.... But, to quote my Dad.. "I didn't want him to die." And I know by the sheer amount of faces here today, that that sentiment is shared by many, many people. We're a family broken, but family is still everything and he always was, and always will be everything.

I'm so happy you've all come to share your love of him with us. I can't thank you enough but, in the words of my Dad, when accepted his Oscar in 2024... "Go raibh mile maith agat."

[kgirlgroup-stan]

Support

fluff, male reader

Y/N pov

It was a very cold tonight. This years winter is no joke. I looked up at the night sky as small drops of snow fell. I sighed out loud being able to see my breath. I had just enough money to buy a hot chocolate. 

Sitting on a bench near a park, i took the time to close my eyes and process things. Since i was a child i've always have had problem. At a young age i was put into a foster home, once 18 i was forced out of there. Since then I have never had a stable place to live in. 

I took a sip of my drink. Slowly accepting that I was going to have to sleep out here tonight. I let out another sigh, my head dropping down to look at my hands. The cup giving me the slightest bit of warmth.

"y/n? is that you?" i snapped my head up and turned to the voice to see my best friend, Sakura.

I had met her during school, she knew about my situation to an extent. I had to lie to her and tell her that i had a family that was taking care of me as their own.I didnt want to worry her.  she always took my problems as hers and tried to make me feel better, i dont know if her being a year older than me had anything to do with it.

I knew she would be more than willing to let me stay with her and her family but i just didnt want to be a burden. I have been able to keep up the lie until i guess now.

"oh h-hey sakura, how are you?" i tried to play it off, i was still slightly surprised since it was pretty late not much people were out and I didnt expect for Sakura to be out this late either.

"Im okay" she looked at me a bit confused. "what are you doing out here?" she came closer, stopping right in front of me, making me have to look up at her.

"ah y-you know just craving some hot cocoa"my fingers were fidgeting against my drink and looked at her with a nervous smile.

She narrowed her eyes at me when she noticed my movement. It was easy to lie to her when I felt like i wasnt caught. When she gave me that look i felt like she saw right through me. Without any warning, she grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

After a few steps, i looked around to instantly notice the neighborhood around us. We were heading to her apartment. Her apartment that she turned into a home for herself.

Walking into her apartment she sat me down on the couch. She stood in front of me, arms crossed. I took a small moment before looking up at her, she had a serious look on her face. 

"so are you going to tell me what you were really doing out there?" she sat down on an armchair in front of me. I took a big breath and looked down, playing with my fingers trying to avoid her gaze.

I took one more breath then looked up at her and told her everything. There was a long moment of silence once i was done. I couldnt help but get nervous under her intense gaze.

"y/n you're an idoit. You could have just told, like this is something serious. Do you not trust me enough to tell me things like that or what? What kind of best friend am i if im not there for you when you need someone?" she shook her head at me.

"i-its not like that, i just didnt want you to worry about me thats all. When things began with me, you were training to become an idol. I didnt want to be a reason for you to stop pursuing your dreams all because you were worried about helping me." i continued to play with my fingers, still to nervous to look up at her.

There was nothing said after that. I glanced up at her after a few seconds. She looked like she was thinking about something. Then she stood up and sat next to me before looking at me again. i gulped softly, wondering what she was going to tell me now.

"you could live here. Its not so often i get to be home since my schedule usually keeps me busy so, you could stay here." she looked straight at me.

"n-no no, its okay i'll be able to find a place." i shook my hands, denying her offer.

"for what, y/n? so you could just end up getting kicked out again." she looked at me with 'are you serious' face. Then she looked down and mumbled something i couldnt quiet catch."geez your lucky i lov-"

My nervousness changed into confusion. "what did you say?" she looked flustered when i asked her that.

"n-nothing. It was nothing" she turned her face, i could failtly see a pinkish hue on her cheeks.

"come on, I told you everything that has been happening with me, stuff that i never wanted to tell you." i scooted closer to her. " i doubt whatever you have to say is worse than mine." this time I wasnt the one not being able to hold the others gaze.

She took a small breath then looked back up at me. Their was a look of vulnerability in them, making me automatically soften. "p-promise it wont affect us negatively?" she grabbed on of my hands into her, she never once left my gaze.

Usually i didnt like making promises on things i wasnt sure of but that way she was looking at me, I couldnt help but agree. "i promise" my voice lower than i wanted too.

I saw her take a small gulp, her eyes fluttering shut for a second before meeting my gaze again. It looked like she was trying to compose herself. She was hesitance and her breathing was soft. I got lost for a second just admiring her. 

"i......i love you y-y/n." i was slightly taken aback. I would have never thought thats what she wanted to tell me. "i have loved you e-ever since you supported and believed in me when everyone else wouldn't."

I couldnt respond. I was trying to process everything. Her grip on my hand tightened at my silence. Her eyes became a bit worried. "s-say something please." her voice came out shaky but it was enough to snap me out of it.

"I l-love you too" the words slipped out before i could fully think, but i didnt regret it because it was true. "ever s-since i met you." 

"r-really?! why didnt you tell me?" she looked at me surprised and that quickly changed into being frustrated with me

"well why didnt you?" i raised my hands up trying to surrender before she went further.

We both froze for a second before breaking into a fit of laughter. After calming down, we took a small breath and turned to look at each other. 'Sooooo, what now?" she asked softly.

I took this time to notice how close we were. My eyes wondered all around her face. From her eyes, to her nose, to her lips and back up. She noticed my gaze and a blush filled her cheeks. I couldnt help but lean into her. 

Our lips brushed each others, i hesitated a bit, wanting to make sure she wanted this too. Her eyelids flutter closed and that was more than enough. I leaned fully in and captured her lips. The kiss was soft, her hand came and held my shirt.

We pulled away smiling like a couple of idiots. "you dont know how long ive been wanting to do that." I whispered, looking at her like if i was in daze.

"does that mean your staying here." she grinned even wider, her hand slipping under my shirt to carress my skin.

"i'll stay for as long as you want me." I pecked her cheeks.

"hmmm then i guess your staying here forever." she gave me a firm kiss, i melted instantly. "now I say lets go play some games before bed. i need to beat your ass for that one time you somehow you managed to beat me." She rolled her eyes playfully before dragging me to her, well i should say our room now.

Its nice to know that I will always have her to love and support me and i know i will always do that same for her.

[felledbymortals]

She was certain that laugh could awaken joy in her chest at any time. His laugh was innocent and warm, it reminded her of easier times. Perhaps long ago when the world seemed a lot less big and scary and a little less doomed. She was terrible with jokes but she'd find a way if it meant she got to hear it.

Fuchsia eyes glanced down at the bandage before looking up to him with a raised brow. "That one you're trying very hard not to strain." She remarked with a smirk. She wouldn't say she was glad he was hurt, truthfully there was still a worried skip in her heartbeat, but she was thankful for the push of proximity.

This time the tiefling visibly shivered but the smile on her face remained. It was a welcomed sensation. "I am not tired." Even if she was, she didn't want to let the evening go. No dreams could be better than this. The camp was still; she could only have the late hour for that otherwise they would no doubt have a not-so-subtle audience. Privacy was rare but there was safety within the pack. She wouldn't separate again. "More than content? You've got some honeyed words there."

She bit her lip. "I fear some are already eavesdropping if they are not asleep. Not because we are loud but because they are nosy." Her head nods specifically toward the tent her sister shared with a certain vampire, they needed little sleep and could survive on gossip alone. "You should try to minimize movement, nothing too strenuous." Arachne chided playfully. "I would love nothing more than to keep talking to you under the stars but tent seems like the proper idea."

She hummed as his lips pressed to her forehead. Slowly she rose from her space beside him. She took a few side steps before holding out her hand, "well?" She eyed him. "Are you going to join me?" Something between mischief and innocence gleamed in her eyes. No pressure, she could understand if he wished to return to his own tent. She only wanted him near.

aurelius let out a soft laugh at her words. he hadn’t been weary before, and he certainly wasn’t now. her touch, her kiss, it stirred something in him, something deeper than any rest could grant. he gave a small shrug, not even glancing at the bandage she had so carefully wrapped around his ribs.

he shifted just enough to bring her closer without straining, mindful not to disturb where her hands rested. “what wound?” he asked, his expression serious for a fleeting moment, before the warmth in his eyes gave him away. the ache and occasional sting still lingered, but her presence made him forget every bit of it.

aurelius smirked softly, shaking his head. both hands that had rested on her neck moved to her forearm, brushing gently against her skin with the tips of his fingers. “no, truly. you deserve rest. i am more than content; i am exactly where i am meant to be,” he said, a tender smile gracing his lips. his gaze shifted around the camp to the other tents. with the last light full, her companions must have settled here. though he disliked the idea of it, he’d offered his room to anyone who would accept, choosing instead to remain here with them. they were safe within the barrier, yet he felt it was only right to stay by her side.

“though, i fear our conversation may disturb the others,” he added with a quiet chuckle. having been around them for some time, he knew that if any were awake, they’d be curious about the goings-on. they could remain here longer, or retreat to their tent—there were no expectations on his part, for as he had said, simply being in her presence was enough. "we could stroll along the water’s edge within the barrier, return to the tents, or remain here to talk under the stars."

“you guide me, arachne,” aurelius said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. he was but a compass, and she, his north star. wherever she led, he would follow.

[rookedcrow]

knowing that emilia doesn't sleep all that much in general when she gets to the lighthouse b/c she's never needed all that much sleep. she's always been a night owl ( haha ) + she's just accustomed to not getting much sleep while on contracts that require multiple days worth of preparation ( the motivation not to sleep only made worse by being annoyed about having solas in her head / having to talk to him in there because it's necessary ) vs. her being terrified to close her eyes for more than a few minutes after spending that time in the regret prison / knowing that solas had used more that just that lil' bit of blood magic he admitted to in their first conversation to manipulate her reality, and not knowing if now that he's out, what else can he do to her?

[ociels]

his brother died and one of his first thoughts were that it should’ve been him instead because now people are going to be disappointed…

[gregoftom]

oh ok