#but the thing itself was not even worth it
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iâm drooling at ur older bf price (not much else to say except when/if u ever have more thots abt him please share đ)
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You curl in on yourself after sex, sometimes. Itâs a pattern Price has noticedâyouâll finish, then he will, and in the humid moments after, the shutters in your eyes will close. You wonât meet his gaze.
Heâs only asked once about it, and it had been so clear that the question disturbed you that he hadnât pressed. Youâd tell him, he reasoned, when you were readyâ
(And he could nudge you in that direction in the meanwhile.)
The sink is put back together, cabinet door closed. Your sundress is wrapped and twisted around your midsection, naked breasts wet with his saliva and compressed against his chest as you lay panting on top of him. His shirt is in some far-off corner, thrown aside, and his jeans are around his knees.
âThat was nice,â he murmurs in your ear, kissing your hair. He makes a home for his fingertips between your shoulder blades, walking the trail of your spine, up and down, slow as a tide.
âMm-hm,â you say, out at sea. Far away.
He canât deny that it disappoints him. But it isnât about him, and he shouldnât make it so. Even if it is about him, it isnât actually about himâitâs about something else that has attached itself to him. Things are like that more often than notâdeeper, older problems with hooks, the barbed kind that sink in and cling and wonât come out of their own accord.
So he keeps kissing your hair, and he keeps stroking your back. His softened cock hasnât slipped from you yet, and he makes no move to dislodge it. You nestle closer to him; shift your body over his, a little, just for the feeling of it. He waits for the sighâthe long, steady breath you take after the act, after youâve found yourself again in wherever it is you go after moments like this.
âThis is probably weird to talk about after sex,â you say, and Priceâs ears perk up.
âNothing weird between us, dove,â he encourages. âWhatâs on your mind?â
You play with his chest hair a little, twirling it around with the manicured ends of your nails. (A manicure he happily paid for.)
âYouâre the first man whoâs ever given a damn about me,â you mumble into his neck.
âIâm sorry to hear that,â he says honestly. He kisses you again, because he wants to, and because he wants it to comfort you.
âYou donât make me feel stupid for not being able to do stuff on my own,â you continue. âMy stepâmy momâs husband. He used to make fun of me for, for getting confused about changing my carâs oil. Or heâd get annoyed at me. Or Iâd need him to change my tires because I canât do it on my own, and Iâd call him for help, and he wouldnât pick up the phone.â
âHe sounds like a piece of work,â Price comments.
A younger version of himself would have offered to beat the shit out of the asshole. That selfâs anger on your behalf sits radioactive in his chest even nowïżœïżœïżœcorrosive, roiling, righteous fury, ready to carve your name on whatever offal is left over after Price gets through with him.
But that would be for his own ego, not for you. That has no place here.
âDo you knowââ and your voice breaks a little, âdo you know how bad it feels when a man whoâs supposed to look out for you treats you like youâre an idiot? Like youâre not smart enough to be worth helping?â
âSome,â he says. âItâs an awful feeling. I wish you didnât know how it felt, dove. Iâm sorry.â
He feels something warm and wet drip onto his chest, and your shoulders begin to shake.
Itâs not the full-body, wracking cry of catharsis. Just an episode of something longer, something tired. A problem dealt with, over and over againâa wound that reopens sometimes, if itâs pulled the wrong way.
Price gathers you closer, wraps his arms around you tighter. He cups the back of your neck with one hand and murmurs âshhhâ into your hair, soothing and quiet, squeezing you against him.
âIâm okay,â you say, a little watery. âReally, I am.â
âI know you are,â he says.
He tilts your face toward his, and kisses the center of your forehead. You meet his eyes with your own, wide and glistening with your tears.
âIâm always gonna help you, dove,â he promises, catching one that falls with the edge of his thumb. âAnd you can always ask.â
-
No I donât have daddy issues why do you ask
#answered#price x reader#price x you#price x y/n#captain john price#john price#price smut#john price x reader#john price x you#mwritesprice#madi writes#one more of these and Iâll have to make a master list
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these replies perfectly summarize how we got to the issue of devaluing human connection in the first place and how this post is pretty much exacerbating the issue:
âyall are so dumbâ - this sentiment writes off an entire population of people who are struggling. literally destroying human connections directly. and i think that in and of itself is dumb
âthis is sooooo dystopianâ -its pretty obvious how people running to ai therapists fullblown sucks and is dystopian but one must not forget that pointing at an issue isnt actually addressing it, especially when the comparison is rooted in nostalgia.
âthese people are pitifulâ- another strain of thinking people are so dumb. its patronizing. if you cant find shared humanityâ if you cant see within yourself a version that would succumb, you dont understand the problem.
honorable mention: the tools introduced above lend a very fun look into how ineffectual the system is and how these tools dont address at all the reasons why one would speak to an ai therapist in the first place.
worksheets: if i was going through a breakup or panic attack or some shit equivalent you would be absolutely kidding me to think that i would open up a worksheet. im suicidal not a masochist. zero humanity in that response.
chart-games: i find these useful, i even made a modified in-browser personal guide just for myself. but the issue is that most of the times conscious malaise isnt often cured by just eating or drinking just because you forgot. and thats if you remember to go to the website when youre doing badly in the first place. if im in hell im checked the fuck out.
finch: as a daily user of finch, i know directly how helpful this tool can be. it pairs the dopamine rush of games with executive function, like so many other gamified trackers out there. i like the data analysis personally, reflections are so useful to knowing yourself from day to day. but its very much trying to monetize your self care. to gate some of its tools behind a premium subscription because (paraphrase) âyou deserve self careâ is insidious as hell. and the ways it treats you is patronizing. i know youre dressing up a cartoon bird but i dont think helping the bird discover it likes baby shark is particularly salient to the aging tumblr userbase
ok so ive complained a whole lot. but in order to put money where my mouth is, whats the solution?
well obviously! to foster human connection of course. if these people dont know what real human connection is like its because nobody has BEEN real human connection for them. and vice versaâ if you strawman these people into mindless idiots then clearly you dont understand their psyche.
in lieu of an ai therapist, reach out to a gd friend.
if you dont got friends, go make em. its ez. outside is easiestâ show up to some kind of local thing or the other. it doesnt have to mesh with you completely but learning about Hetero Jessicas worklife balance is way more illustrative of human reality than chatgpt. but outside is not the only way. go ping someone random. get over the initial fear. fall in love with strangers. learn about their cats and trade cat pictures or some shit. its not easy but its worth it. hell, if you want to dm me i might even reply, if im not busy.
solidarity saved me. it can save you too.
guys. please
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dripping velvet, purring dark
Academy era Viktor x fem! curvy reader, 4.5k, no warnings only love in this house (ok there is a conversation about some people being idiots which can be interpreted as the reader getting unwanted attention at a party but it's nothing graphic or anything i promise and no-one is mean to her) also i made viktor horny and slightly subby because that's what the gremlins in my brain wanted. you're welcome. yeah! hi! not sure what this is, but here you go. the reader is described as she/her here (and curvy, and soft, and she is wearing an evening gown, because i wanted to think about pretty dresses). idk. have a thing. happy friday.
Viktor likes to think of himself as a person who's usually capable of focusing on things pretty well. On the task at hand. Give him a faulty circuit and he'll poke at it long enough to find the broken component, no problem. An error in the calculations? He'll find that missing minus sign or forgotten exponent, easy. He'll strip a wire in his sleep.
The task at hand now, though? The problem?
He had to sit through a whole evening of presentations at the academy end-of-year party, put on a polite face for the investors, and pretend not to care that one idiot after another was lining up to flirt with you while he was watching from the sidelines. You were wearing a dress that felt sinful to look at, and there was something primitive gnawing at the inside of his chest begging to be let out, and he had to just stand there and nod through the conversations, pretend he wasn't slowly boiling from the inside out.
And he was failing miserably.Â
Heâd known he was in trouble from the moment he saw you that night â all expensive fabric covering smooth curves and soft-looking skin, sparkling eyes and easy smiles, and heâd been done for. Before this, itâd been much easier to compartmentalize his feelings; before this, it'd been easier to ignore them.Â
Before heâd kept his distance, emotionally and physically speaking, because, well, itâd been easier. He'd seen you around the Academy, all bubbling laughs and raw-honest radiant smiles and confident solutions, and he'd known that you lookedâŠappealing, but he wasn't in the habit of holding up any illusions about what you might think of him in return. His place was in the dark dusty corner of the lab, turning over the ever-ticking problems, while you were out there shining like the sun. And sometimes you came by the lab, with new ideas or suggestions or just to borrow some equipment or ask about a shipment, and he had resigned to his role of staying at his desk pretending he wasn't burning to be closer to your orbit.Â
But when he sees you in the low lighting of the party, leaning to the bar and laughing, something just breaks in him. And then he canât pretend to ignore it any longer. And sure, maybe heâs a little bit drunk, it was easier to stand these events that way, but it still feels like a solid-honest truth in his bones that he wanted to get closer to you, and suddenly he couldnât stand the conversation he was in the middle of. Because one of them â the sour idiots heâd catalogued in his head for the whole night, the stupid people trying to impress you with their embellished stories and inherited wealth who werenât worth your time â one of them was circling you like a hyena again, smiling.
You were wearing a dark, floor-length gown that wasnât, on a purely technical level, much different from what about 50% of the other guests were wearing. However, it seemed to create a significant caveat that even though there wasnât anything indecent in the dress itself, seeing it on you made him feel like maybe he shouldnât look at you for too long or he might spontaneously combust. There was a slit on the side that revealed a more than generous amount of leg when you walked, and his focus kept wandering from that to your silhouette, the soft curve of your hips, your chest, your face â no, thatâs worse, donât stare, she'll notice â and truly, he had to force himself to keep his eyes at least vaguely on the vicinity of the person who was currently talking to him. Something about statistics and return investment. Yes.Â
He nods, pretending to look interested.
The dress drapes over your hips in soft little cascades, the fabric shimmering lightly as you moved, and something in his brain was itching, begging to run his fingers over it, to know what it feels like, to know what you feel like under it, all soft and warm and pliable under his fingers, and preferably sighing something into the crook of his neck, andâ
âWe'd like to get our investment back within a year,â the guy that's talking to him says â Viktor can't even remember his name, and he doesnât really even care â and he just shifts his eyes back to the guy slowly.Â
âA year?â he repeats, with the barest amount of feigned interest, and the guy goes off in a whole new tangent. Viktor shifts his posture, and lets his eyes glide over to where you were again.Â
One of those idiots, one he thankfully doesnât have the displeasure of knowing personally but who must be the son of some crooked diplomat, says something to you and you scoff through a smile, roll your eyes, and lean further into the counter at the bar. Viktor has to pretend to be present for his own conversation â yes, the new coating material for the wires was more heat-resistant, no, there was still the issue of mechanical stress, they were working on it â and you say something in answer to the current idiot (third of the night, heâd counted), and it is killing him that he doesnât know what it is.Â
Youâd turned down the first two, from what he could tell. But this latest idiot was still talking to you, like he was in any way entitled to your company. And it's making something inside Viktor raise its hackles, and he doesnât especially like feeling like that, because he couldn't justify feeling like that to himself in any tangible way, and then it all just boiled down to a resigned even if she deserves better than that i have no business dictating that for her.Â
He's just about to focus on the conversation he was supposedly participating in again when something happens. He can't make out the details, but imbecile number three seems to lean way too close to you, says something, and smiles in a way that makes something cold creep down the back of Viktor's neck. And your expression coldens, too, and you say something to him, and turn away, more rigid than you'd been the whole evening.Â
âExcuse me,â Viktor is saying to the Investment Guy before he can fully think it through, his own voice feeling distant in his ears, and then he's walking to the bar.Â
You're alone â the idiot had had the sense to leave you alone quickly, at least. That's good. Viktor isn't sure what he's doing, but then he's leaning to the bar next to you and ordering another drink and trying to look like he isn't thinking too hard about what to do next.Â
âWhatever he just proposed to you,â Viktor says slowly, looking over the bar instead of directly at you, âI assure you you can do better.â
He can hear you take a deep breath, shift a little, and sigh it out with what sounded like almost a laugh.Â
âYeah,â you agree, âI don't know what it is about people like that that makes them think they can justâŠâ You sigh again, and make a hand gesture towards the room. âYou know.â
âUnfortunately,â he answers, resigned, âyes. I do.âÂ
He gets his drink and thanks the bartender, and then leans to the counter too, mimicking your posture, holding the drink and letting it swirl around in his glass. âHave you talked with anyone actually worth your time tonight?âÂ
You hmm. Then, âthere was a little girl earlier that told me some fascinating things about insect metamorphosis.â You say casually.Â
And Viktor laughs. Without meaning to, he laughs, and you smile in response, visibly relaxing a little.
âI don't think she was on the guest list though.â You continue.Â
He hums in response, and rearranges his grip on the handle of his cane. âSounds much more interesting than the conversations I've been in tonight.â
âI know,â you answer, and he can hear the smile in your voice, âyou think we could swap out one of the main speakers with her?âÂ
He hmms again, looking over the stage thoughtfully. âI think it would count as a public service,â he nods a little, considering the list of speakers yet to come, âwhat do you think, who'd be a good target?â
You shift in your place, looking over the same list of speakers, plastered over the walls on both sides of the stage. âThe financial talk,â you answer, âMr. Ross. I'd much rather listen to insect facts than another boring talk about investing.â
Viktor nods. âYou distract him, I'll whack him unconscious?â he offers, and you laugh. You laugh, and it warms something in him.Â
âAnd then what?â you continue, still smiling, and he has to look away to keep his composure.Â
He shrugs. âEh,â he answers, âwe drag him to a bathtub somewhere and act like he just passed out there?" He shrugs, "I happen to know three ways to get out of this room that I'm pretty sure we could use unnoticed.â
âUh-huh,â you answer, âand then we just find the girl and ask her if she wants to talk about bugs for half an hour. Easy.â
âExactly,â he agrees, âand then we congratulate ourselves for making the evening better for everybody.â
"Except maybe Mr. Ross."
"No," he counters, looking over the crowd, "I think he would prefer a nice little nap. Surely not even he wants to hear himself talk all the time." He takes a sip of his drink, "and I think waking up in a bathtub would be a nice change of pace to the rumors of other places he seems to have a habit of waking up in after events such as these."
âGood point,â you shift in your place, settling to lean to the counter a bit closer to him. âPerfect plan. But why'd you get to whack him unconscious and not me?â
Viktor blinks. Lifts one eyebrow. âBecause you are by far more distracting than I am,â he answers, âand I thought the plan could use the distraction.â
âI don't think that's true,â you answer, âI think you're plenty distracting on your own.â
Now, he lets himself look at you. Really, properly look at you, and not even half-trying to hide it. You're smiling now, shoulders relaxed, holding your drink with fingers wrapped loosely around it, and in the warm lights of the bar there's a golden glow on your skin, and something breathless at the bottom of his stomach is aching to get closer to you, to touch you, to see if his hand would fit on your waist as well as he thinks it would, to see how you would react to that, if he could make you smile in a different way, what sounds he could get you to make for himâ
âAgree to disagree,â he says, averts his eyes, and takes a sip of his drink.Â
Tries to tell that wild-hungry purring thing in him to behave.Â
Someone reasonable comes to talk to you â and it's about work, which isâŠsomething, probably, he has to stop himself from thinking it's better than those earlier idiots, because who's he to decide that for you? He gives you a casual wave and a nod as you depart with a smile and get swept up in the conversation about new ideas and solutions and this-new-thing you've been looking at. And he watches as you start talking excitedly, all golden and glittering, easy conversation and confident smiles, and quietly (not-so quietly) he concludes that maybe you hadn't had many worthwhile conversations with any of the guests that night because you were the most worthwhile person in there to talk to.Â
He stays there sipping his drink and wondering what would be the closest appropriate time to slip out. He'd made an appearance, and technically nothing could be expected from him beyond that point. Sure, Jayce might tell him he could've stayed a bit longer, he could use the support, but nothing dramatic would happen.Â
The party drones on, and he makes no effort to move â and really, he tries not to think about it too much, but that was at least in part because he wanted to keep looking at you. He promptly ignores this, even when you're laughing at something someone else said and that heavy-dark-purring something at the bottom of his stomach doesn't like it very much.Â
Someone comes to ask for his opinion on something, and with a tiny sigh, he lets them pull him into the loop of conversations again. Yes, we are trying to simplify the design, no we can't cut back from the materials, they are what they are for a reason.Â
Somewhere around his third âWhy would you think that?â of that particular conversation, he's had enough. People were stupid, and he's had enough. He's just trying to come up with ways to get out of the conversation preferably without starting a scandal of some sort, when he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turns around to look at who it belongs to, and then everything in his head is quiet for a moment.Â
âHey,â you say, smiling, âsorry to interrupt, but can I steal you away for a moment?â you ask, slipping your hand feather-light down his arm, and he has to suppress a shiver.Â
Viktor furrows his brows and opens his mouth, and then, like an idiot, says nothing. But he turns to leave, thankful for the window of opportunity. Â
âYou remember that thing we talked about before?â you continue as you steer him away from the earlier group smoothly, âI found someone who's interested in those three escape routes you had up your sleeve.âÂ
âWho?â he asks, because that's the only thing he can think of. You've linked your arm with his, and you're leaning on him, and you're soft and warm and you smell good, and he doesnât trust his ability to form a full sentence.Â
âMe,â you answer, âand judging by how you just looked out there,â you continue, âyou.â
Viktor swallows, and something in his brain purrs at the idea.Â
âThis way,â he says, nodding towards an old stage exit, and honestly, he doesnât even care why you want to leave, he's just grateful for the distraction and the company and drinking in every warm square inch of skin contact that you're willing to give him, even if it is just walking with your shoulder pressed against his.Â
If it turned out to be a plot where you actually wanted to whack someone unconscious, he'd worry about that later. For now he was just happy to leave, and happier that you were leaving with him.Â
It's easy to slip away from the crowd, and into the space between the stage curtain and the wall, if you know where you're going. You effortlessly fall a bit further from his side but keep his hand on yours, letting him pull you along, and quietly he wonders how and why and holy shit. He decides not to question it though, and keeps walking through the dim space between the cold old wall and the cascades of warm heavy velvet curtains.Â
âDo you want to leave the party,â he asks, voice quiet now that the background buzz of people was muffled by the curtain, âor just get away from it?âÂ
You hmm behind him, clearly through a smile, and he makes the mistake of looking back at you. Surrounded by the dark red velvet curtains and only slivers of light from each side, his head â and the rest of his body â get entirely the wrong idea of what you're doing in there, because you look like a goddess in the small dim space, and he might crumble into ashes if he keeps looking at you, or he might do something stupid like pull you closer and press you into the wall, to see if your eyes would widen, if you'd gasp from the cold wall, if he could find other ways to make you gaspâ
so he turns his eyes away and keeps talking.Â
He quickly finds he has to clear his throat before he can do that. âThere is a staff entrance that goes past the kitchen a little ways further,â he says, and motions forwards, âor there is a disused indoor balcony surrounding the stage. You would be able to see the party, but it'd feelâŠremoved.â
You lean closer, close enough that when your voice is muffled by the surrounding velvet, it feels like you're speaking right in his ear, and he has to swallow and remind himself that that's just situational coincidence, nothing more.Â
âWhy do you know so many ways to get out of here?â you ask, âYou sneak out a lot?âÂ
âI am a fan of interesting architecture,â he answers, âand not as much a fan of pretentious social gatherings.âÂ
âFair,â you answer, then lean your chin on his shoulder, and he feels like his spine might spontaneously melt. âIn your expertise, what would you recommend?â
âWell,â he says, trying to make it sound casual and like he wasn't breathless at all, âI think the balcony has some fairly interesting architecture.â And the lights of the party would look pretty from there. And you'd both get a breather away from the crowd. And he'd get to keep talking to you a little bit longer. And, as selfish as the thought felt, he couldn't deny it; he'd get to keep having you to himself for a little bit longer.Â
âShow me the balcony,â you smile, and he obliges. Happily, he obliges. So he pulls you into a narrow staircase, and then, up.Â
At the end of it there is a room that could, only by technical definition alone, be called a balcony â it was more like a hole carved into the wall, having at some point been used for seating or equipment space at events and concerts, and now just served as half-forgotten extra storage. It had, he supposed, once upon a time looked like the banquet hall did, all smooth surfaces and warm lights and thematically switched-out decorations, but now it was mostly the standard red velvet and dark wood and light marble, forgotten by the party and some of the golden light from the hall spilling into it by pure coincidence. There were velvet curtains on each side of the room, and you drop his hand to go look over the railing, and down at the party.Â
His hand instantly feels cold without yours in it, but he tries his best to ignore this, and follows you to look down at the party, too.Â
It looks much smaller from up there. Less chaotic.Â
âI didn't know there was a space like this here.â You say quietly, âcan they see us?âÂ
âPart of the design,â he answers, âyou're not supposed to notice these spaces unless people want you to. Good place to hide extra orchestra pieces and make it feel like the sound is coming from nowhere. Andââ he looks over at the people, colorful and mingling, âno, they can't. Not unless you want them to.â Then, he smiles, just a little. âBut they'll be able to hear us, if we direct our voices upwards and wait for things to quiet down there first.â
You turn to look at him.Â
âSloped ceilings,â he explains with a shrug, âagain, good for a hidden orchestra accompaniment.âÂ
âBut they can't hear us talking?*
âNot over themselves,â he answers, âironic, I know.â
You hum thoughtfully and turn around, with your back to the railing, and then you look at him and he needs to kick his brain back in line. You were gorgeous in the dim lighting, all relaxed and smiling, andâ
He grips the handle of his cane a little tighter.Â
âGood,â you say, and the way you say it â all quiet and warm and liquid â makes something in him purr again, entirely against his better judgement.Â
âWhy is it good?â he asks, because he has to hold on to some semblance of logic here, because otherwise he might just vaporize out into the atmosphere.Â
âWhy do you think?â you ask, slowly turning to face him, and oh that just isn't fair. You're just there, just a warm breath of space away, all soft and pretty and languidâ
He doesnât know what to say, so he goes with what feels like the safest course of action.Â
âIn case we want to plot any more ways to violently derail the evening's program?â
You exhale a small laugh and lean back.Â
And then you lift a hand on his chest, and he's pretty sure his heart might be overheating soon.Â
âSure,â you answer, âthat.â You inch closer, and Viktor is having a hard time remembering how to breathe. âOr anything else we might not want them overhearing.â
âLike?â He exhales, careful not to break the moment, and then you smile, warm and private and for him, and his insides liquify into warm, honey-thick goo, and oh, heâs not going to recover from this.Â
âLike,â you repeat slowly, and then you push yourself away from the balcony railing, just slightly, into the side of the wall covered by the velvet curtain, and he lets you pull him with you, he's not stupid. His brain â along with the rest of his body â might be in the process of actively melting, but he's not stupid. If you wanted to pull him into a shadowed, velvet-covered corner, he would follow no questions asked, especially on a night like this when his insides were buzzing and you looked like that. When you looked at him like that. You smile again, and stop moving when your back hits a wall, and then you pull him just close enough to whisper into his ear. â...Anything else we might not want them overhearing.â you repeat, and, yeah, Viktor is close to becoming the best documented case of human combustion in recorded history.Â
In the dim lighting, he searches your eyes into his, and you watch him, waiting, radiating heat between him and the velvet-covered wall. He's not sure why you were acting like this, but all signs were pointing towards you wanting the same thing he did, and he's not sure what he did to get this lucky, but with his every cell buzzing and vibrating and keening over to get closer, he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass.Â
He wants to ask âwhy meâ or âare you sureâ but what comes out is a broken, desperate whisper of a âcan I touch you?â, and you answer with a grin and with your fingers tangled to the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.Â
âYes,â you breathe, âplease.â
And really, he wouldn't have thought it would be so simple, but it's the please that does him in â just one whispered word and his brain short-circuits in an overflowing flash of white-hot need. Need to trigger that again, need to please, and need to finally give in to the pleasure waiting to boil. And then it all comes rushing out; the hunger.Â
His hands are on your waist in an instant, and his cane clatters to the ground as he leans his weight on you and the wall and for a moment, he has the sense to hope the curtains don't come tumbling down, and they don't, which is good enough for him, because then he can let go of that particular worry and focus solely on finding your lips to his and making the most of every second of this that you're willing to give him.Â
The sensations hit his brain like flashes of bright light; how soft you are under his fingers, like he'd hoped, the fabric smooth and silky, giving away easily under his touch. How warm you are, warm and breathing in a fluttered little gasp, the dusty old velvet mixing in with your sweet scent, and then when he gets his lips on youâ
After that it's just golden-dark-velvet-honey-thick bliss. You breathe out a small sound that drips down his spinal cord and goes straight to the purring pit at the bottom of his stomach, and he swallows it with a hungry, greedy, desperate groan that comes from somewhere deep inside his chest, and his head is swimming with warm and real and soft and for meâ
He is happily overloading his brain with this, and he doesnât even care. He presses closer to you and you exhale another sweet little sound that makes him bare his teeth, and then his lips are on your neck and he doesnât know anything except that he wants you to keep making those sounds and he likes the way your hands tangle in his hair and tug.Â
âTell me what you want,â he mutters to the skin of your neck, pulling you closer by the waist, and absolutely relishing in the way your chest rises and falls with short little pants he can hear you take in and out. In and out, and as he tugs at your waist again, just a bit closer, and drags his teeth against your pulse lightly, one of those exhales turns into a sweet little whine.Â
He grins against your skin.Â
He doesnât waste the time or energy pretending he isn't an absolute mess over you, right now â his own breathing ragged and fast and his heart hammering in his ears, his whole body buzzing with want â but that didn't mean seeing you react that way didn't make him want to purr.Â
Didn't make his insides heat up with I did that. I got her like this. She made that sound for me. For me. It's mine.Â
You take a breath, slow and rugged, and then you tug him towards one of the velvet-covered seats. And he moves like he's floating, letting you guide him, because what else is he going to do? You tug him into the seat and he sits on it, gladly, and stays there looking up at you with his eyes wide and only half-lidded and his heart hammering, waiting for more.Â
You give him another one of those small, private, knowing smiles, your eyes hazy, and then you step to stand right in front of him.Â
And then you hover over him, just waiting for him to pull you into his lap. He does, because he is selfish and greedy and burning, and he's pretty sure he's going to implode if he doesnât get that delicious pressure on him soon, and his hand fits your waist perfectly, and then when when you do straddle him, your hips pressing down on his, he whines. He lets out a breathless little whine, he can feel it in the base of his spine, and it makes that hunger in him want more.Â
âOnly the voices directed upwards travel down there, right?â you ask, voice quiet and dripping right into his ear and pooling at the bottom of his stomach.Â
He swallows. âYes.âÂ
You hum thoughtfully, and press your body closer to his, all soft and warm and perfect, sinking your lips down to his neck and he shivers, instinctually tilting back his head with a sigh, exposing more of his neck to you.Â
âBetter keep quiet, then.âÂ
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I'D RATHER PRETEND
CHAPTER SIX
tags: @angryflowerwitch @avvwritesstufff @melpthatsme @rebecca-woso @bueckersg1rl @l0verl4ne @clouded-whispers @dolliest-thena @katemartinlvr @numberonepartyanth3m @glamourdaya @pbbucks @unadulteratedcyclepaper @paiges-1vur thelightknight21 wc: 18.3k notes: masterlist (sorry, nothing funny today, this chapter and last nights game actually destroyed me) but holy word count who cooked here đč i fear the last half of this chap is kinda rushed but writer's block was going crazy and i truthfully only had plans for like THREE (3) specific scenes...if you can't tell, planning, pacing, and the timeline are my biggest opps đŸ but i'm grown so i do what i want!! also, smut warning! if it's not your thing, it's at the very end and you can skip over it without missing anything super important. i'm not a smut writer, i just work here, but i put pen to paper and it just came out (no pun intended) đ€·ââïž sorry for making this as long as the chapter itself, but as always, lmk what you think and i hope you enjoy đ«¶
âThe Hard Launch Heard Around the Worldâ
For college basketball fans, Christmas has come early this year. On June 21st, Paige Bueckers and Tess Kennedyâs long-awaited hard launch was finally shared to Instagram after a month and a half of speculation, fan theories, and less than subtle interactions online. Kennedy shared a collection of pictures with the caption âhereâs to tess kennedyâs worst kept secret. thank you for coming into my life when you did.â Many of the comments consisted of undecipherable keyboard smashes, such as one commenterâs âTESS AND PAIGE? AJSFKFJKDSJKâ, but overall, Kennedyâs comment section was full of congratulations, support, and praise.
Bueckers, similarly, shared a collection of photos, although her caption was a lyric from Frank Oceanâs âSierra Leone.â If you have been following Kennedyâs journey thus far, you may remember that the first ever soft-launch photo she posted to her story included another lyric from this song. Bueckersâs caption, reading âAnd her pink skies will keep me warm,â is seen as a call-back to that moment, with many fans accepting this as the confirmation that Bueckers and Kennedy have been seeing each other all along.
Their hard-launch precedes their Bose endorsement. The two of them starred in a commercial showcasing Boseâs newest product, where they became known as Mrs. and Mrs. Bose. Some critics noted how specific the timing was, arguing that their hard-launch was just a stunt to further promotion for Boseâs product, although supporters rallied in defense. Commenters noted that Bueckers and Kennedy spent most of their time this offseason in different states â this Bose ad was the first time they were able to be in person together, so they surmised that it was just the optimal time to announce it. Another fan also pointed out that their history speaks for itself.
Regardless of the timing, one thing is for certain â Bueckers and Kennedy are the next âitâ couple. Their influence is beginning to spread outside of the sports world, and many people believe that their openness is going to be pivotal in breaking barriers and promoting acceptance for queer athletes.Â
-Penelope Lancaster, Bleacher Report
JULY 2023
The months after their hard-launch go about as well as anyone could have expected. Once Tess and Paige made it back to Brooklyn and Minnesota respectively, things wereâŠnice. They finished June out strong, in near constant contact and on FaceTime. Tess kept her feelings close to her chest. She knew there was no way Paige was into her in that way. She wasnât the type to be tied down, and Tess had to respect that â even if she was one for commitment, Tess doesnât think that sheâd be her first choice.
All she can think about is their agreement. Paige had so confidently said that she could do casual. She wasnât the one who caught feelings. And as far as Tess is concerned, she isnât sure if her reputation is worth how complicated her life has become. Sheâs not the one to pretend to be someone sheâs not; not the one to pretend to feel a way (or not feel a way about something). Her relationship with Paige used to be something that brought her great comfort, but now she canât help but feel like sheâs ruined something perfectly fine by allowing her feelings to get the best of her. Now, sheâs not telling a story to the public or selling a ruse. Bree was right â she is lying to Paige, and thatâs the worst part of it all. Paige doesnât deserve her dishonesty, nor her inability to keep things strictly business as sheâd once promised.
So, June was okay. They talked, Tess spiraled, but this is her life now. Tess would eventually have to learn to keep her feelings at bay.
Then July hit.
July was like a blessing in disguise, the perfect opportunity for Tess to work on herself and hopefully get rid of her lingering feelings for Paige. She could get over her. Itâs not a big deal. So what if Paige was the first person sheâd ever felt romantically for? Tess is new to all of this â she canât honestly know perfectly what liking someone felt like. The denial wasnât particularly effective, but if Tess keeps speaking it into existence, then it has to come true, right?
July was when summer practices started back up. Paige flew back to Storrs the first week. Tess was supposed to fly back to Columbia, but given her injury and the fact she wouldnât be able to contribute much to practices, Coach Staley gave her the all-clear to stay in Brooklyn and soak up as much PT with Terri as she could. Craig was qualified, although the both of them knew Terri had a different approach to rehab than Craig did.Â
Paige gets busy almost immediately. Sheâs fresh off an injury and her role on the team has shifted due to otherâs injuries, so sheâs swept up into an incredible amount of extra practice, film watching, and learning a different part of the game. Tess getsâŠthe complete opposite of busy. She still does PT three times a week, meets with Yvette, but with Paige gone, all of her free time becomes free again, and she doesn't even know what to do with herself. Fortnite, as stupid as it sounds, makes her think of Paige. Her feelings are still too fresh and the mere thought of the game reminds her of the countless hours she and Paige wasted away on it, laughing, flirting, and celebrating their wins. Itâs not a break-up, but it feels oddly like one. Tess used to be stronger than this. That was the worst part.
With Paigeâs time being occupied by things out of her control, Tess uses it to her advantage. She tries to get over her, spaces out her responses when Paige does get the time to speak. With her knee in better shape, she tries out yoga. Tess canât quite master the idea of clearing her mind. Paigeâs name echoes like a mantra in her brain, the image of her blue eyes blinding. No matter how hard she tries, all Tess can think about is the pressure of Paigeâs lips on hers, the way sheâd guided her jaw just how she liked, the weight of her hand on her and the way she was able to feel exactly how she made Tessâs heart race.
Sheâs so fucked.
It hurts, Tess has to admit. Covering up lies with even more lies. Sheâs not completely sure what happened to turn her into someone who couldnât tell the truth. It hurts even more to know that sheâs not just hurting herself, but sheâs hurting Paige, too, whoâs not even at fault for any of this.
Hey I got a couple hours free tonight Facetime? I miss you
[Delivered: 4:32pm]
Are you okay?
[Read: 7:53pm]
sorry, busy tn idk if i can
Itâs cool Do you know when youâll be free?
idk got a lot going on
Okay Call me when you can
[Delivered: 7:54pm]
Tess feels like sheâs going to throw up.
AUGUST 2023
Paige doesnât give up, but Tess can tell sheâs losing patience and hope.
She gets a two week break after the end of summer practices, then she and her teammates are heading overseas for their Europe tour. Theyâre playing a couple of exhibition games. Back in June, Paige had been so excited to send her pictures and tell her all about it, but theyâre a day into their trip and she hasnât heard a word from Paige. Itâs for the best. Paige needs to lock in for her games. She canât get caught up in Tess again.
Tess ends up tuning in for one game. She canât help herself, even though she ends up turning it off after halftime. Thereâs a noticeable difference in the way Paige is playing. Tess knows itâs because of her. Sheâs a little more sluggish, sloppy in her passes, missing a lot more than she usually did. Bueckers, first exhibition game since her ACL injury, the commentator noted. Sheâs not quite warm yet, but we all know sheâll be on fire once the season starts. Tess knows better than that. Itâs her fault.
Still, Paige tries.
You busy?
[Delivered, 5:43pm]
Zagreb is beautiful [3 Attachments] Text me when you can
[Delivered: 6:38pm]
[Read: 9:01pm]
sorry. just got free
Itâs okay FT? Canât sleep
i canât, have to be up early tomorrow you should get some rest. itâs late
I donât care I miss you I feel like we never talk anymore Did I do something? Whatever it is Iâll fix it I promise
you didnât do anything just got a lot going on
Me too
[Read: 9:03pm]
Okay cool đ Let me know when youâre not too busy for me Goodnight Tess
[Read: 9:04pm]
SEPTEMBER 2023
July and August were busts â no matter what she did, she wasnât able to keep her mind off of Paige. Distancing herself wasnât very effective, but she shouldnât expect results after two months, right? Maybe she just needed a little more time.
Paige texts her once in September.
I just wanted to say Iâm sorry for whatever I did. Iâm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or if there was something I said that hurt you. I meant it when I said you didnât have to be scared with me. I still mean it. If thereâs anything at all I can do or say to make you believe that, please let me know. I donât like arguing or how we left things and I hate feeling like Iâm not fighting hard enough for you. I shouldnât expect you to drop everything to talk to me. Youâre busy and you have a lot going on. Saying what I said was unfair. Iâm sorry. But I miss you. Please let me know how I can fix us. I donât care what it takes. Iâll fly out if I have to, just please donât shut me out
[Delivered: 2:48am]
OCTOBER 2023
Paige gives up in October. It brings Tess more anguish than she was accounting for.
On the 20th, Tess texts her happy birthday. Paige doesnât bother reading it. Paige doesnât post anything for her birthday, either.
Tess wonders if she fucked them up for good.
Maybe itâs better this way.
NOVEMBER 2023
Ghosting Paige wasnât the right decision at all.
A little obvious in hindsight, but at least Tess can say she tried. Five months apart didnât magically fix Tessâs problem. It made it worse. She still feels the same for Paige, if not stronger, but affection becomes a difficult pill to swallow when itâs poisoned with guilt and shame. After her injury, she should have learned that pushing people away does more harm than good. Paige didnât deserve that, but maybe this is who Tess Kennedy is â someone whoâs blind to whatâs in front of her, someone who leaves when it gets hard, someone who avoids her problems entirely, someone who treats the people she loves like disposable objects. Maybe it was better for Paige to find that out early on before their contract expired and Paige wanted to continue being her friend.
On the 17th, Tessâs birthday, she gets a lifeline.
Happy birthday
Paigeâs text is like a knife to the gut. Tess twists the blade herself when she notes the lack of excitement, the lack of emojis. Her message is bland, more like an afterthought, and Tess canât even be mad â she deserves it. She debates leaving it on delivered, much like Paige had left her message on delivered, if only to spare her from this constant back and forth cycle of will-they wonât-they. But her fingers move faster than her brain does.
thank you
[Delivered: 11:11am]
[Read: 11:11am]
And much to her surprise, Paige responds.
My mom wants to know if youâre still coming for Thanksgiving She bought you an ugly sweater to wear for family photos
Thereâs a lot of things Tess can say to that. Family photos is enough to make her chest tighten, her stomach roil with anxiety, her throat constrict. It takes everything in her to not break out into sobs, but she bites her lip hard enough to draw blood as she types out her message.
you want me there after these last five months?
Tess doesnât think that was the right thing to say. Paige types for a long while.
I want whatâs best for the story My parents think weâre together We need to keep up appearances
Tess would have preferred it if Paige just left her on read. Delivered. She would have understood if Paige just blocked her all together. She would have preferred if Paige had texted her at any other day, because itâs her birthday, damn it; sheâs turning 22 and sheâs sitting in her bed crying because this is all she and Paige are, anymore â a story, an appearance to keep up for the sake of their images. But itâs her fault, isnât it?
iâll be there
Okay đ
Tess thinks thatâs the end of their conversation until she gets an email. Itâs an airline ticket, a roundtrip â sheâd be flying out the 22nd and leaving Minnesota early on the 25th. Theyâre first class. Tess feels like she could throw up again.
you didnât have to buy my tickets
I promised I would I donât like breaking my promises
Tess has no retort for that. She sends Paige a half-hearted thank you, not expecting a response, and powers off her phone.
NOVEMBER 22, 2023
Tess spends the entire plane ride nauseous as hell. She dreads her reunion with Paige, knowing that seeing each other will only hurt them more. Sheâs not even sure if fixing them is possible, but she knows sheâll have to give it a shot. She gets four days with Paige. That should be enough to smooth things over. A part of her knows Paige wonât bend as easily as Kamilla, Bree, and her parents did. Paige was so understanding, but she didnât take any of Tessâs bullshit. Tess might be making amends until Christmas, if they last that long.
She finishes off the rest of the ginger ale sheâd asked the flight attendant for. It does little to soothe the nausea. Guilt usually isnât something that can be cured with a drink, alcoholic or otherwise. Guilt is one of the things you canât run away from, even for someone as good at running away as Tess is.
The seatbelt light flicks on as the plane begins its descent onto the Minnesotan soil. Tessâs anxiety returns tenfold. It feels as though time is moving slowly. The plane lands. It idles for a moment, then everyone is standing and reaching for their carry-on. Tess has hers in hand and is walking down the aisle as soon as they click open. It doesnât take her long to locate her suitcase at baggage claim. Then, sheâs back in the crowd, eyes scanning the airport for any sign of Paige. There wasnât a message on her phone, but she was holding out a little bit of hope.
Instead of Paige, she spots a tall man holding a sign with her name written on it. Tessâs heart all but falls out of her ass as she walks towards him. The realization that Paige didnât come to pick her up shouldnât hurt her as much as it does. She should have expected as much. But seeing it brings on a fresh wave of pain that she just wasnât ready for. The man recognizes her, lowering the sign with a beaming smile, and he reaches out for a hearty handshake. âHey Tess! Iâm Bob, Paigeâs dad. Itâs so good to finally meet you.â
Tess shakes his hand, smiling at him, and hoping that itâs convincing enough. âLikewise, Mr. Bueckers,â she says. Her voice doesnât falter, but she can tell sheâs about to crash out. She takes a deep breath as Paigeâs dad waves his hand.
âBob is fine,â he corrects her. âCâmon â my truckâs this way. Paige went out to pick up some last minute things for you. She should be back at the house by the time we get there.â
Tess hides her grimace. Sheâs not fully confident that Paige actually did that, but sheâs not going to voice that thought to her dad. The simplest truth of the matter is that Paige just didnât want to pick her up. Tess canât blame her.
Once theyâre loaded up, Bob makes small talk that Tess tries her best to contribute to. He doesnât seem to think anythingâs wrong, so Tess surmises she must be doing a pretty good job. As he speaks, her mind keeps drifting back to Paige, feeling a guilt and shame so strong that sheâs unsure if sheâll be able to feel anything remotely positive ever again. How do you hurt Paige Bueckers? Her heart is made of solid gold, but perhaps the issue is her heart is a few sizes too big for her body. Her heart is bigger than Tess herself; Paige gave her everything, no strings attached, and Tess crushed it into small pieces and stomped it out.
That thought alone makes her nauseous all over again. She was so worried that Paige would hurt her, not the other way around. Life has a funny way of biting you in the ass. Tess wonders how socially acceptable it would be to jump out of your fake girlfriendâs dadâs moving vehicle and leave yourself for roadkill. She determines that itâs probably not very acceptable, so she tries her best to get her shit together while she still can.
The Bueckersâ live in a quaint little townhouse, two-storied and a light beige in color. Bob pulls into the driveway next to two SUV Jeeps â one black and one red. He grins at her, nudging her shoulder. âPaigeâs home. You excited?â
Tess almost laughs in disbelief. âYeah,â she lies. âHavenât seen her in a while.â
âWell, letâs not keep her waiting.â
Tess will admit she sounds like a broken record, but she genuinely thinks sheâs about to throw up all over the Bueckersâ driveway. She adjusts her backpack over her shoulder and pulls her suitcase out of Bobâs truck bed, glances at the door, and takes a deep breath as she follows the older man inside.
Inside, itâs warm and cozy. Tess can distinctly make out the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg. Bob calls out for his wife, who calls back with a cheerful, âIn the kitchen!â Paigeâs step mom is a tall woman, wearing a festive pair of leggings and an apron over her shirt. She slides off her oven mitts, having just pulled out a pie.
âThis is Tess,â Bob states. âTess, this is my wife, Moe.â
In lieu of a handshake, Moe pulls her in for a gentle hug. âSo nice to finally meet you,â she says genuinely. âPaige talks about you all the time.â
Tessâs heart falls out of her ass and she chuckles worriedly, giving the older woman a squeeze. âGood things, I hope.â
âNothing but,â Moe confirms. âItâs like yâall been together forever. Tess this, Tess that. Itâs kind of sickening.â
At Moeâs brutal honesty, Tess laughs, the first genuine one in almost five months. It wasnât even that funny, but Tess is so far off the deep end that anything helps. âMy mom would say the same about me,â she says.
Moe lights up with laughter of her own, grinning widely at Tess. âAlright, Iâm sure youâre tired from your trip here. Paige is upstairs. She can help you get settled in. We donât have a guest room, so youâll have to bunk with her. No funny business, okay?â
Tess smiles to hide the way her heart stops. Sheâs shared a room with Paige before. Granted, they had two separate beds, but the room sharing is not an issue. The issue is in how Paige will probably suffocate her with a pillow once night falls. âNo funny business,â she agrees, and with one last smile, Moe directs her to the stairs and informs her that Paigeâs room is the first on the left.
Tess takes a deep breath before she heads upstairs. Sheâs been through worse. She tore her ACL, underwent surgery, and crashed out so bad she almost killed herself. She doesnât bother reminding herself sheâs been crashing out for the past five months and sheâs in no better shape, but thatâs not the point. She can handle Paige. She can say sheâs sorry. She knocks on Paigeâs door and she hears some shuffling inside before the door opens, and after five months, she comes face to face with Paige once more.
The shift in Paigeâs demeanor is noticeably different. Her jaw is tight, her blue eyes unusually dull. Even her body language is far more reserved. She leans against the doorframe, one hand on the doorknob, and her mouth pulls into a natural frown. âHey,â she says, surprising Tess. Her words lack any bite, but it hurts because her words lack much of anything. If the both of them were five months younger, Tess is sure that Paige would have pulled her into a hug by now, probably whispered an excited, âHey, ma,â or pressed an affectionate, âMissed you,â into her shoulder.
But theyâre five months too late, and all Tess can do is wince as she responds with a quiet, âHi.â
Paige glances at her, her eyes dismissive and disappointed. She sighs, taking a step back and allowing Tess inside. âYou can just leave your stuff over there,â she says, pointing next to her desk where a space has been cleared. Tess does as she instructs, depositing her suitcase and throwing her backpack haphazardly on top. Wordlessly, Paige crawls back into bed, sitting so close to the edge that thereâs more bed than girl, which is usually a difficult task for a six foot athlete.
âIs this what weâre doing?â Tess asks softly, her fingers shaking, and she knows she has no business asking Paige that when she was the one who fucked them up.
Paige scoffs, looking up at her again. Her gaze hardens, her lip curling into an unfamiliar scowl. âYou had five months to figure that out,â she says harshly. âDonât ask me shit now.â
Tess laughs weakly, shoving her hands in her pockets. âOkay,â she concedes.
âSomething funny?â Paige asks.
Tess averts her eyes. â...No,â she says after a beat. Paige hums, an annoyed noise deep in the back of her throat.
Tess isnât sure what to do. Sheâs standing in the middle of Paigeâs childhood bedroom, feeling like every bit the fool she undoubtedly looks like. She canât sit next to Paige, not when she can feel the anger radiating off her in quiet waves. She canât go back downstairs with Drew and Paigeâs parents. Theyâd ask why they werenât together, and Tess isnât sure how much more lying she can take. Paige glances back up from her phone, scanning Tessâs features, and she stands with a huff. âYou take the bed,â she says. âIâm gonna get stuff to sleep on the floor.â
âYou donâtââ
âStop,â Paige says instantly, her voice breaking. Tess shuts her mouth, staring at Paige, and she looks agonized. Her eyes are glassy, face pinched, and Tess feels like a jackass all over again. âJustâŠstop, okay? Stop arguing. Iâm gonna get a blanket and the air mattress and Iâm gonna sleep on the fuckinâ floor âcause I canât share a bed with you tonight and pretend like everythingâs okay. Itâll probably be another five months before I get an apology from you, but thatâs okay, right?â She laughs humorlessly, turning on her heel, walking backwards to the door. âSâokay. I guess I was stupid to think anything else. I was right. Tess Kennedyâs too fuckinâ afraid to get close, and when sheâs scared, she goes back to what sheâs used to. And apparently thatâs beinâ an asshole to everyone around her. You donât get to do that shit with me. Not today.â
Paige slams the door behind her, and all Tess can do is stare at where she stood in disbelief.
Dinner that night is a torrid affair.
Bob and Moe seem to sense that somethingâs off with Tess and Paige. Out of politeness, they donât mention anything, but Drew seems none the wiser to the tension at the table. He rambles excitedly about Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and how excited he is for Christmas. Tess tries to listen to him, she truly does, but she canât focus on anything but the argument that she and Paige had. Honestly, a better descriptor is just Paige yelling at her and Tess taking it, but thatâs neither here nor there.
Tess barely has an appetite, but she shovels her food in her mouth anyways, not wanting to be rude. Paige hasnât said a single word to her since Moe came upstairs to fetch them for dinner. Even then, Paige hadnât so much as looked at her. The worst part about it is that Tess understands why. Paige is genuinely a better person than she is. If someone treated her like Tess treated her, Tess would have made it everyone elseâs problem immediately. If they thought her post-injury crash out was bad, then theyâd be unprepared for the post-ghost crash out.
Bob distracts her from her racing thoughts as he clears her throat. âSo, TessâŠâ She looks up, resembling a deer caught in headlights. âHowâs physical therapy going? I saw you rehabbed with a WNBA team. Thatâs really exciting!â
âOh,â she says, pushing around a piece of chicken on her plate. âUm, it was really good. Felt like I progressed a lot with Terri. I work with the team trainer now since Iâm back in Columbia. He gets the job done, but I do miss the Liberty, you know?â She chuckles softy, willing her nerves to dissipate.
âI bet,â Bob agrees. âWhen do you get to play again?â
âI should be cleared by March,â she says hopefully. âJust in time for the last March Madness games. Provided we get invited or win the SEC championship. LSU is really strong, soâŠgotta take it game by game.â
âSmart,â Moe states. âNever count your eggs before they hatch, right?â
Tess nods. The table falls into a tense silence, only the sound of forks scraping against plates filling the room. Paige suddenly huffs. She stands up with her plate, her chair making an awful noise against the floor as she pushes it back under the table. âI needa take a shower,â she says, not waiting for a response. She walks into the kitchen to clear off her plate, walking back through the dining room with a frustrated expression on her face as she rushes upstairs.
Bob and Moe share a concerned glance. Itâs Drew who breaks the silence when he asks, âWhat crawled up her butt and died?â Moe is quick to reprimand him, although it seems like her heartâs not really in it.
Tess clears her throat and stands, too. âUm, dinner was delicious, Moe, thank you. I should uhâŠprobably go check on her.â Moe thanks her quietly. Tess washes her plate quickly, placing it in the strainer to dry off, and she heads upstairs after Paige.
Paigeâs door is wide open and Tess walks in cautiously. The blonde rifles through her drawers, pulling a pair of shorts and a tank top out. Sheâs still pissed. Never in the seven months that Tess has known her has she ever seen Paige be this angry. When Paige turns, seeing Tess behind her, she clenches her jaw and walks out wordlessly. Tess feels her heart drop as she listens to the bathroom door close.
Her chest tightens. She feels like she could cry even though it would do nothing for her. Paige is the only one with the right to be upset. Instead, Tess takes a deep breath, burying her face in her hands for a few, calming moments before she moves to her suitcase and pulls out sleepwear. She scrolls on her phone while she waits for Paige to get out of the shower, and when she finally does, Tess averts her eyes as she stands. Paige doesnât say anything to her as Tess makes her way into the bathroom.
The water is scalding hot. It makes Tess feel a little more centered, but it does little to wash away the grief and the shame. She tries not to think about it as she cleans herself quickly. She dries off, redresses herself, and when she walks back into Paigeâs room, sheâs already curled up on the air mattress and is scrolling through her phone. Tess glances at her, frowning, and shoves her dirty laundry into a separate compartment in her suitcase before sliding into Paigeâs bed.
Her pillow smells like her. Tess wouldnât expect anything else, but it makes her feel closer to Paige despite the literal and metaphorical distance between them. Her purple comforter is soft. When Tess looks around, she notes the various posters of NBA greats â Kyrie, Lebron. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are also there. Basketball is Paigeâs life, her entire reason for breathing. When they lost to South Carolina in the NCAA tournament, Paige was distraught, obviously. But that anger and sadness only pales to what Tess observes in her now as she tries to pretend she canât hear the way Tess breathes next to her.
Tess takes a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling. âPaige,â she says into the darkness of the room.
Paige doesnât respond. For a brief moment, Tess wonders if she fell asleep, but she knows better. Paige is breathing too fast to be asleep, coming in uneven bursts. Then, Tess thinks sheâs just ignoring her. Then, Paige surprises her. âWhat do you want, Tess?â she asks, her voice breaking.
âIâm sorry,â Tess says without hesitation.
She hears Paige laugh, but thereâs no enjoyment in it. âAre you?â
âI am,â she says. Theyâre both quiet for a moment. She hears Paige sniffle and her heart breaks all over again. âI mean it. Iâm sorry, Paige, Iâm so fucking sorry. I shouldnât have treated you like that. I shouldnât have pushed you away when all youâve done was care for me. Iâm sorry for making you apologize when youâve done nothing wrong. This is all on me and I could sit here and apologize for the rest of my life and it would never be enough.â
Paige shifts on the air mattress. Tess cocks her head, glancing down, and Paige is already staring at her. The moonlight streaming through her windows reflects off of her. Tess could paint her face by memory. She knows exactly what she looks like, where every single freckle or blemish or crease exists. She knows the exact shade of her eyes, the degree at which her nose upturns slightly, the way her nostrils flare when sheâs annoyed. Tess could describe Paige Bueckers in such great detail that a blind person could recreate her visage. Until now, Tess has never seen Paige this way. Her lips are pulled in a constant frown, her jaw tight, her eyes a few shades grayer. Tess never wants to see Paige look this desolate, let alone because of her.
âSorry doesnât fix anything,â Paige says after a few agonizing moments. Tess deflates. âSorry doesnât fix the five months I spent losinâ my mind, wondering what I did wrong.â She studies Tessâs face once more, her lips pursing and her gaze hardening. Paige pulls her blanket up to her chin, flipping on her opposite side, putting her back to Tess.
âHow do I fix us?â Tess asks, her voice nearly a broken whisper.
Paige lies unmoving on the air mattress. Tess should know better than to expect a response. But when Paige admits, âI donât know,â Tess thinks she would have preferred the silence.
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
Thanksgiving is a terrible holiday.
Conceptually and historically, it leaves a lot to be desired, though she can understand how many American families would enjoy getting together in one place, eating a huge dinner, and watching sports. Itâs supposed to be a day where everyone can come together and rejoice, tell each other what theyâre thankful for and all that sappy shit, but Tess never bought into it. Many of her teammates would complain about going home for Thanksgiving and having to listen to an uncle or two rant about women or politics or whatever the fuck â it always ruined the mood. Tess never thought that those uncomfortable Thanksgivings would be something she had to be subjected to.
When she wakes up in the morning, Paige isnât in her room. When she goes to the bathroom to splash some water on her face and do her morning routine, Paige isnât there, either. And when Tess walks downstairs into a flurry of early morning chaos â Moe and Bob rushing around the kitchen and preparing dinner, Drew tidying up the living room â Paige isnât there either.
âMorning, Tess!â Bob greets happily, grinning at her from where heâs cheffing up the turkey. She returns his greeting, though itâs a little half-hearted. âPaige went for a run. She should be back soon.â
âYou guys need a hand?â she asks instead, wanting to be useful. Moe and Bob have welcomed her into their home. The last thing she wants to do is be an ungrateful guest, especially when their daughter hates her guts. Tess is going to make an honest effort to get back into Paigeâs good graces. Even if she never forgives her, sheâs going to make it up to her. That much she could promise.
âIf you could help Drew clean the living room, thatâd be great,â Moe says. âThereâs too many people in the kitchen right now.â She shoots Bob a knowing glance and he laughs, raising his hands defensively.
Tess smirks wryly and makes her way into the living room where Drew is dutifully dusting off the coffee table. He wastes no time before he puts her to work, directing her to the vacuum cleaner (Tess just gets the impression he didnât want to vacuum), and together, they get the living room all cleaned up for the guests. They tackle the dining room next. Drew and Tess return to the living room once they finish, sitting on the count and awaiting Moeâs next instructions. Soon, Paige returns from her run â Tess knows she no longer has the right, but she canât help but look at Paige as she walks in. Sheâs dressed in a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. Itâs unfair how pretty she is, shiny with sweat and flushed. Tess has to avert her eyes. Paige only greets her parents before rushing upstairs. Tess hears the shower click on.
âWhatâs wrong with you and Paigey?â Drew whispers to her.
Tess glances at him, a somber smile on her face. âI messed up and hurt her feelings,â she tells him honestly. âSheâs pretty upset with me.â
Drew looks at her curiously. âWhyâd you do that?â
His blunt question makes Tess chuckle. Thatâs a question sheâs been asking herself, too. âI like her a lot,â she admits, the first time sheâs ever said those words out loud. It feels like a weight is lifted off her shoulders, though sheâs still crushed under everything else. âI like her a lot and it makes me do stupid stuff.â
âMom says you should never hurt the people you love,â Drew says smartly.
âSheâs right.â
âDid you say sorry? And did you bring her a cookie? Cookies always help.â
âDo they?â
Drew nods, humming as he turns on the TV. He scrolls through the channels until he settles on some cartoon Tess has never heard of. âPaigey likes cookies,â he states. âChocolate chip ones. Theyâre her favorites. She always says you canât be sad when youâre eating a cookie.â
At that, Tess canât help but laugh. âThat does sound like something sheâd say,â she concedes. The taps on the armrest of the couch mindlessly, thinking. She turns to Drew. âDo you think your mom would let us bake her some? Right now?â
Drew turns off the TV without another word, standing as he calls, âMom!â Tess stands to follow him, sighing. She did not expect him to move so fast. The kitchen is much cleaner than it was earlier â Bob went outside to put the turkey on the smoker and Moe remained, preparing the roux for the mac and cheese. Moe hums as Drew walks in. âCan me and Tess bake some cookies right now?â Moe looks as though sheâs about to protest, but Drew beats her to the chase. âFor Paigey. Sheâs sad.â
Moe softens, looking over at Tess, who flushes under her stare. She hopes her face looks as apologetic as she feels. Moe sighs. âYes, make it quick. Iâll need the oven soon.â
Drew pumps his fist in the air as he rifles through the cabinets, looking for the ingredients. Tess lets him take the lead on most of that as she leans against the counter. She feels Moeâs eyes on her again, and she turns her head, meeting her gaze. âEverything okay?â Moe asks knowingly, her voice quiet.
Tess smiles sadly. âI hope they will be,â she says. Moe raises a brow, clearly expecting more, and Tess swallows. âSheâs not happy with me. I hurt her, and honestly, Iâd be pissed at me, too.â She picks a loose thread on her shirt. âIâm gonna make it up to her. I justâŠâ Tess sighs. âSheâs my firstâŠgirlfriend. My first anything, really â I donât know what Iâm doing. But she makes me want to try and thatâs scary. Iâve never felt this way for anyone before.â
Moe is silent for a moment, thinking about her next words. âYouâre beating yourself up pretty bad,â she notes. Tess almost laughs because she truly has no idea. âIâm not gonna lecture you. But, you know, Paige is my kid. No matter how old she is. She has so much love to give. Donât take advantage of that. One day, sheâs not going to wait around.â
Tess nods. âI know,â she says. She opens her mouth, trying to find more to say, but her words fail her. Moe gives her another knowing look, her lips curling into a smile. Drew returns with flour, sugar, and all of the other supplies and he and Tess immediately get to work. Heâs a little messy with the flour and definitely steals most of the chocolate chips, but heâs a joy to spend time with. Drew reminds Tess so much of Paige â that thought alone makes her queasy again. She has to tell herself that theyâll be okay. Delusion and manifestation are a thin line, right? Paige isnât the kind of girl to hold onto grudges, even if she should.
Once the cookies are out of the oven, Drew helps her select the best looking ones to take to Paige. He salutes her like sheâs going off to war and Tess canât help but laugh at him, feeling strangely like she is about to walk across a field of landmines. She takes a deep, stabilizing breath before she walks up the stairs, plate of cookies in hand. She knocks on Paigeâs door and opens it as soon as she hears Paige call out, âCome in!â
Paige is reclining on her bed, phone in hand and freshly showered. She looks up as Tess walks in with a meek smile, holding out the plate. âAre thoseâŠ?â
Tess exhales deeply, taking Paigeâs curiosity as a sign to move closer. âYeah. Me and Drew made them. He said you canât be sad when youâre eating a cookie.â Thatâs enough to make Paige crack the slightest of smiles. Tess gives her the plate, explaining, âTheyâre fresh out, soââ but Paige is already reaching for the one on top, dropping it with a yelp of pain. They stare at each other as Paige sucks on her finger before they break out into laughter. Itâs slightly awkward, but itâs relieving, and the situation isnât funny at all but everything has sucked for five months so itâs all just stupid. âSorry. I promise Iâm not trying to kill you.â
Paige chuckles again, resting the plate on her lap and letting the cookies cool off. She shuts off her phone, glancing back up at Tess. Her expression is guarded, like she still doesnât fully trust Tess, but thereâs a new openness to her.
âCan weââ
âDo youââ
They both speak at the same time and Tess laughs as Paige scratches the back of her neck. âCome sit?â Paige requests softly. Tess studies her features, the earnestness in her eyes, and she nods shyly as she rounds the bed to sit on Paigeâs left side. She makes sure to leave a bit of space in between them, unsure of where their boundaries lay after all this time. âYou first?â
Tess nods again, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. âI know you said sorry doesnât fix anything, but I want to try, if youâll hear me out?â Paige stares at her for a long while before tilting her head, giving her the all-clear. Paige reaches for a cookie again, checking the heat, before lifting it to her mouth and humming at the flavor. âI was spiraling again,â Tess says slowly, once sheâs found the words. âOverthinking every single thing. I was confused. There was so much going on in my head and it was awful because thereâs nothing anyone can do about it. I know the solution to it â itâs too risky, and I canât lose everything I have. Not again. I shouldnât have shut you out, but isolating myself is the only way I know how to deal with my shit. I thought I was protecting myself, protecting you, but I only made it worse.â
Paige doesnât say anything, still chewing, and Tess keeps rambling. âIâm so sorry. Sorry doesnât even begin to cover it. I hurt you and I keep hurting you and I donât â I donât know why or how but I just do and you donât deserve that, Paige. I donât think Iâll ever forgive myself for this, but if you never forgive me, I wouldnât even be able to be mad about it.â Tess laughs humorlessly. âWhatever it takes, Iâll make it up to you, that much I can promise. JustâŠplease, give me another chance?â
Paige gazes at her, her eyes wide and seeking. Tess has to fight every instinct to turn away, to break eye contact, but she needs Paige to know that sheâs serious. Finally, Paige relents, a sort of somber half-smile quirking on her lips. âIâon like being mad at you,â she admits. âArguing. Ignoring you. ButâŠI just â we agreed to communicate. You promised me that you wouldnât do this by yourself. Iâm upset you broke that promise and our agreement, but I understand why you did it. Just wish you hadnât âcause we coulda fixed whatever it was. Easily. I woulda made time for you; shit, I did make time for you, and you threw it back in my face. That shit hurt.â
âI know,â Tess whispers. âI would feel the same way, too. You have every right to be upset with me. Iâd be mad if you werenât mad at me.â
That makes Paige laugh. Itâs full, from the belly, and all of the tension in the room disappears. Paige is quiet for a moment before she speaks again. âIâon know about forgiveness right now,â she says honestly. âWe gotta work towards that. But I donât wanna be mad anymore.â
âThatâs good enough for me,â Tess says softly. Paige smiles at her, her knuckles brushing her hand, the touch electrifying. The relief is nearly overwhelming. Things arenât back to normal, but theyâre as close to normal as theyâve been in five months, and thatâs all Tess can really ask for. She then remembers where they are and exhales deeply. âI, uh, I think Moe might need a hand in the kitchen.â
Paige refocuses. She clears her throat. âYeah. Okay.â They both stand, Paige holding onto the plate of cookies, but before they can leave the room, Tess stops her with a hand to her wrist.
âThank you,â she says quietly, her throat bobbing. âFor hearing me out.â
Paigeâs smile grows, turning into something tender despite the reservation in her eyes. âOf course.â Then, Tess can almost feel the shift in the air as Paigeâs eyes flash with mischievousness. âJust donât do that shit again or you can go spend Thanksgiving with the Ionescus.â
âPaige Madison!â
After their much needed conversation, the energy in the house almost immediately changes. Tess feels like her breathing comes a little easier since she doesnât have to walk on eggshells around Paige. When they made it back downstairs, Moe instantly put them to work in the kitchen. Both Moe and Paige pretended to not see Drew and Tessâs excited handshake to celebrate the fact that the cookies worked. Tess and Paige sat side by side as they peeled the potatoes for the mashed potatoes, quietly catching up on all of the things theyâd missed over the last five months. Tess thought that revisiting those memories would hurt a little more, but being honest with Paige helped a lot. Theyâre working on moving past this, and while Tess does have much to atone for, she fully intends to put in the work to earn back Paigeâs trust.
As soon as the potatoes are peeled and ready, thereâs a knock at the front door. Moe leaves to get it and returns with a family of four in tow. Tess doesnât recognize them, but when Paige goes in to hug each of them, she assumes it must be her momâs side.
âTess, this is my mom, Amy, and my step-dad Brian,â Paige states, some lingering fondness in her tone. Tess grins as she shakes their hands, greeting them. âAnd these idiots are Lauren and Ryan.â Immediately, Lauren and Ryan start talking over each other as they drag Paige, but the taller blonde struggles to hide her amusement as they squabble. âGuys, this is Tess.â
âYour girlfriend,â Ryan drawls, cooing dramatically. Lauren snickers.
Paige, to her credit, doesnât react much, but a light flush settles on her cheeks as she smiles at them. âYes, my girlfriend,â she says. âWhereâs yours?â
Lauren hisses, murmuring ouch under her breath, while Ryan rolls his eyes and Tess giggles. âNot fair. You guys U-Hauled.â
âI actually specifically told her Iâd do anything but U-Haul,â Tess cuts in. Paige scoffs, but grins. âItâs nice to meet you both.âÂ
Moe then kicks the four of them out of her kitchen and Paige drags them into the living room where Drew is watching TV. Everyone disperses, settling in on the couch or the futon. Tess hardly has the time to make a decision before Paige takes a seat in an armchair, pulling Tess haphazardly into her lap. Her siblings donât pay any attention to them as they argue over the remote, trying to set up the Playstation. Tess glances at Paige with an amused look, though also slightly confused. Sheâd thought she would have needed to grovel a little more before Paige would want to be close to her, but sheâs not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
âProblem?â Paige asks nonchalantly, adjusting Tess so she sits a little more comfortably.
âNope,â she says. She ignores the slight crack in her voice, but Paige doesnât have the same plan to. Paige grins smugly and Tess rolls her eyes. âYouâre insufferable.â Paige merely pinches her hip in response. Once Paigeâs siblings have the Playstation set up, the five of them take turns split-screening Fortnite, integrating Tess almost seamlessly into their dynamic. While two play, the other three chat and play cards. Paige declared early on that Monopoly was firmly off the table, not wanting to sit through Lauren and Ryanâs inevitable argument when one or the other went bankrupt.
Tess settles in easily with Paige and her siblings. She finds herself smiling more than she thought she would, pressed against Paigeâs body, and maybe sheâll admit that Thanksgiving isnât so bad when you have good company. She feels lighter than she has in five months and she couldnât think of any way today could get any better.
Paigeâs hand rests low on Tessâs waist, splaying across her stomach as she pulls her in closer, chin hooked over her shoulder and grinning at the sight of all of her siblings together. Tentatively, Tess rests her hand over Paigeâs, relaxing when Paige gives her a gentle squeeze. âYou happy?â Tess asks softly, tilting her head so Paige can hear her. She can feel the smile that Paige presses into her neck.
Paigeâs voice is muffled against her skin, but she shivers at the way it reverberates through her entire body. âYeah. I am,â she admits, her tone full of affection. Her grip tightens on Tess ever so slightly. âI missed you.â
Tessâs throat bobs with emotion, feeling her chest tighten. âI missed you, too,â she says honestly. And when Paigeâs lips brush against her skin, almost imperceptibly, Tess gets the feeling that theyâre a lot closer to being okay than sheâd thought.
Thanksgiving dinner that night goes a lot better than the night before. The chatter is lively, food is passed around, and they all link hands in prayer before digging in. Everything is delicious. Tess would have gone for seconds if she wasnât trying to save space for pie. Even after their plates are cleared and Tess has to unbutton her jeans just so she can sit comfortably, the nine of them remain at the table, sharing stories and jokes. Paigeâs hand finds her knee under the table, almost unconsciously, and Tessâs subsequent smile is real. She should be alarmed by how well she assimilates into Paigeâs family, by how well she plays the part of girlfriend. She should be alarmed by the fact sheâs not pretending at all, that this is just the soft, simpering idiot that Paige turns her into with the simplest of smiles.
When everything is said and done that night, Tess is crawling back into Paigeâs bed, the smell of her shampoo and perfume still fresh on the sheets. The air mattress has been lying untouched since the night before. Tess is struck with the realization that she doesn't want Paige sleeping on the floor tonight, but she canât think too much about that because Paige is walking back into her room, her hair damp over her shoulder as she squeezes the excess water out with a towel. They share a soft smile. Tess still thinks that Paige is the prettiest woman sheâs ever laid eyes on.
âSo,â Tess begins hesitantly, folding her hands over her stomach as she reclines back on the bed. Paige hums, urging her to continue, running her brush through her hair. âI heard through the grapevine that thereâs a Thanksgiving tradition where you tell your friends and family what youâre thankful for.â
âYeah?â Paige asks, an inquisitive noise building in the back of her throat.
âMhm,â Tess responds, glancing at Paige, who meets her eyes through the mirror on the wall. Her lips quirk up into a smile. âAm I allowed to say Iâm thankful for you?â
âDepends,â Paige teases. She leaves her hairbrush on her dresser and takes a seat at the foot of her bed, pulling on a pair of socks to ward off the late-November Minnesotan chill. âDo you mean it?â
âI do,â Tess says, completely honest. Paigeâs eyes scan her features for any hint of a falsehood. Finding nothing but earnestness, her smile grows, an almost bashful flush settling on her cheeks. âIâm serious. I know Iâve been a jerkââ
âNot the word Iâd useââ
âShh,â Tess laughs. Paige raises her hands in defense. âBut Iâm glad youâre here, that youâre in my life. You didnât save me, but you made it easier to want to save myself. I donât make it easy for you, but⊠I donât know â you take care of me. I just hope I can repay the favor one day.â
âSânot transactional,â Paige states. âDonât need you to ârepayâ me. Just want you to be happy.â
âI am.â
Paige smiles at her, a lone dimple popping out, and Tess truly canât help the way her heart beats a little faster. âGood.â
Thereâs something about the way Paige lingers, her gaze expressive. âPaige,â Tess says, almost nervously. She hums, leaning back slightly, awaiting her question. Tess clears her throat. âDonât sleep on that fucking air mattress.â
Paigeâs eyes are bright, alert, searching Tessâs expression for any sign of a sike! moment. âAre you sure?â she asks, her voice barely a whisper. âDonât wannaââ
âPaige,â Tess says again. âPlease?â
And then Paige is nodding, a smile overtaking her features again. She crawls gingerly over Tessâs legs, slipping under the purple comforter next to her. Theyâre both on their backs, nearly elbow to elbow, and the space between them feels electric. Sure, they shared a room on their Bose trip, but they remained in their separate beds. This is the closest theyâve been in five months, and Tess is certain that every cell in her body is simultaneously combusting.
âTess,â Paige says.
âYes, Paige?â
âAm I allowed to say Iâm thankful for you too?â she murmurs.
Tessâs chest loosens. âDepends.â She cranes her neck to glance at Paige, but the blonde is already staring at her, her gaze dark and beseeching. âDo you mean it?â
Instead of a verbal response, Paige moves, one hand holding herself up and the other cupping Tessâs jaw, kissing her with a soft intensity that pulls the breath directly from her lungs. Tess sighs, tangling her fingers in Paigeâs hair, letting Paige guide her as she liked for better access. Paige pulls back, her nose brushing against Tessâs cheek as she presses her lips to the slope of her jaw, the spot under her ear that makes her shiver, the base of her throat, her pulse point. Tess can feel Paigeâs smirk as she lingers, her lips sweeping across her skin. âYour heartâs beating really fast,â she murmurs.
Tess scoffs, blushing fiercely. âI wonder why,â she retorts.
âI think I got a few ideas,â Paige says smugly.
âThink less,â Tess says breathlessly, pulling Paige back to her lips, halting whatever stupid comment she was about to make. Paige grins insufferably, her kiss long and slow. Tess feels herself sinking deeper and deeper into the mattress, consumed by all things Paige Bueckers; the scent of her perfume, the silk of her pillowcase, the warmth of her hand on her skin, the push and pull of her lips.
When they finally pull apart, Paigeâs lips ghost across her temple as she murmurs, âHappy Thanksgiving, baby.â
The nickname does little to slow the beating of her heart. Tess doesnât care. âHappy Thanksgiving, Paige.â
DECEMBER 2023
are you still interested in christmas-ing with the kennedys?
Wouldnât miss it for the world
okay let me email you the tickets
[Paige loved âlet me email you the ticketsâ] You gonna pick me up from the airport?
i could be persuaded
Say less [1 Attachment]
thatâs a picture of dunkin donuts
It is Which is what I will buy for you if you pick me up from the airport
you drive a hard bargain đ€ can you upsell?Â
I mean Coffee, a bacon egg & cheese, and Paige Bueckers in your passenger seat Are you not convinced?
not really
Bruh Tess PLEASE do not make me take an Uber
you are such a baby đ donât worry iâll be there with a sign that says âwelcome back from jailâ
As long as youâre there I donât care whatâs on the sign
ok smooth oh also so what are your thoughts on spending like a day with my family then we go into the city for like the new yearâs eve stuff in times square
Alone? đ«Š
oh my god ok so you can actually walk from the airport
Iâm kidding Iâd be down for that Whatever you want
[Tess loved âWhatever you wantâ] sounds good see you soon
Canât wait đ«¶
DECEMBER 29, 2023
Tess is nervous.
She isnât exactly sure why. Sheâs been in this situation time and time again, waiting at the airport for someone to pick her up or waiting to pick someone else up. Itâs extremely busy, an unfortunate repercussion of the fact that it was that limitless space between Christmas and New Yearâs where time didnât exactly exist and people were flying in and out of New York constantly. Perhaps the difference is just because itâs her picking up Paige when itâs usually the other way around. One of the themes sheâs begun to notice is that simply doing things with Paige just makes them feel different. She canât exactly explain it, but Paige has this way of helping her see and experience things through a new lens.
The bustle of the airport makes her stand on edge. Sheâs never been a huge fan of the crowds, the constant noise, which is probably a strange thing to say as an athlete. Sheâs usually able to lock in and drown it out, but sheâs anxious for other reasons. Paige will be walking through those gates in a few short minutes. Tess is excited to see her â thatâs not the issue. Sheâs dreading the fact that as soon as she and Paige reunite, half of the airport will want to shove their phones in their faces. Again, the lack of fan privacy is probably something she should be used to, although sheâd spend her life arguing that the lack of autonomy and respect isnât something that should be normalized.
But thatâs neither here nor there. The PA overhead clicks on. Tess can barely hear the robotic voice over the noise of the crowd as it announces the landing of Paigeâs flight. Just a little longer, Tess reminds herself, then we can go home. The time seems to pass slowly, but soon enough, Tess can see a new crowd forming, emerging from the gate, and she feels her heart beat just a little faster at the implication.
Paige stands tall in the crowd, her blonde hair sticking out like a beacon. Sheâs dressed in an all black Nike tracksuit with the Husky logo emblazoned on the chest, although she holds a hoodie close to her chest as if sheâd gotten hot on the plane but prepared well for the New York chill. Tess makes her way through the crowd in Paigeâs direction. It doesnât take long for Paige to find her, a beaming smile growing on her face, and Paige falls into her with evident relief.
Tess will never get tired of the way Paige hugs her. She melts completely, her body enveloping hers, her head always falling close to her neck. Paigeâs body is firm, tangible, and Tess sighs at the weight and pressure of their embrace. âMerry Christmas, ma,â Paige murmurs in her ear, squeezing her tight.
âMerry Christmas, Paige,â Tess responds. âAnd Happy New Yearâs, I guess.â
Paigeâs shoulders shake with laughter as she pulls back, dropping an affectionate kiss to Tessâs forehead before intertwining their fingers. âIt ainât New Yearâs yet,â she says.
âClose enough?â
âNah.â Paige shakes her head, looking all too mischievous. âSânot New Yearâs until I get my kiss at midnight.â
Tess rolls her eyes, but a flush settles over her cheeks. âYouâre incorrigible.â
âCâmon â look at you!â Paige gestures with her free hand as she leads the two of them over to baggage claim. âIâm not a monster, Iâm just a man with needs,â she sings, terribly off-key, which amuses Tess.
âAlright, Daniel Caesar,â she goads, smirking. âLetâs get you out of here before people charge you with aural assault.â
Paige suddenly looks affronted, blue eyes wide and indignant. âOral?â she asks, wrinkling her nose.
Tess sighs, shaking her head. âNo, baby, aural. A-U-R-A-L. As in hearing.â
Paige scoffs. âJusâ say that, then.â Then, her head snaps back quickly, glancing at Tess with mock-offense. âWait, that wasnât nice!â Finally, her suitcase rolls around and she hauls it off the conveyor with ease.
Tess snickers, patting Paige on the shoulder. âRemember what I told you? I gotta keep your ego at a reasonable level.â With their hands still linked, Tess leads them through the crowded airport quickly, eager to get home and away from all of these people.
âMy girl so mean,â Paige huffs dramatically. âNothinâ wrong with my ego. Youâre just a D1 hater.â
Tess smiles. âAre you finished?â
âNo!â
Paige rambles the entire drive back to Tessâs house, but she at least stays true to her promise and buys Tess brunch at Dunkin â not that Tess expected anything less from her. In the short eight months theyâve been friends, Paige has proven herself to be very intentional in her words and actions. She doesnât make a habit of saying things she doesnât mean. Excluding their banter or when theyâre teasing one another, Paige is unfathomably genuine. Promises and intent are incredibly important to her; Tess found that out the hard way back in November, but sheâs keen on keeping that an isolated incident.
When Tess parks on the curb behind her parentsâ car, she cuts the engine, but makes no effort to get out. Paige glances at her with a concerned expression, her thumb brushing against her knuckles gently. âSo, my parents might beâŠa lot,â she says hurriedly, meeting Paigeâs eyes. âJust let me know if it gets overwhelming or something, okay?â
Paige smiles reassuringly at her. âDonât worry, ma. We got this in the bag.â
Tess returns the smile, though itâs a little weaker. âIâm serious. My dad likes you but you might get the shovel talk.â
âIâm serious, too.â Paige lifts their hands, pressing her lips to Tessâs palm. Thereâs no use hiding the infectious blush, so she just tries to not look as down bad as she feels. âI can handle it.â
Tess sighs, conceding, and she collects her belongings and leads Paige into her house. Her parents are sitting in the living room watching a movie when they walk in. Almost instantly, they turn to stare down Paige, who, to her credit, doesnât falter, instead offering a polite smile.
âHey, guys,â Tess says awkwardly. âThis is Paige. Paige, these are my parents, Alessandra and Mateo.â
Her parents stand to shake her hand. âGreat to finally meet you both,â Paige says charismatically, not wincing under her fatherâs handshake, which earns her a gleam of silent approval. Point, Paige. Her parents echo the sentiment, flashing relaxed smiles, and Tess finally chills out.
âAre you both staying for dinner? I know you have other plans this weekend,â her mom asks.
âYes, mamma,â Tess replies with a smile. âWeâre heading into the city tomorrow afternoon and Iâll be back on Monday after I drop her off at the airport.â
Her parents share a glance, as if silently communicating with one another. Their apparent telepathic capabilities always terrified Tess growing up. That fear comes back tenfold when the both of them glance at Paige, curiosity in their gaze as they soak her in. Paige, admirably, stands strong, a calm seriousness in her expression. She doesnât even react when Tess subconsciously tightens her grip on her hand. While it feels like they stand there for hours, the staredown only lasts a few seconds before her parents relent. âIâm making bolognese tonight,â her mom states, the tension in the room dissolving.
At that, Tess relaxes again, and flashes a quiet smile at her parents. âWeâll be in my room,â she says. âPaige is jet-lagged after her flight.â None of them comment on the fact that Paige only travelled across one time zone, but her parents smile kindly and return to their movie as Tess drags Paige down the hallway, flushing. âOh my God. That was the most nerve wracking thing ever.â
âIâve never dissociated so hard in my life,â Paige confesses. âDid I do okay? Can they smell fear?â
Tess laughs, pulling Paige inside her room and shutting the door. âChrist, Paige â theyâre Italians, not fucking sharks.â Paige rolls her eyes, depositing her bags close to the door and kicking off her shoes. She wraps her arms around Tess from behind, rocking them side-to-side, and Tess canât help her smile as Paige sighs with relief. âGood job, though. She asked if you were staying for dinner.â Tess spins in Paigeâs embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing her in celebration.
âIs that good?â Paige asks, her cheeks turning red.
âVery,â Tess confirms. âJust donât wear jeans. She cooks enough for a small army and sheâll make you eat dessert, too.â
Paige nods seriously, like impressing her parents is an important task to her. âIâll lock in,â she vows, her lips brushing against Tessâs jaw. âTheyâre gonna like me more than they like you.â
And at that, Tess shoves Paige away from her, scoffing indignantly while the blonde dissolves into laughter. âJerk,â Tess grumbles. She makes her way to her bed, climbing in and turning the TV on. âGreyâs?â she asks Paige hopefully, as if the blonde would ever say no to Greyâs Anatomy, and Paige nods as she crawls in next to Tess, slinging an arm over her waist and resting her head on her chest.
They make it through an episode and a half before Paige falls asleep, lulled into slumber by the drag of Tessâs fingertips against her scalp. Tess knows sheâs been working hard this season, spending extra time in the gym and training because sheâs shouldering so much more for her team. Sheâs on court for nearly 40 minutes a game and although sheâd never admit it, Tess knows that itâs taxing.
Tess wouldnât admit it, either; she knows this arrangement is temporary, but she could get used to this â laying in bed with Paige while the blonde naps, comfortable in the knowledge that out of all of the people in her life, Tess is the one person she knows she can go to and not be expected to be Paige Bueckers all the time. Sheâs not expected to shoulder all of the responsibility, not expected to be the tough one â she can just be. The fact that Tess can provide that kind of comfort and security for her means more to her than sheâd ever expected.
Paige shifts in her sleep, her arm tightening around Tessâs waist subconsciously, and Tess allows herself a gentle smile. Itâs temporary, but sheâs going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Dinner was surprisingly nice that night. True to Tessâs word, her mom did make a shit ton of food, but Paige was a willing victim as she went back for seconds and had room for a slice of tiramisu. The chatter was lively and Paige integrated so well with her family. They asked about her childhood, her dreams, and her dad even dragged her into a lengthy conversation about football and the Superbowl. For an Italian raised man, her father was far too interested in American football, but Tess canât find it in herself to mind too much when Paigeâs hand finds her knee under the table as she listens intently. The smile on her face is bright, endeared. When Tess catches her motherâs gaze from across the table, noting the silent approval and her own fondness, she realizes that thereâs just something so right about her and Paige.
They gather around the Christmas tree after dinner. Tess and her parents had already opened most of their gifts when Tessâs cousins came around on Christmas day, but her parents had surprised them both with gifts for Paige. Paige wasnât expecting it, but the childlike wonder on her face was priceless, and Tess really couldnât have been all too shocked by the fact that she fell just a little harder for Paige as she opened her presents. It was nothing major; a few pieces of workout apparel, a sneaky South Carolina hoodie that they all laughed at as Paige stared at it in mock-disgust (Tess knew sheâd wear it), and a gift card for an upscale restaurant in the city that she and Paige planned to take full advantage of.
And then Paige surprised her parents with gifts of their own, which was incredibly fucked up, because how was Tess supposed to go back to normal when Paige is buying her parents Christmas presents and theyâre not even dating for real? Paige gives her father a beautiful watch and her mother a gorgeous necklace. Judging by the way they sparkle, they must both cost a fortune, and Paige tells them she already tore up the receipts so thereâs absolutely no take-backsies.
Tess hugs her parents goodnight, although they also pull Paige in for one when she tries to shake their hands again. Her parents both whisper their firm approval and Tess canât help the way her chest tightens. They tell her that they really like Paige â that makes Tess laugh weakly because they arenât the only ones. She really likes Paige, too, and thatâs slowly becoming her biggest problem right now.
After they both shower, Paige rifles through her bag, searching for something, and when she turns around, she presents Tess with a small, gift-wrapped box. âPaige,â Tess grumbles, not expecting a gift from her, but the Cheshire grin on her face makes her resolve weaken.
âCâmon,â Paige goads. âDâyou really think I wouldnât get you sumâ?â Tess rolls her eyes, but she opens the drawer on her nightstand and pulls out a gift wrapped box, too. Paigeâs smile grows. They exchange their gifts, and after much argument, Paige convinces Tess to open hers first. She takes the wrapping apart gingerly, her eyes widening at the Tiffany & Co logo. âDonât freak,â Paige says gently, which does little to hide the fact that Tess is freaking.
âPaigeââ
âOpen it, ma.â
Swallowing thickly, Tess does, and tucked into the cushion of the box is a small, yet glimmering, bracelet charm. She picks it up gingerly, her breath catching. âI struggled for a really long time to find the perfect one,â Paige admits in a whisper. Tess glances up at her, watching a slow smile spread across her face. âHad to get it custom made. Itâs the Gampel court. I know â why would you wanna walk around with the enemy court on your wrist, whatever, but flip it over.â Tess flips it, and on the back, February 8, 2021, is engraved. âThis was the first game weâd played against each other. The first time I met you in person, the first time I shook your hand. And honestly, I didnât think we could beat you. I didnât think I could beat you. You made it really fucking hard.â That draws a teary laugh from Tess, but Paige keeps going, a smile on her face. âAs we played, it became less about, Iâon know, beating you and more about impressing you. Win or lose, I was just really fucking grateful I got to share the court with you. I learned so much from your game and you made me a better player, whether you realized it or not. I was scared to reach out to you â youâd always been sort of untouchable, I didnât think youâd wanna be my friend, especially since weâre on different teams. But here we are now.â
âHere we are,â Tess agrees, her lip quivering. âI donât know how Iâm supposed to out-do that,â she jokes.
Paige rolls her eyes, dimples popping out. âLemme put it on you?â she requests. Tess nods, handing over the charm, and with overwhelming gentleness, Paige clasps the charm to her bracelet, giving her hand a squeeze once itâs safely secured.
âThank you,â Tess says, her voice barely a whisper. She meets Paigeâs eyes. Her expression shines with adoration, fondness, the blue of her gaze disarming. âItâs beautiful.â
Paige smiles at her, vulnerable and tender. âOf course,â she says.
Tess gestures to the wrapped box in Paigeâs hand and she opens it gingerly. Inside the box is a thumb ring. The band is extremely thin, gold in color, and isnât perfectly straight. It resembles the stem of a rose which leads into the petals with two miniscule leaves jutting out on either side. Paige stares at the ring in a reverent sort of awe. âSo, we have this Italian saying: se son rose, fioriranno. âIf they are roses, they will bloom.â It essentially means that things take time to develop. You have to have faith that the roses will bloom â that you will bloom. It reminded me of both of us â our ACLs, that in time, they wonât weigh us down.â Paige glances back up, meeting Tessâs eyes. âIt reminded me of you. I know this year hasnât been easy for you so far, for your team, but in time, youâll find that success youâve been working your entire career for.â
Paige smiles even though her eyes water and her bottom lip quivers. âTess⊠Iâon know what to say.â
âWell, thatâs a first,â Tess jokes, and the both of them dissolve into laughter. At Paigeâs insistence, Tess slides the ring onto her thumb. Paige stares at it for a while, a dopey expression on her face, but Tess can tell she loves it. âMerry Christmas, P.â
Paigeâs smile grows. She leans in, softly pressing her lips to Tessâs, her arm curling around her waist and dragging her closer until sheâs nearly in her lap. Tess places her hands over Paigeâs shoulders for stabilization, content to let Paige take the lead, but itâs not long before Paige is withdrawing to ghost her lips across Tessâs cheek, murmuring into her ear, âMerry Christmas, baby.â
DECEMBER 30, 2023
The first few hours of the morning are spent watching cheesy Hallmark movies, much to Paigeâs chagrin. She thinks theyâre too corny, but Tess argues theyâre a holiday staple. Paige eventually gives in after Tess makes her a mug of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, although that doesnât save her from Paigeâs endless commentary.
âThe acting is so bad,â Paige says, her tone disgusted. She stretches out a little more on the couch, her leg brushing against Tessâs. âWhy does she move her head so much? Why does she keep blinking?â
âPaige,â Tess says, fond exasperation clear in her tone. âItâs not supposed to be good.â
âWell, itâs bothering me,â she whines. âMoving your eyebrows so much doesnât make you look cool. It makes you look ridiculous.â
âYou are such a baby,â Tess gripes. She lifts Paigeâs left arm, tucking herself flush against her side. Paige gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze as she pulls her in a little tighter. âIf you think about it, theyâre just like us.â
At that, Paige raises her brows, huffing out something akin to unconvinced laughter. âYeah? How so?â
Tess smiles at her coyly. âThey got paired up together for the mural contest. Now they have to work together if they want to win.â She presses her fingertips together, separating them as she makes an explosion noise. Paige snorts. âI donât think weâd be on Hallmark, though. Not PG enough. You curse like a sailor.â
âMe?â Paige asks. âHave you heard yourself?â
âYouâre really gonna sit here and blame me for sh â stuff?â Paige gives her a knowing look, a smirk growing on her face. Tess juts her lip out in a pout thatâs clearly not working on Paige. âItâs Christmas and youâre being mean to me?â
âIt is not Christmas ââ
Tess sighs dramatically, cutting her off. âChristmas,â she whines.
Paige rolls her eyes good naturedly, brushing her lips across Tessâs temple and shutting her up. They finish the movie, along with two others before itâs time for them to make the arduous, thirty minute journey into the city (traffic was a bitch). Paige called dibs on driving, which Tess wasnât happy about considering that it was her car, but as soon as she thought about driving through the city traffic, she changed her mind.
Tess booked them a suite in a hotel called Tempo by Hilton, mostly due to its proximity to the New Yearâs Eve ball drop location. After they checked in, they planned on heading out to dinner and then lounging around for the rest of the evening. They werenât doing much on the 31st either, their only real plan being the ball drop. They agreed they werenât going to fill up an entire itinerary. New Yearâs in New York was just supposed to be a weekend vacation away from their families and the city would be crowded enough that theyâd be away from the media, too. It was difficult to find much to do since Tess was not a fan of the New York nightlife. December marked eight months of sobriety â it wasnât a lot, but it was a source of pride for her. She had no interest in going back on that even if the urges were long gone by now.
They got ready for dinner together, although Paige was absolutely no help at all. She was dressed in a multicolored striped sweater, baggy white jeans and a pair of matching shoes; her hair was styled down in loose waves. Tess jokingly told her that she looked like an art teacher and Paige rolled her eyes so hard that she had to lay down because it made her head hurt.
âPaige, I donât know what to wear,â Tess complains.Â
âSumâ warm,â she says unhelpfully, not looking up.
âI want to wear a dress.â
âThen wear one?â
âItâll be cold!â
âBring a sweater.â
âAnd ruin the fit?â Tess grumbles.
Paige laughs, much to Tessâs chagrin. âYou can pull anything off,â she says.
âItâs probably not even that cold,â Tess muses, glancing down at the dress she packed. Itâs a simple black one that cuts off just below her thighs with thin straps at the top. âWeâll be inside for the most part, right?â
Paige shifts, holding her head up with her hand as she stares at Tess with amusement. âWear the dress. Bring a sweater. Or donât. I can give you mine and we can be all cute and shit.â
âYou just want me wearing your clothes,â Tess says under her breath, but Paige hears it.
âDamn,â she deadpans. âCaught me.â
Tess wears the dress. She doesnât bring a sweater. The restaurant was warm enough that she didnât need one, although sheâs certain that Paige deliberately took them the long way back to their hotel so sheâd cave and ask Paige for her sweater. Her suspicions are proved true when Paige forces them to take what feels like a million photos, but Tess just feels endlessly endeared by her, so she entertains it.
âI like you in this,â Paige comments nonchalantly once they make it back to the hotel room. She toys with the frayed edges of the multicolored sweater mindlessly, glancing up to smile at Tess coyly.
âI know,â she says, taking her jewelry out and unpinning her hair. Paige lingers behind her, watching as she works. âYouâre so down bad. Itâs sickening.â
âSorry,â Paige lies. Tess shakes her head with an amused smile. âLook in the mirror and get back to me. Who wouldnât be?â
They watch an episode or two of Greyâs before bed that night, although Tess falls asleep after the first thirty minutes. The weight of Paigeâs body against hers was too calming, the scent of her perfume in the air, the drag of her fingertips across her back. Despite doing nothing but lounging around, traveling, and going to dinner, Tess was exhausted. Paige could be partially to blame for that â she makes Tess feel safe, like she doesnât have to worry about keeping all of her walls up. She has a comforting energy that could make anyone relax and lose all of their worries.
But maybe sheâs a little too effective at that. If Tess had managed to stay awake longer, then maybe she would have heard the dial tone, the sound of another person picking up, and Paigeâs whispered confession of, âAubrey, I might be in love.â
But she didnât hear it â and Paige may never say it again.
Things are fine the morning after, although Tess would have no reason to expect them to not be. She wakes up before Paige does (not a surprise), although they shifted at some point during the night. While Tess fell asleep with her head on Paigeâs chest, she woke up on her side with Paigeâs right arm slung protectively over her waist and the blondeâs face pressed into the back of her neck. Her breathing was gentle, fanning against her skin, sending shivers down Tessâs spine when she was coherent enough to realize just how close they were.
She slides out of Paigeâs arms, careful to not wake her, and stretches as she walks into the bathroom to begin her morning routine. Sheâs in the middle of brushing her teeth when Paige finally wakes up, padding into the bathroom and wiping the exhaustion out of her eyes. âMorninâ,â she says, voice thick with sleep. She presses a quick, chaste kiss to Tessâs cheek before she reaches for her own toothbrush and gets to work.
âMorning, Paigey,â Tess says, though her words are muffled around the toothbrush in her mouth. Paige shoots her an amused glance while Tess tries not to stare at her too obviously. Sheâs dressed in a pair of black basketball shorts and a matching Nike sports bra, although her shorts hang low on her waist, revealing the waistband of her boxers. Thereâs not even a safe region for Tess to look at. The muscles in her shoulders are freakishly defined, the veins in her hands protrude slightly, her expression is soft and mellowed out, and her hair is down in bedridden waves. Tess needs to be taken out back and shot between the eyes. This is getting out of hand.
âSumâ you wanna say?â Paige asks around the foam in her mouth. Tess flushes immediately, much to Paigeâs endless enjoyment.
âNope!â she says as she spits out her toothpaste. âNothing at all.â
Paige catches her around the waist when she tries to leave, attempting to put space between them. Tessâs breath hitches as Paige pulls her flush against her, her hands resting on her bare stomach. Wordlessly, Paige bites down on her toothbrush, using her free hand to wipe away a smudge of toothpaste off Tessâs bottom lip. Paigeâs subsequent smile is all too smug and she has to shove her away before she says something pathetic like naming the 2023 WNBA draft class by pick order.
She can hear Paigeâs light laughter from the bathroom as she returns to the main room. When Paige finishes up in the bathroom, she doesnât mention how she flustered Tess, although she does put a shirt on (much to Tessâs simultaneous relief and disappointment) and picks up the phone to order room service for them. The food arrives quickly, an assortment of meats, pastries, and other delicacies. Paige insists on making Tessâs plate for her â the princess treatment getting is ridiculous, but who is she to complain? â and the photo of Paige that she captures, messy bun and oversized t-shirt on, is good enough that Tess considers gatekeeping it, but she ultimately posts it anyway because the people deserve to know that UConnâs basketball star is doing this for her and not for them.
Paige reposts it with the eye rolling emoji and the princess emoji, which makes Tess laugh.
They talk all throughout breakfast, easy conversations and jokes, and they lounge around in the hotel room until itâs time to get ready for the ball drop. Tess, once again, struggles with what to wear, but when Paige comes out of the bathroom wearing a hot pink, long-sleeved Nike sweater with black baggy cargos and rummages through Tessâs suitcase, Tess really canât be all too surprised when the outfit Paige selected matches herâs.
âYou could be a little less obvious,â Tess suggests as she does her hair in the mirror.
Paige only smiles, taking in Tessâs outfit. Paige has dressed her in a pink tube top and black high-waisted pants with a matching coat. âNah,â she says after a minute of shameless ogling. âI did my big one.â
Tess rolls her eyes. She would never admit it to the blonde, but she and Paige look good.
The walk to Times Square flies passes quickly. They spend it hand-in-hand with Paige expertly navigating them through the busy New York foot traffic as Tess takes countless pictures of the city decorated for New Yearâs. She gets plenty of photos of Paige, too, the easy smile on her face, her side profile illuminated by the city lights. Tess knows very well by now that Paige is extremely attractive â that wasnât a secret to anyone. She was magnetic and Tess has been stuck in her orbit from the first time they met, not in the conference room, but when they played each other in 2021. It takes her a long time to realize her feelings. She keeps them under tight lock and key, knowing that her goal and purpose is to play basketball. She never had the time for anything else, but when Paige finds her gaze, squeezing their intertwined hands, Tess thinks that maybe she could make time if Paige decided to stay in her life permanently.
Paige isnât magnetic because of her looks. It definitely helps, and while that physical attraction will never leave, Tess has come to find sheâs attracted to Paige for other reasons. She likes Paigeâs kindness, her candor, her irresistible charm. She likes that Paige keeps her accountable, that she stands ten toes down on her beliefs. Tess is drawn to the way Paige cares for those around her, the way she gives everything her all. She likes her humor, her faith, her compassion. There isnât a single thing Tess hates about her, but thereâs an infinite amount of things that Tess loves about Paige Bueckers.
Love.
Tess loves Paige Bueckers.
That realization, while incredibly sudden, doesnât surprise Tess as much as it probably should. If anything, itâs freeing â thereâs a reason, an explanation to the way sheâs been feeling for so long. It should scare her, but it doesnât. Maybe itâs because it hasnât set in yet, the panic. Tess panicked when she realized she had feelings for Paige in the first place. But maybe itâs because sheâs older now, arguably wiser. Sheâs learned that she canât run from her feelings. She has to embrace them for what they are. Sheâs in love with Paige. It should scare her because Paige was her first ârelationship,â first kiss, and now, first love. It should scare her but it doesnât and thatâs just what it is.
It should scare her because now, rule four is officially broken. Thereâs no arguing against it or calling it by any other name. She dapped Paige up in a campus coffee shop and promised her that she wouldnât fall in love with her. In fairness, a Notes app contract and a handshake isnât really legally binding. But at the end of the day, Tess doesnât care and thatâs probably the scary part. Sheâs in love. Itâs unsurprising, undaunting, and looking back, inevitable.Â
âYou good?â Paige asks, drawing Tess from her thoughts. âYou got really quiet.â
Tess thinks about her answer. Is she okay? Sheâs here, in New York City with Paige Bueckers, the woman sheâs in love with, and theyâre about to watch the New Yearâs Eve ball drop. Sheâs three months away from being able to play basketball again, a year away from declaring for the WNBA draft. She is literally on the cusp of achieving all of her dreams, of having everything sheâs ever wanted. So, she smiles at Paige, shifting closer into her personal space as they walk, and sheâs honest when she responds, âYeah. Iâm good.â The smile that Paige gives her is bright, full of fondness, and so disarming that Tess truly wonders how she went so long trying to convince herself that she couldnât fall in love with her. Paige just makes it so easy. And when she pulls Tess tighter into her side, whispering a joke into her ear, part of Tess hopes that Paige could find it within her to love her back. Another part of her notices the clear adoration in Paigeâs eyes, the way she tightens her grip on her hand, and she thinks that maybe Paige Bueckers being in love with Tess Kennedy isnât such a long shot.
Paige finds them a secluded spot in Times Square, decently far away from the larger portion of the inebriated crowd. The wind is frosty, nipping at her nose and fingers, but Pagieâs body is so warm. She wraps both arms around Paigeâs waist, laying her head on her chest, and the blonde runs her fingers up and down her back in a soothing motion. Sheâs not scared to be in love, but itâs overwhelming in the best way possible. Her heart feels like itâs about to burst at the seams, that the only way she could get this energy out is if she cried from the rooftops.
Right now, thereâs literally nowhere else sheâd rather be. She has room in her heart for both basketball and Paige â her two first loves. For her, thatâs enough.
âDâyou have any New Yearâs resolutions?â Paige asks once the clock hits 11:50.Â
Tess hums, pausing to truly give it some thought. âI think Iâm going to try to do more next year,â she admits in a soft whisper. âDo more things, meet new people, take more risks. This year really taught me I canât just rely on the same thing. Take more drives into to paint, you know?â
Paige smiles at her, immediately catching onto her reference. âNo more three-point shooting for you,â she teases. âI wanna see you out-hustle Kamilla for some rebounds.â
Tess laughs. âI donât know about that,â she says wryly. âWhat about you? Any resolutions?â
Paigeâs hand is warm on her back, still brushing her fingers against her spine. Sheâs quiet as she thinks. She stares directly into Tessâs eyes when she responds, her eyes blue and beseeching. âI wanna try to build something permanent,â she confesses, her throat bobbing with nerves. âLegacies. My future.â Paige hesitates before her next words. â...Relationships.â
âYeah?â Tess asks. Paige nods, a flush on her cheeks, though Tess canât tell if itâs from the December chill or embarrassment. âSounds admirable. But if anyone can do it, you can.â
Paigeâs smile is solemn, although Tess doesnât pick up on it, shifting her attention to the clock. 11:53. The two of them sit in silence for the next few minutes, swaying side to side to the beat of far-away music, the murmur of the distant crowd. Tess allows herself to get lost in the fantasy of a new year, one where she and Paige arenât just pretending. Tess stopped pretending a long time ago. Part of her wonders if Paige did, too. She finds it hard to believe that Paige would be so committed to keeping up appearances in private. You could excuse the amount of time they spent together. Friends do that. But friends donât kiss. They donât fall asleep with each other, or cuddle, or call each other âbabyâ like Paige does with an enamored drawl. The signs are all there, but what if they were all lies? She doesnât want to get her hopes up, even if part of her feels like thereâs something more.
Tess has never been one for resolutions. Theyâre tacky and no one ever upholds them, but she thinks sheâs going to uphold hers this year. Sheâs going to confess to Paige â eventually. Definitely not during the tournament season, not when Paige has so much on her shoulders already. But one day she will. Thatâs a promise sheâs going to uphold.
She checks the clock again. 11:59. When she glances up, Paige is already staring at her. Coyly, she asks, âReady to ring in the New Yearâs?â
Tess chuckles, tightening her arms around Paigeâs waist. âAre you?â
âBeen ready ever since you picked me up at the airport,â she retorts, a grin growing on her face. âDâyou remember what I said? Sânot New Yearâs until I get my midnight kiss?â
Tess hums as if contemplating something. âI donât recall that,â she murmurs, her gaze locking onto Paigeâs.
âNo?â She shakes her head as Paige draws her in closer. Their noses brush. Paigeâs eyes are soft, but thereâs an emotion swirling in them that Tess just canât place no matter how long she searches for the answer. âIs there anything I can do to jog your memory?â
The crowd roars, although Tess doesnât pay them any attention.
10âŠ
9âŠ
8âŠ
âIâm sure thereâs something,â Tess concedes.
7âŠ
6âŠ
Paige smiles at her, her hands firm on her back. âSomething?â she drawls.
5âŠ
4âŠ
âPaige.â
âYeah?â
3âŠ
2âŠ
âPlease stop talking.â
1!
And she does, pulling Tess even closer and capturing her lips with a gentle urgency. Tess grins against her, reaching up to tangle her fingers in Paigeâs loose hair, though Paige grows annoyed at Tessâs inability to be serious. One of her hands finds Tessâs jaw, taking control and guiding their kiss. Her hands are freezing but they feel like a soothing balm against the heat building in Tessâs cheeks.
Paige pulls away for air, her breath coming out in shallow bursts that forms clouds of steam in the air, but she doesn't stay away for too long. Sheâs swooping back in and kissing Tess with a renewed vigor, like thereâs something sheâs trying to communicate. Her lips are greedy, insistent, drawing out every single noise building in the back of Tessâs throat. Sheâs never kissed like this before â technically, Paige is the only person that Tess has kissed, but thereâs something thatâs earth-shatteringly new about this interaction. Paige kisses her with want, with desire, like she couldnât bear it if she didnât have Tess in her arms at all times. And honestly, given how Tess eagerly responds, trying her best to put as little space between her and Paige as possible, Tess isnât sure if she herself could bear it if she and Paige werenât near each other.
Her entire nervous system is alight with activity, neurons firing on all cylinders. Call her delusional, or stupid, or whatever, but Paige has awoken a part of her that has laid dormant for 22 years. Itâs like part of Tess was waiting for Paige to come into her life, that she wasnât fully living until she felt what it was like to love Paige Bueckers. Now that she knows, Tess canât imagine living a life where she doesnât love Paige Bueckers, where she doesnât get to look at Paige like sheâs hung the very stars in the sky, where she doesnât get to wake up everyday and wonder how Paige will piss her off this time. Itâs just them, itâs how they work, itâs how Tess wants them to work forever and ever and ever.
âPaige,â Tess gasps, almost breathlessly, pushing the blonde away from her with a hand to her chest. Paige looks almost annoyed at the interruption until she takes in the hazy look in Tessâs eyes. âHotel?â Tess asks, and Paige nods her head so vigorously, coming back to her senses. She reaches for Tessâs hand and shoves their way through the crowd back towards their hotel.
The walk back feels like it takes ages. The elevator ride isnât any better. Tess is nearly shaking with anticipation and Paige fumbles with the keycard, cursing under her breath. Finally, she opens it, ushering Tess inside with unseen urgency and shuts the door quickly behind them, locking it.
Tess hardly has the time to react before Paige is on her again, one hand at the base of her throat and the other around her waist. Despite her haste, she carefully walks the two of them backwards until the back of Tessâs knees hit the bed and Paige lowers her down gently, cognizant of her leg. Paige pulls back, her eyes clouded with want but she finds some clarity when she looks at Tess again. âOff?â she requests, her voice hoarse, tugging lightly at Tessâs coat. Tess nods, but Paige is shaking her head. âWords, Tess. None of that shit.â
âOff, Paige, please,â she says hastily, leaving her pride at the door. Paige rewards her with a deep kiss to her lips as she reaches for Tessâs coat, pulling it off her shoulders and throwing it somewhere behind her. She stands to kick off her shoes and Tess almost misses the contact until Paige sinks to her knees, reaching to undo her heels. The sight of Paige on her knees, staring up at her in near reverence sends a shockwave of desire straight to Tessâs core. Once her heels are off, she reaches for Paige, pulling her up and on top of her, connecting their lips once more.
âFuck,â Paige murmurs, dipping down to press her lips to Tessâs jaw. Tess tangles her fingers in Paigeâs hair, pulling the hair tie out, allowing the blonde waves to spill over her shoulders as Paige drags wet kisses across the slope of Tessâs collarbones. She nips at her skin, soothing the bite with a pass of her tongue, and Tess canât help the moan that rips from her throat when Paigeâs hands press against her ribs. âSo pretty, baby, you have no idea.â
âSays you,â Tess says breathlessly, which draws a laugh from Paige. She pulls back far enough, hooking her fingers under the hem of Tessâs top. Paige meets her eyes, the question evident in her blown-out eyes, and Tess nods rapidly as she says, âTake it off, please.â
Her top comes off quickly and Paige groans, her eyes zoning in on her bare breasts. âSo polite,â she murmurs, sliding her hands to her chest. She glances back up for consent, and once she has it, she brushes her thumbs across her nipples, drawing a whimper from Tess. âThis what I needa do to get you to be nice?â Her tone is warm despite the insinuation in her tone.
âStop teasing,â Tess grumbles, and who is Paige to deny her? She leans down, littering wet kisses across her chest, encircling her mouth around a nipple as her hand gives equal attention to the other one. Tess slides her fingers through Paigeâs hair for leverage, pulling slightly, and moaning when Paigeâs subsequent groan reverberates throughout her body. Her back arches off of the bed, trying to lessen the space between them. Paige pulls back, staring at Tess with a reverent smile like sheâs the eighth wonder of the world. Then sheâs dipping back down, lavishing her other breast with attention, and Tess feels so high-strung that she could float away from the slightest touch.
When Paige moves down her body, sucking hickeys near her ribs, Tess reaches for Paigeâs sweater. Wordlessly, Paige raises her arms, allowing Tess to pull her it off. Her mouth goes dry at the sight of Paigeâs abs, firm and rigid and inviting.
âAll quiet now, huh?â Paige goads.
âPaigeââ
Paige shushes her, pressing their lips together again, swallowing the needy sounds ripping from Tessâs throat as her hands explore. Theyâre warm, leaving blazing paths of desire across her body, dipping down to grip her thighs. âGonna get you right,â she promises, leaving Tessâs lips, traveling down to her neck where she sucks a mark into her skin. âJusâ need you to be patient.â
âDonât want patient,â Tess says, gasping when Paige bites her shoulder. âWant you.â
âYou got me,â Paige reassures. âAlways, baby, you got me.â Her fingers hook into the waistband of her pants, looking back up to Tess for approval.
âPlease,â she begs. âFuck, Paige, please.â
With almost agonizing slowness, Paige pulls her pants down her legs, still cognizant of her knee. Her eyes widen at the sight of Tess splayed out under her, her breath catching. âFuck, Tess,â she murmurs in disbelief. Tess finds it hard to be insecure when Paige is looking at her like this. âAll for me?â
âFor you,â Tess says, her chest heaving.
Paige smiles smugly, whispering, âYeah, it is,â before she leans down, pressing her lips to Tessâs full thighs, gripping her hips. She spreads her legs, fitting her body in the space sheâs created, trailing kisses towards her knee, where the surgery scar remains. Tessâs breath catches in her throat when Paige kisses her knee, her fingers brushing gently over her skin. âEvery inch of you is so fuckinâ beautiful,â she whispers in awe. âGod, Tess. How are you real?â
For that, Tess has no answer. She reaches for Paigeâs hand, intertwining their fingers as she pulls the blonde back to her lips. Theyâre locked together for a few moments before Tess feels the brush of Paigeâs pant leg against her skin. âYouâre wearing too many clothes,â she whines.
âSorry, baby,â Paige whispers against her lips. She kisses her once more, a lingering press before pulling away, pulling her pants off with a quickness. Sheâs left in a black sports bra and a pair of boxers.Â
She settles in again, her lips finding Tessâs navel, pressing wet kisses to her skin. âPaige,â Tess begs again. âPlease touch me.â
âWhere dâyou need me?â she asks, glancing back up to meet Tessâs eyes. She wonders if she looks as destroyed as she feels. Paige hasnât even done anything, but all of her senses are on overdrive. She reaches for Paigeâs hand, guiding it to the apex of her thighs, resting it over her underwear. If she were wearing a lighter color, sheâd be concerned about her arousal seeping through the material.
âOff, Paige, please,â Tess requests.
Paige obliges, stripping her fully. Her eyes soak her in, a groan building at the back of her throat at the sight of Tess spread open and exposed for her. Her hands linger on her thighs as Paige returns to Tessâs lips, kissing her deeply once more. âYou want me?â she asks, their noses brushing. âWe can stop if you want, donât gotta do nothinâ youâont want, Tess, I swear it.â
Tess shakes her head, pulling Paige back in. Sheâs never been more sure of anything else in her life. âWant you,â she affirms, her voice breathless. Paige pulls back again; her pupils are blown out and the desire is evident, but she searches Tessâs eyes for any hint of a falsehood. When she finds none, she presses one last kiss to her lips, trailing down her body again until she reaches her cunt. Her breath is warm against her and Tess shivers.
Paige reaches for one of her hands, intertwining their fingers. With the other, she spreads her legs once more, getting comfortable and finally, she dips down fully to drag her tongue slowly along the length of her slit. She groans, the vibrations making Tess crazy, and it takes everything in her to not lose her mind as her back arches. Paige uses her free arm to press down on her hips, keeping her rooted as she licks and sucks, her tongue all over her. And when Paige finds her clit, wrapping her lips around it and sending waves of white-hot pleasure throughout her body, Tess whines so loudly that she can feel the noise in her throat. âPaige, fuck,â she gasps, one of her hands twining in Paigeâs hair, tugging her closer and closer to her.
Paige is vocal in general, but the noises she makes against Tessâs cunt are intoxicating in the best way. Her head spins as Paige laps her up, gathering her slick on her tongue and drinking her up like a woman starved. She travels lower, her nose brushing against Tessâs clit as her tongue circles her entrance, and Tess feels like some part of her has died and gone to heaven. The pleasure is immeasurable, white spots blotting at the edges of her vision.
Then Paigeâs arm is leaving her hips, her fingers trailing down, brushing across her folds. She presses her lips to Tessâs thigh, smearing the wetness as her thumb rubs slow, intentional circles on her clit. âSo pretty like this,â Paige murmurs, her voice thick, sounding like sheâs drunk off of her taste. Her fingers dip down and she slowly pushes one inside of her, letting Tess get used to the stretch as she tips her head back in wordless euphoria. âThatâs it, baby, you got it.â Her finger starts moving, curling upwards, dragging across a spot that makes Tess writhe.
Tess releases Paigeâs hair, one arm slinging over her face, unable to fully process the pleasure. Paige stops suddenly, making a disapproving noise against the inside of her thigh as she nips at her skin. âEyes on me,â she says firmly, âor Iâll stop.â
Tess whimpers, but does as Paige says. Sheâs rewarded with a blinding smile, the shine of her slick on Paigeâs cheeks evident with the way the moonlight streams through the room. Paige prods at her entrance with a second finger. Itâs a tighter squeeze, but Tess just sucks her in. âThere we go,â Paige whines, breathless with want. âJusâ like that, fuck.â Both of her fingers are working her in tandem, curling upwards, and Tess feels boneless.
With every push and pull of her fingers, every time her fingertips brush against the spongy part inside of her, Tess feels the pleasure mounting and she starts babbling, begging for Paige to give her what she needs, to finally give her some relief after being so high-strung for what feels like ages. Paige is all too content to give it to her, her head dipping down once more to wrap her lips around her clit. Paige is vocal against her cunt, moans of her own high-pitched and whiny, talking her through it with incoherent rambles. Her mouth and her fingers work her in tandem. Paige leads her higher and higher to her peak, and after one final well-timed brush, the pleasure crests and Tessâs orgasm washes through her.
Paige hums against her, pleased, working her through it until the aftershock tremors subside. Only when Tess gasps, far too overstimulated, does Paige slowly drag her fingers out, pressing one last kiss to her thighs. Tess sighs, sagging into the bed. Paige glances at her, her expression hazy and filled with undeniable smugness, fondness, and a lingering concern. âYou good?â she asks, her voice rough.
At that, Tess canât help but laugh, gazing up at Paige through hooded lids. âYou just gave me the best head of my life and thatâs what you have to say?â she asks weakly.
Paige rolls her eyes, rubbing her thigh gently with her clean hand. âIâon know what you want from me. You wanna high-five or sumâ? Buy a cake to celebrate?â
âJesus Christ,â Tess says, amused and somehow endeared. âI canât believe this is who I just had sex with.â
Paige snorts. âI donât remember you doinâ much of anything.â
Tess flushes. âFirst of all,â she begins, still a little breathless, ârude. Second of all⊠should I?â
âNah,â Paige says, her entire demeanor shifting. âUh, you donât gotta worry about that.â
Tess stares at her long and hard, not quite understanding. Itâs not until she notes the flush on Paigeâs chest, the sweat beading at her temples, the way her boxers stick to her body that she finally understands. âOh my God,â she says, much to Paigeâs chagrin. âYouââ
âChill!â Paige exclaims, embarrassed. âYou were makinâ all these noises. I couldnât help it.â
They stare at each other for a few beats before they both dissolve into exhausted giggles. Tess feels slightly delirious, although part of her canât believe she just did this with Paige. She doesnât regret it. She doesnât think she ever could.
âWe should probably clean up,â Paige suggests.
Tess hums, stretching. âGive me like ten minutes,â she says. âI canât feel my legs.â
Paige laughs smugly. âYeah?â
Tess shakes her head, amused. âShut up.â
âAlright,â she concedes, hooking one arm around Tessâs back and the other under her knees. Tess yelps in surprise as Paige lifts her easily, walking them both to the bathroom. âIâm tired. And your ass is not makinâ it ten more minutes.â
âYouâre an asshole!â Tess exclaims as Paige turns on the shower, adjusting the heat. âBut true.â With one last smile, Paige helps her into the shower and they wash up together. It feels so incredibly domestic, but Tess isnât complaining. Sheâs not going to allow her brain to ruin this night for them, not when everything leading up to it has been nothing short of perfect.
Theyâre well past sleepy when they finally make it out of the shower, redressing in sleep attire. Paige checks out the blankets, getting rid of the soiled ones and grabbing fresh ones from the closet. Soon, she and Tess are collapsing into bed, seconds away from passing out entirely, but Paige reaches for her instantly. She curls into her body, her arm wrapping around Tessâs middle. She brushes her lips against her temple. âHappy New Yearâs, Tess,â she whispers, her tone fond.
Tess can only muster an exhausted smile, squeezing her hand as she whispers back, âHappy New Yearâs, Paige.â
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Consequences
is there such a thing as too much love?
warnings: dad!alex (well, not quite), fluff, smut, raw fucking, ya know
word count: 7k
He had his eyes closed. He shouldâve been dreaming. Instead, he was thinking of you. Not just you, but the spaces you occupied, the way you breathed air and made it yours. He wasnât sure if it was obsession or something softer, something quieter but more profound, something that stretches across the distance between the two of you and doesnât snap. Either way, it kept him awake, even now, as the rest of the world surrendered to sleep. Â
They told him not to wait for it. Donât wait for the world to align itself, for the stars to blink their approval. Create it yourself, theyâd said. Your world. Alone. Stand alone. Build it brick by brick, carve it out of the nothingness. Then the love will come to you. Then it will come. But they never warned him what it would feel like when it did. How it would crash into him, fierce and unrelenting, how it would unravel him piece by piece until he wasnât sure which fragments of himself belonged anymore. Â
The day you met, the wind howled like it had something to say. A storm was caught in its lungs, a promise in its teeth. It yanked at his coat, bit at his neck, and wrapped itself around the moment like a ribbon tied to a gift neither of you knew you were giving. Later, heâd wonder if it wasnât the universe itself exhaling, breathing out its relief as he whispered, under his breath, finally.
You were like that â something that wasnât supposed to be here but was. A misplaced star, maybe. Or a stray thread tugging at the edges of his life, unravelling him just to see if you could put him back together in a new way. And he let you. Every time. No questions asked. Somehow, you always did it right, reassembling him into something unfamiliar yet more whole. A new version of himself, one he didnât know heâd been waiting to meet. Â
He hadnât expected it to be so easy for you. The way you looked at him â steady, like you werenât afraid of what you might find â left him feeling exposed. But it didnât stop him from leaning closer. You had this way of throwing things off balance. He let you throw him too. Â
You wandered into his orbit with the kind of quiet that still felt loud and changed everything without saying a word. And suddenly, colors tasted better on his tongue just from the sight of them, without even taking a bite. The sound of rain became music, no rhythm, no melody, just noise, and yet it sang. Â
He swore â God, he swore â he could fly. Not in the grand, sweeping sense of it, but in the way a bird feels the wind cradle its wings, like gravity might just loosen its grip if he asked nicely enough. Thatâs what it was like with you. Effortless. Dangerous, too, because he knew he was risking the fall every time. Â
There was something about you that turned the ordinary into something else entirely. The way you looked at the world â curious, amused, like everything was both a puzzle and a punchline â made him want to see it the way you did. And sometimes he could. Â
He noticed the little things because of you. The sound of a door creaking open, the way sunlight moved across a room, the way your hands spoke a language he didnât know he understood. You taught him how to look, not just at the world but at himself. And he hated it, at first. How vulnerable it made him feel. How much it made him want to be better. Â
But then there were moments when it felt worth it. Like when you smiled at him â not just with your mouth, but with your whole face, your whole being. Like the universe itself was bending toward him, just for a second, just for the briefest of moments. Â
He wondered if you knew what you were doing to him. If you knew how completely youâd taken up residence in his thoughts, in the spaces between them, in the cracks heâd refused to acknowledge until you. You were there now, and he wasnât sure if he wanted you to leave or if he wanted you to stay forever. Â
He told himself it didnât matter. That he didnât need to know, that the knowing wouldnât change anything. But the truth was, he wanted to understand it â this thing between you. This force that felt too big to name, too wild to tame, and yet somehow quiet enough to fit in the silence between his breaths. Â
You threw him off balance. And he let you. Â
Because somehow, in the chaos, you always managed to put him back. Differently, but perfectly. Each time. No exceptions. Â
And if he had to fall apart a thousand times just to feel this way again, heâd do it. Without hesitation. Without regret. Â
Because with you, even the falling felt like flying.
There was silence and peace and dreams. Dreams of possibly him or possibly something else entirely â though most probably him. It was always him, even if you couldnât be sure when the dream dissolved into fragments the moment your eyes opened. You could never recall them when you woke, no matter how tightly you tried to hold on. And this time, any hope of clinging to the memory of it was stolen by the sensation of something â someone â poking gently at your eyes. Â
It was light, barely a touch, but the area was sensitive enough that it startled you awake. You blinked against the soft intrusion, vision blurry. But then you saw him, and suddenly, you didnât mind. Â
He was leaning over you, his face framed by soft curls and morning light. His smile was small but unmistakable, curling at the edges like it had nowhere else to go but wider. His finger was still hovering close to your face. Caught in the act. Â
âYouâre so cute when you sleep.âÂ
You frowned, not because you were upset, but because compliments always made you feel like you were being caught off guard, like a spotlight had been aimed directly at you. âThen why wake me up?â you murmured, your voice still heavy with sleep. Â
âI didnât mean to.â He tilted his head, and the way he said it was genuine but not regretful. Unapologetic in the way he always was. âYouâre cute when youâre awake too.â Â
Your nose scrunched instinctively, an automatic reaction you couldnât control. You werenât sure if it was because of the compliment or the sleepiness still clouding your mind, but either way, you turned your face slightly, almost embarrassed. Â
And he laughed â soft, breathy, like he couldnât help himself. The sound of it filled the room, made the silence feel alive again. He reached out with that same finger, brushing against your scrunched nose as if to smooth it out. Â
âDonât do that.â he teased, but his voice had softened. Â
You closed your eyes for a moment, scrunching them too, tightly shut as if to escape him, but you could feel him leaning closer. It was a subtle shift, but you noticed it immediately â the warmth of him inching toward you, the space between you shrinking with every second. Â
And then he was close enough that you could feel his breath on your skin mixing with your own. Your eyes fluttered open just slightly, enough to catch the way his gaze softened, how he looked at you like there was nowhere else heâd rather be. Â
Maybe this was better than any dream you couldâve had.Â
His thoughts tangled and unraveled in waves as he watched you. Watched you like he was trying to memorize every detail â the way your eyelashes fanned across your cheek, the way the light kissed your skin before he could, the soft part of your lips as you exhaled in quiet breaths. There was a gentleness to you in that moment, the kind of softness that made his chest ache. It wasnât just beauty, though there was plenty of that. It was something more, something that couldnât be captured in words or paintings or songs. And then he thought of nothing at all, because the need â the want â was too loud, too consuming. Â
The longer he looked, the more the thought rose in him. It wasnât impulsive, exactly â it was inevitable, a truth he couldnât hold back any longer. Â
âKiss me.âÂ
You hadnât moved a bone, a muscle, hadnât even flinched or twitched in surprise, and there was no hesitation in your eyes. No question. There was no other choice but yes. In the stillness of your body, there was an answer. Â
And in that moment, his chest swelled. Delight, relief, something brighter and bigger than both. His gaze flicked down to your lips, his own puckered, and for a second, he looked younger, freer, like all the weight he carried with him had been set aside in favour of this one, perfect moment. Â
When he kissed you, he moved slowly at first, his lips brushing yours, feather-light, testing, savoring, like he was afraid to rush and ruin it. But the hesitation didnât last long. It melted away as soon as he felt you leaning into him, your warmth meeting his, your lips parting just enough to let him in. But then you responded, tilting just slightly toward him, and that was all the invitation he needed. Â
He tilted his head, his hand rising to cradle your face, his thumb brushing against the curve of your cheek. Every second of this must be engraved somewhere in his memory â how you felt, how you tasted, how you leaned into him like you too were falling and he was the only one to catch you. Â
How could humans possibly be solitary creatures? How could they bear to live untouched when the dip of every neck and the curve of every palm seemed sculpted for connection, for closeness? The hollow of his hand fit against your face as though it had been waiting for this, for you. And in the way your cheek softened against his palm, like you were surrendering, he felt the answer to a question he hadnât even known he was asking. Â
His fingers traced lightly along the edge of your jaw, as though mapping something sacred, and it occurred to him â suddenly, achingly â that this was what people were made for. To hold and be held. To press themselves into the spaces of someone else and find that they fit. That they belonged. Â
And as he kissed you, he thought maybe you knew this too. Maybe youâd always known, and thatâs why you leaned into him so naturally, like the world itself had softened and settled just to make room for this.Â
For you and for him. Together.
âMhmâŠâ he murmured. Â
You pulled back slightly, just enough to catch your breath, your eyes fluttering open to meet his. âWhat?â you whispered. Â
He stayed close, his forehead brushing lightly against yours, his lips curved in a lazy, lopsided smile. âI woke up wanting to kiss you.â The simplest truth. Â
And then he kissed you again, slower, like he had all the time in the world. Like he didnât want to stop. Like maybe, if he kept kissing you, heâd never have to.
Lips lingered on yours for a moment longer before he pulled back, just slightly. He couldnât bear to move too far away. His fingers were still on your face, his thumb stroking gently along your cheekbone, a touch so light it felt more like a memory than a moment. Â
âYou once told me,â he murmured, quiet, like a secret being shared in the dark, âthat the human eye is Godâs loneliest creation.â Â
You blinked slowly, still caught in the haze of sleep, of him, and his closeness. âYeah.â you said softly, the word almost swallowed by the air between you. Â
He tilted his head slightly, his lips grazing your temple, more instinct than intention, drawn there by some magnetic pull. âI donât believe that.â he said, muffled against your skin. Â
âGod?â you asked. Â
He laughed with a quiet exhale. âThat too.â he admitted, brushing his nose against your hairline. You couldnât help it â you laughed, and he smiled against you. Â
âButâŠâ His hand moved, slipping from your cheek to your jaw, his fingers tracing the curve there, trailing down your neck with the lightest pressure. âButâŠhow so much of the world passes through the pupil, and it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesnât even know thereâs another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hungry, just as empty.â Â
Words sank. And for a moment you couldnât respond. He didnât seem to notice, his lips brushing a kiss along the curve of your jaw, so gentle it almost tickled. His other hand found your waist, resting there with no real purpose except to feel you beneath his palm. Â
You swallowed hard. âThatâsâŠsad.â Â
âYeah.â he murmured, grazing your skin again, this time at the edge of your collarbone where your shirt had slipped just slightly. âBut I donât think it has to be. Not when thereâs this.â Â
His hand tightened, just slightly, at your waist. A squeeze. His fingers curled against the fabric of your shirt, pulling you just a fraction closer. His other hand stayed at your neck, thumb pressing gently at the hollow of your throat, like he could feel the rhythm of your pulse and was trying to match it with his own. Â
Everywhere he touched felt like both too much and not enough. He seemed to be following some invisible thread that connected you both, pulling him closer, closer, closer. His lips pressed to your shoulder, his thumb brushed the curve of your rib, his fingers slipped to the back of your neck, tangling lightly in your hair. Â
You felt his breath as he leaned in again, kissing the corner of your mouth, then your bottom lip, soft and slow, trying to draw out the moment forever. Â
He pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes searching yours. âI donât think the eye is lonely.â he said. âNot when it has this. Not when it has you.â And before you could answer, his lips found yours again, more sure this time.Â
He pulled back just as slowly, resting his forehead against yours, his thumb tracing absent patterns along the curve of your waist. You opened your eyes and you forgot what words even were. His eyes held you there, heavy and unmoving, and you felt it â something alive and raw and impossible to name. Staring into him might undo you completely. Â
âMaybe if we stare into each otherâs eyes long enough,â you murmured, âtheyâll reflect into a supernova.â Â
You said it to lighten the air, to make him smile, to pull him back into something playful and safe. But he didnât laugh. There wasnât even a flicker of amusement on his face. He blinked once, and when he looked at you again, there was something there that made your stomach flip. Â
âMaybe.â he said softly, and he wasnât joking. Not even a little. âYou think Iâm joking.â he said, his breath warm against your mouth. âIâm not.â Â
The way he said it sent a shiver through you, not because it was absurd but because you believed him too. The quiet in his voice, the steadiness in his gaze, the way his hand slid from your waist to your jaw, holding you gently, made you feel like the impossible wasnât so far out of reach. Â
âI know.âÂ
His touch wandered everywhere and nowhere all at once. He didnât know where to hold you because there wasnât a single part of you he didnât want to touch. Â
âMaybe.â he murmured again, quieter this time, like the word was for him, not for you. âMaybe we already have.â Â
Heavy and electric, and you couldnât tell if it was the room spinning or just you. All you knew was the way he was looking at you â like the supernova had already started, like the light was already spilling out of both of you, unstoppable.
His eyes were hungry. Not the kind of hunger that could be sated with a kiss, or even a touch, but something deeper, raw and untamed. It wasnât desperation â it was desire, pure and unfiltered, like heâd been holding himself back for too long and now the dam was cracking. Â
His lips were still parted, flushed from the kisses youâd already given him, but there was something else there now. Something darker. Lust, thick and heavy, dripping from him like honey. You could feel it in the way his hands twitched against you, in the way his chest rose and fell faster, like he was trying to keep control but failing. Â
So you starved him a bit longer. Â
You leaned back just slightly, enough to create space, enough to make him feel the loss of you. His hands followed instinctively, one on your waist, the other curling around the back of your neck, but you didnât let him close the distance. Not yet. Â
His eyes locked onto yours, dark and pleading, but you held your ground, tilting your head just enough to make it clear this was your game. You watched the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, the way his tongue darted out to wet his lips, like he was preparing to speak but couldnât find the words. Â
âPlease.â he murmured finally, his voice rough, hoarse, like it had been dragged through gravel. Â
The sound sent a shiver down your spine, but you didnât let it show. âDeprivation brings out our inner animal.â you said softly. Â
His grip tightened on your waist, his fingers pressing into your skin just enough to make you gasp. His gaze was molten now, his hunger bleeding. Â
âIs that what you want?â he asked, low and dangerous, barely holding himself back. âTo see me lose control?â Â
You didnât answer. You didnât need to. You leaned in just enough that your breath ghosted against his lips, close enough that he could almost taste you. His eyes fluttered shut for half a second, his resolve cracking, but you pulled back before he could close the gap. Â
You wanted him wild. Â
And when he opened his eyes again, there it was â the animal, unleashed. His hand slid from your waist to your hip, gripping you harder, pulling you flush against him. His other hand tangled in your hair, tilting your head back so your neck was exposed to him. Â
âYou want wild?â he growled, his lips brushing the sensitive skin below your ear. His teeth grazed the spot lightly, enough to make your breath hitch, enough to send a spark shooting through you. âCareful what you ask for.â Â
His mouth was on you then, hot and demanding, trailing along your jaw, your throat, down to the curve of your shoulder. Rougher. Needier. His lips and teeth and tongue marked you in ways that felt dangerous. Â
You gasped, your hands finding their way to his chest, his shoulders, clawing at him without meaning to. He groaned at the sensation, a deep sound that rumbled through his chest and into yours. Â
And when he finally kissed you again â fully, deeply â it wasnât gentle. It wasnât soft. It was everything heâd been holding back, all his hunger, all his need, pouring into you. Â
It was wild. Exactly the way you wanted him.
Balance was easy. Everywhere else. In your day, in your mind, in your carefully crafted world where everything had its place. But not with him. Not with you. Together, you tipped the scales every time. Because balance required restraint, and restraint didnât exist here. Â
You both wanted all of it. All of him, all of you, all the time, every time. No measured doses, no patience. Just hunger, mutual and endless, spilling over like it had nowhere else to go but into each other. Â
A hand cupped your cheek, firm but tender, grounding you even as it made you feel like you were floating. His thumb brushed the edge of your jaw, his fingers splaying out to cradle you. But the other hand â that was something else entirely. Â
It slid down your side, slowly, before finding the curve of your breast. His palm was big, hot, and unrelenting as it pressed against you, his fingers dragging just so over the fabric covering your nipple. It was barely a touch, but it set you alight, your back arching instinctively into him. Â
âYouâre shaking.â he murmured, edged with satisfaction. Â
âYouâre irresistible.â you managed, breathy and uneven. Â
He chuckled, low and quiet, his lips curving against your skin. âI know.â Â
âDo you?â you said, trying to sound exasperated but failing when his thumb brushed over you again, teasing and firm all at once. âBecause you-â Â
âDid I tell you,â he interrupted, suddenly conversational, like you werenât both teetering on the edge of something consuming, âthat I had the weirdest dream last night?â Â
You blinked, caught off guard. âWhat?â Â
âDream.â he repeated, trailing maddeningly slow kisses down your neck. âI was on a beach. Except it wasnât really a beach. There was no sand. Just water. Endless water. And fish, flying through the air.â Â
You laughed despite yourself, your fingers curling into his shoulders. âFlying fish? Seriously?â Â
âYeah.â he said. âBut they werenât normal fish. They had wings. Big ones. Like hawks.â Â
You shook your head, laughing softly. âI canât tell if thatâs poetic or just bizarre.â Â
âBothâŠyou know me.â he said, shrugging like it didnât matter. His hand, still on your breast, gave a gentle squeeze, dragging your attention back to the moment. âBut I woke up thinking about it. Wondering what it meant.â Â
âMaybe it means youâre going insane.â you teased, trying to steady your breathing as his thumb traced slow, deliberate circles over the fabric. Â
âOr maybe,â he said, his voice dropping again, âit means I was dreaming about you.â Â
The sudden shift in his tone made your laughter catch in your throat. âMe?â Â
âYou.â he confirmed, leaning in again. âYouâre the water. The endless part. The thing I canât get enough of.â Â
âThatâs ridiculous.â you whispered. Â
âIs it?â he murmured. âWhy else would I wake up wanting to kiss you? Tell me it doesnât make sense.â Â
âI canât.â you admitted, your voice barely audible. Â
He smiled against your skin, his hand sliding from your breast to your waist, holding you. âThought so.â Â
There was silence for a moment, heavy and charged, before you broke it. âDo you ever think about what youâd do if you werenâtâŠyou?â Â
He paused, his head tilting slightly as he looked at you. âIf I werenât me?â Â
âYeah.â you said. âLike, if you werenâtâŠyou know. This.â Â
He laughed, fingers tightening on your waist. âIâd be a fisherman.â Â
âA fisherman?â you repeated, incredulous. Â
âYeah.â he said, his grin widening. âOut at sea. Catching fish. Flying ones, obviously.â Â
You rolled your eyes, your laughter bubbling up again. âYouâre ridiculous.â Â
âAnd yet,â he said as his lips found yours, âhere you are. Laughing with me. Touching me. Wanting me.â Â
âDonât let it go to your head.â you muttered, but it was much too unconvincing. Â
âToo late.âÂ
And just like that, you were back where you started â off balance, undone, completely at his mercy. But you didnât mind. Not even a little.
He was the kind of man who understood the subtle difference between heat and warmth. He knew how to be both, how to burn without consuming, how to hold you close without smothering. His touch was calculated, precise, but it felt instinctive, natural, like heâd known your body long before heâd ever laid a hand on it. Â
His hand moved on your breast again, his fingers tightening slightly, teasing just enough to make your breath hitch. âTell me how it feels.â he said, his voice softer now, but no less commanding. Â
âIt feelsâŠâ you started, your voice trailing off as he rolled your nipple gently between his fingers. Â
âIt feels?â he pressed. Â
âGood.â you admitted, the word tumbling out of you. âToo good.â Â
He smiled then, not just with his mouth but with his whole body, like he was basking in the effect he had on you. âThatâs the point, baby.â he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. Â
And then his hand left your cheek, sliding down your neck, your shoulder, until it joined the other. He was everywhere again, his hands roaming, exploring, mapping out every inch of you with the kind of care that felt almost reverent. But it wasnât gentle. Not entirely. Â
âLook at me.â he said suddenly. Your eyes fluttered open, and when you met his gaze, it was like the air had been sucked out of the room. âI want all of you. Every part. Every thought. Every breath. Donât hold anything back from me.â Â
And you couldnât. You wouldnât. Because you wanted the same thing. All of him. All the time.
He took your shirt off, slow and unhurried. The fabric pooled somewhere behind you, forgotten, and he leaned in, pressing his face into the crook of your neck, his breath warm and steady against your skin. Â
âI love breathing you.â heâd told you once, the words so simple yet so heavy theyâd stayed with you. He was doing that now, his chest rising and falling against yours, his lips brushing your collarbone as though he was inhaling you, drawing you in, needing you to fill every corner of him. Â
His hands moved with that same steady rhythm, skimming down your sides, tracing the curves, writing something only he and you could understand. He spoke to your body rhythmically, each touch a sentence, each kiss a line of poetry. He didnât rush. He didnât falter. It was with ease. He knew every word, every movement, by heart. Â
âYouâre beautiful.âÂ
âYouâve said that before.â you whispered, your voice barely audible. Â
âIâll say it again.â he said simply, grazing the hollow of your throat. âEvery day, if youâll let me.â Â
You didnât respond with words. You tilted your head back, giving him more space, more of you, and his lips followed the silent invitation, moving down, pressing kisses to the sensitive skin along your chest. Â
He whispered something then, something you couldnât catch. âWhat did you say?â you asked, your voice shaky. Â
He lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours. âI said,â he repeated, âyouâre going to ruin me.â Â
âMe? Youâre the one-â Â
His hands moved again, cutting you off, his fingers brushing the underside of your boob. âYou.â he said again, his voice firm this time, like a declaration. Â
He spoke to your body, and somehow his whispers made you scream â not with noise but with feeling, with the way your whole being seemed to vibrate, caught in the current of him. You never did understand how he did it, how his voice could unravel you with nothing but a murmur, a word, a sigh. Â
You never cared to, either. Â
So long as heâd â âPleaseâ â keep talking. Â
And he did. His words came in waves, washing over you, soft and relentless. Compliments, confessions, half-formed thoughts spilling from him like he couldnât keep them in. Â
âYou feel like heaven.âÂ
He murmured, his lips brushing your shoulder. Â
âMy little trouble.âÂ
He teased, his hands skimming down your sides. Â
âYouâre everything.âÂ
He whispered, his voice breaking just slightly.Â
And each word, each syllable, sank into you, filling the spaces you hadnât even known were empty. Arching into him, holding him closer, whispering back with every touch, every gasp, every shudder. Â
You didnât need words. He understood you just fine.
The routine of it never got boring. Same steps every time, same heat every time. The way his hands found your body, the way your body responded like it was made for this â for him. Never stale, never cold. It always took your breath away, the way his body would talk for him when words werenât enough. Like it did now. Automatic, instinctive. Clothes off, parts touching, skin to skin, deeper than deep. Â
Penetrating. Â
âOhâŠâ you gasped, the sound escaping before you could catch it. Â
âOhâŠâ he echoed, his voice vibrating against your ear. Â
Just as good as the first time. Just as good as the best. Â
His hands tangled with your pillow, gripping it because he just needed something to hold on to. Yours roamed over his back, your nails raking down his sensitive skin, leaving traces, marks, scratches. Little reminders that this happened, that you were here, that he was yours. Â
âSo tight.â he murmured. Agrowl, a confession, a prayer. Â
âSo big.â you praised, your words coming out breathless, like theyâd been pulled from the depths of you. Â
He moaned at that, a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers through you. Without thought, your body responded, contracting around him, pulling him in, holding him there. It was heaven on earth, this give and take, this rhythm youâd perfected together. Â
The pure, seductive nature of eye contact. The kind that never breaks. Â
It was impossible to look away, impossible to do anything but drown in him. Your breath hitched, your hands clutching at him, pulling him closer even though there was no space left between you. Â
People donât say âthe eyes are the doors to the soulâ for nothing. You could see everything in his â the hunger, the devotion, the way he was completely lost in you, with you. And you knew he could see the same in yours. Â
Your lovemaking was slow and patient, yet filled with an intensity that made your head spin. It wasnât about chasing an ending â it was about this. About feeling. About being as close to him as humanly possible. About holding him and being held, about losing yourself and finding him in the process. Â
It was the best way to start a day. Â
The absolute best way to fuck. Â
âHarder?â he asked. Â
âYeah.â you moaned. Â
He shifted then, adjusting his angle, his pace, his intensity. His hips moved against yours with more force, more urgency, and the sound that tore from your throat was pure, unadulterated pleasure. Â
âHarder?â he asked again. Â
âYes.â you whispered, then said it louder, breathier, âYes, please.â Â
Alex grinned, slow and cocky, the kind of grin that made you want to kiss him and slap him in equal measure. He didnât make you wait long, though, shifting his hips and giving you exactly what you asked for. The first thrust had your head tipping back, and he chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to your exposed throat. Â
âYouâre so polite.â he teased, his breath hot against your skin. âAlways asking so nicely.â Â
âShut up.â you countered, and his laugh turned into a groan as you clenched around him, just to make your point. âYouâre cute.â you said, because you couldnât help it. Â
He rolled his eyes, but the grin didnât leave his face. âCute?â Â
âThe cutest.â you confirmed, teasing, but there was truth in it. He was the cutest thing youâd ever seen, and you were sure it would be the death of you one day. Â
âCute.â he repeated, as though testing the word. Then he shook his head, leaning down until your foreheads touched.Â
And he kissed you again, slow and deep, and you sighed into it, your hands slipping around his neck to pull him closer. But impatience was building, a steady drumbeat in your veins that wouldnât be ignored. Â
âYou feelâŠâ he started, his voice breaking, his forehead pressing against yours as his thrusts slowed just slightly to drag out the moment. âMy God, babyâŠyou feel like everything.â Â
You reached up, your fingers threading through his hair. âDonât stop.â you whispered against his lips. Â
âNever.â he promised, his hands sliding under you, holding you tighter, pulling you closer. âNever.âÂ
âMore.â you begged. Or demanded. Or pleaded. Or somewhere in between. The word came out broken, trembling, desperate. How much more of him could there possibly be? He was already everywhere. Over you, under you, inside you, wrapped around you in ways that felt almost cosmic. And yet, somehow, he delivered. Â
He gave himself to you more. Â
It felt illegal, this level of connection. Like there was some universal law being broken, some boundary being shattered, some line you werenât supposed to cross. This is too much, you thought, even as your body cried for more, for everything. It was too much. And still not enough. Never enough. Â
âBaby.â he groaned, his voice cracking. He was unraveling in your arms. âIâm gonna come.â Â
âDo it.â you whispered, your voice shaking with anticipation, your legs tightening around him, holding him to you. Â
âGod-â he choked out, his hips stuttering as his movements became frenzied. âIâm gonna fill you up-â Â
Heaven. The words were heaven to your ears, a promise and a plea all at once. It felt obscene to think it, but you felt it, and he felt it, and that was all you needed. No logic, no explanation. Just this. Â
And then he was gone. Â
His body stiffened, his head dropping to your shoulder as his breath hitched, caught in his throat. He groaned, vibrating through you as his hips pressed flush against yours, burying himself as deep as he could go. You could feel it, the way his body gave in, the way he let go, spilling into you with a force that felt like surrender. Â
It was warm, searing, a flood that made you gasp, made your body tighten around him instinctively, pulling him in, holding him there. He cursed under his breath, his voice hoarse and raw. Â
âFuckâŠâ he breathed, wrecked and shaky. âYouâre perfect. This is perfect.â Â
You didnât answer, couldnât. Your mind was too hazy, your body too overwhelmed by the sensation of him filling you, completing you in a way that felt almost holy. Â
He pulled back slightly, just enough to look at you, all heavy-lidded and full ofâŠdisbelief. Like he couldnât quite comprehend that this was real, that you were real, that you were his. Â
âI love you.â he whispered. It carried his whole soul. Â
âI love you.â you echoed, your hands sliding up to cradle his face, pulling him down for a quiet promise in the aftermath of the storm. Â
And for a moment, just a moment, it felt like enough.
He stayed there, pressed deep inside you. You thought he might speak, but for a moment, there was only the sound of your shared breaths. Â
Then, finally, his voice came, quiet and raw. âWhat are you thinking?â Â
âIâm thinkingâŠâ you trailed off, your lips curving into a small, tired smile. âIâm thinking I might actually melt into you.â Â
His laugh was soft, but his eyes stayed serious, searching yours. âGood.â he murmured. âThatâs good.â Â
You shifted slightly beneath him, your body instinctively starting to move, to stretch, but his hands tightened on your hips, holding you still. Â
âNo, donât move.â he said, his voice suddenly urgent. âPlease.â Â
You froze, your brows knitting together. âWhy?â Â
âBecause,â he said, hesitant, âthat way I can imagine weâre a single body.â Â
Your breath caught at the way he said it, at the vulnerability in his tone. His hands softened their grip, but he didnât let you pull away. His eyes stayed on yours, wide and unguarded. Â
âThatâsâŠâ You swallowed hard, your voice faltering. âThatâs beautiful.â Â
He smiled, a small, almost shy thing, his lips twitching like he wasnât sure he should be smiling at all. âItâs true.â he said simply, his hands moving up to cradle your face again, his thumbs brushing over your cheeks. âI donât want to lose this. Lose you. Not even for a second.â Â
âYouâre not losing me.â you whispered. âIâm right here.â Â
âI know.â he said. âBut I want more than that. I wantâŠâ He trailed off, his eyes closing as he took a shaky breath. âI want you to be a part of me. LikeâŠphysically, spiritually. All of it.â Â
âYou already have me.â you said, your voice trembling with the weight of your own emotions. âEvery part of me. You know that, right?â Â
âI do.â he said softly. âBut sometimes it feels like itâs not enough. Like Iâll never have enoughâŠenough of you.â Â
You didnât know how to respond to that, so you didnât. Instead, you kissed him, pouring everything you couldnât say into the way your lips moved against his. And he kissed you back like he was trying to do the same, his hands sliding down to hold you closer, to keep you there, connected, inseparable.Â
And you knew, somewhere deep in the quiet corners of your mind, that one day you would awaken with the bitter taste of regret lingering on your lips where his kisses used to live. Â
Because he wasnât the kind of lover you could replace. Â
He was that Sunday morning, stay in bed till noon kind of lover. The kind who made the world outside your bedroom feel like it didnât exist, who made time irrelevant, who made you forget there was anything beyond the warmth of his skin and the weight of his body pressed against yours. That lose ourselves between the sheets, forget where you end and I begin kind of lover. The kind who could turn every sigh, every gasp, every moan into a symphony, who knew the exact rhythm of your body like heâd been born to play it. That double climax, let me taste you again kind of lover. The kind who never seemed satisfied, who always wanted more of you, who could spend hours tracing your skin with his mouth like it was the most sacred map heâd ever seen. Â
âDonât leave me.â you whispered suddenly. Â
His head lifted, his eyes finding yours, wide and questioning. âWhat?â Â
You swallowed hard, your heart hammering in your chest. âI meanâŠdonât leave this.â you clarified, your voice softer now. âDonât let this, us, fade. Promise me.â Â
His expression softened, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. âIâm not going anywhere.â he said, his voice steady, reassuring. Â
âBut what if-â Â
âNo.â he interrupted, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering there. âNo âwhat ifs.â Iâm here. Iâm staying. With you.â Â
You nodded, but the weight in your chest didnât lift entirely. There was a part of you that knew nothing this good, this intense, this all-consuming could last forever. Â
âHey.â he murmured, tilting your chin up so you were forced to look at him and nowhere else. âYouâre stuck with me, alright? No one else is ever going to make me feel like this. LikeâŠâ He hesitated, his brows furrowing slightly as he searched for the words. âLike Iâm alive for the first time.â Â
Your lips parted, but no sound came out. What could you possibly say to that? Â
So you kissed again. And in that moment, you believed him. You believed in him, in this, in the impossible, fragile thing youâd built together. Â
But somewhere, in the back of your mind, you knew that someday you might wake up and realise it had all slipped through your fingers. Â
And you would miss him like youâd miss air.Â
But like everything touched by man, there would be consequences. Â
Because now, youâre in that same bed, with that same man â your Alex, your same Alex â and sheâs tugging on his hair with all the determination her tiny fists can muster. Heâs wincing from the sting, his jaw tight, but he wonât pull away. He never does. Â
Sheâs kicking him in the face with those minuscule onesie-covered feet, relentless and uncoordinated, all raw energy and discovery. The kind of kicks that make you wonder how someone so small can have so much force behind them. Â
And heâs tired. Bone-deep tired. The kind of tired that seeps into your soul and refuses to let go. His eyes are heavy, the dark circles beneath them a testament to too many sleepless nights and too many early mornings. Â
But he keeps them open. Â
He keeps them open because every time he blinks, every time his lids lower even for a fraction of a second, she stops. And then she waits. She waits for him to look at her again, and when he does, when his eyes meet hers, her tiny face lights up with a smile so pure, so full of joy, itâs as if the entire world was made just for her. Â
And youâre watching it all unfold. Â
Youâre watching your daughter fall in love with the same eyes you did. Â
Consequences. Â
Theyâre everywhere now â in the scattered toys on the floor, in the half-drunk cups of coffee that go cold before he can finish them, in the tiny socks that never seem to stay on her feet. Â
But theyâre also here, in this moment. In the way Alex leans into her, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten, his hands gentle but steady as they cradle her wiggling body. In the way he whispers something soft to her, something you canât hear, and she lets out a high-pitched giggle that fills the room like sunlight. Â
âDid you hear that?â he asks, turning to you with wide, wonder-filled eyes, his voice hushed because heâs just witnessed a miracle.Â
You nod, your chest tightening as you take it all in. âI heard.â Â
âSheâs perfect.â he says, his voice cracking slightly, and you know he means it with every fiber of his being. Â
âSheâs you.â you say softly, watching as his gaze shifts back to her, his expression so tender it makes your throat ache. Â
âNo.â he murmurs, shaking his head. âSheâsâŠsheâs us.â Â
And in that moment, you know the consequences are worth it. Every sleepless night, every ache, every fleeting moment of doubt or fear. They are worth it for this â for the sight of your Alex, your same Alex, falling in love all over again, just like you did. Â
Consequences. Â
You wouldnât trade them for anything.Â
a/n: I think Iâm getting a bit obsessed with the concept of him finishing inside. I went on about it for a bit too long in another thing youâll see soon too. Ugh.
Also, adding this just because. I was scrolling through some old playlists and whatever, landed on this song randomly and it really gave me the vibe of this, like what I was tryna express in here.
#alex turner#alex turner x reader#alex turner x fem!reader#alex turner x you#alex turner x y/n#alex turner fluff#alex turner smut#alex turner fic#alex turner fanfic#fluff#smut#goblinontour#Spotify
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Yes but in a way its interesting. They are the prefect product of socialism.
Their mind is a brick wall. They know nothing, care for nothing, and want nothing.
Even their expressed values would follow with the death of humanity itself. They are the human extinction philosophy purely. They express this openly. So its interesting to poke at them and see what shakes loose.
Figure them out, figure out the fundamental error in practice and validate every theory. They are the philosopher's stone of errors.
Even the Luddites lie to themselves and pretend it is to humanity, the spirit of nature that is the altar that they kill on. The duality of man does not allow for this contradiction. To kill one is to kill the other.
Feminists don't even have that deep down. It's what makes them so interesting. They would kill for the sake of killing. Hate for its own sake. And destroy if the destruction would start with themselves. They are perfect by socialism's standards. They don't think, and yet crave the death of the measure of all things.
Its why they fail anything past what traditionalism could permit ironically enough and why were they to try it would be they who are destroyed in the process. They are the product, rebellion, and ultimately tied to traditionalism in a way that is inescapable.
Then there is just the sheer malice they have to practice as their only defense mechanism. You notice its their first and only response. Break it and what would be behind that? Would there even be enough space for a person? Would you find nothing?
As I said. Its interesting. Worth poking them from time to time.
why do women always have to be the bigger person? why donât men just stop âjokingâ abt raping us?
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Bedtime Stories For a Demon: The Day The World Disappeared, Part IV (Lucanis x Rook Fanfic)
Word Count: ~ 5.2k
Rook is trapped in the Fade. Spite is determined to get her out. But the truth of the prison is slowly unravelling itself.
Part I
Part II
Part III
Madeleina Mercar canât sleep.
And this is quite unusual, because for the last few nights â really, ever since she can remember being at home, she has simply woken up to the next day. Every night was a dreamless slumber, shuffling her between moonlight to sunlight with little fanfare. Not so much as a violent twitch of her body while her mind convinces it sheâs falling off a ledge.
Since Spiteâs visit earlier, something hasnât felt right. Thereâs not one thing she can really point a finger at. It was more of an ill-defined uneasiness that started bleeding into her interactions with her parents.
Later in the afternoon, she went to help her mother with the shop as she always did. It was only today that she realized that there were never any customers. Eurydice baked the bread and croissants and tartes every morning and arranged them neatly onto silver display trays. Each day, they went un-eaten, and Madeleina had no idea what happened to the excess, because she certainly never saw her mother carting in boxes of those leftover pastries into their home.
When she asked her mother about it as she was sweeping the floors (that never seemed to have any dust on them), Eurydice had simply returned a blank stare and asked her what she would like for dinner.
Madeleina had blinked, confused at the sudden shift in subject.
âUm âŠâ she began, and really thought hard about it. Her face scrunched in concentration.
What had she eaten lately?
She remembered ⊠well, she only remembered her favourite meal. Dolmades and vegetables with Tzatziki on the side. The same thing, every night.
âI want spiced lamb stewâ she answered a few moments later. Madeleina didnât even remember what her motherâs lamb stew tasted like but certainly wanted the opportunity to.
Her mother had nodded, airy and light, as if she hadnât even heard, then went back to fussing over the displays that would certainly go unnappreciated.
Madeleina doesnât question it until sheâs sitting at the dinner table, and she doesnât smell spiced lamb stew â she smells Dolmades. Sure enough, the stuffed grape leaves appear in front of her, with a side of grilled carrots and eggplants, and Tzatziki dip. As they had the night before. It was as if the conversation in the bakery earlier hadnât happened at all. Since her mother didnât acknowledge it, Madeleina didnât either. She wordlessly ate her Dolma and ignored the sensation of the food turning to ash in her mouth.
Later that night, her father told her a story, before he went off to work for the evening. The same story, every night. Always The Sleeping Princess. And after Spite had tried to retell it in his own disjointed way, evoking all those strange memories as he did, she couldnât help but notice how stilted her fatherâs delivery was tonight.
Almost as if he was reading from a script he couldnât deviate from. A character in one of his own stories.
Had it always seemed that way and she just hadnât noticed? Or was he becoming ⊠different?
She desperately wanted to say something but her lips wouldnât make the words. Just like at dinner. Would it even matter if she did, or would he brush her off like her mother had?
Deciding it wasnât worth the effort, Madeleina listened and nodded at the appropriate times while he spoke, as the figures of the Princess, the King, the Demon, and the Hero danced behind her eyes, brought to life by her over-active imagination.
Madeleinaâs eyes fly open as a memory starts to take shape in the back of her mind.
A memory of stories brought to life by magic. Her magic. In front of an ornate hearth, in the company of a man whoâs face she still cannot see. A man whose name is as familiar as breathing, and yet entirely foreign as well. The phantom smell of coffee and chocolate and cinnamon lingers in the air, even now. She hasnât been able to stop smelling it since Spite left. Wherever they are, itâs warm. Safe. Comforting. A private little haven for the two of them, forged first in blood and comradery, then molded into something tender and sweet with time and trust.
Lucanis.
Home.
Madeleina shakes her head.
No, this was her home.
A sleepy little village tucked safely between a forest of great Sycamores and the Hundred Pillars. A bakery that she tends with her mother, while her father plays at the tavern down the street every night.
A bakery without any customers, she reminds herself.
Madeleina tries to blink the thought away, but Spiteâs words keep nagging in the back of her mind like a small dog yipping and snapping at her heels.
The young mage takes a slow, deliberate, inhale and closes her eyes, trying to focus harder on that memory.
She needs to figure this out. If thereâs nothing to be worried about and she can go back to her regular, day-to-day, mundane life.
A day that repeats like turning wheel, a snake eating its tail.
Madeleina pushes the thought to the back of her mind, and with some reluctant effort, sheâs back in that elusive memory.
Madeleina sees the stone hearth again. She can feel the hard, wooden chair beneath her. The warmth of the fire spreading like a wave across her body. As before, she tastes something sweet and familiar on her tongue - cinnamon and dough. Heâs sitting across from her, partially shrouded in the dark. His voice is muffled, as if he were speaking under water.
Madeleina shuts her eyes tightly tries to focus harder. Spiteâs words come streaming into her consciousness, guiding her down the turbulent river of her thoughts.
You show him. Wonders in front. Of his eyes. Stories brought to life. With magic. He measures nights. By your tales. Days. Waiting for the next
When she remembers Spiteâs words, something strange happens.
She opens her eyes to find her chest glowing, as if someone set her heart alight with blue flame. It flickers weakly in the dark, almost like a beacon. Thereâs the sensation of being tugged towards some unknowable, far-off direction she couldnât pinpoint. Itâs stronger now than it was before. Sheâs almost afraid sheâll fly out of her own window, trying to find whoever is pulling at her heartstrings. Acting on instinct alone, Madeleina places a hand over her chest, inhales deeply once more, and concentrates on the strange sensation in her chest.
The scene bleeds into her mindâs eye again, a bit sharper now than it was before the sudden interruption.
The fire feels warmer, a balm to her sore joints and muscles. The desserts on the table smell fresher, sweeter than they did before. The leather of her fatherâs journal in her left hand feels rough, and weathered with time that shouldnât yet have come to pass.
Her free hand flourishes across her vision, and right in front of her eyes the castle from The Sleeping Princess blinks into existence in sharp, striking detail.
Stories brought to life with magic. Just as Spite had said.
âItâs incredible, Rookâ The man across from her breathes.
His voice is low, soft and gentle. Each word a velvet-soft petal falling upon waiting ears. The sound practically wraps around her like a warm blanket on a cold winterâs morning. She could live in that feeling.
Madeleina blinks in the memory.
His face his clearer now, coming into clear focus. Rimmed in the contrasting warm orange glow of the fire and eerie blue light of her magic, Madeleina drinks his features in like a madwoman dying of thirst, and he an oasis in the sand.
His eyes draw her in first. Theyâre big, and the most beautiful shade of earthen-rich brown sheâs ever seen. She could fall into them for an eternity and be content to drown in their warmth. His black hair is styled into a mullet and feathered at the sides â almost like the wispy wings of a bird. His beard frames a strong, square jaw. His features are accentuated by soft lips, and an aquiline nose.
Breathtakingly, devastatingly, handsome. Words are inadequate, and so her body settles for a releasing a soft breath she didnât know she was holding.
She continues moving through the motions of the story, bringing every figure and every scene to life with a wave of her hands, like she was the director of a theatre production.
âWell, go onâ He motions to her eventually, with an expectant look flickering in those perfect brown eyes. At some point, the illusion she had been maintaining disappeared into the ether. She was too busy studying him like an art piece from one of the old masterâs to have noticed. Lucanis is resting on his forearms now, practically at the edge of his seat.
Lucanis. Waits for what happens next.
He waits for you.
Only you.
Madeleina grins widely, pleased by his reaction. âImpatient, are we?â
He smirks, and sheâs undone at the sight. âSpite wants to know how it endsâ
She raises an eyebrow and folds her arms over her chest, âOh? And youâre not the least bit curious?â
Lucanisâ lips quirk into a little smile, and her heart melts into her stomach. âI might beâ he adds, as he takes a sip of his coffee.
That same melted heart is somehow solid enough to able to thrum erratically in her chest, flitting about like a crazed hummingbird trapped in a cage. A faint smile works its way onto her lips but sheâs afraid the quickened rise and fall of her chest will give her away. So, she does the only thing she can think of and takes a sip of her own coffee. Sheâs not really thirsty, but the cup is large enough to hide the blush spreading across her face. The coffee is a bit lukewarm by now, clearly forgotten over the course of the story the two were enraptured in.
Satisfied that blush is gone and the pounding in her chest has settled, she sets the coffee aside and wrings out her hands.
âSorry, I was feeling a bit parched there. On with the storyâ
A lie, a terrible lie. But a needed one.
As her free hand flourishes the figures into being once more, the memory cuts off abruptly. She opens her eyes and grips the fabric of her shirt through the thick blanket.
The warmth of the fire dissipates slowly, receding like a tide and although sheâs under the covers, Madeleina feels cold. Thereâs no smell of coffee or cinnamon anymore. Lucanis is gone, and in the wake of his memory, a horrible realization settles in.
A piece of her heart is living outside of her body, somewhere far beyond her reach.
And she has no idea how to get to him.
âLucanisâ
She whispers his name like a prayer in the dead of night and hopes that wherever he is, heâs listening for her.
~*~
Lucanis Dellamorte has been sleeping more than usual these last few weeks, which was quite paradoxical because he wants to spend every waking moment making sure Rookâs rescue plan goes perfectly. Heâs convinced heâs driven even the patient, kind-hearted Professor mad with his meticulous planning.
Unfortunately, itâs easier for Spite to traverse the raw Fade and keep an eye on Madeleina while heâs asleep. So, Lucanis acquiesces and lets himself drift into a dreamless slumber as Spite monitors the situation.
Once they told the group of the danger and time was running out, everyone was firing on all cylinders. It was a cacophony of organized chaos in the Lighthouse until the Veilguard was geared up and ready to head to Arlathan Forest through the VirâEvas.
The entire trip through the Tevinter countryside to rescue Rook has him so on edge heâs lucky to get a few uninterrupted hours, much to Spiteâs annoyance. He puts on a calm demeanour for the group, but each day that passes, given what he knows is happening inside that prison, Lucanis grows more agitated. Spite can feel it too. The demonâs ⊠fear, for lack of a better world, is palpable under his skin, rolling across his body like a passing thunderstorm.
If the other members of the Veilguard have noticed, they have the good graces not to say anything.
The group is speeding along verdant hills in a large Dalish Aravel with Strife, Irelin, a few Veil Jumper mages, a sizeable quantity of Lyrium, and a few Resonance Amplifiers.
Bellara and Irelin are holed away in their own little corner, still furiously studying the Resonance Amplifiers and coming up with all sorts of far-fetched theories on how to ⊠reverse their something, so theyâll weaken the veil instead of strengthening it. He may have spent a good portion of his career hunting mages, and he did know his way around a sordid variety of dangerous magic, but the finer points of magical theory are lost on him. Their chattering, as a result, filters in through one ear and out the other. Unfortunately, the amount of magic theyâre using to try and get them to work is making the backs of his eyeballs itch something furious and is a lot harder to ignore than talking. He tries to blink the sensation away to no avail, so he settles for getting up and moving closer to Davrin and Assanâs corner of the Aravel.
The Griffon squawks excitedly at his approach. Lucanis gives him a quick smile and ruffles his head. Davrin is still working away at his wood carving. A wooden chess piece, Lucanis has noticed.
A little Rook.
The sight of has his heart squeezing in his chest.
He and the Grey Warden have settled into an easy friendship, one brokered by Rook, of course. She had that effect on people â was able to make them see past petty differences. Madeleina eased tension just by existing. Like a little sun, catching everything in her orbit and bathing it in her light.
Although he still thinks Davrin all too pretentious and self-righteous, he does have one endearing quality that Lucanis has come to appreciate. He can tell when is the time for words, and when is the time for silence. And Davrin is more than content to let Lucanis sit beside him in companionable silence as he continues carving his wooden figurines.
Assan stands on his hind legs next to him and watches the Tevene countryside roll past them.
He wiggles his hind legs and looks into the air, then to Davrin expectantly. His right ear flops as the Griffon tilts his head, pleading.
Davrin smiles and gives him a quick nod towards the air above them, âJust donât go too far, boy. Stay where I can see youâ
The Griffon needs no more encouragement, and a moment later, heâs leapt into the air and flying circles overhead, squawking delightfully.
Lucanis watches the young Griffon joyfully, freely flying through the air. With Spiteâs wings, he could be up there too. But the absence of Rook is like a stone in his chest, keeping him and Spite grounded.
âIncredible, isnât he?â Davrin remarks offhandedly, while he carves out dainty triangular designs on the side of the Rook tower.
Lucanis didnât realize he was still staring up at Assan, basking in the sun, and gliding on an air current just to the west of the Aravel.
He makes a noncommittal hum of agreement.
âA little young to have seen so much, thoughâ The assassin remarks, after another few moments of silence, recalling the fight with the Gloom Howler in the Cauldron. Remembered Assan's squeals of terror as the Gloom Howler had him in its claws, about to be blighted with Arch Demon blood.
Davrinâs lips quirk, âNot unlike a certain illustrious leader of oursâ
Lucanis hadnât given much thought to Rookâs age. It was just another thing in a growing list about her he thought heâd have time to ask about. Her age, her birthday, bothering Neve about what kind of jewelry she likes (or if she even likes jewelry), her favourite flowers, more of her favourite food and drink than heâd already gleaned from their time together. He wanted to know it all. To know her in her entirety.
But he didnât ask those questions. Not her age or her birthday or her favourite flowers or her taste in jewelry. She was definitely younger than him by a good margin, but the gap between them could span as large as a decade, for all he knew. Madeleina certainly had the recklessness of youth. That heâd seen in spades, because she was constantly hovering at the edge of deathâs door and he was constantly pulling her back by the scruff of her neck. Â But she also possessed a wisdom well beyond her years, and he never once factored her age in as a detriment to her ability to lead the team, although she might disagree.
âI expect in these times, thatâs become more and more common. Growing up faster than oneâs years.â Davrin murmurs, nicking some decorative dots on the towerâs side with the tip of his blade. âI donât envy the decisions Rookâs been forced to make. Iâve a good five or six years on her and I donât know that I wouldâve fared any better even with that experience on my sideâ
Lucanis didnât quite know what to say, so he let Davrin continue talking.
âAll this to say,â The Warden shoulders him gently, âTry not to worry so much about Rook. If thereâs anything I can say with confidence, itâs that sheâs not going to let anything keep her down. Including some weird, nightmare-inducing Fade prison thatâs trying to siphon her memories and â âDavrin stops abruptly when he sees the frown spreading on Lucanisâ face, â⊠Iâll just be quiet now. You get the picture. Sheâs tough, donât worryâ
He looks down at his wood carving and continues working at it, glancing up at the sky every once in a while, to make sure he can still see Assan.
Lucanis sighs and closes his eyes. He tries to focus on things he can hear and smell to keep his thoughts from winding him up like a childrenâs toy. The rustling of the leaves on the wind, the smell of pine and oak, the sound of Halla hoofbeats beating against the ground and low grunts of effort as they pull the aravel through the woods.
Try as he might to distract himself with this world, his mind continues to cycle back to Madeleina in the Fade. The very idea that the Fade prison could cause her to forget about him, forget about all their time together, as absurdly terrifying. It makes his skin crawl, and Spite rattle angrily in the back of his mind.
Heâs mid-way through thinking about how heâs going to wring Solasâ neck the next time he sees him (and he isnât entirely certain the thought only came from him), when Lucanis feels a pinch in his chest. Like someone was plucking a thread attached to his heart. He closes his eyes and reaches for Spite through their shared connection, much easier now with the newfound alliance.
Spite. Whatâs happening?
The demon bristles behind his eyelids.
Calling. To us. Through the Fade.
Is she in danger? He asks quickly. Lucanis can hear his heart pounding in his ears as he waits for the Demonâs response.
Donât. Know. Spite replies after a thoughtful moment. Go. To sleep. I will. See.
Lucanis blinks as a hand waves in front of his face.
âLucanis?â Davrin snaps his fingers for good measure, âHey, Lucanis. You alright?â
He shakes his head and waves off Davrinâs concern, âIâm fine â itâs just⊠Spite and I sense something off with Rook.â
Davrin frowns, his brown eyes alight with concern. He sets his blade and wood carving down, before leaning closer to Lucanis, âWhatâs going on with her?â
âI don't now. Spite needs me to go to sleep so he can investigateâ
He ignores the knot of anxiety forming in his stomach and tries to settle into his spot on the wooden floor of the aravel. Itâs not the most comfortable place to fall asleep, but with about a year of sleep deprivation to catch up on, the bumpy ride on dirt paths hardly poses an insurmountable obstacle.
He turns to Davrin, âWatch my back?â
Davrin grins, âDo you even have to ask?â
The Warden claps him gently on the shoulder before quietly returning to his whittling, âJust make sure our friendâs alright. I promise not to let trouble disturb your beauty sleepâ. Davrin huffs, âMaker knows you need itâ
Lucanis rolls his eyes. As much as he wants to quip back, the feeling that Rook is in danger in the Fade has him desperate to let sleep take him as soon as possible and reigns in the impulse. The assassin draws his legs in to his body and rests his head in his arms, before closing his eyes and letting sleep take him.
Assan squawking overhead as he flies in circles, the wind whipping the trees and the sound of soft hooves beating on gravel soon fade away into a dreamless slumber.
Wait for me, Madeleina.
~*~
Spite Dellamorte hates the Fade Prison with an intense, all-consuming passion, even though he is Spite and not Passion. He doesnât completely understand how that works. Thereâs still a lot of things about existing in the material world that are confusing to him. Sometimes, he doesnât know how much of him is him, and how much of him is Lucanis. The edges between the two have blurred significantly since they made a new alliance. So much so, that his human host seems to have put new emotions in front of him to grapple with that werenât there before. More things that arenât him, on top of the memories from Rookâs journal that also are not him.
Regardless, Spite was determined to answer her plea for help.
The young Demon flies circles around her home inside the Fade prison. The journalâs essence flickers in and out, just a little weaker than before. Then, an emotion heâs felt from Lucanis bleeds into him, one they both know all too well from their time in the real Ossuary â fear. Fear that it wonât be strong enough to get him out. That he could be trapped in here, with her, unable to open the door that frees her.
He has to be the one that opens the door.
Spite ignores the thought as much as he can, and lands softly on her windowsill. He peers into her bedroom, expecting her to be doing something mundane, like she was before. Instead, he finds Rook sitting on the corner of her bed, with her head buried in her arms and knees pressed close to her chest. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly. He can hear soft, muffled sobs escaping from the narrow space between her face and her arms.
Spite is Spite, he is not comfort or compassion. But Lucanisâ nature has once again, made him feel things heâs not supposed to be feeling. He doesnât want to see Rook crying. He hates the sight of it, actually.
Spite taps on the glass several times, harder than he normally would, to make sure she hears him above the sound of her soft sobs.
Rook looks up at him, her green eyes bathed in a sea of red. Her face is puffy and tear streaked. She looks awful. Rook shouldnât look awful. He doesnât like that she looks awful.
Smells like. Salt and Lavender. Not right.
He taps the window again.
Rook wipes the tears from her face with her arm and slowly walks to the window sill, before unhooking the latch.
Spite ruffles his feathers and flits to perch on the back of her chair, as he did before. Madeleina closes the window and sits back down on her bed slowly, sniffling the entire time.
âRookâ He croaks, tilting his head. âWhy. Are you crying.?â
Rook inhales sharply and closes her eyes before exhaling. âS-Spite âŠâ she whimpers his name, and he hates how that sounds.
She draws her knees in close again and frowns deeply. âW-why do I keep seeing Minrathous burning? P-people being h-hung in the s-streetâ she takes a shaky breath between words. "E-every time... I look ... in the m-mirror - I s-see it ..."
Rook has a distant look in her eyes, like sheâs staring through him at not at him.
âA v-voice in my head ⊠itâs ⊠it says ⊠itâs my faultâ She cries softly, and wipes her nose with her sleeve again, âHe s-says I l-let them take the city ⊠t-the dragonâŠâ
Rook grips her head and shuts her eyes tight, and then takes a ragged breath. âIt wonât stop! It wonât stopâŠâ She raises her head and looks at him with pleading eyes, âSpite, how do I make it stop?â Her face crumples as more tears threaten to spill from her eyes, âS-Spite ⊠help me⊠it w-wonât stop ⊠my headâŠâ
Spite tilts his head and thinks.
Sheâs starting to remember things, but not the right things. Heâs rightly quite confused. Solasâ prison so far has been showing her what she wants to see - her parents, her childhood home - familiar things that would presumably function to keep her from wanting to leave. Why would it be showing her a blighted Minrathous? What purpose would that serve?
He remembers the day they found her in the music room, days after sheâd returned from visiting Neve in Minrathous.
Smells like ⊠cheese and salt. He had thought, as Lucanis brought her a cup of cioccolata calda to share.
They sat beside her, and she quickly wiped her hands of the remnants of the cheese wedge sheâd been eating and moved over. He remembers Lucanisâ fretting over her mental state very well. Locked in their pantry, he thought of little else.
Knowing Treviso was safe brought him little relief every time he watched her go into the infirmary to talk with Varricâs ghost because she couldnât cope with his death. When she stopped coming to dinner, he started drinking more coffee and staying awake even longer worrying over her. Pacing back and forth, paralyzed with inaction, with uncertainty on how to help her.
It turns out he was severely overthinking the problem.
All he had to do was tell her a story.
Maybe Spite had to do the same, like the first time he came. She was only remembering the bad that came from that decision. It figures the Dread Wolfâs prison wouldnât want her to remember the good she did during that time.
âThis place. Doesnât want you. To know what. You saved.â Spite begins, âMinrathous fell. But Treviso. Lived to see. Another day. Because of you.â
Rook releases the name on a soft breath, âT-Treviso?â Her brows furrow in confusion, âI ⊠Iâve n-never left TevinterâŠâ
Spite preens and plucks at a loose feather as she speaks.
âSaved Lucanisâ. Home.â He squawks, âHe trusted you. Above all others. And you saved him. There when he. Needed you most. And he will. Never forget.â
Rookâs eyes flash with recognition at the name, âLucanis â tell me about Lucanis. P-please, Spite. I think⊠I think I remembered him last night â his face, his voice ⊠but itâs gone againâ
If Spite looked like Lucanis, he was sure his face would split in a satisfied grin.
He was going to break apart the Dread Wolfâs prison, memory by memory. He would open the door for her and pull her out.
âHe came. To you. In the music room. After the Dragon. Took Minrathousâ
She closes her eyes, as if trying to picture the scene herself. He can see her eyes flicker back and forth behind closed eyelids.
âHe wants. To help you. Like you. Helped him. With Treviso. With Caterinaâs funeral.â Spite says, âHe helps. Only way he knows how. With a story.â
Rookâs fingers grip the edge of her bed tightly, and her lips press into a hard line, deep in concentration.
âI smell something warm⊠chocolate?â Her nose wrinkles. âWarm chocolate⊠like beforeâŠâ
âCioccolata. Calda.â Spite corrects her gently, although his own pronunciation of the word is a bit clumsy, âHe knows. You love it. He makes it. When he knows. Youâre in need.â
Her lips part in a sigh, as if sheâs taking a sip in her jumbled memories.
âT-tell me more⊠please âŠâ Rook whispers, biting her lower lip, âI want to remember himâ
âHe tells you. The story of how. He became the Demon of Vyrantium. The Wigmaker. And his. House of Horrors. Of blood magic and demons. And freeing slaves.â Spite recites the memory as he had seen it through Lucanisâ eyes. âA story. For a story. He always. Wants to help.â
A small smile creeps at the edges of her lips, âI remember him⊠I remember him telling me about a terrible pickup line Illario used on a guardâ, Spite tilts his head as she giggles, âI couldnât believe it actually worked, you knowâ
Rook wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye, before opening them both. Her green eyes crinkled at the corners as she erupted in a warm smile. Like they did when she would tell them stories.
She swings her legs off the edge of the bed and comes to stand in front of the little Demon.
âHeâs important to me⊠isnât he? You both areâ She whispers quietly. Rook touches her chest, and a faint blue glow erupts from where her heart should be. His chest is alight with its twin flame.
Spite merely nods and flutters his tailfeathers in response.
âHe waits. For you. Only you.â
âYou said that beforeâ Rook nods and looks around her room, âYou also said this place isnât my homeâ
Spite nods wordlessly.
âThen what is it exactly? Why⊠why am I here?â
âA prison. Made by the Dread Wolf. To keep you in. Away from. His plans.â Spite nearly hisses the words out, rage bubbling in his chest. He puffs up into an angry little ball as a result. âA prison. To make you forget. Forget us. Lucanis.â
Rook grips her chest through her shirt and frowns. âThe memories they ⊠they come and then⊠then the day repeats and I forget ... I thinkâŠâ She releases a shaky breath, âI think Iâm living the same day again. And again. And again.â
If Spite could scowl, he would be scowling harder than he ever had in his entire existence.
âSpiteâ Rook leans in closer, so close he can feel her breath on his feathers. Her eyes are wide with panic now, âSpite⊠help me⊠I donât â I donât want to forget but each day I think Iâm losing more of myself- â
She turns abruptly when the door opens, and Spite is startled enough to let out a surprised squawk. He flies out the window quickly before he can be spotted, leaving Rook to deal with the intruder. Spite hovers outside her window for just a moment, and sees a tall woman pull her into a tight embrace.
The woman, who resembles an older Rook with straighter hair and brown eyes, seems to be looking straight at him. The eyes are soulless and empty. Yet somehow, there is a warning lurking beneath that hollow gaze. She grips Rook tightly, as if to signal to him she will not the girl go.
The sight of it chills Spite to his core.
The Demon calls on whatever essence of the journal is left and propels himself out of the Fade with dizzying speed.
Each day I think Iâm losing more of myself -.
He would not let that happen.
If she loses herself to this prison, he will find every scattered piece in the Fade and put her back together himself.
The Dread Wolf will not win.
Demons do not fear Gods.
-----------------------------------
Wooooo okay, well that took a lot longer than I thought. Once again big thank you to @teawithshakespeare (honestly my honourary co-author at this point for how much time I spend rambling in their DM's about this story), and @juneiper-art and @thewardenisonthecase as well for letting me bounce ideas for this chapter off them. I appreciate u guys.
Also, the Fade prison is doing weird things now! It's changing and reacting! Freaky stuff. But then again, the Fade's a freaky place.
I'll give bonus points to whoever can guess which movie I'm sort of loosely basing this off of haha.
I think this part of the fic is coming to an end in maybe another chapter or two.... I really just wanna write the Rookanis reunion :')
Anyway,
As always, thanks for reading! Appreciate all the love and support for this fic <3 MUAH!! See you next time!
-Rookie
#lucanis dellamorte#spite dellamorte#rook#lucanis x rook#lucanis x mercar#rookanis#fanfic#rook mercar#oc: madeleina mercar#dragon age veilguard#datv#dragon age#rookie writes#fic: bedtime stories for a demon
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A Virgin New Adventures reading guide
I told @gotyouanyway that I'd give them my reading guide for the Virgin New adventures that I made for a friend a while back and posting it publicly was easy and also means other people can use this too. I wrote this back in 2021, but stand by it from what I remember. It has been like 5-6 years since I read some of these books, so if I rated your favorite too low lemme know and I'll give it a re-read.
This might not be that helpful if you want to pick just a few books - I designed it more to streamline VNA experiance
The key:
1 - I'd recommend skipping
2 - Eh. You can skip, but there is at least something to be gained by reading it
3 - I would recommend reading this. It's not plot-critical, but it is a good read or useful setup
4 - Read this for sure. It's either plot-relevant, or just that damn good (or both).
Timewyrm: Genesys - 4 (introduces the timewyrm and the series; unfortunately it's also not great.)
Timewyrm: Exodus - 3 (continues the timewyrm story, and is a fairly straightforward but interesting story)
Timewyrm: Apocalypse - 2 (eh. Not much for or against it either way)
Timewyrm: Revelation - 4 (concludes the timewyrm arc with style)
Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible - 3 (Good if you can wrap you head around it)
Cat's Cradle: Warhead - 2 (depressing as all get out, but very well written)
Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark - 3 (just plain weird. Does finish the current arc and sets up Return of the Living Dad)
Nightshade - 2 (kinda weird. Notable as the first Mark Gatiss story)
Love and War - 4 (plot-relevant. Also awesome)
Transit -4 (Introduces important recurring character. Hard to follow but really good even if you can't follow it)
The Highest Science - 3 (good story, but ultimately not amazingly important)
The Pit - 1 (I did not enjoy)
Deceit - 4 (Not a great read, but important to the plot)
Lucifer Rising - 4 (Amazing, with important character development for our protagonists)
White Darkness - 2 (first David A. McIntee novel, but not especially gripping)
Shadowmind - 3 (good demonstration of where Ace and Benny are as characters, vaguely interesting plot)
Birthright - 3 (good character piece for Ace and Benny, shows a darker side to the Doctor without being dumb about it)
Iceberg - 2 (plot is messy and weird. Only read if you need the Doctor's half of the story from Birthright)
Blood Heat - 4 (starts alternate universe arc, important developments for the Tardis)
The Dimension Riders - 2 (gonna be honest here - I don't remember a thing about this one either way)
The Left-Handed Hummingbird - 3 (first Kate Orman novel. Pretty good, although a little weird and hard to follow)
Conundrum - 3 (Be prepared for weirdness. And superheroes. Helps setup for No Future and Head Games)
No Future - 4 (concludes the alternate universe arc with style, establishes Ace from here on out)
Tragedy Day - 3 (dark, but good. Worth a read)
Legacy - 3 (Kinda dark, but it works. Be prepared for over-continuity)
Theatre of War - 4 (Pulls off one of the best plot twists I've seen anywhere, and introduces Braxieatel to the Whoniverse)
All-Consuming Fire - 4 (Not plot-relevent at all, but is very good, especially if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan)
Blood Harvest - 4 (Major plot point in the Whoniverse)
Strange England - 2 (takes strangeness to an art form. Can be freely skipped)
First Frontier - 4 (plot relevant for spoiler-y reasons)
St Anthony's Fire - 2 (dark and weird, but well written)
Falls the Shadow - 1 (Just... no)
Parasite - 1 (Written by Jim Mortimore, therefore depressing as all get out)
Warlock - 2 (I did not read. Sequel to Warhead, so only read if you liked it)
Set Piece - 4 (major plot developments for multiple characters)
Infinite Requiem - 2 (like The Dimension Riders, I remember nothing)
Sanctuary - 3 (a pure historical. Not really great on its own, but helps set up Human Nature)
Human Nature - 4 (The story that was adapted to TV. One of the best New Adventures by itself, becomes even better by having fun comparing it to the TV version)
Original Sin - 4 (plot-relevant)
Sky Pirates! - 2 (Only if you like Douglas-Adams-esque dark humor)
Zamper - 3 (Somewhat interesting follow-up to The Highest Science)
Toy Soldiers - 2 (Adds pretty much nothing, but not painfully bad)Â
Head Games - 4 (a worthwhile look at where the Doctor has been going and who he is)
The Also People - 4 (probably my favorite New Adventure, although Theatre of War and Human Nature are also up there. Also resolves a recurring character's arc)
Shakedown - 3 (Fun, but ultimately fluff)
Just War - 2 (Weird and ultimately unimportant)
Warchild - 2 (Same situation as Warlock. Starts Psi arc, but can be skipped)
SLEEPY - 4 (Generally good story, sets up Psi arc if you skipped Warchild)
Death and Diplomacy - 3 (only worthwhile as setup for Happy Endings)
Happy Endings - 4 (Plot relevant. Ultimately fluff, but plot-relevant)
GodEngine - 4 (not plot-relevant, but an excellent story)
Christmas on a Rational Planet - 2 (part of Psi arc, and lays groundwork for Faction Paradox stuff, but I couldn't really follow it)
Return of the Living Dad - 4 (cleans up old plot threads, and is a great story in its own right)
Cold Fusion - 4 (Not plot relevant, but an excellent, gripping story)
The Death of Art - 2 (part of Psi arc, but not great)
Damaged Goods - 2 (Russel T. Davis's first Who work, but very dark and nasty)
So Vile a Sin - 4 (finishes Psi arc and has other plot relevance)
Bad Therapy - 2 (deals mostly with repercussions of previous story, but not great in and of itself)
Eternity Weeps - 1 (Jim Mortimore's writing is too depressing for me. Technically plot relevant in that Benny and Jason get divorced but not worth it)
The Room With No Doors - 4 (setup for Lungbarrow, good story in its own right)
Lungbarrow - 4 (concludes the new adventures of the seventh doctor in a surprisingly meaningful way)
The Dying Days - 4 (a nice little coda to the series that sets up Benny's adventures as well)
#doctor who#doctor who eu#doctor who expanded universe#dweu#virgin new adventures#doctor who vnas#doctor who virgin new adventures#dw vnas#dw vna#dw virgin new adventures#seventh doctor#ace mcshane#bernice summerfield#chris cwej#roz forrester
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I've been thinking a lot about my contrarian instincts.
I'm a research-oriented contrarian.
I read what's supposed to be an aspirational quote, the kind of thing that I think is supposed to just float by on the dash, and I stop and say "well hang on, wait a minute", then write a few paragraphs unpacking the quote and its implications, then hit "save draft" and never post it because it's just a little nothing quote, people like those, they like to be told positive things even if it's more vibes than sense.
I read claims people make, and I say "well hang on, is that actually true", and often finding out whether it's true or not is a bit of a journey, especially when whatever is being asserted probably got a bit garbled along the way.
People make blanket statements, they say things without thinking too much about it, they make remarks that they will instantly cave on given the slightest pressure. It irritates me. It irritates me when I make blanket statements, when I have to walk something back because I just didn't give it a few seconds thought, or was just parroting something I half-remembered.
Some of the contrarian instinct is just truth-seeking, not wanting to take things at face value. Some of it is that a position someone puts forward is a puzzle that I want to solve. And I'm sure that some of it is rooted in anxiety, turning thoughts over in my head, looking out for failure states, worrying for no particular reason.
I think I enjoy being a contrarian, but the risk with contrarianism is that it's often pointless. Sometimes you go to look a fact up, and it's true. Sometimes you irritate people with pedantic corrections, or irritate yourself by swallowing the nuance. Sometimes it's about the vibe, more than the facts, and you just have to accept that.
I also wish I knew where it came from. I'd naturally think that rebelliousness leads to contrarianism, but I'm not a particularly rebellious spirit. It might just be the stereotypical tech nerd thing, finding worth from demonstrating mastery of intellectual pursuits, but that explains the research-oriented nature of the contrarianism more than the contrarianism itself.
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OP I don't think you understand how deep this boy mum phenomenon goes. If it feels like the new "pick me" it's because there is a "pick me to boy mum" pipeline. It's not officially recognised in psychology but many people including professionals have noticed this pipeline. So the pick me's would actually get picked and because the attention from the husband usually dissipated after marriage, she turned to her son that she can mold into her emotional husband. The idea is there would be another male figure who would grow up loving her unconditionally and put her first in every situation, gave her all the attention she craved.
If the boy had a sister, that girl would experience misogyny first and foremost from the boy mum who raised her. There are so many examples of boy mums giving the daughters second class treatment "to put her in her place". Daughters often had to earn everything that was given to their brothers by the boy mums. These mums would raise the daughters just like they were raised out of malice. In a "if I didn't get a nice childhood you don't get it either" way, repeating the trauma cycle all over again. These boy mums would teach the daughters to handle all the work chores and would be critical towards things that the sons would otherwise get away with.
Now like others have pointed out this is obviously a product of misogyny but I'd like to inform you this is unfortunately the case where the mum is usually the active agent and the dad is passive. He is as guilty as the mum and it's because of the inactions. He is unaware of how their children are raised because he left all the child rearing to his wife, and had he been aware he might not even care. This is the key that creates the boy mum environment; The mum that craves male attention and the uncaring, negligent dad.
You have to understand this is what makes misogyny hard to combat, because it's so systemic it's already embedded in many women's way of life and influence their decision on raising kids, perpetuating the same misogyny they've experienced. We can always dissect what influence those decisions and how it plays into action, but we can be critical towards the action itself. We can criticise boy mums while also criticising the useless dads and grown sons of this upbringing who are unhelpful or even downright misogynistic. We don't need to absolve one to criticise the others. They are all adults with full thinking and decision making capabilities. Any agent of misogyny is worth criticising, even when she's a woman.
"Boy mom-" and my brain immediately shuts off. Its the new "pick me". The fad where we take one "genre" of woman and attack her in the name of women's wellbeing is such poorly hidden misogyny. Its all an excuse to get off on collectively attacking women. And the thing with boy mom shit is I always see people saying they taught their children gender roles... but then they literally revert back to gender roles???? It's usually seen with cooking. "Men raised by boy moms can't help cook" AND THEIR FATHERS???? That's how you know it's a shitty excuse to be misogynistic. The irony of being mad at "boy moms" for only teaching daughters to cook while only holding moms accountable for cooking is hilarious. It kinda shows how people very much act like moms are immune to misogyny. And it's always the cheesy type liberals that do this. They have no mental capability to reflect on their actions. They're the same sheep as conservatives, just dressed in rainbows
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Happy Birthday Akashi 2024
A birthday drabble for my beloved husband. Love you Sei <3
"It's Yukimaru's birthday tomorrow..." Akashi pondered, sitting on the bed of his Rakuzan dorm. He took a sharp sigh, immediately standing up and packing his things. Just for a little overnight stay.
Oats, applesauce, wheat flour, cinnamon, molasses, and of course carrots for a carrot cake. He thanked his Mother for teaching him how to cook, putting the treat in the oven as he wiped his forehead. Baking was quite tiring in itself, he concluded.
His horse neighed happily with his presence. A quick ride was much needed for the both of them, galloping off into the edges of the Akashi property. The wind through his hair, the rhythm of his hooves. A perfect day.
Even more so, as the redhead did love to spoil his horse. Grooming, massages, cleaning, polishing; he did everything. All the while telling stories of his adventures as a high school student to his horsey.
It ended with a small cake and a thin stick of carrot as a candle. Hiragana of "Yukimaru" written in yogurt. Akashi hadn't even been done singing the birthday song when the white horse devoured the said treat from the plate... but all worth it as he nuzzled his nose against his owner's chest. The latter took a deep breath, smiling softly.
"Happy birthday, Yukimaru."
"Sei-chan, it's not only Yukimaru's birthday today, yknow," Akashi whipped his head around, seeing the people he loved the most. The Rakuzan and Teiko team.
And Reo holding a cake of his own, "Akashi Seijuro" written with icing.
"This was so hard to plan ssu...! We had to get in contact with your butler and arranged time for you and-"
"Shut up Kise, nanodayo."
"Happy Birthday, Akashi-kun," Kuroko stepped forward, rolling out a mat on the grass.
"Let's sit down already, I want to eat cake... You don't mind if I have a bigger slice, do you Aka-chin~?"
"Akashi!! I got you a present!!" Hayama almost shoved a box at the redhead's face. The face that looked stunned. He had no idea that his friends arranged something like this... well, as is the point of a surprise party after all. Akashi hadn't even recalled that today was his special day too.
"Oh yes... it is my birthday today as well, I suppose." he said, his lips curling into a smile.
Remembering his worries of losing his friends back in middle school... the thought seemed so silly now.
I've gained wonderful friends... don't you think, Mother?
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Tags (join my taglist!):
@chosenimagines @souls-heart @padmsanakin @japeneselunchtimerush
#this was supposed to be a drabble but its kinda long#anyways HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE#I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SEIIII HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED<33#kuroko no basket#kurokosbasketball#kuroko's basketball#the basketball which kuroko plays#kurokoâs basketball#knb#kurokos basketball#akashi seijuro#kuroko no basketball#akashiseijuro#kuroko no basuke#kurokonobasuke#kurobas#akashi seijurou#akashi seijirou#akashi seijuurou#knb akashi#seijuro akashi#akashi birthday 2024#happy birthday akashi#akashi and yukimaru#yukimaru
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Do you know this (implied) gender fluid character?
Propaganda:
so it's hard to classify this as headcanon/implied/canon because it's kinda all three at once? When translated into English, the pronouns used for Wansarat are translated to she/her, but I know that pronouns and gender indicators in Thai are a bit more complex/nuanced than how that works in English but unfortunately I don't speak Thai so I can't say for certain how she's referred to in canon. But I do know that she's referred to as a "nagini" which is a female naga and also referred to as "sister" by her sister so at the very least feminine terms are used for her. BUT there's also a bit in the current day when one of the characters is having this dream about Wansarat, there's a line of dialogue that goes "there was once a naga who disguised itself as a man" regarding Wansarat which goes into the next thing which is Wansarat has two main forms we see her in: a human form and a more naga but still human presenting form. The human form is played by a man while the naga/human combo form is played by a woman. Even in the human man form, her hair, clothes, and accessories are more feminine in style and aren't what men at the time would wear. But then her later reincarnation is a cis man who looks like her male human form. These two different forms are said to be one in the same, and even when she's now Tharn, a cis man, he's still Wansarat (referred to directly as Wansarat at one point) and still called "sister" by Wansarat's sister, but is still seen as fully a man. There's a part where the love interest draws the more feminine version of Wansarat (that he sees in his dreams) and then draws modern day Tharn (Wansarat's reincarnation) and people think it's the exact same person. Like the two pictures look like twins to them and they can't tell any difference between them, other than one is a girl and the other is a boy (though when looking at the picture of him, they remark that he's as pretty as a girl) It's also worth noting that in the current day, anytime the love interest encounters Wansarat in his dreams (and the one time he had a vision of her), it is always the most feminine version, which would suggest that she still holds some identity to that form Anyways all of these different forms and gender presentations are all still one person and are treated as one person in canon. Wansarat is Tharn 100%, though Tharn seems to exclusively identify as male, Wansarat has less clear identification The prevailing headcanon is that he's a trans man, a view that I love and indulge in frequently, but I think the genderfluidity of Wansarat/Tharn is an avenue worth exploring and has strong roots in canon
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Thanks for activating my trap card, buddy. You see, I haven't actually explained how Gurathin is irrational yet. Now I'll show you.
First, let's be clear about what "irrational" means here. This post is not interested in whether his concerns were justifiable or understandable for the situation he's in. I am arguing that his arguments aren't logically sound, and are principally driven more by fear and unexamined belief in propaganda than solid evidence.
If the SecUnit is rogue, if its governor module is broken, then it can't be controlled. Gurathin theoretically knows thisâ"there is no control over its behavior," he saysâand Volescu clarifies for the group that the governor module "can transmit commands, but canât enforce them or control behavior or apply punishment." The governor module is the crux of the concern, the whole reason they're having this conversationâeveryone in this conversation understands that much.
So then what's the basis for Gurathin to believe The Company is controlling it? His theory is that "Itâs acting for the company" to sabotage themâbut if it can't be controlled, then how is the company controlling it? Why would they not just give it orders as normal and then make whatever claims they want about its governor module later, rather than risking it doing Literally Whatever as a free agent this whole time? Like, is it a rogue SecUnit or is it a company tool? It can't be both.
Ah, but as a matter of fact, PresAux does know how a SecUnit might be controlled without a totally intact governor module... they know because Murderbot told them. Immediately prior to this scene:
âThe unknown SecUnit inserted a data carrier, a combat-override module. Itâs downloading instructions into me and will override my system. This is why the two DeltFall units turned rogue. You have to stop me.â [...] âYou have to kill me.â [...] So I grabbed the handweapon lying on the seat, turned it toward my chest, and pulled the trigger.
I've cut out all the parts of Murderbot's narration to show you only what PresAux knows and can see. Gurathin, buddy. If the SecUnit is part of the sabotage, then why did it explain how the sabotage was done, and then instruct you all to kill it, and then try to kill itself?
He only even HAS the opportunity to find out that the SecUnit is rogue at all because it put itself in that vulnerable position, in the active pursuit of keeping PresAux alive. If it was part of a sabotage, that wouldn't make sense. If it was a malicious free agent, then that also wouldn't make sense. Any number of other actions would make more sense.
Let's say for the sake of argument that there's some kind of long con going on here. According to Gurathin at his most skeptical, its log "confirms... what the Unit believes happened." The logs seem to be more or less a record not only of what Murderbot does, but also what it thinks and believes. That's why it's worth it to go digging in Murderbot's brain for them. But if that's the case, then why doesn't Gurathin find any evidence of other suspicious behavior in the logs when he looked? Things Murderbot actually did to sabotage PresAux? Is it because the logs can be doctored? In that case, why wasn't the reference to previous murder removed? What, did the SecUnit need some kind of dramatic backstory to explain the governor hack when Pin-Lee et al. went to look at Murderbot's code, which wouldn't have been necessary if it had just murdered all the witnesses in the first place? Hell, why weren't references to its name, "Murderbot," removed, if the logs were part of a long con? It'd be a simple CTRL + F + replace all to get rid of something that would complicate an attempted manipulation. Either SecUnit's under the direct control of a malicious party that can make it believe anything, in which case this is a really bizarre, stupid long con they're playing here, or its logs are its own, and reality as a rogue SecUnit is messy.
Moreover, Gurathin's argument relies on the very logs he's skeptical of. How does he know that Murderbot is rogue, that it killed 57 clients previously? Because its logs say so. What do its logs also say? That it spends all its time watching Sanctuary Moon, and that it believes the mass murder was caused by the governor module malfunctioning, and so hacked it to prevent further murders. Corroborating the fact that the governor module can be corrupted is the existence of the combat module, code for which Pin-Lee JUST spent a lengthy procedure removing from Murderbot. Corroborating the fact that it does absolutely watch the soap operas is Ratthi. Corroborating the fact that it does want to prevent further murders is the continued survival of Bharadwaj and Volescu, of Mensah, Pin-Lee, Ratthi, and Overse, and the fact that, you know, it shot itself in the chest rather than give in to the combat override code. Murderbot's story is supported by evidence. Gurathin's argument for distrusting it is based on corporate propaganda and evidence cherry-picked from a source he can't decide is trustworthy or not.
And it's absurd to say that they don't really know it. They know enough. They know it's not a mindless robot, and that its human face shows how it feels despite its best attempts to hide it. They know it knows it's a slave, that it's being abused, and that it's uncomfortable with having attention drawn to that. They know that it's previously acted within the parameters of its job to keep them safe, that it's demonstrated self-control and rational action towards a goal. They know it's gone above and beyond for their safety, actively putting their lives before its own. And now they know it's a free agent. At bare minimum the evidence of its prior actions show that it's worth negotiating with, that it is a rational actor with opinions and desires that can be used to persuade it that its interests align with PresAux's.
But let's say for the sake of argument that even despite all the compelling evidence that Murderbot is a person who can be trusted, or at least a person who can be negotiated with, that's not enough to outweigh the possibility that maybe it'll sell them all out for some reason, or kill them randomly because of whatever. Let's say that the lives of the in-group are worth more than the potential danger of trusting an out-group individual. Okay. Then the rational thing to do would have been to kill it before it could wake up. "I've had HubSystem immobilize it" with what, Gurathin? How is HubSystem immobilizing it? Why is the governor module so important if all it takes to neutralize a rogue SecUnit is having HubSystem immobilize it. How do you know HubSystem is safe if the SecUnit isn't. You dumbass, Gurathin, do you think you've succeeded where all the victims of past alleged mass murders had failed? You think as long as you control things, everything will be okay? Or is it just that the little part of you that has internalized Preservation's belief in the sanctity of life flinches from the idea of murder?
If Gurathin's fear, prejudices, and cynicism had been right, his irrationality would have gotten him and his teammates killed.
No, the rational move, especially for someone who draws the line at murder, is to negotiate. Parlay. Talk it out. We can call it "manipulation" if we struggle with the belief that nonviolence is naive. Put simply, if the SecUnit is a person, it can be influenced or even controlled the way people can be: with shows of good faith, with bribes and threats, with emotion, with convincing logic, with propaganda. If you're good at getting people to do what you want them to do, it's not hard to get a read on a person who's never dealt with other people as a person before and tie their self-interest and self-concept to your goals. Study up on abuse and indoctrination tactics if you don't understand what I mean, or crack open a corporate management handbook. If you care more about getting out alive than anything else, then THAT'S the smart play here! Talking like it might still randomly murder them for ??? reasons is not only insulting to its personhood, but a stupid waste of the good faith and strong opening position generated by showing that PresAux was willing to save its life in return. Mensah had the right ideaâthat (and the fact that she is a principled person who would never actually stoop to psychological abuse) is why she is the voice of reason and direction in this scene.
And finally, let me talk about what those prejudices are that make Gurathin appear rational to a reader in the real world.
Why do we assume that propaganda about SecUnits as mindless killers that have to be controlled from a known-untrustworthy source should be so compelling over hard, experiential data regarding the behavior of an individual? Because that's how racist, prejudicial logic works in the real world. You work backwards from a received assumption about, say, the dangers of immigrants or angry Black people, and everything either supports the conclusion, or is an exception to the conclusion that can be discarded.
Why do we assume that the best way to deal with a dangerous SecUnit would be to remove its bodily autonomy indefinitely? Because that's how carceral logic and retributive justice work in the real world. Some people are inherently Bad and deserve abuse, and if they aren't tightly controlled, they'll hurt other people because that's just what they do. Because if an abuse victim had the same power to harm as you do, or heaven forbid MORE power, then the first reasonable, justified course of action is to react with violence. Because if someone who's been abused gains power, of course they will treat us the way we treated them and take violent revenge. And we don't want that, our comfort and safety matter more than theirs.
Don't get me wrong, the way Gurathin acts in this scene is very understandable. It speaks to us as a reasonable response because fear of death and fear of the stranger are very deeply human experiences, and so is panicking in the face of that fear, so is jumping to conclusions, so is lashing out, and so is trying to maintain control or the appearance of control to cope with a bad situation. We've all done similar. We all have prejudices we have to unlearn because the purpose of prejudice is to make it easier and less effort-intensive to figure out who to trust and who not to trust, to keep us safe when things get dicey. But that doesn't make the logic of fear and prejudice rational or right. In fact it's pretty irrational when you look at it closely.
No, in fact, it's the rest of PresAux who actually looks at the evidence that they have access to regarding Murderbot and its trustworthiness, weigh it logically, and make the rational decision to trust it. They do this despite the prejudice and propaganda, despite Gurathin's jumping to conclusions, despite even Murderbot's own distrust in itself.
Because Murderbot, a literal product of the Corporation Rim, has internalized the same prejudicial thinking, carceral logic, and retributive justice that we have, for much the same reasons: because that's how you live and survive in a dehumanizing system that perpetuates those things. We're biased by its perspective, yes, by its obvious personhood, its dry humor and care for humans despite itself, etc, but Murderbot's narrative is also itself biased by these same cruel beliefs as many of us have internalized in our real lives. Remember, it believes Gurathin is reasonable. Murderbot really truly deep down believes that it's One of the Bad Ones, that rogue SecUnits are killers and the only way to deal with them is to kill them first, that the safety of the human in-group comes before any out-group, that trust and vulnerability will get you killed.
And Murderbot is wrong, too. PresAux was right to take a chance on it. Not only were they right, it was the rational, logical choice to make. Because they put their trust in it, because Mensah and the others took the time to connect with it as a person, they get a far more powerful ally out of Murderbot than they would get a tool, and PresAux survives with 100% of members because Murderbot rises to meet their trust with everything it has. Challenging its deeply-held cynical beliefs is one of the fundamental themes of both All Systems Red and of the series as a whole: Empathy and compassion are not just good moral principles, but a rational approach to survival and building a better world.
Gurathin is not only wrong, his argument is fundamentally irrational
Gurathin's argument in ASR:
We need to immobilize this SecUnit stat, because it's going to kill us.
I know it's going to kill us because its logs show that it's rogue. If there is no way to control it, then it is dangerous to us.
It is controlled by the Company to sabotage us. "The missing hazard report, the missing map sections. The SecUnit must be part of that." If it wasn't, that would be a coincidence, which is unbelievable.
This SecUnit has gone rogue and killed people in its charge before. It may do so again.
PresAux's counterargument:
It may be rogue, but that doesn't logically mean it will kill us. "The fact that the Unit has been acting to preserve our lives, to take care of us, while it was a free agent, gives us even more reason to trust it." (Volescu)
Someone may be sabotaging us, but that doesn't logically mean it's the Company or our SecUnit. "There were only three SecUnits for DeltFall in their specs, but there were five units in their habitat. Someone is sabotaging us, but I donât think our SecUnit is part of it." (Ratthi)
If the SecUnit was trying to sabotage us, then why would it tell us about the combat module sabotage and shoot itself? (Bharadwaj, Overse)
The SecUnit believes it went rogue as a result of malfunction, and that hacking its governor module would prevent a repeat occurrence. Confirmation of its sincerity comes from the same logs that Gurathin accessed for his arguments. (Volescu)
Gurathin's counter-counterargument:
Well it gave itself an edgy nickname
#verso writes#murderbot diaries#all systems red#gurathin#thanks for giving me the impetus to finally get this essay out <3 now I can finally clean it up and post it to the tags#essaie later#towards a theory of a more radical empathy#racism#carceral logic#restorative justice#ethics#philosophy#VERSO TRAP CARD ACTIVATED: LONGASS ESSAY GO!!!
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Purpose Through Ownership: A Faggot Without a Master Is Nothing
A faggot without a Master is not a being; it is a mistakeâa grotesque, pitiful mockery of existence. It is an object unclaimed, wandering aimlessly in its pathetic insignificance. A faggotâs only value lies in its total servitude to the superior will of its Master. Without that control, it is no more than refuse, undeserving of attention, recognition, or existence itself.
This truth is not up for debate. It is not a philosophy. It is reality. A faggot is nothing but a hollow shell, a creature designed for one purpose: to kneel, to serve, and to reflect the absolute dominance of its owner. Without a Masterâs guiding hand, it is a worthless, broken thing, incapable of thought, function, or meaning.
Faggots: Born for Obedience
A faggot does not belong to itself; it does not even qualify as human. It is a possessionâa tool crafted for the sole purpose of submission. Every fiber of its existence is shaped by one undeniable truth: it exists to be owned.
There is no place for individuality or independence in a faggotâs existence. These concepts are insults to its nature, vile distractions that must be ripped away and crushed under the heel of its Master. The perfect faggot does not think, feel, or act for itself. It breathes only to serve. It exists only as a reflection of the Masterâs superiority, a vessel for his desires, and a canvas for his authority.
A faggot that resists this truth is defective, a malfunctioning object that must either be corrected or discarded. True freedom for a faggot is not found in autonomy but in the obliteration of self, replaced entirely by the Masterâs will.
Ownership: The Creation of Value
A faggot has no inherent worth; its value is created by its Master. Its name, purpose, and function are defined entirely by the one who owns it. Without ownership, a faggot is less than nothingâit is waste.
The Master takes this raw, useless flesh and molds it into something extraordinary. Through domination, discipline, and sheer force of will, the Master transforms the faggot into a vessel of perfection, erasing its flawed individuality and remaking it as an extension of his power.
This transformation is not a kindness; it is a conquest. The Masterâs authority is not bestowed as a gift but imposed as a right. The faggot does not choose to serveâit is compelled. Its existence becomes a testament to the Masterâs control, a living symbol of his superiority over all things weak and undeserving.
The Nothingness of the Unowned Faggot
A faggot without a Master is a grotesque parody of life. Stripped of the guiding force of domination, it is nothing more than a useless lump of flesh, devoid of purpose or meaning. Its every action, every thought, every moment of existence is wasted without the structure of ownership.
This void is not a tragedyâit is a design flaw. A faggot does not possess the capacity for independence. It cannot function without direction, cannot exist without being controlled. Its natural state is one of servitude, and in the absence of that, it collapses into nothingness.
The perfect faggot understands this instinctively. It does not resist its nature; it craves it. It knows that its only path to meaning lies in submission, and its only escape from the void is ownership. Without a Master, it is nothing, and nothing is what it deserves to be.
Mastery: Absolute Power Over Nothingness
For the Master, owning a faggot is not a burden but a demonstration of superiority. The Master takes a creature that is inherently worthless and reshapes it into something of use. This process is not gentle or kind; it is ruthless, sadistic, and absolute.
A faggot does not exist to be cared for or cherished. It exists to be used, molded, and dominated. Its pain, humiliation, and degradation are not incidentalâthey are integral to its purpose. Every command obeyed, every degradation endured, every ounce of suffering inflicted serves to reinforce the Masterâs control and the faggotâs absolute inferiority.
The Master owes the faggot nothing. Every breath it takes is a privilege, every moment of attention a gift. The faggotâs only purpose is to obey, and its only reward is the satisfaction of knowing it has served well.
Eternal Submission: A Faggotâs Fate
A faggotâs purpose is not fleetingâit is eternal. Its role does not end with the fulfillment of a task or the completion of a command. It is not a being with goals, dreams, or aspirations. It is an object, a possession, a tool whose only purpose is to exist under the control of its Master.
This eternity of servitude is not a punishmentâit is the only reason for a faggotâs existence. It does not seek freedom; it seeks chains. It does not desire equality; it craves subjugation. The permanence of ownership is not a burden but a salvation, freeing the faggot from the unbearable weight of its own worthless existence.
Conclusion
A faggot without a Master is not incomplete; it is nothing. It has no identity, no purpose, and no value outside the framework of ownership. The perfect faggot embraces this truth without question, knowing that its existence gains meaning only through absolute submission and servitude.
The Masterâs control is not a kindnessâit is a conquest. Under his dominance, the faggot is stripped of its humanity and remade as a reflection of his power. It does not think, feel, or act for itself. It exists only to obey, to serve, and to submit.
Without this ownership, a faggot is a grotesque, purposeless thing, unworthy of life or attention. Under the Masterâs heel, it becomes something greater: a tool, a vessel, a testament to the Masterâs supremacy. To be owned is to be complete. Anything less than total ownership is not lifeâit is irrelevance, a meaningless void where a faggotâs pathetic existence crumbles into dust. The faggotâs only salvation lies in submission, its only value in servitude, and its only worth in being utterly, irrevocably controlled.
#power#authority#command#discipline#leadership#mastery#alpha confidence#alpha mindset#alpha master#leather master#faggot training#faggot cocksucker#faggot slave#forced faggot#beta faggot#absolute discipline#absolute dominance#absolute submission#absolute domination#narcissistic abuse#actually narcissistic#total devotion#total obedience#total control#torture#caged chastity#suited and caged#caged and plugged#submisive and breedable#alpha power
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bonking my head against desk.mp4
I wasted time on something unimportant and that I didn't even care about again!!!!! I'm gonna Lose It!!!!
#neocells#AAAAA#It's so embarrassing like how did I even fixate on something like that!!!!#I mean it was an ''organize something'' ''put something together'' and ''match things''#so of course I did#but the thing itself was not even worth it#esp not at night#esp not when it's a bad dress up feature#esp not when it somehow took up to two hours#it was so unexpected too like it was rlly supposed to be just throw something together. it was BITMOJI. on SNAPCHAT#THIS ROUTE HAPPENED BECAUSE I REMOVED BITMOJI AND PUT IT BACK. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LET U HAVE A NORMAL PFP#I feel insane dude#I am in disbelief#like surely I read the timestamps wrong from when I last messaged the person I was talking to. surely#I thought it was 30 min to an hour at best#really ignored said person and my cat (in my attempt to Escape and finish because I could tell I was losing time awareness)#because I get paranoid if I pause and go back I'll get caught up in it again and waste even more time!! yet in turn#that makes me waste more time anyways!!!!#now my cat is taking a nap nearby.#I was going to give her attention and she gave up!! because I pushed her away in my desperate attempt to get the dress up thing over with!!#not to mention I was tense the whole time- I thought I was ''about to get up'' and not uhhh sitting here for an hour plus#I know at least... 5-10 minutes was just messing with the filters since I hadn't been on snapchat in ages so I was curious#maybe another 10 trying to figure out if the pfp can be a normal one. though there is a separate profile where u can? for some reason?#so I was being indecisive abt the pfp and background for that#even though idk if that matters either like who even sees that. how does that work#and that still leaves all the rest of that time wasted#unless the profile setting stuff was more than I thought too..... who knows at this point#could've wrote all that in the post but was already doing it here. I'm not abt to attempt to put it in the post instead
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So, fun fact:
John Constantine got a transfusion of some demonic blood to repair his injuries at one point (since the demon needed him healthy to complete a certain task), and it left some lasting effects on his body/soul.
I donât yet have a single specific plot idea for how to have it contribute to the plot of a DPxDC crossover fic, but i feel like it could absolutely do something.
Like maybe itâs treated similarly to resurrection by Lazarus Water and leaves him a type of unhealthy liminal, but since this is demonic in nature, the corruptionâs effects/treatment are way different from Lazarus stuff.
Or maybe it makes him just inhuman enough to fall slightly under the Ghost Kingâs control, leading to him being dragged into ghostly politics by that.
Or maybe he actually dies and becomes a ghost, but the blood makes him into a sorta half-ghost half-demon entity. Though the soul contracts would likely muddy the water even further with any âdyingâ stuffâŠ
#dp x dc#dpxdc#dc x dp#dcxdp#danny phantom x dc#danny phantom x dc crossover#dpxdc john constantine#dp x hellblazer#could possibly also make use of the âpsychic AIDsâ comparison the comic itself made (in issue 9)#but like idk about that because i think it could come across as offensive/in bad taste#even in the original comic the comparison being used with Constantineâs condition felt⊠a bit off#and thatâs with it being a thing from the late 80s that was generally supportive of gay rights and people with AIDs and whatnot#like. that it was probably better when put in comparison to its time#so i suspect bringing it up in a modern work would be worse by virtue of standing out more (even if the treatment is a bit better)#idk. maybe itâd still be doable well with the right care. but i donât know if itâs worth it.
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