#can't wait to marry this fictional man

[roadtogracelandx45]

Courage Under Fire|Pre War 6| Band of Brothers

masterlist

part five

@marycorleone @prettyinpayne

Pre-War part 6  

 "Olivia!" Helen exclaimed, trying to pull her back down in the pew. The girl had risen to her feet, Stanhope had followed quickly as if to play protector to the girl, worried that Kathy or her mother did not try and attack Olivia.  

  

"You spoiled selfish little brat." Kathy spat as she took steps forward as if she wanted to strike the younger girl who clenched her fists ready to swing, if necessary. 

  

 "Olivia, sit down." Helen hissed tugging on her wrist, she did not know if she was more horrified or proud that her niece did this. "I will not." The girl returned as Lewis quickly went down the steps and to the pew to protect the girl. She never asked for any of this, this was all his doing, he was the one that went down to Charleston to accompany her to the deb ball. He was the one who got her drunk and then proceeded to fall in love with her. The girl was 18 years old and dealing with a whole lot of uncertainty. "Kathy, this isn't the time or place for this." 

  

"You put her up to this!'  The woman was furious and went to strike Lewis with her bouquet but was stopped by Olivia grabbing a hold of her wrist, "He did no such thing! I have a brain inside my head, and I use it unlike you."   

  

"How dare you!"  

  

"How dare I? How dare I?" Olivia was floored, she never thought she could meet someone as selfish as her mother, but she was dead wrong. "Do you realize that we are entering a war and Lewis joined the army and that you could lose him? Or do you want that so you can take the money and run?"  

  

  

Kathy raised her hand to slap her again and the girl smirked, twisting the wrist that she was holding to the side. "You aren't going to strike me or Lewis."  The younger girl commented, "Hitting people may have worked before but let me make one thing perfectly clear, you are not going to hit him or me ever again. If you do, it will be the last thing you ever do."  

  

"Are you threatening me?'  

  

"In front of God and all of these witnesses."   "That's my girl," Lewis muttered with a smirk, unable to help himself, this was the Olivia that he had fallen in love with.  His former future wife glared at him and then at Olivia who looked murderous and stepped down. There was no doubt in her mind that if she had struck Lewis or the girl, she would have gotten hurt too and she was already wounded. There was no reason for her to be hurt more.  

  

"Liv, let's go." Helen whispered, taking hold of her arm to pull her away, "She is not Katherine, taking your anger and hurt on her isn't going to do anything."  

  

"It will make me feel so much better." She returned turning to look at her aunt, it hit both Lewis and Helen then how much Olivia was really hurting.  The act she had put on had fooled them. The hurt from Katherine not wanting her, and the hurt from Bill and Evie breaking her heart. Fear of losing more of her brothers and the uncertainty of the war.  This situation with Kathy hitting her the night before just brought everything to the forefront. And she couldn't fight it back.  

  

It was too much. 

  

 "She isn't worth it kid, and neither is you getting into trouble with the law," Lewis added, he figured that Helen promised to keep Liv out of trouble as much as she could, and for once he wanted to make sure that it happened that way. "Fine." She conceded releasing the hold on her wrist and taking a step back, "You are right Aunt Helen, we should go. We don't want to keep Uncle Michael's staff waiting for too long."  The older girl nodded her head and whispered a few things to her own aunt and uncle before grasping Olivia's hand and pulling her out into the aisle and out of the church.  

  

  

"Want to talk about why you stopped the wedding?" Helen asked once they were at the makeshift airport waiting for their plane to take them to Charleston. The girl was trembling from head to toe in fear of flying, a first for both Stewart girls. The train would take too long and they needed to be there on time.  "I couldn't let him go through with it, it wasn't right." Olivia started picking at the bright red fingernail polish that her sister Marla insisted she put on her nails before she left.  

  

"Kathy is too much like Katherine. Too selfish, too uppity, and rude to be with someone like Lew."  "You know that Lewis can take care of himself, right? He isn't like your dad. And they don't have kids to worry about. Not like James and Katherine.'   

  

The girl nodded her head and picked at the polish again. "Liv? Talk to me."   "Katherine caused a lot more problems than what I have been telling you. She wants me or Marla to get married to the son of a well-to-do family in Atlanta. Before we left to go back to South Philly, she showed up with this Davis boy. He was going to have the pick of us." Helen turned fully to look at her, her surprise clear on her face.   

  

"Gigi and Uncle Finn figured it out and threw them both out. She brought up again a couple of weeks ago on our birthday.' The woman glanced up at her cousin who had joined them then back at her niece who kept picking at the polish, intent on cleaning off the whole nail. 

  

"She thought that it was best for it to happen now before he ships out with James and the others on the Enterprise. It would be easier on us if he died in the war and we could collect the money. What kind of woman wishes death on someone else's child? I mean it shouldn't surprise me, she did try to kill me more times than I could count and she did pitch herself down the stairs several times when she was pregnant with me and Bobby."  "Does James know?" Lewis asked drawing attention to himself. 'He does now, he is fighting it, threatening to have her thrown in jail if she didn't stop it. He said that his daughters aren't getting married before they are at least 21 and have a college degree." "If worse comes to worse." He commented as three men in uniform started coming towards them. One of them was Michael Stewart's best friend who had known Olivia almost her entire life, and he offered Helen a sad tense smile. "We can pretend that we are married or something." "Or something." Andrew, Michael's friend commented holding out a file of paperwork. "Your uncle wanted you to look over this before they give you the sedative."  The younger girl's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Look over what?"  

  

"Paperwork for the Army Nursing Corp.'  "The what?" She questioned taking the paperwork to start flipping through it, her heart was lodged in her throat. "Army Nursing Corp. Elizabeth Forbes under your great-uncle's direction wants you to join."  "Elizabeth Forbes? Isn't that the woman that is breaking up Finn and Susan's marriage?" Helen asked peering over Olivia's shoulder to look at the pages. "It was already on the rocks, especially with the fact Susan had her sister's dimwitted daughter Frances move in with them." Olivia commented as she scanned the pages, "Girl thought she could pregnant by touching a man. She about died when she saw how close I was to not only to Lewis but to my brothers."  

  

Lewis who had been taking a sip of Vat .69 choked, he had met Frances the day before the debutante ball that he escorted Olivia to and didn't realize how dumb she actually was until then. "She about died when she saw Lewis going out of my bedroom the morning after the ball. Told me I was going to hell and threatened to tell Katherine all about it. Why are my uncles pushing so hard for this?" She raised her eyes to look at Andrew and her aunt Helen.  

  

"Because Liv, they know you. They know you can't just sit at home worrying about your brothers, Lewis or Bill, or even any of the neighborhood boys." Helen answered, "Your father isn't going to let you go to work in a factory or spend all your free time in the VA hospital. Joining the Army Nursing Corps is going to be a way for you to do something. Anything . And it will pay for your nursing degree." 

  

"We know that you won't take the money from me." Lewis started as he sat down next to her, his own curiosity getting the best of him, "Or from Stanhope or your family to do this. You want to become a nurse and help the boys coming home." He tapped the paper with his finger, "This is how you can do it." 

  

"And it's not like they are going to let you go to the front lines. If anything they will send you to Pearl to work at the hospital there or you will be here stateside to take care of the boys coming back hurt." Andrew added he didn't want to bring up the fact that there were discussions of nurses going closer to the active war zones to be a source of comfort to the boys.  Everyone who had known James Stewart, Sr. knew that he would never put his oldest daughter in the line of fire for any reason at all. "Michael said they didn't need an answer until after the services, so you have some time to think about it."  Olivia dropped her eyes back to the paperwork to finish looking over it.  

  

"I think you should do it, baby. I think it will  be good for you." Lewis whispered, his dark eyes on the girl who was watching the aide prep the shot that would put her to sleep for their flight.. 'I don't know Lew, I don't." She returned, she knew that she wanted to do this and wanted it with all of her heart but she didn't want to disappoint her father nor did she want to be so far away from her  younger siblings. She was already dreading being so far away from her twin brother.  

  

This short trip to Phoenix was the longest and farthest away they had been from each other since they were born. "Think about it like this," Helen started as she started doing up her coat, they were all bundling up for the flight, it was too cold not to, "You would be helping someone else's brother, son, husband, boyfriend if you didn't have the chance do this wouldn't you want someone there to take care of Bobby? Of Lew, Edward, Lee, James, and Daniel? Hell, even Bill?"   

  

"You're right, you're right. But I do need to think about it and talk to Daddy about it." Olivia agreed, while, yes, she was 18 and an adult but being a female and this being uncommon, she would need approval from her father and stepmother. Katherine, thankfully, didn't have a say in the matter. She knew that Katherine would raise all hell about but before realizing that this was her one chance to get rid of Olivia like she had been trying to do since the day that she was born.  

*** 

5 hours later. 

** 

"Liv, it's time to wake up, we are in Charleston," Helen whispered reaching over to shake her niece who was sound asleep curled into Lewis's body for extra warmth, she was thankful that the girl had fallen asleep shortly after take off and stayed asleep though it was freezing cold and their flight was more turbulent then they had thought it was going to be. It would have freaked out Olivia even more than she already was. 

  

The younger Stewart girl whined and rubbed her face against the material of Lewis's coat before straightening up to look at her aunt, that was the longest stretch of sleep that she had had since the Japanese had bombed Pearl and she wanted to keep sleeping but she knew that she had to take her place in mourning with her family.  

  

"Just to warn you," Andrew started as they stood up to exit the plane, "Katherine is already at the house raising hell about Nicholas's services and the fact that you weren't right there to help her." 

  

"Help her?" She scoffed pulling her gloves off roughly, 'More like being there for her to abuse someone. I am sure Daddy and the others are already there so she has Marla and the others. She doesn't need me."  

  

"Your friend Faith is already over at the house, your brother Edward's doing." 

  

  That brightened Olivia's mood instantly,  Alice Anderson, who she and Bobby started calling Faith before they moved to South Philly when they were 11, was one of Olivia's best friends and was constantly with her when she was in Charleston that her father started to refer to her as his third daughter, it had pained her to leave her as much as she had too. First when her parents got divorced and they moved to South Philly and then after she went back when Fredrick got to be too much for her to care for on her own.  

  

It would be nice to see her for awhile and have the extra support. 

** 

Katherine McHale was pacing back and forth in the foyer of her former in-law's home, furious, that Olivia wasn't already in Charleston with her father and stepmother to help her through this hard time.  She had lost one of her precious sons after she told him not to join the Navy. There was no reason for him to do that, he could make a good career for himself like his numerous stepfathers had done. But of course, he had followed his bastard of a father into the military and had died for it. She could wring James's neck for him being okay with their sons joining the military. And she would not feel bad, she would love to have him an ounce of pain that she was feeling at that point and time.  

  

Her inner ranting came to screeching halt when the front door opened, and her daughter followed by a tall dark dark-headed man with bushy eyebrows appeared, Olivia complained about the cold and the man teasing her about warming her up once they saw her father, and the rest of the family. 

"Olivia Franklin!" She spat causing the chattering to stop and the girl to tense.

 "Mother." She returned as she pulled her gloves off finger by finger, looking anywhere but her, "This is Lewis Nixon.' "It's nice to meet you. Olivia has told me a lot about you." Lewis smirked as he undid the buttons of his coat. 

"All lies, I am sure." Katherine returned, her eyes cutting towards her daughter who was now kneeling to be on her youngest brother sister, and nephews' height, all eager to have her attention. 

"I wouldn't know about that. She is pretty good at telling me the truth about things." "She isn't who you think she is, Mr. Nixon.' 

Taking a glance at the girl who was balancing her one-year-old nephew John on her hip and was twirling around Katie, her youngest sister, to see one of the new pretty dresses that their grandfather had brought for her. 

 "I wouldn't have married her if she did lie to me." The fresh wine glass that had been handed over to Katherine by one of the housekeepers, slipped and shattered onto the floor. "You are married?! "  

  

[wonsroyalty]

it's okay, i'm okay : ̗̀➛이희승

i don't want him anyway, girl, take him..

✧heeseung x f!reader

genre/warnings: 3.8k, i don’t want to give too much away :0 but angst, relationship, cheating, shouting, sex, fighting, mentions of wishing death. this in no way shape or form represents heeseung, it's purely fictional! italics are flashback scenes!!!

a/n: i’m obsessed with this song omg + i listened to white ferrari (it’s my cry song 😕) at one point while writing this so theres a few references AND i was listening to the new tyler album so if it’s not sad enough it’s because i was so excited 😭😭 ooo and the favourite song choice is from those playlists that enha made at the start of the romance untold era 🔥🔥 for @sofsofenso my no.1 fan, mwah 😽 i hope you like it !!

masterlist

"I. Love. You. So. Fucking. Much." he kissed you between each word.

Your chest was heavy as you held his weight on your stomach but you managed to laugh at his actions.

"We'll be together forever right?" you held your pinky out.

"Forever and ever!" he crossed his own with yours.

Heeseung Lee wasn’t dead but you truly wished he was.

Your naive 11-year-old heart truly believed that you'd be with him forever. He was your first everything.

You were that cheesy couple in the group that everyone believed would get married and have kids and stay together till you were old and grey.

Too bad, considering your luck was always terrible and you had attracted the devil's spawn.

The fleeting moments of you sneaking him into your room, the lingering touches you shared and the overall thought of his existence skated around the interior of your brain.

You desperately wanted to get rid of them but they brought a sense of comfort that only he could fill.

flashback!-

"I think you might be my soulmate.." he trailed off.

"Hee!" you scolded him. "Wait until after we meet your parents."

You smoothed down your black skirt, checking your outfit in the mirror one last time.

He helped you into his red leather jacket before pulling you into his embrace.

"Heeseung!"

"Okay, okay baby." he pulled away. "Let me get a picture before we go,"

The flash of his polaroid camera captured your smitten expression as he kissed your cheek.

His parents loved you, they claimed that their son had a glow around him whenever he was with you.

"Oh my, sorry. I can't focus when I look into your eyes, pretty." Heeseung whispered.

You lightly hit his chest. "I was telling you to look at this."

"Wait, new lockscreen and it's still me!" he got up and did a little dance.

"Yeah, but that not what I- "

He picked you up and twirled you around before attacking you with tickles.

"Stop, stop!"

"Tell me how much you love me and I'll stop." he cackled.

"I love you, so much, Hee." you collapsed onto his bed in a fit of giggles.

He flopped down next to you and pulled you into his chest.

"You really are my soulmate."

What a bunch of crap.

"Yn.. don't look but she's.. over there." Winter glared in the direction of the girl who was partly responsible for the end of your relationship.

flashback!-

Keeho rested an arm around your shoulder as he showed you around the party.

"You're so drunk already." You laughed at him. “Again.”

It was common for Keeho to get heavily drunk at pre’s and every time he said he would stop but just didn’t follow through.

"AM not." he pouted.

The two of you walked over to your friends.

"Where's your man?" Sungchan laughed behind his cup.

"We're not always together." you grumbled.

His comment did make you curious though as you had both made your way to the party separately.

Your grandfather was sick and you wanted to visit him in the hospital before making your way to Keeho's 19th, so you had told Heeseung he could meet you whenever he got there.

Chenle told you that he'd seen him in the kitchen earlier so they all followed you there.

"Heeseung! What the fuck!" you shouted.

Yunjin was pressed up against your boyfriend who had a hand in her hair. They were about an inch away from kissing but judging by the gloss on his lips, you could tell that they already had.

He gently pushed her away with a laugh.

"Baby, hey." he waved to your friends too.

"What is your problem?!"

You pushed him away as he got closer to you.

He grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the kitchen.

"Guys.." Winter called after you.

His feet stopped once you were inside a bathroom.

"I've never seen you that mad before, pretty." he laughed.

"Let me out."

"No way... you're actually jealous."

Your jaw dropped.

"I'm not jealous, I'm breaking up with you."

"No, you're not." His face dropped. “Your emotions are high right now because your grandfather is sick. Don’t let that cloud your judgement.”

All you could do was look away because you believed his words.

"Come on, let's talk about this." he attempted to kiss you.

"Get off! You've clearly kissed someone else tonight and you expect me to want to stay with you despite you cheating."

This wasn't even the first time you'd caught him “cheating” on you.

He laughed in your face.

"This isn't Yunjin's lip combo." he joked.

"Well, it's someone's isn't it?" you frowned.

"So, you're gonna throw away 9 years because you don't trust me?" he calmed down.

Spolier! He'd convinced you to stay with him once again!

You remember the disappointed looks from all of your friends when you walked out with his arm around you.

They weren’t the only people who began to warn you about Heeseung.

Every new person you’d interacted with told you that he was bad news but you reassured them that he was just getting used to university.

He seemed to switch as soon as you’d gotten to uni, badmouthing you to his friends, staying out late, missing dates, ignoring you and each time you’d take him back.

You even took him back when you walked into the lunch area and caught him kissing your seat-mate from Politics.

Your best friends didn’t speak to you for a week after that one.

But you’d become desensitised to the feeling you got when you’d catch him. Taking him back immediately saved you from having to argue with him and you were tired.

Tired from the stress of your degree and having to deal with Heeseung.

Everywhere you went, you received looks of pity. No one envied you for being in a relationship with Heeseung, they all felt sorry for you.

You continued to defend him and every time he’d act out and chip off a piece of your heart, leaving you embarrassed and scared.

“Hee is my soulmate.” you reiterated.

Heeseung was all you ever wanted.

He was all you’d ever known.

Hee was your first everything.

Letting him go, would be losing a part of yourself and you weren’t quite sure if you were capable of doing that yet.

But four months later at the same house you'd been pushed to your limit.

flashback!-

“Great to see that you aren’t as drunk as last time.” Chenle poked at Keeho.

“I’m on lookout, Jiung smashed my dining room table last time.” He rolled his eyes.

“Yn!” someone turned you around.

“Hey, Yunjin.” you all sighed.

“Where’s Heeseung?” she pouted.

You really didn’t know and you were tired of people asking you that.

“I don’t know, go find him if you want.” you shrugged.

You had every reason to be mad at him.

It was your 10-year anniversary and you hadn’t done anything to celebrate together.

The party was his idea of “having a fun anniversary”.

“Yunjin, don’t come over to kill the vibe.” Sungchan groaned.

“Fine.” she grumbled.

On her way past you, she pretended to trip in order to dump her drink down your front.

“Shit.” you ran off to a bathroom in order to get the ice out of your bra, not even stopping to hear Winter scold Yunjin.

Most of them were locked so you opted for the one in Keeho’s bedroom.

On the verge of tears, you attempted to calm yourself down and get a shirt from his walk in wardrobe.

You threw on a jersey that matched with your jeans and were on your way out when someone came into the main area of the room.

“Finally, I’ve been looking for you for ages.” a girl giggled.

‘What is Yunjin doing here?’

“Well, I’m a busy man.”

‘Heeseung?! What kind of a sick joke was this?’

“Ugh don’t remind me. I asked Yn where you were and she literally said she didn’t care.”

‘I didn’t say that??’

“What?” Heeseung sounded confused.

“Enough about her, I’m right here. And we have all the time in the world.”

You could hear her kiss him.

The same lips that had spent countless hours pressed against your own.

The same lips that spoke promises of fulfilment and expressed their gratitude towards you.

The same lips that whispered words of encouragement when it was just the two of you, late at night while you gave yourself to him.

You felt disgusted.

Heeseung Lee wasn’t dead, but you truly wished he was. You wanted him to suffer an unspeakable fate for hurting you but every time you thought of him, you couldn’t bear the thought of having to live without him.

The remaining fragments of your heart fell into the palm of your hand. There was nothing to fight for anymore.

You should’ve moved long before the moans reached your ear but you were frozen in shock.

‘Is this what people warned me of.’ you panicked. ‘I should’ve never let it get this far.”

Your feet didn’t wait and moved involuntarily as you gave away your hiding spot.

You needed to see it for yourself.

The tears that you’d been holding in for months fell down your cheeks.

“I can’t do this- not today.”

Pushing past them you ran downstairs and out the doors, attracting the attention of your friends.

“Yn? What, wait!” Heeseung shouted, running after you as he slipped his clothes back on.

He grabbed your arm pulling you back into his embrace.

You shoved him away violently this time.

“Baby, I’m sorry.”

“You can’t keep saying you’re sorry and then acting out and embarrassing me every. single. time. I’m fed up Heeseung, I am done with you for good. The pain I feel just from loving you is a burden that I shouldn’t have to face anymore. I love you so much, Hee- Heeseung.” You cried as you pushed him away again. “I care so much, but it’s clear that my best just wasn’t enough for you. I’m sure that- that in another life we’d be happy.. but in this one I just don’t think that’s possible.”

“Yn, no. I’ll fix this.. I’ll fix us and I- I’ll change my ways. Just- please.” he trembled. “I wanted- I want to spend my life with you.. I can’t lose you. You can’t leave me. You’re all I’ve ever known.”

“Well that’s not true,” you sobbed. “I don’t trust you anymore.”

“Baby, why.” he grabbed your hands. “Why don’t you trust me anymore? What do I have to do to get you to trust me again.. I’ll do anything for you. I love you..”

You could see your friends in your peripheral vision watching in concern. Waiting to intervene.

“Can I ask you something?” you stared him in the eye. “I need you to answer honestly.”

“Anything!” he pleaded, tears running down his face. “Ask me anything.”

“Why did you do it time after time?” you watched him deny his acts.

“Sieun told me. You were with Yunjin, Aya, Kate. You even tried it on my Winter and she’s my best friend, Mia, Yeji, Aeri.. I can’t.” The tears fell again.

“None of them compare to you.. Baby, please don’t leave.” he tried getting closer to you. “When I look at you all I see is my soulmate. I care for you still and I will, forever.”

“Well, I look at you… and I see nothing.”

For once, he didn’t even try to fight back.

The rest of the night was a blur.

Sungchan punched him and Winter took you home as you cried for days to come.

You waited by the phone for a text or even a call with an apology but days passed then weeks which turned into months.

There was an odd sense of comfort in knowing that he knew he was in the wrong but all you wanted to do was have him hold you and tell you that everything would be alright.

Yunjin waited for her coffee to be made as she looked down at her phone.

"I.. You know what.. I don't care." you leaned back in your chair.

You didn’t know if she was still dating him, and you didn’t want to.

Chenle gasped.

"Are you being real right now?" He pressed. "This is new territory."

You nodded.

Winter suddenly began to look uncomfortable.

"Coming.. over.. here." she muttered out.

"Yn!" Yunjin screeched. “You’re going to Keeho’s party tonight right?”

“Yeah.. Surprised that you are too, you know.”

She pointed at herself confused.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Keeho.” you pointed.

“Oh, I’m not. I’m someone’s plus one.” she looked away bashfully.

“That’s not a problem.” you shrugged it off. “We’re all there to get wasted anyway.”

She mistook your lack of anger as friendship.

“Well, hope I see you later.” she waved, taking off as her order was called up.

“I don’t.” Chenle groaned.

You looked at the time on your phone.

“Cute lockscreen.” Winter giggled.

It was a picture of you, her, Chenle, Sungchan and Keeho on holiday together.

That was the summer after you and Heeseung broke up.

flashback!-

“It is so hot here.” Winter fanned herself.

“That’s because you’re stood out on the balcony.” Sungchan laughed.

Everyone else lounged around your hotel room.

You were still a mess.

They were trying to distract you from anything and everything and while you appreciated the thought, you just wanted Heeseung back.

Your phone was connected to Keeho’s speaker, blasting some songs that you weren’t paying attention to.

A familiar intro snapped you out of your trance and you immediately reached for your phone.

“No- No, Yn give me that.” Chenle snatched the phone out of your hands.

You’d pressed onto Heeseung’s contact and were in the process of typing out ‘I miss you…’

You remembered what Heeseung told you the first time. “Sincerity is scary by the 1975. Whenever I hear the song, I think of you.” he shrugged. “I guess that’s why it’s my favourite.”

All it took was one song, his favourite song, and you fell back into the rhythm that they were trying to get you out of.

“Come on.” Keeho smiled as he helped you up. “Let’s go out, it’s not every day that you get to be in Hawaii!

Now two years had passed.

You were in the final year of your Bachelor’s degree, with employment lined up for you to work under a United Nations representative as you studied for your Masters.

Winter was going off to Paris to work as a designer for a luxury brand, Chenle was already earning 6 figures as an accountant while studying, Keeho and Sungchan were both planning a gap year before going into business and engineering respectively.

Your best friends, all going their separate ways. You couldn’t bear the thought.

You loved them like no other and having to deal with life’s problems alone didn’t seem too great.

Together you’d created a calendar to show whenever someone was free and had planned several group holidays to come.

Spending winter in Paris with Winter, spring break in the Philippines with Keeho and Sungchan and several mini trips in summer with Chenle.

“Cheers!” Keeho shouted.

“What are we cheering to?” you laughed.

“Us… duh!”

You’d all settled on the conservatory sofa, away from the noise and people at the party.

“We have 5 months left, don’t get sappy.” Sungchan smiled.

“Well if you think about it, it’ll be over in no time.” Winter looked deep in thought. “We’ve been friends for 19 years now and those flew by.”

19 years..

It didn’t take long for you all to realise that you really didn’t have a lot of time left in your bubble.

Having to face the real world without your found family was difficult.

“I don’t want to leave you guys.” Chenle cried into your side as you all hugged each other.

“Please don’t be a stranger guys,” Keeho sobbed. “Weekly group facetime calls, weekend trips..”

“I want postcards.” you wailed. “From your world trip.”

“You’ll all get them.” Sungchan bawled.

“Remember in nursery when- when Chenle started that paint fight and we all got scolded by the teacher.” Winter laughed with a sniffle.

Laughter broke out across the group.

You had the picture on your childhood bedroom wall. The four-year-old versions of yourselves covered head to toe and looking guilty.

Time really does fly by.

“I love you guys.”

The moment was cut short when Jiung stumbled into the room.

“Hey!”

“Not me!”

Chenle dove out of the way and you ended up covered in Jiung’s drink.

“Why does everyone put ice in their drinks!” you wined. “I’m going to steal a shirt, Keeho.”

You left the group as they arranged a ride home for Jiung and looked for a change of clothes in Keeho’s wardrobe.

Slipping a shirt on, you left his room but realised you’d wanted to use the bathroom.

There was another down the hall anyway.

You were in the process of washing your hands when you noticed the song seeping through the gap under the door.

“Sincerity is scary by the 1975.”

But you didn’t have an urge to text him.

The door flung open.

‘Why!’ you groaned.

“Ba- Yn..” he tilted his head. “You look better.”

“Please leave, Heeseung.”

You hated how he looked even better.

“Why are you looking at me like that..” you whined.

You hated how your whole being shut down as soon as you were close to him. The past two years went out of the window.

“Like what?” he whispered.

“You know we can’t..” you trailed off.

He took several steps closer to you and you hesitated to breathe.

“We’re not doing anything.” his eyes were very much focused on your lips.

Winter’s voice rang out in your head.

“Don’t tell the guys.. but if you ever end up in the same place as him, I think you should get closure. It’ll help you move on.”

You let him kiss you.

When he pulled away you brought him back, kissing his lips with a hunger you’d never had before.

He pulled you up by the waist and placed you on the bathroom counter, fingers immediately making their way under your skirt.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“One last time.” you confirmed before kissing him again with even more passion.

“Fuck, you’re so wet.” he pulled down your underwear and began to lap at your cunt.

Your hands grasped at his now red hair, as your head fell back against the mirror with a gasp.

He knew you like the back of his hand and you were ashamed to reach your climax so fast as he worked your insides with precision and memory.

“Fuck.. Hee- Heeseung, I’m gonna cum.” you moaned out.

“Cum for me, pretty. You did so well,” he praised as he rubbed your clit.

The nickname and intensity of your orgasm did a number on you.

You felt lightheaded as he kissed you breathlessly before reaching into his pocket to pull out a condom.

‘Thank God, he got the message. One last time.’ you thought. It felt too intimate to let him fuck you raw.

Your fingers made light work of discarding his belt and jeans so you could pull his boxers down teasingly slowly.

“Baby, please..” he whined.

You slid off the counter and onto your knees, immediately taking him into your mouth.

Your muscles moved like clockwork, memory working overtime as you pushed his buttons the way he always loved.

“Not yet..” he whimpered.

He pulled your head off his dick and helped you stand up then bent you over the counter.

You watched in the mirror as he rolled the condom on and then rubbed his length on the slick of your release.

“Heeseung,” you whined as he nudged your clit with his tip.

“All in one?” he asked you.

You nodded.

He sheathed himself into you in one go.

Feeling as though you could cum then and there, you slumped onto the surface in front of you.

Heeseung grabbed your hair and forced you to watch him in the mirror.

Once you made eye contact, you became fully aware of the situation you were in.

You cried out as he slapped your ass before slamming into you from behind.

The moans leaving your lips and whines leaving his would be heard by everyone if the music wasn’t so loud.

He knew exactly what to do and you didn’t even have to tell him what pace to go at, he remembered.

“Hee! Right there.” you cried out. “R- Right there.”

“I’m so close.” he cried. “Shit..”

“Me too.” you held your hand out.

Heeseung grabbed your outstretched hand as you came together.

Silence overcame you both as he threw the condom into the bin and helped clean you up.

He tried to kiss you again.

You looked away.

It was clear that he had just cried but so had you.

The tension and emotion you had for each other was too strong.

“I’m sorry.” he croaked out. “I’m so sorry.”

Your arms pulled him into your embrace.

“It’s okay.”

He pulled back slightly and kissed you again.

This time it was light and if you weren’t paying attention, it would’ve felt as though he was never there.

You wiped his tears away before your own.

“Do you ever think about what life would be like for us, if things were different..?” he asked.

Someone burst into the room.

“You bitch!” Yunjin shouted at you.

It wasn’t hard to assume that you’d just had sex with the smell lingering in the room and the mirror fogged up.

“Huh?” you looked at Heeseung to explain.

“Wait, Yn- ”

You laughed in pain.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

You’d just helped him do what broke your heart in the first place.

Instead of sadness or anger you just felt done.

“We were just talking.” you lied.

You weren’t covering for him. You knew that he needed the closure as much as you did but ultimately you were trying to save your own skin.

Yunjin looked furious.

“You can have him.” she seethed. “I should’ve known that he’d never get over you. But I didn’t think that you’d try to get at him.”

“Girl, take him. He’s yours.” you put your hands up, signalling that you were finished with whatever was going on. “I had him in the first place, I don’t want him anymore.”

You felt bad talking about Heeseung like he was an object while he was right in front of you but you pushed that aside.

“No-!” she frowned.

“I don’t want him anyway,” you turned to leave. “Girl take him.”

Yunjin didn’t even try to fight it.

She seemed shocked that you’d given up so easily.

“Heeseung,” you started. “To answer your question, I did. But I learned not to expect much from you.”

Heeseung Lee wasn’t dead, but you no longer cared enough to wish he was.

THE END.

[kryannoy]

it slipped out, i'm sorry . . .

genre: fluff

character: xiangli yao

a/n: another fic about him because i am so in love with this man. i am fully aware he is sadly a fictional character 😀

Oh, how you love your boyfriend so much.

He has never raised his voice at you, never raised his hand at you, never even complained about you. He is just so . . . him! So perfect. The man any girl or woman would dreamt of. The man anyone wants as their partner because he treats you like royalty.

So, how? How does one get him to be your lover? And that person in question is you. How did you even hit the jackpot has always been a question you can never answer yourself. It has remained a mystery for as long as you can remember.

There has been a lot of time you look at him, stare at him, observe him and pinch him and yourself to see if this is real or not. And when you pinched him, guess what? He didn't get mad at you.

He flinched from the pain and immediately turned to you to see you pinching yourself as well. He raised his eyebrow and questioned you.

"Wha . . . What was that for?" His voice is gentle as the breeze, full of confusion yet patience.

"I don't think this is real. Yao, my love, can you pinch me so I know this isn't a dream?" You answered.

He chuckles at this. He doesn't need anyone else to keep him entertained after being buried in his research. You were enough. "No, princess. I don't want to hurt you."

You pout at him while playfully crossed your arms. "You saying that isn't helping, y'know?"

The look on his face isn't really worth seeing. You quite regret this action. Somehow, he seems to believe you. Or more likely, ready to apologize for saying something wrong—when clearly he wasn't.

"What is this all about? Is something troubling you? You can just tell me and I will help to the best of my ability."

He did it again! is what you want to say but you don't want to further upset your boyfriend. After all, why would you do that when he never does the same? He doesn't deserve it.

"It's just, I can't believe I have someone like you. No, wait. That sounded wrong. I meant, like, you're so perfect, how did I end up with you? And why did you choose me when there are other girls who are more fitting to be with you. You're so nice and I feel like I haven't done enough."

His heart bloomed. He feels suffocated but in a good way. An amazingly, romantically good way. He never gave a thought that you felt this way. He always thought that you were just as happy as him to be together.

He moves towards you and cups your face in his large hands. His prosthetic hand feels cold on your left cheek but somehow, you still feel the warmth resonating from his touch.

"My beautiful, lovely, sweet, gorgeous queen." He pecks your lips and even from that short kiss makes both of your skin hot, but still, he wasn't going to shy away now. "You are also perfect as is. So, we are perfect for each other. And I don't need anyone else. Got it?"

Oh, his eyes are shining. His smile is beaming. His touch is welcoming. But his distance is killing. He's so close!

At times like these are when you feel so shy around him no matter how many times you both have hugged, cuddled, kissed and such. You still feel butterflies in your stomach like having a school crush. You wonder if he feels the same way.

"And in another few years, we will be married, live together and have ki—"

He stops abruptly before he gets ahead of himself. Well, it's already slipped out anyways.

How else were you going to respond to that?! He just proves himself to be dreamier than before.

"Xiangli Yao . . ." You breath.

He notices you're so stiff and tense, not to mention, how red your face is right now. He better take a step back before you faint.

The proximity is now enough for you to take a breather. He scratches his cheek with his metal finger, looking flustered as you are. He must have felt the same way—the butterflies in his tummy, the blinking eyes, the awkward gesture.

He lightly clears his throat. "M—My apologies, I . . . uh, got ahead of myself. Forget what I said. I wasn't really thinking straight and it slipped out before I knew it."

It makes you much happier now after hearing his words and seeing you're not the only one who can get embarrassed. You're fully aware your boyfriend loves to make plans, even plans for next year, but you didn't know he made plans to be fully committed to you!

How'd you land a guy like him will always be the question.

You couldn't hide your smile anymore as you flung yourself into his arms as if he just put a ring on your finger. "I'll just say it now; I do!"

Xiangli Yao is so glad you couldn't see his face because if he does, he'll most likely malfunction like his robot one time. "I think you need to pinch me, princess. I feel like I'm dreaming."

[hairmetal666]

Read Part One here

cw: implied child abuse

Eddie's coming over for coffee. Not Eddie with Nancy and Robin or Eddie with the kids. Just Eddie.

They haven't been alone in 9 years and now Eddie is coming over for coffee.

They're friends, of course. After Vecna they didn't have much of a choice, but they've never talked about it--that they used to be something.

After Steve kissed Eddie goodbye for what turned out to be the last time, they didn't see each other again for months and months, except for a devastatingly fleeting moment in the Family Video parking lot. And the next time after that, Eddie's pinning him to the wall of a rickety boathouse, a broken bottle to his throat.

What's going through his mind, his body, at that moment is relief. For days, weeks, months, he ached for Eddie's touch again, and even though he was in danger, he relished in the push of their bodies together. Thought, if this is how he dies, he won't mind going.

But they don't talk about it, about them, because Eddie is on the run and Max is going to die, and they have to save the world, so there's no time. In the aftermath, it's the least of their worries, and now it's been almost a decade and Eddie is coming over for coffee.

The thing is, it's not like Steve has been pining away for a love long lost in the intervening years, and neither has Eddie. They've both had longterm, serious relationships; Steve almost got married. But for Steve...Eddie is the one that's lingered, the one that knocks around his ribcage on late sleepless nights, the one that makes him dream of what might have been. Because Steve truly loved his other partners, but Eddie--nobody will ever compare.

Someone is knocking a rhythm at his front door, and he can't stifle his smile even as his heart runs riot in his chest.

"Hey, man," he says, remarkably nonchalant as he takes Eddie in. Still beautiful, still brimming with energy; his smile wide and dimpled, bouncing on his toes.

"Harrington!" Eddie grabs him into a quick side hug, slapping his back. "Since when do you wear glasses?"

Steve chuckles, touching the horn-rimmed frames. "Oh, god, Robin forced me to get them back in '87? Too many concussions." He touches his forehead. "I usually just wear contacts."

"It's a good look," Eddie says. He's very much not looking at Steve, eyes roaming around the Chicago apartment he's been to many times before.

He watches as Eddie spots the display of his own books, index finger slowly slipping across the spines in a way that makes Steve remember when those same fingers would slide down his spine. He stifles a shiver, turns towards the kitchen.

"So, how's New York? How's the book coming?"

"Livin' the dream." It's not flippant, not like how most people mean it. Eddie leaks genuineness, always has. "The book though...it's a little rough."

Steve sets the coffee maker going, brings fresh pastries and a couple plates over to the table. "I can imagine. It doesn't--it doesn't have to be the same, you know?"

"Yeah, if only I hadn't written three other books leading up to the evil mind wizard," Eddie chuckles. He grabs a croissant and tears it in half. "It'll be alright, Harrington. I'll figure it out. I lived through it the first time, after all."

Steve doesn't remind him that he almost didn't, that they almost didn't. Instead, he pours coffee, listens as Eddie talks about how to fictionalize the worst month of their collective lives.

He splashes milk into Eddie's coffee, taps in three scoops of sugar. He carries it to where Eddie waits, still talking about the logistics of Vecna-slash-Henry-slash-One in his novel, but his words abruptly stop as his hands wrap around the porcelain.

"Steve?"

It's only then that Steve realizes what he's done--made Eddie's coffee like he took it back then, made it without thinking, totally on muscle memory, when the best of his mornings were spent in Eddie's arms.

His cheeks glow crimson and he grips at the back of his neck. "S-sorry." He says. "It--is this still how you take it?"

"Yeah." Eddie's eyes fall from Steve's face, his own cheeks pink. "It's--yeah. Still the same."

"I'm sorry--"

"--Steve, I--"

They don't laugh. They both stop speaking and look at each other, faces still red. Steve thinks there's nothing for it but to get it all out now.

"I'm sorry, Eddie." He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry I never came back. I'm sorry I didn't explain why. I'm just--really, really sorry."

Eddie's eyes are hooked on the table top, fingers twisting and twisting his coffee mug. "Can I--why? I waited and you--why?"

Steve swallows, but it gets stuck in his throat, and now he's the one who can't look up from his hands.

"My parents got home early," he manages. "My dad, he was waiting for me. I guess one of the neighbors thought it best to tell them who I'd been spending my time with."

Silence falls over the table, and he chances a look up at the man across from him, the one whose knuckles bite into his lips, whose eyes shine with unshed tears.

"You should've called me. You should've--you could've stayed with us. We would've kept you safe."

"Eddie, I couldn't. I physically couldn't," the admission costs him so much.

"Steve," Eddie chokes on his name, voice nothing but anguish. "Did anyone--You could've--you were all alone."

He shakes his head. "Robin knew. She snuck through my window to take care of me, but my parents--I couldn't--" This time the words really won't come. "We made a plan. We started that job at Family Video, and we saved up our money."

Now, Eddie's face is creased with grief. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry."

Steve shakes his head, smiles despite the wreckage around his heart. "You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. I left you with no explanation. I broke your heart. And--and--" He thinks, what does it hurt to say it at this point. "I love you. I love you so much. I convinced myself you were better off without me, that we could have a clean break and you could get over me."

Eddie's hands cover his face, muffle the sob that slips out. "Get over you?" He whispers. "There's never been one like you, sweetheart."

He slides around the table to kneel at Eddie's side. "Hey." Deep brown eyes stare back at him, Eddie's face wet with tears. "It's always you, Ed. Always. I didn't want to say anything, if you had moved on, but--"

There's not really any transition from them talking to them kissing; Steve slips into it like he did all those years ago, when he first asked for Eddie's kiss. Their mouths slot together, their bodies fit like they always used to, perfect puzzle pieces. Steve's knees give out at the first brush of Eddie's tongue, and they collapse into a heap on the kitchen floor. Even then, they don't part.

Eventually, Steve does break the embrace, face flushed and hair a disaster, glasses hanging off one ear. "Okay, trying to be responsible here. Should we take a pause, go on a date first? Slow down?"

"Nine years isn't slow enough?" Eddie's pupils are blown, hair frizzed around his head.

"When you put it that way," Steve can't help but laugh. "I just want to do right by you, Eddie. Make up for--everything."

Eddie grins down at him, that sunshine beam smile where his dimples pop. "Tell you what, how bout you take me to bed now, and I'll let you take me on a date tomorrow?"

"Oh, you'll let me?" Steve rakes a hand through Eddie's mane of hair. "I don't think you'll have any choice."

"You sure about that, Stevie?" Their lips are so close, the brush with every word.

"Uh-huh," Steve's having trouble keeping his eyes focused, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Eddie Munson. "Never letting you go again, Ed."

Surprise! Part 2! I genuinely had no intention on doing a follow-up, but so many of you asked so nicely that it gave me this idea. Sorry if I miss anyone in the tag list and thank you for reading! @everywherenothere @tiny-enthusiast @emma-elsa-0000 @fuzzyduxk @moonythepluviophile @anaibis @rhapsodyinalto @bunk12bear @tillystealeaves @velocitytimes2 @s-trawberryv-eins @marklee-blackmore @ignoremyworld @its-a-me-a-morgan @goodolefashionedloverboi @starman-jpg @djohawke @adaydreamaway08

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Hi, hope you're alright. I came up with a story idea: the reader is married to Gasly's/Daniel's close friend but their marriage is hanging by a thread. The driver invites her to a few races so she can change the environment, they spend some time together and unexpectedly become lovers. And maybe later her husband is trying to fix their marriage but she and the driver can't stop thinking about each other

His Best Man || DR3

A/N: I took some creative liberties with the plot but I think it does this request justice 💕 ps: never condone cheating, it's horrible and this is purely fictional

Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, alcohol, cheating, smut WC: 7.6k F1 Masterlist || One || Two || Daniel’s Reaction

Dinner with James was a quiet affair, though it shouldn’t have been a surprise. Why would your anniversary be any different when his indifference was the only constant at this point?

You watched as he smiled at his phone, something you hadn’t been able to elicit from him in months, before he locked the device and placed it facedown on the table. The sigh that wanted to exhale from your flared nostrils barely remained silent as you focused on shifting the food around your plate, your appetite gone like the connection to your husband. 

“Daniel sent us some passes to the race in Melbourne next month. I thought we could go, make a little holiday out of it?” 

There was no excitement in your tone, it was more a question borne out of politeness because he would have seen the paddock passes sitting on the kitchen side if he ever looked away from his phone. The blasted device vibrated again and his fork clattered on his plate in his rush to read the incoming message. 

“Well?” you asked as his thumbs flew across his screen. 

“Can’t. Work project is going to keep me busy until the deadline,” he answered without looking up. “Take one of your friends, have a girls trip.”

Friends…those people you never saw anymore because James hadn’t liked them, though he never outright said it, those friends who had warned you that you were marrying a narcissist. 

“It’s our anniversary,” you reminded him. “You know, falls on the same day each year.”

“Mhmm, yeah,” he nodded, clearly not listening. “Sounds good.”

You propped your elbow onto the glass tabletop and dropped your chin onto your palm as a familiar burn of resentment simmered in your soul. “The mailman gave me a pearl necklace.”

“That’s nice. Put it on my credit card.” He reached into his back pocket and tossed his wallet across the table, narrowly missing the glass of rosé. 

You opened it and saw the polaroid from your wedding day no longer sat in the clear card slot but was stuffed behind his drivers licence. You shouldn’t have felt hurt after months of being ignored but the pain still surprised you, almost as much as the condom that you found with his cash. He hadn’t bought a box of condoms in at least three years, not since the wedding when you started trying for a baby - something that was probably best that it didn't happen.

“He must eat a lot of pineapples because it tasted delicious,” you murmured as you took his cash and the platinum credit card too.

James nodded and pushed his empty plate away. “Yeah, tasted good, thanks. Need to finish this project.” He rose from the table with his phone and started to make his way down the hall to his office. “Don’t wait up.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” You had a trip to plan. 

You weren’t going to have a girls weekend but you were going to Melbourne. He may have been James’ friend first, but no one had the ability to turn a bad day (or year) around like Daniel could. 

When you arrived in Perth you hadn’t expected Danny to be the one personally waiting at the airport. It was impossible to miss him with the amount of people that surrounded him, asking for pictures and autographs before he spotted you stepping out of customs. 

You didn’t need to read lips to see him apologising to everyone as he made his way towards you, holding up a large welcome sign for ‘Roo’. You rolled your eyes at the nickname he had given you after one drunken night that ended with you tangled in a hammock, your head poking out of the material like a joey in a kangaroo pouch. You were only grateful he hadn’t nicknamed you Joey since the name had stuck over the years.

Your greeting turned to a peal of laughter as he dropped the sign and swept you into a hug that lifted your feet off the ground to spin you around. 

“I’ve missed you, you beaut!” Danny’s smile was contagious and even when your feet were securely back on the ground he still kept his arms around you. “A shame James can’t come, but we can totally make his jealous as fuck for ditching us. One week, you, me, road trip to Melbourne.”

Day One - Perth to Kalgoorlie “I hope you know where we are going.”

Daniel laughed and just winked from the driver's seat of his Ford Ranger. It had been three hours of driving on the highway and you had not passed one town in the dusty landscape. 

“It’s not far, just down the road a little more,” Danny said for the third time. “We still have half a tank of gas and a crate of Vitamin B, we’ll be fine if we need to camp.”

You quirked an eyebrow up as you looked in the backseat and saw the green box of Victoria Bitter beer strapped with a seatbelt.

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to camp anywhere,” you scoffed, tucking your knee up as the song changed to another country song from his endless playlist. “Spiders, snakes, dingoes, and your snoring. I think not.”

Daniel laughed and indicated to pull off the road despite there not being another soul within what felt like hundreds of kilometres. 

“I’m sorry I said you snore, please don’t leave me here.”

His laugh only intensified as he turned the engine off and turned to face you. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Roo.”

“Then why have you stopped?” You tested the window but it had powered off with the engine. “It’s a freaking sauna in here.”

“Because you haven’t been yourself all day and there’s no cell reception out here so there’s nothing to distract you.” He took the useless device from your hand and tossed it in the glove compartment. “What’s going on with you and James?”

“Nothing,” you muttered as his brown eyes narrowed. “Seriously, there’s nothing going on with him. We hardly speak anymore and he sleeps in his office when he’s not out of town on another ‘business trip’. It’s just���nothing.”

Daniel’s brows pinched together in confusion as he sucked a lungful of air through his teeth. “But…what the hell happened?”

“I don’t know,” you exclaimed as you threw your hands in the air, just as clueless. “What do you want me to say? That he’s having an affair, or that one day he just stopped caring, or both?”

You turned away as it wasn’t a bead of sweat that rolled down your cheek when you sighed in defeat. Unable to withstand the heat without the air conditioner, you tugged the door handle and checked the dirt for any unwanted animals before jumping down from the running boards. 

Daniel was already getting out his side and circling the bullbars before you could wipe the tears away but the sob you had tried to suppress clawed its way out when he pulled you against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he murmured softly as he rubbed your back and let your tears soak into his shirt. “He can be a bit of a cunt, but I never thought he could do that to you.”

“He did and it’s done,” you admitted with a raspy voice that was still strained from the emotion choking each word. “I moved my stuff out last week, not that he even noticed. I thought I could have a break to get away from it all and deal with a divorce when I get back.”

“That fucking idiot,” Daniel said as he pulled his shirt up to wipe your tears away. “He just lost the best thing in the world and he doesn’t even know it.”

Day Two - Kalgoorlie to Caiguna It was another long day of driving but after the broken sleep spent tossing and turning you weren’t much of a companion. You had eventually drifted off to sleep to the country music that Daniel loved so much and dreamt of crawling through fields of watermelons but the paddock soon turned to mud and you sank under the suffocating weight with it filling your lungs. 

“Hey, it’s alright, you’re alright,” Danny soothed as you startled awake, his quick reflexes throwing his arm out to catch you from hitting the window. You could still feel the filthy fluid on your skin and shivered as you changed the song over and took a shuddering breath. “Bad dream?”

You rolled your shoulders and twisted your stiff neck, groaning at the crick that had come from using the seatbelt as a pillow. “Just weird.”

His eyes darted away from the endless road ahead and saw you trying to massage your neck before he brushed your hand aside. There certainly were perks to his strength training because his fingers were a godsend as they erased the knots that had formed.

“Hmmm, thank you,” you sighed deeply and his lips tipped up at the sound.

“Anytime. Hope you got the rest you needed, there’s a stop ahead and these guys know how to throw down.”

You narrowed your eyes at the horizon that was blurred by heatwaves and tried to see what lay beyond but gave up after a few seconds. “Throw down what?”

“Huh?”

“What are they throwing down?”

“Throw down,” he said slowly as if it would somehow make you understand but you were still confused. “Party, drink, dance. Throw down.”

“Oh, throw down, why didn’t you just say that?”

He laughed at your sarcasm and squeezed your knee. “You could definitely do with a drink or two and loosen up. Then I can get my old Roo back.”

“As long as I’m not expected to sleep in a hammock again.”

The motel was a little rough and run down but it had four walls and the bathroom was clean enough to last one night. Daniel had barely given you enough time to get changed into fresh clothes before he was knocking on your door ready to escort you next door to the bar. Coincidentally, the bar was also the restaurant, service station and grocery store all rolled into one.

You and Danny were by far the youngest people in the place but it didn’t stop the warm welcome from everyone. If any of the patrons knew who he was they hid it well because they treated him just like any other stranger passing through.

“Where ya from?”

“Where ya headed?”

“Watch out for ol’ Deloris, she’ll try take a bite out of ya.”

The questions came in quick succession and you looked around the room trying to figure out which of the ladies was Deloris only to find the name on a plaque beneath a huge crocodile head suspended from the rafters.

“Fuck me,” you gasped as you took a step back, bumping into Danny as he laughed along with the bartender.

“Gets ‘em every time,” he chuckled as he placed two large bottles of beer onto the well worn bartop. “Looks like ya sheila could use something a little stronger.”

Daniel’s large hands landed on your shoulders and started to massage the tense muscles. “There’s no crocs ‘round here, isn’t enough water,” he whispered to calm your nerves. “Deloris was probably a pet.”

“Who in their right mind would keep that as a pet?”

“Probably someone not in their right mind.” His warm laugh tickled your ear before he turned you back to the bartender to grab your drink. “Cheers.”

Daniel found a small table in the surprisingly busy restaurant space and it appeared as if most of the locals were keeping the economy running in the place. It was strange to think that the faded walls decorated with old photographs of the glory days gone by felt more homely than the one you had built with James.

You could easily see yourself placing a coin on the pool table to save your place in the queue or ordering the fresh market fish off the menu without questioning how it was fresh so far from the sea. You could see yourself walking in to see the same faces at the end of a long week and the barman would listen to your complaints as he poured your usual without needing to be asked.

You took a generous gulp of beer that Daniel swore was ‘the good stuff’ and hummed at the hoppy flavour as it quenched the thirst that hadn’t stopped since you stepped foot in the country. It was no wonder why they liked their beers so much, they needed whatever they could to cool their bodies down.

“I like this place,” you said with a smile that Danny returned with pride.

“Thought you might, and tomorrow’ll be even better.”

“Where are we going tomorrow?”

Daniel shook his head and occupied his lips with the bottle so he could keep you in the dark a little longer. You didn’t mind this type of surprise, knowing he wanted to make you smile and was planning everything could to make that happen on the road trip.

The doldrum tune that was playing from the corner of the bar was interrupted as a coin was slotted into the jukebox and Josh Turner’s Your Man came on the machine. Couples around the bar and restaurant left their belongings and made their way to the dance floor. Where you came from no one would do that, and if they did their belongings wouldn’t be there when they returned.

Beneath the table you could feel Daniel’s foot tapping in time to the beat and his fingers drummed on the long neck he lifted to his lips. He caught the longing in your eyes as you watched a grey haired man holding his wife, slowly swaying together like you had imagined you would with James in 40 years.

“Come on, Roo,” he invited as he pushed his chair back and held out his hand. His palm was cold and damp from the beer bottle but it was refreshing on your skin with the heat that still lingered with the setting sun. Leading you to the edge of the dance floor he pulled you close and curled an arm around your waist as he started to sing along. “I've been thinking 'bout this all day long, never felt a feeling quite this strong, I can't believe how much it turns me on, just to be your man. I know you know the words, don’t be shy.”

It was impossible to feel embarrassed with him, even if you butchered the song he would still smile like he was listening to his favourite artist live. So, you placed your hand in his and the other rested on his shoulder as you started to sway and sing along.

“There's no hurry, don't you worry, we can take our time. Come a little closer, let's go over, what I had in mind.”

Daniel let go of you and your head fell back with a laugh as he spun you away and pulled you back. You could only giggle as you returned out of step and ended with your back to his chest instead of face to face but he adapted quickly and held your waist instead.

“Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low,” his voice was deep and rich in your ear, intimate and full of promise that hit you unexpectedly. “And put some music on that's soft and slow. Baby we ain't got no place to go, I hope you understand.”

You were glad you weren’t facing him as his words affected you in a way you couldn’t remember feeling for over a year. The very air seemed to thicken in your lungs as you felt every inch of his body fitting against yours. You could feel the veins on his hands as you laced your fingers with his and guided them down to your hips.

This was the first time the lines had blurred throughout the years of friendship and you allowed yourself to feel wanted, if only for a song.

Day Three - Caiguna to Yalata The pounding in your head turned out to be banging on your door and you somehow found the strength to answer it. Bright sunlight flooded in through the crack and you groaned as you covered your eyes.

“Good morning sunshine,” Daniel greeted brightly as he stepped inside. “It’s 7am on another stunning day here in Straya.” 

You playfully shoved Danny and he rolled with it to splay across your bed, the blankets still tucked in from collapsing atop them last night. 

“7am is too early,” you complained as you climbed into the small space he left on the twin sized bed, curling onto your side and throwing your arm over your face to block out the light. “Let me sleep.”

“You can sleep in the car.” His fingers danced teasingly over your ribs and you jutted your elbow back into his hard abs before he could properly tickle you. “Ouch, you’re not very nice in the morning.”

“This isn’t morning, this is still night,” you grumbled as his arm draped over your waist instead.

“The sun is up.”

“Tell that to the people of Norway. It can be sunny at midnight there.”

You could feel him silently laughing at you as it shook the bed. “But we aren’t in Norway.”

“Shh,” you murmured as you snuggled closer to him. “Let me go back to sleep.”

“Fine,” he conceded, making some adjustments to the pillow before shoving his arm under your head, “but just because I’m comfortable now.”

The hangover was gone by the time you woke naturally and you felt refreshed as you stretched lazily. Rolling over in Daniel’s arms you found his eyes closed and his lips parted slightly with soft snores. You raised your head a little to see the alarm clock that was probably considered vintage in the 80’s and saw it was well past check out time. Luckily it didn't appear that the No Vacancy sign was ever used, so there was no rush to leave.

The small movement was enough to wake him and your stomach clenched at the smile that brightened your day more than the blistering sun outside when his honey brown eyes opened. 

“I can’t believe this,” you tutted as you let him pull you closer against his chest. “I was ready to go at 7 and you just went back to sleep…so lazy.”

“How rude of me,” he chuckled. “I’m sure I can find a way to make it up to you.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Woah,” you whispered breathlessly as the truck bounced to a stop on the hard sand of the tidal line. “It’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t it just,” Daniel grinned as he opened his door and looked across at you. “Coming in?”

You bit your lip as your eyes feasted on the picturesque scene. Big barrel waves crashing out in the bay and white sand welcoming bare feet on the shore, it was a sight pretty enough to make angels cry. Hopping out, you rounded the four wheel drive ute and sat on the metal bar running across the front, distracted by the breathtaking view. “What about sharks?”

Daniel’s door shut and you turned to the sound in time to see him pulling his singlet over his head and tossing it through the backseat window before unbuckling his belt and shoving his jeans off too. It was impossible not to stare at the hard planes of his chest or the definition of his abs, and then the thick thighs that were barely covered by his boxers. 

“The chances of a shark attack are less than…” His words trailed off as he looked up and caught you blatantly staring, his teeth sparkling as a big smile grew on his face. “The view is spectacular, am I right or am I right?”

“You or the beach?”

“Spectacular is pretty high in the standards of compliments,” he said as he started to flex his arms, “but if you think I’m spectacular then I would accept that.”

You closed your eyes from the harsh sunlight and tipped your head back to feel the rays on your cheeks as you laughed. “You’ve never had to worry about your ego, have you?”

He sent you a playful pout as he walked towards you, his thongs flicking up golden sand behind him with each step. “It would take a hit if you didn’t come swim with me.”

You hadn’t realised quite how many types of heat there was until that moment. There was the heat of the bonnet from hours of driving beneath you, the heat of the sun in the sky above and the heat of his hands that landed on your knees. It was the heat of his hands that seeped into your blood and spread throughout your body, increasing to boiling point as they slowly ran up your thighs.

Your knees unconsciously parted for him and he stepped into the space so you were eye to eye and his tongue rolled across his bottom lip. “There’s nets out past the reef, you’ll be safe with me.”

You took a sharp intake of air as his fingers caught the hem of your shirt and his knuckles grazed your skin. “Well?” he asked quietly. “Trust me?”

You swallowed deeply as you nodded and he rewarded you with another of those smiles you had come to love before he lifted your shirt up and left it on the hood of the truck so he could grab you around the waist and haul you over his shoulder.

“Daniel!” you yelped as the world was suddenly upside down and he kicked his thongs off before jogging towards the water. “Don’t you dare dunk me.”

You expected the next sudden shift when the water reached his knees but as quick as he tossed you up off his shoulder he caught you again with a booming laugh. His arms were bound around your thighs and your hands planted on his shoulders as you looked down at his amused face. 

“I wouldn’t dare,” he promised as he eased his grip, your body sliding down his until you were once more eye to eye. “I just want to make you smile.”

Day Four - Yalata to Port Lincoln  As much as you had found yourself enjoying the historical rich motels in the outback, you were just as happy to find the accommodation in Port Lincoln was a five star resort on the waterfront. The sun was just starting to set when you arrived at the hotel and checked into the two bedroom suite with a gorgeous view of the harbour. 

“I never knew driving could be so exhausting,” you said as you dropped into the swing chair on the large balcony. 

“Don’t worry, tomorrow’s a rest day so you can recover from all that driving you didn’t even do,” Daniel pointed out with a smirk, taking the spot beside you and taking over the leg exercise of swinging it back and forth. “We can do whatever you want, just can’t miss the boat to Adelaide tomorrow night.”

It was nice spending so much time alone with Daniel on the road, comfortable conversations rolling like the tires on the highway, but a change of pace would be welcomed. “What is there to do?”

“Hmm,” he frowned and stood up. “Let me go see.”

Daniel disappeared out of the room and returned a few minutes later with a stack of brochures that he had taken from the tourist stands in reception and you met him on the couch inside where the pleasant offshore wind couldn’t whip them away. Together you flicked through them, separating them into three piles of yes, no and maybe. 

“Sure you don’t wanna cage dive?” he teased as you threw that particular brochure across the room. “You could get up close and personal with a Great White. Once in a lifetime opportunity right there.”

You snorted and shook your head. “Once in a lifetime because it would kill me. Not happening.”

“Here, that’s a yes for you.” 

You took the advert for a farm park where you could hand feed the animals and added it to the yes pile. “Maybe next year we can go to your farm…unless James gets you in the divorce.” Your lips turned down at the idea and you realised you had hardly thought of your husband, but now that you had he had disturbed your peace even though he was thousands of miles away.

Daniel reached over the coffee table to the stationary set, grabbing a hotel engraved pen before pulling his shoe off. “It’s just like Toy Story,” he said as he waved the pen in your face. “Put your name on me first.”

You managed a small laugh as you took the pen and clicked the nib out. “Should tattoo it so it doesn’t wash off.”

Daniel squirmed on the couch as the pen tickled his foot and you grabbed his ankle so he couldn’t move too much but he started to giggle uncontrollably as the nib ran over his instep. “How long does it take to write Roo?”

You laughed and kept going before he wretched his foot free and crossed his leg over his knee to see your full first and last name on it - maiden name, not married.

“For legal purposes,” you said as you clicked the pen nib away and tossed it on the table.

“Fair enough.” He grinned at the writing everytime he looked at his crossed leg and draped his arm over the back of the cushion as you returned to the seat. “You can come by the farm anytime, don’t have to wait for next year.”

“Except for shearing season,” you smirked as you remembered that mistake where you were roped into helping the jackaroos round the sheep up and shave them. “I have no interest in losing all feeling in my arms again.”

“Earned that beer though,” he said with a chuckle as he started to massage your neck. “I was so proud, you weren’t afraid to get stuck in and help. I kinda thought you were a bit of a princess ‘til then.”

Your nose crinkled at the endearment James used to call you. “Well I’m glad I got rid of that image. But, out of curiosity, what do you think I am now?”

The smile could only be described as devilish as his hand spread across your nape and guided you closer to him. His eyes held you captivated and his lips parted with his answer but it was silenced by the sound of ringtone breaking the tension and like a puppet whose strings were cut he fell back into his seat. The emotion in his eyes was erased with a blink and you reached blindly for your phone, answering the call without needing to see who it was from.

“Hey, isn’t it like midnight?” you asked as you lifted the device to your ear but there was no answer at the other end. “Hello? James?”

“Fuck, yeah, just like that baby. God, Laura, you’re so perfect.” The phone slipped from your grasp as you heard the muted but unmistakable sound of James’ voice.

Daniel frowned as he picked the phone up from your lap and lifted it to his ear, shock registering before it transformed into anger and he hung up the phone without breaking the screen with the force of it. He discarded the phone and pulled you into his lap in the same instance but you didn’t hear what he said as you buried your face in his neck and grappled onto him for dear life.

Day Five - Port Lincoln to Adelaide You didn’t feel like doing anything other than staying in bed and sleeping the day away but Daniel wouldn’t let you waste another minute of your time because of James. In a way you could understand the logic and as a big ‘fuck you’ to him you were going to get your shit together and go and have fun.

Daniel worked even harder to get a smile or a laugh out of you and kept his camera on hand to capture the moments he succeeded. The animal farm did make you feel a little better and holding a joey as you bottle fed it was finally enough to break through the invasive cloud that had hung over you. 

“Roo and Roo Two,” Danny commented as he moved around taking a million shots of you.

“Need a hand?” a passing couple offered after watching Daniel try and extend his arm enough to get in the shot too.

“That’d be a dream,” Daniel nodded and he handed his camera over before sitting down beside you and curling his arm around your waist. The joey was almost asleep from drinking all of the milk and Daniel grinned at you as he stroked its neck. “Looks like you when you sleep.”

You grinned back, forgetting about the camera. “Cute, right?”

“Yup, that’s, uh, exactly what I was thinking.” He cleared his throat and scratched his neck awkwardly before laughing when your elbow connected with his ribs. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You’re a cutie-tootie when you sleep…it’s another story when you’re awake.”

His laugh was loud enough to wake the joey when you nudged him again with an offended look. “What? You’re beautiful when you’re awake.”

“That’s totally what you meant,” you said sarcastically before rolling your eyes. “Just look at the camera and smile like a normal person.”

He tipped his head to yours and smiled brightly for the camera, but he couldn’t resist whispering, “Bold of you to assume I know how to be normal.”

Day Six - Adelaide to Portland It took a moment to recollect the events from the night before and it wasn’t because of the many wine tastings you had gone to around the Port Lincoln area. Perhaps that had a little bit to do with it, but mostly it was because you had fallen asleep in the truck to the gentle rocking motion of the ferry but now you were tucked into an unfamiliar bed. 

“Danny?” you called out as you tossed the covers back and found you were still in yesterday's clothes. You could hear some sounds outside of the room but Daniel hadn't answered your call so you picked up the coat rack from the corner and quickly opened the door.

“Jesus Christ.” Daniel jumped back as you waved the long pole his way. “What the fuck?”

You sagged in the doorway and dropped the makeshift weapon to clutch your chest. “You gave me a fright.”

“I gave you a fright?” he asked incredulously. “You gave me a fucking heart attack. What were you going to do with this?” He swiped the coat rack off the floor and couldn’t stop himself from laughing at it. “Please don’t give me a concussion before the race.”

“But any other time is good?” you quipped as your lips tipped up now that your heart rate was returning to normal. “How did I get to bed?”

He flexed his arms with a cocky grin. “I tried to wake you up but you were dead to the world. And now that sleeping beauty is awake, how about we go out for breakfast? There’s meant to be a huge market that sells a bit of everything that we could check out after.”

You held a finger up as you looked down at your clothes and heard your stomach rumble, answering the question of whether to shower or not first. “Just give me one minute to change.”

Daniel had obviously been awake for a while being an early bird so he was ready and waiting at the door when you reappeared, his hand held out and waiting for yours. The lines between friendship and more were getting blurrier each day but it no longer felt wrong as you laced your fingers with his and stepped outside.

“Are you limping?” you asked with a frown as he kept his weight on one side the entire walk to the market.

“No, just got pins and needles in my foot.”

An hour later he was still favouring his right foot so you steered him back towards the hotel so he didn’t make it worse before you got to Melbourne. “You should probably see a doctor.”

Daniel dropped onto the couch and stole the remote to choose a movie, patting the space beside him so he could kiss your temple after joining him. “You worry too much, I’ll be fine.”

“You’re quiet,” Daniel commented as he turned off the tv. “What’s got you thinking so loud?”

You chewed your bottom lip as he called you out. He was too observant, or you were too easy to read. “It’s our last night together.”

“You’re still going to stay with me for the weekend, right?” He shifted in his seat to face you and stroked your cheek with the back of his hand as he waited for an answer.

You nodded and he relaxed a little only to freeze as you spoke, “But you’ll be busy, we don’t have time to hang out.”

“I’ll always make time for you,” he promised as he pulled you into his lap. “This week with you has been…spectacular.”

“Spectacular is pretty high in the standards of compliments,” you reminded him, much to his amusement.

His smile softened as his fingers trailed along your jaw and down your neck to trace your collarbone. “Which is why it’s reserved for very, very good things.” 

You were almost certain he could hear your heart racing like thunderous hoof beats in a quiet desert. The blood was pumping around your body carrying the oxygen you needed to replace but couldn’t seem to draw the air into your lungs as he leaned forward.

“You were his best man,” you whispered with the last of your breath as you felt the heat of his lips so close to yours.

“But I’ve always been the best man for you.”

The first kiss was softer than the wind, tentative and testing as you learned how your body responded to the caress before hunger yearned for something deeper. A deep moan rumbled from Daniel’s chest as your tongue rolled across his lips that parted for you and his arms encircled you to hold you tight, as if he were clinging to the spell so it couldn’t be broken.

“Please, Danny,” you sighed longingly as his hands slipped under the summer dress you wore and his thumbs teased you with painfully slow circles on your thighs. “You have never been a patient man, don’t start now.”

His quiet laugh heated the skin of your neck that he kissed with such tenderness you wanted to cry. It had been so long since you had been touched in such a way that you couldn’t wait any longer.

“Please,” you begged as you rolled your hips over his cock that was straining against his shorts. You moaned as the hard length brushed over your panties and a reciprocal sound came from Daniel before he stood up abruptly. 

“Fuck, I wanted to take my time with you,” he murmured against your lips as he blindly walked to the closest bedroom. 

“Later,” you promised. “Right now I need you to get me out of this goddamn dress and fuck me.”

Day Seven - Portland to Melbourne “Oh, fuck off,” you growled as your phone rang on the bedside drawers. You rolled back into Daniel’s embrace and wrapped your arms around his waist as he saw at the voicemail notification before it started to ring again. 

“He’s just going to keep calling,” Daniel said with a sigh that turned to a yawn after the late night spent getting to know each other's bodies intimately. “You’ll have to talk to him at some point.”

“I know, I just want to savour this moment before the drama starts. I can’t remember the last time I woke up like this, happy and content. I’m not ready for that to end.”

“What makes you think I’ll let this end?” he teased as he rolled you onto your back and trailed wet kisses down your neck. “I might just write my name on your foot too and call you mine.”

The warmth of the blankets disappeared as Daniel made his way down your body, kissing the entire length of you before settling between your legs as the phone rang again.

“Answer it,” Daniel ordered as his fingertips delicately traced the stretch marks across your hips, committing every inch of your body to his memory. “Or he won’t go away.”

You tried to find any hint of resentment in his face as you reached for the phone but there was only an air of smugness as he made himself comfortable, resting his head on your thigh.

“I think we have been robbed,” James said without even a hello as you answered the call on speakerphone. “Everything in the guest room is gone.”

A huff of amusement bubbled at the image of him standing in the empty room, his face crumpled in confusion as he scratched his head. “It’s at my apartment.”

“What apartment? What are you on about?”

“The apartment I rented before I moved out two weeks ago. The one I will be living in when I get back.” Daniel’s fingers traced the waistband of your panties and your breath hitched as they slipped beneath the lace.

“Bullshit,” he laughed but there was a hint of uncertainty in the sound. “Just come home and talk about this before you make any rash decisions. I know I have been busy with work lately-"

“More like busy with Laura.” The air that hissed between your teeth could have been mistaken for anger but it was entirely from the devilish look in Daniel’s eyes as he bit the soft skin along your inner thigh.

“Laura’s my assistant.”

The laugh turned to a gasp as Daniel pushed the lace aside and ran his tongue through your folds, his eyes rolling up to watch your reaction, the phone falling from your hand as you reached for his hair.  You tugged the strands as his tongue circled your clit and you couldn’t stop the moan from escaping as you arched your back at the growing pleasure.

“Fuck, yeah, just like that baby,” you begged shamelessly and he chuckled as he felt your walls flutter around the fingers he curled into your cunt. “God, Daniel, you’re so perfect.”

A round of expletives filled the air as James heard a real orgasm take over your body but they fell silent as he realised why the words seemed so familiar. You weren’t just accusing him of fucking Laura, you knew. And you were using his best friend to show him.

“Some friend you are, sack of shit,” James growled as you whimpered with the aftershocks of the orgasm.

“Some husband you were,” Daniel snickered as he tore your panties off and climbed up your body to kiss you, sharing the taste of your pleasure on his tongue before he picked up the phone. “You lost the best thing you had, mate. I won’t make the same mistake you did.”

Daniel ended the call stared down at you in wonder as a slow smile started to spread across his face. “I don’t think he will be calling back.”

It may have been the high of the orgasm, or it could have been the knowledge that after a year of enduring the decaying marriage, but you were free - either way, you were giddy with joy as you wrapped your legs around Daniel’s hips and pulled him closer. 

“I can’t believe you did that,” you giggled as you hooked your fingers into his boxers and pushed them over his hips. 

“He had to know who you belong to now, he had his chance.” His voice was pure decadence in your ear as he ran the tip of his cock through your folds before stretching you wide as he thrust forward and stilled. He gave you a moment to adjust to his size and brushed a gentle kiss across your lips before captivating you with his golden brown eyes. “Still want to know what I think you are?”

Your fingers ran softly down his back, feeling each bump on his spine right down to the twin dimples at the base. “Tell me,” you whispered as your hands grasped the firm muscles of his ass, your nails digging in to spur him into moving.

“Mine.”

Melbourne Grand Prix - Race Day The screams of Daniel’s home crowd were intoxicating and you couldn’t help cupping your hands around your mouth and joining in as he parked front and centre of the pitlane having won his home race. Climbing out of the car, stood atop the halo and threw his fists in the air before tearing his helmet off and holding it up too, tapping his finger on the large number 3.

You couldn’t help but notice how he still favoured his right foot after he jumped off the car and rushed towards his team, grappling them into strong hugs that probably crushed the air out of their lungs - not that they cared as they ran on adrenaline after the race.

“Wow, Daniel, what a race! You were absolutely flying!” the interviewer praised after he took his microphone and joined her in front of the Sky Sports camera. “Looking at some of those high speed corners, it looked like you were fighting to keep the race line.”

“I couldn’t brake hard if I tried,” he laughed and combed his sweaty hair back through his fingers. “Got a fresh tattoo and it’s still a little tender.”

“On your foot?” Naomi asked as she pointed to his Red Bull boot. 

“Yeah, glad it wasn’t on my throttle one or I don’t think I’d be up here,” he joked.

“I’m certain I am asking on behalf of everyone when I say, can we see it?” A cheer from the crowd confirmed her statement and your fingers gripped the metal barrier as goosebumps broke over your skin.

“No way,” you mumbled under your breath as you shook your head to get rid of the ridiculous thought you had.

“Sure, I’ll need this off for my shoey anyway,” he said as he pulled the boot off along with his sock. Turning around, he bent his knee so the sole of his foot could be seen and looked over his shoulder, grinning as he found you at the barrier with his team. 

“Aww, look at that, it’s adorable,” Naomi gushed as she saw the basic outline of a kangaroo on the sole of his foot. “What a way to pay homage to your nation!”

You bit your lip from smiling too hard when he started to laugh as she completely misunderstood what the picture meant. “Of course!” 

He excused himself quickly and hopped towards you, not wanting to get the days old tattoo dirty on the ground. 

“You’re actually insane,” you gasped as you slapped his chest playfully, still in disbelief that he had the word Roo tattooed on his foot beneath the picture. 

He leaned in closer so he could talk without fear of being overheard and you inhaled the purely masculine scent of him enveloping you as his lips brushed the shell of your ear. “It was your idea, and if you didn’t sleep so much you would have been awake to come and get it done with me.”

You rolled your eyes but you couldn’t keep the smile off your face as his hot hands came to rest on top of yours. “I must admit, I’m a little disappointed that it isn’t my full name.”

“Do you know how ticklish that was? I would have wet myself trying to get your whole name.”

You smirked at him, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening with his growing smile. “That sounds like a you problem.”

“Does anyone have a marker pen?” Daniel asked loudly and about half a dozen were thrust his way in an instant. 

“What are you doing?” you asked as you took a step back but the crowd was so tightly packed there was nowhere to go.

“Foot,” he said as he tapped the barrier, “up. It’s not a tattoo…yet.”

“You’re insane,” you laughed as you shook your head but instead he dropped to his knees and caught your ankle under the barrier.

“And you’re mine, I just need to…stop wriggling,” he complained as he pulled your shoe off and bit the cap off the marker before inking your sole. Twisting your foot about you saw his driver number covering the skin and bit your lip at the self-satisfied smirk on his face as he flipped the pen in his hand. “There, that’s better.”

“Is it?” you joked as you slipped your shoe back on. “I would have said spectacular.”

You were always surprised that his smile could somehow brighten, even when it seemed like it couldn’t possibly grow any more. But his smile grew as stepped closer and his hand reached for the back of your neck, pulling you to meet him as much as the barrier allowed.

“Spectacular?” he echoed before crushing his lips to yours until you were breathless and forgot where you were. “Yeah, that’s more like it.”

Daniel's Road Trip Playlist: Cruise - Florida Georgia Line Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd Your Man - Josh Turner You Make It Easy - Jason Aldean Right Now the Best - Zach Bryan Over For You - Morgan Evans Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw Die A Happy Man - Thomas Rhett Butterflies - Kacey Musgraves

Click here for additional part.

Tagging: @moonvr @copper-boom @yunnie-f1 @ophcelia @lightsoutletsgo @alwaysclassyeagle @neiich @omgsuperstarg @starwarssavy23 @fdl305 @faeb1tch42069 @sweetestrose569 @pleasantducktimetravel @zendayabelova @dr3lover @writerscurse @christianpulisic10 @alexisquinnlee-bc @purplephantomwolf @belennasif @ryiamarie @mickslover @tyna-19 @destourtereaux @sunf1ower16 @octaviareina @laneyspaulding19 @booknerd2004-blog @mimimarvelingmarvel @chonkybonky @jpg3 @bangtanxberm @ohthemisssery

[muddyorbsblr]

this magnetic force of a man

'one look and they'll know' collection masterlist See my full list of works here!

Placement: married era; a few months after 'come on, england'

Summary: A watch party livestream on TikTok catches sight of you and Tom in the VIP tent of the final night of the Eras Tour in London

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warning/s: language; potentially inaccurate depictions of what goes on backstage in a concert; changed lyrics for Lover [let me know if I missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: new & experiment story format in the first part of the chapter; fictional streamer "original character" heavily featured in first part of the chapter

TikTok Livestream of getawayscholar: Eras Tour Wembley N8 Watch Party!

The stream on screen zooms in to the VIP Tent.

"Hold on! Hold the fuck on is that…holy shit we have ex alert in attendance! Friends and others, Tom Hiddleston just walked in to the VIP tent with Y/N H--I didn't even know they were still together damn good for them." getawayscholar applauds on her stream; the chat floods with clapping hands emojis and various hearts.

The stream on screen shows Travis approaching you and Tom, shaking Tom's hand and making you jump for a high five with a jovial smile on his face. The three are talking while they walk to where Travis is seated.

"And they're seated with Travis, holy shit the world is healing."

Paramore's opener set begins. The stream on screen refocuses to the stage for the next 5 songs.

getawayscholar's stream chat floods with messages: "change source stream!" "check VIP tent!" "some shit's going down on VIP go go go!"

New Instagram Live streaming on getawayscholar's big screen shows you and Tom in your own little bubble, dancing with each other to "The Only Exception". You're singing the words to him.

"'Didn't I read somewhere that these two got married?' I don't know about this one yet, guys but if they did ohh my god good for them! Look at these two they look like the definition of in love and unbothered--Hold up what's going on why's Jan in the VIP tent?"

The stream on screen shows Jan talking to Travis and you, looking panicked, making a gesture for you two to follow him to the stage. Tom holds on to your hand as you're leaving. You mouth many words. Visibly "It's okay" and "I love you" before giving him a kiss and running out of the tent with Travis.

"What's going on, y'all? Are we getting Travis on stage again? Maybe for the Lover era this time?!" getawayscholar squeals on her stream, visibly kicking her feet for a few seconds before abruptly stopping. "But hold on, why do they need Y/N H., though?"

The chat pops up with one new message: 'Not sure how accurate it is but I read somewhere that Y/N H. did some work for the TTPD Era stage design? Maybe it's something about the glitch?'

The stream on screen refocuses back to Paramore on the stage for the rest of the opener set. The countdown clock appears on screen. When the clock strikes 00:00, the dancers come out on stage. The show proceeds as scheduled until the end of You Need to Calm Down. Taylor approaches the mic with her guitar and begins her opening remarks.

"What a bittersweet honor it is that I get to say these words for the last time where in Wembley Stadium. London, welcome to the Eras Tour!" The crowd applauds and cheers. getawayscholar applauds from her seat at home. "The last time we were here a few months ago we made some absolutely insane memories on this stage, in this stadium…" The stage screen flashes to Travis walking out in a suit and top hat on Night 3, leading to more cheers. "And I can't wait to make some more with you tonight."

getawayscholar sits up straight, looking excited and panicked. "What does that mean, Taylor?!" she shouts on her stream.

Taylor starts playing Lover, with a longer musical interlude after the first chorus. She starts speaking again while playing the interlude chords.

"Now you all know how sometimes I like to bring out a few special guests up here on stage." The crowd screams and claps. "Well tonight I'd like to bring someone out that has been an absolute delight to have known for the better part of a decade. She's one of the most brilliant minds I'll ever meet in my lifetime, and the only person I know who sleeps about as much as I do. Which according to you all is…next to never." 

"Ohh my god what is happening--" the Instagram Live streamer starts shouting.

"She has made her mark on so much of this tour, from our stage design, the Tortured Poets dress, the reputation bodysuit, the graphics on the screen that are nothing short of breathtaking and sometimes terrifying. I mean, you all said it, not me." The crowd erupts in laughter. "So I'd like you all to help me welcome on to the stage…stage designer, costume designer, graphic designer, fellow mastermind, and a dear personal friend of mine…Y/N Hiddleston."

The crowd from the stream gasps. getawayscholar gasps and squeals in her seat, gripping her chair armrests tight as a platform opens to reveal you rising up to the stage in a navy bodysuit short dress with gold lace detailing, mic in hand. You look to the VIP tent, blowing a kiss to your husband before you start singing.

"We could let our friends crash in the living room This is our place, we've made those calls"

"Did they switch up the lyrics?!" getawayscholar squeals, starting to bounce in her chair.

"And I don't give a damn if everyone who sees you wants you I've loved you eight summers now, honey And I want 'em all"

The stream on screen zooms in to the VIP tent, Tom has made his way to the front, tears in his eyes as he watches you on stage.

"And I'll go where you go We swore to always be this close Forever and ever and oh Take me out, take me home You're my my my lover"

Another extended interlude as you walk over to Taylor and you give each other an embrace, looking like excited childhood friends as you sway side to side before parting ways and walking to opposite sides of the end of the stage. You stop at the edge, facing the VIP tent.

Taylor sings to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar string scar on my hand"

You point towards the VIP tent, right at Tom, before joining Taylor and singing, "I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover" . You both sing the next few lines of the bridge until Taylor stops to give the final line over to you, revealing that this line was also rewritten for the show.

"And at every table…you've saved me a seat. Lover."

The stream on screen changes sources to someone streaming from a much closer angle, the camera zooming in to the detailing on your costume.

"Holy shit this woman is something else. It's the quiet unhinged energy for me and in this household we love Y/N Hiddleston," getawayscholar tells her stream, grabbing a screenshot of the intricate gold lace detailing on your dress, revealing that some portions were made of embroidered lettering that spelled out "I ♥︎ TH".

"Lover" ends and you and Taylor walk towards the center of the end platform, joining hands and raising them in the air before taking a bow.

The stream on screen pans the camera over to the VIP tent, zooming in on Tom applauding with a brilliant smile on his face before pointing at the stage and shouting, "That's my wife!"

Taylor addresses the crowd again. "Now…seeing that this is our last night here in Wembley Stadium, I figured a few more surprises sprinkled in wouldn't hurt." She motions toward you with both arms before the piano for the acoustic section emerges from under the stage and she sits in front of it, both of you nodding at each other before she started playing. The crowd erupts into cheers again as you started singing.

"Combat…I'm ready for combat…"

Overwhelming.

That was the only word you could think of to describe this moment right here, standing on stage with Taylor in the dress you'd worked on for weeks and fully knowing that by now, multiple posts had been made on the details you worked into the lace. Probably even some news articles from various sites, both reputable and otherwise.

You both joined hands, raising them up in the air before you took a bow again, doing a little hair flip when you came back up. The platform then began to descend and Taylor pulled you into an embrace.

"I'm so happy I actually got to share a stage with you," she said excitedly, giving you a squeeze before being whisked off to change into her Fearless era dress. "Drinks after the show?" she called out while she shimmied out of her bodysuit.

"Count on it, Babes," you answered her, shimmying out of your own dress that one of her dancers helped you out of. Once you were back in your regular dress and shrugged your jacket on, you found the crew applauding you and cheering you on. Taylor included.

"You did great, Tater Tot," Travis spoke up. "Now come on I gotta get you back to VIP before your husband gets hounded."

You gave them all a little salute before running out of the prep area, giving the towering hulk of an athlete a pointed look. "For the record, only you and Taylor can call me that and live to tell the tale."

"I know I know," he answered, chuckling as he opened the curtain leading to the VIP tent. Once the thick fabric was put aside, the attendees in the VIP tent greeted you with a relatively quieter round of cheers and applause. They all mostly stepped aside as you made your way through them, revealing your husband at the front of the rows. "There you go, dude. Back in one piece."

Tom met you halfway, pulling you into his arms and lifting you into the air once you got close enough. "That was incredible," he told you, his tone full of wonder. You could feel his heart racing through his shirt. "You are incredible, goddess."

He placed you back on your feet, keeping you in his arms as he rested his forehead on yours. It was only at this moment that you realized he'd walked you into a corner of the section, far enough away from the fleetingly curious onlookers whose collective focus was once again on Taylor and the opening notes of Love Story.

"You have no idea how damn lucky I feel every day that I get to call you my wife," he said softly, just enough for you to hear before he started kissing along the side of your face.

"Really? It wasn't too much?" The magnitude of the gesture was finally really sinking in, your mind going so many places on what you just signed yourself up for. Placing yourself in the crosshairs of the same vitriolic people that were once chomping at the bit nearly a decade ago after knowing relative peace for so long. "I know big gestures aren't really our thing but--"

"It was perfect," he cut you off, pressing a kiss to your lips that had you melting in his arms. "You're perfect. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," you said breathlessly once he broke the kiss. He held your hand and led you back to the front of the tent, positioning himself behind you and letting you relax against him as he held you in his arms for the remainder of the show.

"There's no more surprises for the rest of the night, though, I hope?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before holding you a touch tighter. "Because I'm not too open to the idea of letting you out of my arms unless it's to drive us home."

"No more surprises," you reassured him, placing your hand over his. "But I did promise Taylor I'm meeting her for drinks after the show…"

For the most part you kept to your word, there really were no other surprises you had planned for the night, and save for your husband going to grab a snack for the two of you from the catering table, he really didn't let you out of his sight for the following sets. It was only when Taylor stepped out for the acoustic set that you were both slightly taken aback when she chose to address you again.

"Well then…welcome to the acoustic section, everybody." You and the entire crowd began to clap and cheer loudly. "Trying to decide what would be good to do for tonight since it's our last night together and all…But first let's get some choices off the board." Then she faced the VIP tent. "Y/N, Babes…how much trouble would you be in if I play Getaway Car?"

The entire tent burst into laughter as you scrambled to keep a poker face, already anticipating that she'd pull that joke when she mentioned it in your texts the night before. You began to mouth a message back to her. "Taylor no…my husband is right here have mercy on my damn legs."

You broke out into a smile toward the end when she had to shut her eyes and compose herself because her shoulders started shaking from her laughs. "I mean I kind of thought so but it was worth a shot." Then she shrugged and started strumming some chords; the crowd erupted into cheers again when she began to sing.

"The moon is high like your friends were the night that we first met…"

A/N: All cards on the table, I've had this chapter planned for so long but seeing all the happy lil insanities that happened this weekend in Wembley made me decide to put some time aside today and start on this chapter earlier today. I did not, however, expect to be finishing the chapter today as well 😂 And also I figured since I already had the reveal out that the OLTK blorbos are married, I can go ahead and shift some plans around and make some "married era" chapters when the mood strikes and ohh boi howdy did the mood strike today 🫠

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th  @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @lunarnights95 @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover @dryyoursaltyoceantears @herdetectivetheorist

[vintagetvstars]

Andrew Robinson Vs. Brent Spiner

Propaganda

Andrew Robinson - (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Murder, She Wrote) - "literally who was doing it like him!! hired to appear in one ds9 episode (after failing to land the role of odo), he parlayed it into becoming the show's most beloved recurring character... @ all other actors: get on this man's level." Full text propaganda included below the cut

Brent Spiner - (Star Trek: The Next Generation) - Not only is he a terrific actor, having created one of Star Trek's most iconic and beloved characters, he's a great guy in real life - witty, personable, wonderful to his fans (source: some lovely chats I've had with him at conventions); he is also an author - his book Fan Fiction (hehe) is a fantastic dark comedy, a semi-fictionalized telling of an... incident in 1991 - and he's a hell of a singer! He released a CD of 1930s and 40s pop standards (also in 1991) titled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back - see video propaganda

- No Negative Propaganda Please -

Master Poll List | How to submit propaganda | What is vintage? (FAQ)

Additional propaganda below the cut

Andrew Robinson:

literally who was doing it like him!! hired to appear in one ds9 episode (after failing to land the role of odo), he parlayed it into becoming the show's most beloved recurring character.

he’ll happily tell everyone who asks, or even doesn't, how he was intentionally playing up garak's sexual tension with bashir from the get-go. he emoted like a king through all that makeup. he got so into his character he wrote an entire tie-in novel about him, based on in-character diary entries he'd been writing to flesh out his performance on the show. he and alexander siddig wrote an original play about their characters to perform at conventions (you can read it here!) and did live zoom readings of fanfiction about their characters including one where they're married, even collaborating with the author to edit it and add additional dialogue to make the character voices more authentic. @ all other actors: get on this man's level.

“When I walked on set to do the very first scene with Sid, I saw Sid. And he was one of the most beautiful young men I have ever seen in my life. And I thought, wait a second. Wait a second…I wanna fuck this guy. This is what this is about. Forget about the spy shit, I have no idea what that means. That's no action, I can't play that. But if I wanna fuck somebody, I know how to play that. And Sid, god bless him, the moment I put my hand on his shoulder…he felt it, and he picked it right up.” -Andrew Robinson on playing Garak for the first time

“The important thing about Garak is that he lives in the subtext. Again, with the iceberg analogy, the substance of Garak is what you don't hear. It's what he doesn't say. And in order to make that work, you have to have something real about the character.” -Andrew Robinson in an interview with The Great Link

Brent Spiner:

[yourlocalsmutwriter]

The triptych of love, truth and .... - Farleigh Start

CW: cheating, dubcon

Farleigh had gotten you late for class. He pulled you through the corridors, but not before you could glance at a clock. 20 minutes had passed since the tutorial had started. But he claimed he knew how to get you there in a blink of an eye. Well you sure had blinked plenty.

"Why do I even bother with you?" You asked, clearly annoyed.

"Because I'm the only person you can stand in this school?" He said back. Before you could argue, and defend Felix, Farleigh very untactfully stormed into the room you two were looking for.

At the presence of a third (and a fourth if you count the teacher) person you quickly pulled your hand from Farleigh's. Who, by the way, was profusely apologizing to the teacher, with you nodding gravely. Upon hearing about your friend, the professor went on about Frederica Start, nee Catton. Catton. Catton. That name rang in your head as you looked at your left hand and the tacky diamond there. You were engaged to Felix Catton. A girl at 20 was about to be married to someone she didn't even love that much.

You sat down. No one asked about your name. It was as if you didn't exist, everyone thought that. Except Farleigh. Who, by the way had stopped talking. So you took your cue to focus on the essay being read. After hearing Farleigh and Oliver arguing back and forth, you simply mouthed "sorry" to the latter and left with a wave. The sun reflected off of your ring and shone in his face.

You had all but forgotten about Oliver. Somehow you didn't connect the dots when Felix told you about some guy fixing his bike. But at another night at the pub, when your fiancé invited him to the table, you had no choice but to socialize.

"Jägerbombs" Farleigh was chanting. You kicked him lightly under the table, a nonverbal "shut up". Felix saw that and pulled your legs towards himself, making you shiver at the touch of his exposed skin to yours. Oliver was shifty.

"Come on man, you can't snake out. Especially not on Lucy's favorite round." Farleigh protested, using you as a scapegoat.

"Lucy?" Oliver questioned, successfully diverting the attention.

"Don't mind Farleigh. He likes to play this little game where he calls me by a fictional name. And I have to guess which character he's referring to. Though I would have a harder time if I hadn't forced him to watch "While you were sleeping" with me."

You waited for a yes, but instead your friend made a buzzer sound. "Eh, think again. A room with a view. Now, loser, stop distracting Oliver and let him get the shots."

One of Felix's friends said something about the Jager finally getting you lucky. You shrugged and shrink into Felix. He flips that guy off. Your hand accidentally rests on Farleigh's thigh. He squeezes in briefly for support and lets go. By then, your fiancee is already helping his new friend at the bar. You quickly forget about the embarrassment as soon as the brown liquor hits your throat.

Sadly your hangover, is not as unexistant as your sex life. That's right, you had Felix's ring on your finger, but not much else. His parents were all for sexual liberation. For him. For you, it was literally needing to see blood on the sheets at the wedding night. Normally you wouldn't have cared and already slept with Felix. But with all that talk about how sacred your virginity is and how everyone would know you lost it, you were a bit scared. It's not like you didn't try to work around it. Makeouts, dry humping, hand jobs, blowjobs, you gave it all to Felix. You'd let him finger you, eat you out, you'd even pretend to consider his suggestions of "the catholic loophole". But even with that, he still needed to get his dick wet. That's when Annabel walked into the picture. You had seen them around flirting unabashedly at parties. He had even taken her to his room. You acted like that hadn't bothered you. But you sure were a bad actress. When he brushed you off, for Oliver in the sweltering heat you ran to your friend. Getting a few suspicious looks, you barged into Farleigh's room. Who was almost naked.

At your interruption he scrambled to cover up, pulling a book over his tight boxers. Ironically it was "I love dick" by Chris Kraus. You burst out laughing and so did he.

"I could leave." You suggested.

"I don't want you to leave .'' He says. ''Now, what did my fuckass cousin do this time, and more importantly, how will we use it against him.''

''He slept with Annabel. And might be sleeping with Oliver as we speak. I'm thinking, divorce.''

''You always go to that, dig deeper. I'm thinking blackmail. Or an eye for an eye, cheating for cheating.''

''As tempting as that sounds, I don't think there's a single guy within this school that a. knows who I am and finds me attractive enough and b. isn't scared of what Felix might do if he finds out.''

''I do.'' he replies and cups your face, lips dangerously close to yours, waiting. And you kiss him. And it's better that Felix, so much better. Before you know it, you're on his bed and your dress is on his floor. As his lips trail down your neck and towards your chest, you realize just what might happen.

''Farleigh, what are we doing? We should'' before you could say stop, he rolls your nipple under his fingers and you groan. His tongue is on the other one and you are desperate. You are fucking soaked. Once you realize just how turned on you were and that you were about to have an orgasm from your cousin-in-law playing with your tits, you crawl from underneath him with a ''I have to pee. Then I'm going.'' and you slammed the bathroom door shut. You close your eyes. You still see Farleigh. You attempt to just wipe away your arousal, but you give up and rub your clit to orgasm in the bathroom. When you get out, your dress is waiting for you. Farleigh is underneath the covers, but it's obvious what his hands are doing. Before you're tempted to help him, you leave. The freshman who sees you getting dressed in the hallway gets his next semester paid for, in exchange for silence. Saltburn is yet to come.

Felix brings Oliver. You mutter something about this becoming the plot of the Secret History. Farleigh takes to calling you Camilla. You take to flipping him off. Overhearing your fiancé give "his friend" the tour, you make sure that Felix's looks decent. When your future husband mentions the shared bathroom, you add

"Sometimes I'll use it as well. So make sure to not just leave it open. And well don't mention I was here. Seriously, don't wanna get in trouble. Felix's parents think that we're just gonna start doing it every time we're alone in a room."

"And they're right " Felix adds and mock humps you into the bed. You just roll your eyes and move from underneath him.

"I'll let my golden boy continue lecturing you. Don't want the Cattons think I'm into threesomes."

Before you could hear what the boys add as a punchline, you're gone. Talks with Pamela, dinners, breakfasts pass. Oliver is both not fitting and is. Farleigh is his usual self. You hate yourself for being attracted to it. But no one sees. At least that's what you think, until. The fucking field. Usually the "layout" was Felix, Farleigh, Venetia and you. That way there was still an illusion that you and Felix didn't see eachother naked. But this time, while you were stripping with V, she whispered to you.

"Can you be by my cousin? I wanna call Oliver over. And he won't see me unless I'm at the end."

"Sure", you replied without even thinking. But as soon as you saw the boys, you realized your mistake. You plopped down by Farleigh and he opened his eyes.

"Well,you're not who I was expecting." he said and quickly glanced at your ass. His smell, his voice, even his presence was making you wet. Thankfully Venetia comes to your rescue, by calling out Oliver. Who knew you'd be happy to see him. But just as you're about to see a lot more of Mr. Quick, the man next to you covers your eyes. But Venetia literally slaps away Farleigh's hands and they end up on your tits. You're as red as humanly possibly. All you can say is a warning about the thistles.

Oliver looks at you more. He notices how while reading Harry Potter you agree with Farleigh's threesome comments. How you're an unfair umpire in their tennis game. How after the ring, you suggest only the 5 of you watch another movie. How it features a stick and poke tattoo scene and you're raving about it, and how you somehow convince Farleigh to give you one. Oh, how cruel of you to want it on your pantyline, making Farleigh bend down and align with your pussy. And for you, to request to be branded with Felix's name, so heartless. But Oliver sees how conniving you really are when you claim that anything past the 1st letter hurts too much.

"That way you're pleasing both of them, aren't you, Cleo." Oliver says, looking between your fiancee and his cousin.

"I'll fix it professionally when I'm out of here. And I mean, if Farleigh uses the same intensity in poking girls as he poked me with the needle, then I know I've made the right choice." You snap. But that misunderstanding rocks the foundation between you and all of the men. So you set out to fix it.

You start with Felix. Not because you want to, but because it's easier. All you need to do is sneak into his room in a towel and nothing more.

"Thought you needed some help in scrubbing your back?". Felix practically rips off the towel and tosses you on the bed. Spreading your legs, kissing your neck, muffling your moans with his hands.

"Bathroom. Please. More soundproof." you managed to say. "You don't want Oliver to get jealous, do you?" you add. That's all it takes for him to literally sweep you away. Thank God for possessiveness. Felix draws the bath, gets in and lazily circles your clit. He's teasing you, determined to not even finger you. Something about only good girls getting to be filled. You whine and beg, plead for more. Truth is, you act. You couldn't give a fuck what Felix is doing to you. Your body is reacting. He's rubbing your clit, of course you're gonna feel good. His fingers were made for touching fine things, your pussy was no exception. Your mind whispers that he's had plenty of time to practice pleasing women. Your brain also sabotages you by replaying naked Farleigh on a loop. You're so close, gaze hyperfocused on your fiancee and the other's cock. The two men's features blend together. You moan in swear words, so you don't fuck up.

"Look at you, getting your cunt wet just from a little touching. That sensitive little pussy needs me so bad, huh? Well be a good future wife and come with me." With that, Felix finishes you off. Your body orgasm with him. 1 down, 1 to go. Your future husband looks like he'll fall asleep. Before he does, you ask.

"Should we move the wedding. Not too much. Maybe, the end of summer, somewhere before we start term? I just wanna already, you know?"

"Fuck? Come on, you just fucking drenched my fingers and you can't say fuck? Let's sleep on it."

You agree and sneak off to your next target. Farleigh has you do a stupid grovel mock apology. You walk in and spew 5 of Felix's secrets before attempting a sincere sorry. To nobody's surprise, your friend says,

"You were on thin ice, cause you were annoying as hell. But everyone else is way worse."

"Thank you and shut the fuck up.". Of course you talk it out. A conversation about masculinity, sexuality, male fragility and queerness. You argue which cis white men of his family line are the worst. He reminds you that it's gonna be your family line too soon. You kiss him to shut him up. He kisses you back to prove that earlier it hadn't been a mistake. When it all heats up and you go to straddle him, you see it. Oliver and Venetia. And you make Farleigh stop, yet again to look with you. But this time you don't bolt away from his room after. But you don't stay too long either.

Farleigh tells and you have to console Felix and act shocked. Now your fiance keeps you attached to his hip. You're there when he argues with Oliver. You're there when he talks money with Farleigh. Of course everything changes at the Henry's party. You know his family would call your closeness inappropriate. He pisses her off by instead pulling his sister in his lap. And you sit by Farleigh. Felix announces his leave soon after karaoke started, with an implication for you to follow. You wait, just enough to be pulled into a conversation with the same men you were supposed to avoid. The friend and the cousin. The perceived Casanova and the real one.

Farleigh poses the fuck, marry, kill as chuck, fuck, marry and you stifle a laugh. Then Oliver rebuts with the

"I think you're more interested in fucking me. Or, should I say, us? Don't act shocked, little Cleo. It's not your forte, I saw. You knew. And I know you did. I'm not sure how though. You're not important now. Maybe you never were." Oliver wounds you, in the way he only knows how. You tune out the rest of his convo with Farleigh. You can only focus on the glint of revenge in your friend's eyes. Farleigh plays a song. You hum it under your breath, waiting. You wonder if he's doing this for you. As Oliver sings, he is cruel once again.

"Farleigh, this is your song too. Hell, fucking take Cleo, don't you? You two certainly are used to dueting." You grip the microphone tightly and harmonise effortlessly with your friend about someone taking you to a restaurant off Broadway.

You expect Felix to come after you, like a rabid dog. But he's done with all of the bullshit around you. So you're on your own. Desperately needing a de-stress and unable to sleep, you turn to the only solution. Masturbation. You're so wet and desperate. Farleigh has been leaving you high and dry, too scared to actually be with you. Felix was depriving you, as a form of control. So you reached for the nearest phallic object, your hairbrush. This was a bad idea. But you needed something new, something different. Picturing only Farleigh now, you play with your clit. You slide your fingers inside of you. First one. Then a second. You pull them out and they're back rubbing your sweet spot. Then you slowly, carefully put the hairbrush before your entrance. You feel a slight pain at the stretch, but as soon as your pussy clenches against the new object, it's coupled with adrenaline and pleasure. Yep, that was it, you were getting married first thing tomorrow if the real thing felt like this.

You were so dazed by chasing your release that you didn't notice Oliver coming in to your room. He was surprised by the sight, but that didn't deter his plan. In a second his hand was muffling your mouth and the other had you by the wrists. You were led somewhere in the dark in a pink nightgown and and a hairbrush still inside you. As soon as your captor noticed its presence, he was focused on moving it back and forth ever so slightly. Little did you know, it was going to get worse. Unsurprisingly you were led to Farleigh's room. He was a very heavy sleeper, because Oliver managed to position you on top of your friend. Only when the hairbrush was taken out of you and clattered on the floor, did Start wake up. He was surprised, but his brain immediately went into overdrive when seeing you helpless.

"Are you going to behave Farleigh? If you don't, Cleo gets it." Before any of you could question anything, Oliver slaps his tip against your pussy. Then he takes the other man's dick and does the same. Farleigh is horrified, but somehow hard as a rock. He knows he shouldn't be. But the sight of you, dripping wet on top of his cock was clouding his brain.

"You see, Farleigh, one of us gets to deflower this pretty little peach. If you behave, it's you. If not, then I'll do it. Oliver whispers darkly. You start, pleading, begging for your friend to do it, to say yes. It intensified when you felt Ollie spit on his hand and rub both cocks against your opening.

"You don't want it either way, I can't go through with it." Farleigh says, because you just need him to make up his mind.

"I do. Definitely not like this. But with you, it's fine. It's not just the lesser of two evils. I need you inside of me. Ever since we kissed, that's all I think about."

Despite it still being very wrong, he said "I'll behave" to Oliver and pulled you flush against his chest. Farleigh gave you a second, before thrusting into you. It was the last act of gentleness he'd allow you that night.

Once he was inside you, he was like a crazed man. Farleigh held your waist, sinking you on his cock over and over again, making you bounce. Seeing you tired, he pulled out and kept his fingers in you as he changes positions. It doesn't go unnoticed how now you're drooling into the pillow, moaning, begging for his dick.

"You know I'm not done with you, right. Gonna make you come all over me. Gonna make you mine."

When Farleigh took you from behind, it was a whole new sensation. He's inside of you, so much deeper. His fingers move to rub your clit and you finish. Wet sounds fill the room, you're ready to feel him fuck you up forever when he pulls out. He thrusts in his fist and comes all over your ass. Both of you are too exhausted to move. You don't even care that Oliver was right there, the whole time, stroking himself in a chair. Felix's mom finds you, tipped off by the help.

You play it off as an irregular period. You claim that the pain was so strong, you seeked refuge in Farleigh's bed. Why he was half naked and you no longer bleeding? Farleigh never got to answer these, as he was kicked out on the spot.

Felix kept you around, God knows why. When you asked, he just mentioned something about how marrying damaged goods would be on brand. At least you slept with him too. He had to dig up Farleigh's STI records through some unsavory means before hand. That gave you the 14 days needed after an act to confirm that you were also not pregnant. Despite you being clean, Felix still fucks you with protection, going through a pack on condoms in a weekend, trying to claim you as his.

It works for a while. Then the Cattons take Farleigh back for Oliver's birthday party. Blood thicker than water, you guessed. Felix doesn't care. He has you in a room with Farleigh and India. He has the group go around you and make out with you. "You've kissed us two already, why no India too. Give us a show. I'm sure cousin dearest already has a stiffy from seeing you." You obliged, because everyone is too drunk and coked up to recall this tomorrow. Only Farleigh's kiss is still tender, all be it still lustful. He will remember. You both know it.

Felix is on his bullshit all night. Oliver obviously annoys him more than ever. You don't ask. And then your fiance suggest the 4 of you play hide and seek in the maze.

"More like hide the sausage, with these pairings." Farleigh whispers to you, entirely too loudly. So the other man does turn it sexual, coming up with some sort of predator pray roleplay chase by pairs. You run first, disappointed that Farleigh will be hooking up with India. In fact, as you round a dead end close to the center, you hear them going at it. You turn to your captor and it's not Felix. Farleigh eats you out on his knees, as you're pressed against the maze wall. You come in a minute and you're asking him to whisk you off so you can return the favor. Despite everything in your systems, the both of you manage to fall asleep together. It was the last time you'd get a sound sleep in your life.

Morning comes. You search for Felix. After his mom finds him, you just cling to Farleigh. You know, but you refuse to see. The man with whom you were supposed to live out the rest of your life was dead.

You go to lunch. You have a seat by Farleigh, and you link hands with his under the table. James shoots you dirty looks as you play with the food. Oliver talks and talks, pretending not to hear you mutter shut up incessantly. When Farleigh speaks up, Ollie delivers his final blow.

" I'd be guilty too if I was racking up lines and fucking the dead person's fiancée"

James casts you both out. So you go, hand in hand, forever leaving Saltburn.

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

I read GRRM’s interview regarding book vs show canon and I thought the way he was approaching an adaptation of his own story, and fiction as a whole, was very interesting. I do wonder though - does the concept of having a separate show canon kind of become like a cop-out? Because in that case, any TV/film adaptation can just decide to change the plot as they see fit and go “oh, well, that’s our canon, the book is a different canon.” Doesn’t it cease to be an adaptation after a point, or at least become a loose one? In the HotD context, a lot of the changes being made I actually quite like because I can see them fitting in the canon, because there’s nothing suggesting otherwise.

But say, Sansa marrying Ramsay (or, alternatively, the moment that show was dead to me) we can say with absolute certainty did not take place and will almost definitely never take place. D&D knew that too but they went ahead with it anyway; it’s not quite like the Scarlett example where it makes no difference to the story because this change does. I feel like the whole point of adapting written words into something visual loses some of its sanctity if we just accept TV changes a whole separate canon, as opposed to simply a change made by the writers (good change or bad change is up to personal opinion).

I have followed your blog for almost a decade so I’m really curious to hear your thoughts on the subject.

GRRM's "Scarlett example" -- his question of "how many children did Scarlett O'Hara have?", because in the book Gone With the Wind she had three, one with each of her three husbands, whereas in the movie she only had one -- has been his go-to when asked about the difference between book and show canon since at least 2012. Or to quote him from 2015,

How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have? Three, in the novel. One, in the movie. None, in real life: she was a fictional character, she never existed. The show is the show, the books are the books; two different tellings of the same story.

This is IMO one of the most sensible ways for an author to look at adaptations of their work (even if I have gotten rather tired of GRRM using the Scarlett example specifically, pick something different George, we've seen it before lol). There is book canon and there is show canon. They are different parallel universes. They're separate canons because they contain changes made by the writers, and also because the very process of moving from the written word to visual media must involve some kind of change.

And this applies to all adaptations. That's why I brought up X-Men comics vs the Fox X-Men movies vs the X-Men cartoon (original 90s and 2024's '97). For example, there's 4 different versions of the Dark Phoenix Saga between those canons, at the very least. Wait, sorry lol, I forgot the Ultimate canon version. And the various in-comics alternate universe versions. And god knows when they finally bring the X-Men into the MCU they'll probably do yet another DPS there too. And that's only one of many storylines that are radically different between the various canons.

Or look at the various Interviews with the Vampire. Is the new tv show "not an adaptation" because its Claudia is a teenager rather than 5 years old as in the book or portrayed by an 11 year old as in the movie, thus resulting in extremely different relationships and a reshaped plot? (Among many other changes?) No. IWTV has book canon, movie canon, and show canon.

And I can't speak that well about Transformers since it's not a major fandom of mine, but go take a look at their various continuities if you want some more perspective about just how very far the meaning of "adaptation" can stretch.

Or hell, look at Stephen King, where among his many many many adaptations, some of which just barely resemble the original text, the only one he sued to have his name removed from was The Lawnmower Man, because they literally used an entirely different story and just slapped his title on it.

And then there's the movie Adaptation, which is a wildly meta-adaptation of the non-fiction book The Orchard Thief (it's a story about the process of adapting that book and involves a fictional version of the writer, the screenplay writer, and an entirely invented screenplay writer's twin brother)... and it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for multiple film awards (and won a few times), and the original writer even said it kept to the book's themes.

Suffice it to say, HOTD has a long, long, long way to go before it could ever "cease to be an adaptation after a point". Changing the timeline to make Alicent and Rhaenyra the same age, or doing Blood & Cheese differently, do not even compare to what some book-to-visual media "loose adaptations" have done. Even GOT, as wildly terrible as their non-book storylines could be, both their changes to the text and after they had no actual text to work with, never became a "loose adaptation". Certainly it became a less than faithful adaptation -- and let's be real, it always was unfaithful for both themes and the essential elements of so many characters -- but it also always was a remarkably accurate adaptation of the whole span of Westeros (in geography and breadth of characters) and the general (not specific) book plot. (Consider previous attempts at adaptation that GRRM rejected, such as a single 2 hour movie, or eliminating Jon and Dany for being "irrelevant", or only making a Jon movie with none of the other storylines, etc.) Which is why, when GOT was different (and awful) it was such a betrayal, like a zombie or evil alien wearing the skin of your best friend or beloved child, and worse, that this twisted lookalike was the only version millions and millions of viewers ever saw and believed to be true.

But again, this just underlines what GRRM has said. "The show is the show, the books are the books." There is book canon and there is show canon. They are separate things. Parallel universes -- very close parallels, often touching in many places, but sometimes they're quite different. Sometimes the differences in adaptation enhance the themes of the original canon; sometimes the author may even consider certain adapted characters (Shae, King Viserys, Helaena) to be better than his original canon; sometimes you know there's only those tricky NDAs (and payments of lots of money) that prevent him from expressing his disappointment in more ways than dropping the Sansa TWOW preview chapter only days before the release of GOT S5. But perhaps if we're lucky, maybe one day we'll have yet another parallel canon to compare to the others.

[carolmunson]

you keep me without chains | em.

this is a re-post of a ramble fic of me processing some stuff i've been through and am struggling with in my own healing. if you're familiar with my 'bad at feelings' series, it's in a similar vein of writing except eddie is incredibly soft and sweet to reader who is going through her own stuff. eddie sucks here, i don't think it's a correct characterization of him but it's just me using him as a placeholder.

originally, i didn't want to put this story in the tags because it's sad and explores the mindset of someone in a non-physically abusive relationship. however, since it is DV awareness month, i wanted to make sure to express that if there are people reading this who are struggling that they aren't alone and there are people there that understand and support them. and also that if there are younger readers reading (still eighteen plus!) who aren't sure if they are in an abusive relationship they are maybe able to get some context via fiction. my inbox is always open. DV Hotline US: 800-799-7233 DV Hotline UK: 0808 2000 247 tw: 18+ mindors dni, references to emotional and psychological abuse, minor threats of physical violence.

he left this morning with a kiss on your cheek and your lips, a nuzzle against your temple when you gave him two thermos's, one with hot black coffee and the other with the beef stew you made last night. hot hot hot. the way he likes it.

you made bread, so crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside. he groaned when he popped it in his mouth at the dinner table, soaked in broth and butter. you warmed some in the oven when you put his lunch together, wrapping it in foil to trap the heat -- maybe it'll keep until his lunch hour. he might eat it all before his lunch hour. he never eats breakfast really.

you clean the counters and do the laundry while he's away. no kids to take care of, not yet at least. you mend his spare coveralls, treating the grease and oils stains, resewing his name tag stiched in red thread. you shine your mary janes and stilettos, shine his doc's just to be nice. you fix his patches on his vest from the last show he went to. you clean the stubble out of the sink in the bathroom.

he has the car so there's nowhere to go.

you shower, you do your hair, put make up on, go through the motions while he's not home. he hates to wait for you to do it but you hate looking tired when you're out and about. better to do it when he's busy doing something else.

next door neighbor is heading to the library, knocks on your door to see if you wanna come with. she just wants you to get out of the house for once, stop playing wife to a man who hasn't married you yet.

you hesistate, wanting to be home in time to make dinner, but you can't imagine the library taking too long so you go. she looks at you with a strained pity that you can't stand. he doesn't hit you, so why does she even look at you like that? he'd never do that. he just got back from all that shit with a few screws loose. he never knows what he means when he says it.

he's always sorry. y'know? he's always sorry. sorta.

doesn't hit you but you know how the day will go by the way he says good morning. by the way he wakes up with you -- or without you. know how the night will go by the way he breathes when he comes in through the storm door. by the cadence of his steps on the metal stairs. by the way the van pulls in.

sometimes things break and that's fine cause he just replaces them. he knows he shouldn't have thrown it, he knows he shouldn't have tossed it, he knows. he knows. that's why he gets it the very next day. new plates, new house phone, new coffee pot, new records, new casettes, new picture frames, new flower pots. he doesn't throw them at you. he's only punched the wall twice. he slams his head against it all the time. cause he knows he's not good. he knows. you go to the library and check out some books, laugh at your neighbors jokes, tell her about your weekend in the city visiting his friends. he held your hand in front of everyone and pulled you onto his lap, he joked with you and you laughed the whole time. you went to see a band play that you'd never heard of and he got you a t-shirt and the next morning you all went out for hot chocolate and breakfast and he kissed the whipped cream off your lips and ran his thumb over your engagement ring over and over. he never stopped calling you baby. so charming. so perfect. you don't know what you did to earn it, but you've been chasing it ever since. modeling that week's behavior into this one. tip toes through the tulips of the trailer. jagged. shell like.

you get home from the library and lunch, she even stops with you when you mention you have to go to the grocery store. out of eggs for meatloaf, needed some canned string beans for one of the sides.

it's the best dinner you've made in a while and the mashed potatoes are double whipped and extra buttery because he can never get enough of them. you know that it's little things like that. you love the smile he gets when you tell him you do some things just for him, so blushy and boyish.

'that's so nice, baby,' he gushes, 'thinkin'a me.' and god he gushes. cries when he can't contain it. saw you in a new dress and wiped his eyes. new hair cut sent him into orbit.

so pretty.

you're so beautiful, i don't deserve you.

you're gorgeous i -- i can't even like, think.

presents on your birthday. handwritten notes with tear drops washing over the ink in a wave, blurry letters blue and black, black and blue. he'd never hit you. too in love. too bursting with affection when he looks at you. too nervous when you look at him when he takes you out. when he plays a show. when he sees you get dressed into your pjs at night. you're so good to me. especially when you hold him through those nightmares. when you calm his anxiety, those deep breath panic attacks. the ones that the meds miss when he misses them. you're patient through the mood swings and he always says thank you. he always says it -- you're the only one that understands him. that sees him. sometimes you don't get it. that's what he says at least. you don't get it and that makes him upset. but you're not sure what there is to get. and you try not to get sad about it -- 'bout anything really 'cause you're not the one who got a few screws knocked loose. nothing bad like that happened to you. i mean, sure, maybe some bad things happened to you but not like the way bad things happened to him, right? you wouldn't get it. but he gets you, he tells you all the time. he gets you so well. symbiotic. the only person who knows you, the only person whose been in your skin -- right? at least that's what he says, and he's said it so long you can't help but believe it.

your eyes fall on the newly vased roses he bought you two days ago from the florist near the shop. bright red petals opened and fat, contrasting against the pea green of the walls. you smile at them while you pour gravy over each plate, extra on his mashed potatoes. he kissed you this morning, he was almost late leaving the house -- couldn't stop kissing you. couldn't stop looking at you with those brown eyes, sparkling with a mischief saved for tonight.

the van rolls in as you set the table, still in your outfit from earlier, the books you checked out on the counter need the flowers. the storm door opens off kilter, your throat constricts. you know by the way he doesn't say anything when he comes in the house. work boots kicked off with loud thumps. his jacket swishing with a thwap when he throws it with a grunt to the ground. something bad must've happened at work. 'hey honey,' you say quietly, 'got dinner for you.'

you know better, watching him turn the corner into the dinette, looking down at you from where he stands and you sit. you hold a mug full of orange juice on the table, fingers tapping on it silently while he holds his gaze. 'you goin' somewhere, dressed up like that?' he asks, there's nothing behind those sparkling eyes now. dulled out to hollow brown.

'no,' you shrug, you know how to coreograph your responses now -- still stepping on his toes sometimes, 'went to the library with gina, she just wanted a friend for some errands.'

'you know gina doesn't like me,' he nods, walking to the fridge to grab a beer, 'she doesn't like us together. she hates me.'

'she doesn't hate you, ed,' you assure, voice still calm, mediating, 'no one hates you.'

'your folks hate me, your sister hates me,' he nods, curls bouncing while he takes a swig, like it's normal conversation. so steady, 'you think they like that i got you ever here in this trailer park?'

'my parents don't ha--'

'they do.' and that's final. you don't argue. and he's right. your parents don't like him and that's why you don't call anymore, and they stopped calling you too. so did all your friends from back home.

'so what'd gina tell you about me today, then?' he presses.

'nothin'," you shrug, 'we didn't talk about you.'

'of course not,' he laughs but it's one that sends a chill under your skin, a laugh to not seem so mean when you know he's about to be, 'she was prob'ly tryna set you up with someone. that's why you got all dressed up right? anything to look good for other guys out there.'

's'cuse me?' 'you heard me,' he nods, voice still steady like nothing's wrong, 'that's why you wore all those tight jeans in the city last weekend, right? those dresses? tryna show off to harrington and the guys. don't act like i didn't notice.'

'what are you talking about? why didn't you say anything when we were there?' you heart rate quickens, you try not to get mad.

'i shouldn't have to. but that's how you are, y'know?' he shrugs, another swig, another chuckle, 'makin' dinner and everything, you must've been out there makin' eyes at everyone if you made my favorite.'

'i wasn't doing that,' you urge, voice raising, tears threatening to pool, 'i just made it cause you like it, cause it makes you happy.'

'so you just do anything to make sure i don't get mad? do you even know why you do stuff like this for me?' he asks.

'what are you even saying?' your voice raises again, a mild yell. you're frazzled now, heart racing, head already scrambled.

'don't yell, what're you -- fuck babe, see! this is why gina doesn't like me,' he grits through his teeth, 'cause you're always making a scene over nothing. you're over fuckin' reacting.'

'i --' your voice catches in your throat, quieting, 'i'm sorry? i'm sorry.'

'd'you even know what you're sorry for?' he nearly sneers, 'always sayin' your sorry over nothing. y'know somethin' babe, sorry loses it's meaning when you're sayin' it all the time. it doesn't mean anything from you anymore.'

you nod, losing your resilience, too confused about how quickly you got here -- and he's right. you're always apologizing but half the time you don't even know what you're apologizing for. just that you feel like you need to be sorry. like you need to say sorry.

he holds that stare on you like he's waiting for you to speak again. daring you to say something. you stare down at the wood grain of the table, blank and empty -- numb, even. the mug between your hands is warm from how hard you were gripping the ceramic to keep you grounded.

's'what i thought,' he nods, voice a low rumble while he makes his way to the bathroom.

he'd never hit you.

the slam of the bathroom door makes you flinch.

sometimes you wish he would. maybe it would hurt less than this. at least that physical pain fades, right? at least it wasn't the same dull ache on a bruise that won't go away. are you hemmorhaging? do you just not feel it yet? will it be too late when you do?

he slides into bed with you at night after spending the rest of the evening out back with the other couples and families that were smoking ribs, having a little fire out in the brush. he smells like cigarettes. you could hear his grizzly laugh through the windows while you laid in the dark of your bedroom. too tired after the way he spoke to you to do anything else. everyone's favorite mechanic loverboy in the park.

you feel his fingertips on your shoulder, one of them gliding down the slope of your arm. he presses his lips to your shoulder blade, your eyes shut -- blearing with tears from that dull ache.

'dinner was really good, baby,' he says softly, a whisper.

you try to get out a thank you but it becomes a choke, a sniffle, a gasp. then a cry and then a harder one, remembering how he rolled his eyes at you two weeks ago when you cried after he threw out the love letter you wrote him for your four year anniversary because 'you didn't mean any of that shit anyway'.

he sits up, shushing you softly while his hand smooths over your bicep.

'what is it, sweetheart?' he asks, 'are you mad at me?'

you shake your head no. looking up at him, lying flat on your back. he looks so handsome in the moonlight, concerned eyes and tilted head peering down at you. 'n-no, ed. m'not mad at y-you,' you push out, head still scrambled. you feel guilty about last weekend, about going out today. what if guys really were looking? you know you weren't looking at them but what if they got the wrong idea? gina doesn't know what she's talking about, she's always hated ed. ever since they were kids.

'you just havin' one of your moments?' he asks, soothing voice, 'yeah?' one of your moments. always just one of your moments. couldn't be him, you're just -- maybe you're over thinking it.

'yeah,' you nod, 'm'sorry i went out with gina, baby i -- she didn't say anything bad about you.'

'it's okay,' he smiles, 'm'not mad at you. never mad at my girl.'

'no?' you ask, swallowing hard -- your heart leaps. he's not mad. maybe he just had a rough day.

'no doll, m'never mad at you. you always think i'm mad at you,' he says, thumb brushing away the tears that threatened to roll down the sides of your face to your hair line, 'you need me to kiss it better?'

another sob rips through you, nodding, because you do. you need it. and you sort of hate that you need it. you hate yourself for needing it. but he kisses you and it does feel better. he knows how to kiss you just right, he always has. he knows just where to put his hands. just how to pull away and brush his nose against yours. how to kiss your forehead between affirmations. smooth and understanding, like a movie scene. his kisses are his apologies. his sorry. you accept it every time.

because he doesn't hit you and he never would. in the morning, when the bathroom door slams so hard the walls vibrate, you flinch.

[thethreeeyed-raven]

Hello, I don’t know if you wrote for male readers and if you don’t please ignore this request, but I would like to request an Eloise x Prince reader, he is trying to court her ever since he saw her at a ball but she is herself so it is difficult for him to court her because of her distaste for men.

Have a good day

She will not marry me

navigation | warnings : none? | a/n : if this isn’t what you wanted then i’m sorry, let me know if you want a part two :) | bridgerton masterlist | tags : @knight-of-flowerss @lost-in-fiction-like-ur-mom

↠ part two | ↠ part three

Queen Charlotte had failed to find a match for her nephew, the Prince Frederick of Prussia, so she had decided to invite another one of her nephews into the country, you.

Since you had stepped foot into her palace, she had been forcing you to attend balls, with mama's throwing their daughters at you in hopes of a marriage proposal.

But you had your eye on one woman in particular.

Eloise Bridgerton had captured your eye at one of your Aunt's balls just a few months ago, her eccentric behavior from across the room drawing you in.

You had come to learn that the slightly smaller woman she was always with was Penelope Featherington, her mother was constantly bothering you with one of her other daughters.

And you had come to learn that the man she was always chatting with was her brother Benedict Bridgerton.

You quite enjoyed the company of her brother, conversing of art and architecture. But you had yet to have a chat with the beauty herself.

"Benedict!" You approached him with a smile on your face, ready to envelope him in a small hug.

"Y/n! How are you? Has the Queen introduced you to more of the eligible ladies of the Ton?" Benedict chuckled, you following after.

"Not yet, but the night has just begun."

As you both conversed, you had failed to notice the woman that was approaching you both.

"Brother! You must help me!"

"What is it now Eloise?" Benedict rolled his eyes at his sisters hysterics.

"Mother is trying to set me up with some old wrinkly lord! The man can't even carry an intellectual conversatio-" She exclaimed.

"Eloise."

Benedict's warning didn't stop Eloise from her angry rambling, you thought it was endearing.

"Eloise!"

"Benedict, I'm being serious-" Eloise exclaimed, before stuttering and turning her head towards you who stood waiting patiently.

She looked between you and Benedict. "Benedict, who is this?"

Benedict smiled apologetically at you, but you simply dismissed it with a wave of your hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last Miss Bridgerton. I am Prince Y/n, one of the Queen's many nephews."

"Ah, yes. Lovely to meet you, yes." Eloise shook your hand exasperatedly and dragged Benedict away from you.

"You have that love-sick look in your eye." Your Aunt Charlotte ripped you attention away from the tiny intricate plate which sat in front of you. "I like it."

You peered at her from over your cup, watching the smirk on her face turn into a grin.

"So, my dear Y/n, who is making you feel like this?"

You set your cup down on the saucer, unimpressed. "Why does it always have to be someone?"

"So it is someone!" Charlotte clicked her fingers and ordered everyone out of the room. "Who?"

"I-" You wet your sudden dry lips before continuing. "I don't know if you would approve of her Auntie."

Charlotte reached over and grabbed your free hand which rested on the table. "I don't care who it is as long as they make you happy."

"She doesn't want to marry."

Charlotte's smile dropped.

"She certainly won't marry a Prince. Eloise Bridgerton will not marry me."

"Eloise...Eloise..." Charlotte said in thought. "She will marry you, with a little convincing.

She gave you a wink and exited the room, leaving you to shake your head in exasperation.

[villainofmyownstory]

Hi! I'm V (Villain or Vi) | she/her

!!!!!!!! 18+ only! MDNI (nsfw + dark content) !!!!!!!!

writing fat reader characters | my native language isn't English

WIP updated 07/30/24

Day Zero

apocalypse AU - ongoing - chapter 7

Simon "Ghost" Riley x plus size fem!reader

masterlist | taglist | AO3 | playlist

Ghost and his dog Riley regularly patrol the city. A man has his own routine, every day, for almost 2 years, has to look the same. The man knows that he cannot change his behavior because deep down he still feels that someone will answer his radio signal. He doesn't lose hope. However, exactly 730 days after "Day Zero", no one shows up at the transmitter mast. Just when you finally get there. You've been trying to get here for weeks, seeing a tower in the distance. You needed electricity, and the tower had a source of light every night. And so each of you, individually, still thinks that you are the only one alive.

______________________________________________________________

Three copies and some signatures

part 1 part2

Simon/Reader/(Johnny)

You and Simon are married. A deal, a contract made only to avoid being deported. However, not everything can be predicted, lies are slowly consuming everyone. You, Simon and his real partner - Johnny. Feelings are stronger than words written on paper.

______________________________________________________________

click 'keep reading' to see more of my works

Blurry

exhusband!Captain John Price x fem!Reader

ongoing - part 2

You visit your ex-husband, in your once shared home. The memories are painful. But only for you. Unfortunately, after that one bloody mission, John doesn't remember you. The memory of your life together, blurred in his mind.

______________________________________________________________

GIF by adultstim

part 1 Blindsided part 2 Anyone Else

for Cali’s Nameless Challenge

nameless COD member x fem!Reader

You can't get over the breakup and the fact that you were left alone. You keep coming to the place where you last saw him. To, perhaps, finally get some kind of answer. Some solace.

______________________________________________________________

Light years

oneshot #GhostChallenge

Simon “Ghost” Riley x android/hologram!Reader

Many decades of longing. A lot of years of waiting. Hundreds of light years away from an Earth that no longer seemed like a memory, but a fictional story. A fairy tale written by poets. Earth no longer existed, and life on Zeus 2 went on as if the years of intergalactic war had never happened. As if the destruction of most of humanity had never taken place. There were still a few people on the new planet who remembered their lives on Earth. A past that was a memory stinging under the ribs. A small personal utopia for the last living people. Paradise lost.

______________________________________________________________

Incapacitation

König x plus size fem!reader

| AO3

You and König contact each other every day. Literally, you talk all the time. As soon as you open your eyes you see or hear him. König accompanies you in every activity. But you are no longer together. Despite the distance between you, you still hope that he will come back to you. One day you find out that König has fallen in love with another woman. Something inside you breaks. Once again. You will not let him decide about his life again, not this time. You know better what is best for him. You know König very well. After all, you talk to each other all the time.

______________________________________________________________

Zultanite

Poly TF141 x plus size fem!reader

masterlist | AO3

After inheriting jewelry from your dearest grandmother and one visit to a fortune teller. Your life is changing. Not once, not twice…. but four times.

[quinny19]

He's kinda cute?

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Sampo x gn reader ( gender neutral)

Warning ⚠⚠⚠ n/a

haaa Tsundere reader?

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•

Another day has come and yet why does this annoying yet cute dark blue haired man always finds his way to annoying you and your day..

Sampo's expertise is tempting to seek out, or easy for someone else to approach him but becoming his "customer" can be risky. Knowing him he will just sweet talk the people and try to get away with whatever problems he has got himself into again.

you heard his voice calling you from afar

*please please don't follow me,* you thought as you try desperately to walk away from him but only for you to fail.

....

" are you joking me right now? "

Sampo snickered at her response, clearly amused by her reaction."Oh, I never joke about things when it comes to you "He said as he took a step closer to you.

his gaze locked onto you, not backing down even an inch.

You step back but only for him to step closer yet again

*he's too close!!!* trying to keep a straight face,trying not to show that he has a huge effect on you

He flashed a sly smile, his eyes full of mischief. " I knew I'd find you here... "

"how the hell did you know i was here?"

Sampo chuckled at your reply. clearly enjoying getting some sort of reaction out of you. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest."Oh, my dear, I know many things. Some might say I’m a master of observation." He smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief."And as for how I knew you were here... let’s just say I have my way,I can't just go telling other people my secret ya know~."

"Wow totally not creepy at all" giving a sarcastic tone at your voice as you look at him with a blank face.

"Oh, come on Y/n! I prefer the term ‘resourceful.’"He chuckled, clearly enjoying the conversation you two are having right now. "And speaking of resources, I have a question for you." Raising a eyebrow at him you said " and that is? "

Sampo pushed himself off from the wall, approaching you with a smirk still on his face."It’s quite a simple question, really. Just one question..."He paused for a moment, his gaze looking on you"Do you trust me?"

" what the heck is that sort of question?!"

*What the heck is he on about?! Wait wait is he asking me out?! Wait what?! Hold on a minute Y/n ! You don't have time for being delusional * *sigh I guess reading all those fan fiction is making me lose my mind*

Sampo chuckled. He took a step closer, now standing only a few inches away from you. "Because I have a proposal for you, one that might benefit both of us."

*gasp marriage perhaps!?* *aghh!!!! Y/n stop stop!!! Stop thinking about this thing he might take advantage of you!*

*sigh but he's kinda cute and funny and - *

*I said stop!*

"If you're gonna invite me to scam some poor people then I'm out " you reply , inside of you is screaming at yourself for replying a little rude to him

*my goodness Y/n atleast let him finish don't just go thinking the worst *

Sampo chuckled, amused by her feisty attitude."Oh, my dear, Y/n scamming is just one aspect of my craft. There's so much more to life than that."

*ok never mind*

He took a step back, a sly smile playing on his lips."No, I have something else in mind for you. Something that'll give you a taste of the good life."

*good life? Ahhh a married life with h-*

"Ahh yeah total not gonna steal something with you if Gepard finds out you will be so much trouble! You know that and it's not like I'm saying this because I care about you or anything! "

*i do care (╥ω╥`) about you sampo*

Sampo’s smile only grew wider at their response. He chuckled, clearly amused by Y/n's concern for his safety."Oh, my lovely Y/n. You're absolutely right, I would be in for some serious trouble if Gepard finds out. But that's part of the thrill and excitement, isn’t it?"He leaned in close, his voice lowering to a whisper."Besides, I know how to keep things in control , Gepard won't even know about what's coming hehehe"

"Nope I'm out". Walking away yet again not because you want to get away from him but not to show your flattered face in front of him

You look like a tomato from afar.

Sampo watches you walk away, disappointment momentarily flickering across his face. He lets out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest."Oh, come on, don’t be like that!" he calls after you. a hint of irritation in his voice.He takes a few strides, quickly catching up to you. He grabs your arm gently but firmly, preventing you from walking further away anymore

*he's touching me!!! It's like one of the romance novals where the other protagonist catch up to the main character and tell them 'i love you' *

*get a hold of your self Y/n!!!*

*Sigh* turning around you...

You Glared t him " let. Go."

.

.

.

.

*no no no (」ﾟﾛﾟ)｣ᴺᴼᴼ~ that wasn't I wanted to say!!!!*

Sampo meets your glare.

With q smirk, clearly enjoying the challenge."Now, now, no need to get so feisty."He doesn’t release his grip on your arm, his hand remaining firm but not painful."I can’t just let you walk away like that, especially after that delightful conversation we were having." What the heck is wrong with him

"Tch... To me more like a bug that's annoying me" crossing your arms

Sampo’s smirk only widens at the insult, the challenge sparking something in him. He steps even closer, invading your oh so loved personal space."A bug, hm? That’s quite the comparison. I’d say I’m more of a prince charming." He leans in closer, his voice lowering to a soft murmur."And you can’t deny that you find me intriguing, even just a little bit. I'm right am I? "

"I- I don't -" with a flasterd face now failing to hide the redness in your face

Sampo grins, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth banter. He leans in even closer, his face now inches away from hers."Oh, come now, don’t deny it, my dear Y/n. Your heart is racing, your cheeks are red. You can’t fool me."He brings a hand up, gently cupping your cheek."You find me exciting. intriguing in your own little way. Admit it~... " he said with a smirk looking straight in your eyes

"W- well I don't know what you are talking about!!! I'm going to buy some materials anyways for Pela, and don't follow me!" Walking away from him with how hot and flasterd you are feeling you can just imagine there might be a possible that steam will come on top of your head.

a mischievous shimmer in his eyes."Oh, you wound me so with your rejection, my dear Y/n .But I suppose you have responsibilities to attend to."He leans back against the nearest wall, crossing his arms."I won’t follow, for now. But I do hope our paths cross again soon. It’s dreadfully dull in this city without someone with your... flair."

*Why does he have to be so...so... CUTE!?

note : if there is any mistake pls tell me I'll edit them when I can ( •_•)つ

Y'all can send me request I'm open to almost anything just not NSFW idk how to write that or just gets red 🤣

Pls give a follow and 💗💗💗

[kattahj]

So, the OyeiCher proposal. Which sneaked by PhuphaTian in the semifinals for best proposal, and is now up against the absolute madness of TanBunn in the finals.

What is it that makes it so effective?

I mean, yes, there is some real-life context that gives the moment extra weight:

As many have pointed out, it is the first proposal post-approval of the marriage bill, and that's part of it.

Golf Tanwarin, the director, was one of the people who worked to get that bill approved, and that's huge.

Fluke Nattanon is an actual gay man (I don't know about Thor), who himself has the right to get married now,

But even if you stick to the fictional scene within the show, it's still a fantastic proposal, and a lot of it has to do with it being the proposal of a couple who are for all intents and purposes already married. They live together, work together, take care of Yak together. They're a team.

Within seconds of seeing the news, Cher says, "Let's register for marriage". Not "Will you marry me?" Not even "Let's get married. Let's register for marriage. Most proposals are about entering a new stage in the relationship. This is about confirming a step that is already there, has been there for years, probably.

Oyei reacts accordingly: "Why not?" Because there's no reason why not. No political reason anymore, and certainly not any personal reason.

Then Cher remembers that he is a princess, and a princess needs a proper proposal. (And he phrases it as "You've never proposed to me", even though he was the one who just proposed.)

So, right then, right there, Oyei gets down on his knees. He doesn't need any preparation to deliver a heartfelt speech to Cher; he feels it every day of his life, and we know it from the way these two look at each other.

Someone on Instagram said that Cher deserves a grand gesture, but what would that mean? Oyei cooking him a meal, giving him presents, carrying him to the bedroom bridal style? We've seen him do all of that already. There's no ring, Oyei probably can't even afford one, but that's not important. What's important is that these two, who have waited far too long, aren't going to wait a minute longer. It should have happened yesterday, last month, last year, but only now do they have the option, and they're grabbing it with both hands.

And that, to me, is so much more touching than any elaborate planned-out proposal could be.

(Sidenote: If this was a Western show, they would be so dead. Newly engaged side couple when there's trouble looming ahead? Ultra dead. And I am very grateful for the different set of tropes in Thai BLs that practically guarantees their eventual happy ending.)

[macsimagines]

Obsessed Ex!Kazutora Headcanons

(Sorry for the delay. I really tried to make this one good. Tell me what you think! Heads up this is completely fictional, and should not be read by anyone under 18, Minors DNI! -Ms.Mac )

TW: MURDER-SUICIDE, Stalking, Obsessive behavior, Violence mentioned, Blood mentioned, Possesive behavior, SUICIDE MENTION

Kazutora loved you, he needed you, he worshipped you. He made sure you knew that two weeks after dating...

He made sure you knew that after texting you when you changed your number for the third time.

He made sure you knew that after you ghosted him, moved, and he still showed up at your new apartment. How did he know where you lived?

He made sure you really knew it when he beat up the guy you went out for coffee with.

"I know you wanted your space, but fucking CHEATING ON ME!?"

Kazutora told you, professed it, screamed it, while the cops were dragging him away and you were asking an officer about a restraining order.

You're trying to think about where you went wrong... you suppose it was after your first date. The one where you ignored the giant red flag when he told you he had "Served time" as a dumb kid for dumb mistakes.

Honestly, you just felt so lucky a beautiful man like that had even given you the time of day. So you shrugged it off. Said we all have things were not proud of.

Maybe it was the time you had sex only a week after seeing each other...

He warned he was a virgin and didn't have much experience. That was fine! You didn't have a lot of experience either. You could learn together! Is that when he got too attached...

It could've been the fact that you ignored how hooked he was on sex all of the sudden. Wanting to do it as often as possible. Everyday.

But he was so willing to do whatever you wanted... He was so eager to go down on you, lapping away at you, whimpering about how good you tasted...

How he would fuck you was just amazing as well. Every roll of his hips, the way he held onto your waist to keep you at just the right angle, the way he would whisper "Like this, sweetheart? That's how you want it right baby?"

Kazutora was a quick study because he seemed to just know what you liked.

When you finally got the goddamn picture, when you realized it was too good to be true was when you jokingly had told him, after two weeks of knowing him, that having so much sex was bad for your poor little heart. Have some mercy on my poor back Kazu!

And he laughed, laid himself right on your chest and wrapped his arms around you. "I can't help it, Y/N! I love you so much. You're the best. You don't even care that I killed a guy."

You're mouth goes dry, and your skin gets ice cold. "Wha-what?"

"Oops, I guess it's two guys. But Baji didn't count. He said it didn't count."

The next morning you're running out of his apartment. You would've left last night if he hadn't been holding onto you like a lifeline. The last thing he whispered was "Your hearts' beating like a little bird. My pretty bird."

Unfortunately, your whole life has gone to shit since then. You don't have it in you to press charges against him. A friend of his, Chifuyu, begged on his behalf. Explained what had happened to Kazutora and how its shaped him.

He promised he would talk to him. Set him straight and make him understand that what he's doing is wrong, and that he needs to let you be.

And for whatever dumb reason you trust him. Like the stupid fool you are.

For a week that seems to work. It's like the guy has finally disappeared. Oh but he didn't. He just got smarter.

Chifuyu couldn't talk him out of loving you, no one would ever understand that you two are soul mates.

He just fucked up. He wasn't as up front and honest with you, or maybe he should have never even told you... He could have waited until after you were married.

Kazutora had gotten you the ring after the first time you two had sex. You were basically married that night. Spiritually bound.

You loved him. You had to. Why else would you take his virginity? Why else would you have accepted him!?

The guy has completely lost it. He's convinced you still love him, like he can hear your voice calling out to him. "Come get me, baby, I misse you~" That must be your soul crying out to him...

He grabs you the next night, when you're coming home from work. He's waiting for you when you walk into your apartment and grabbing your mouth before you can shriek.

Had duct-tape and rope prepared. He doesn't remember why he brought the knife...

After a struggle, stop fighting me, darling, I don't want to hurt you, he's got you nice and tied up... And in a white wedding dress.

Its then that you notice he's in a suit, wrinkled and disheveled. He even pulled his own hair back to try and look nice but he just looks downright insane. Bags under his eyes and this uneasy smile. The knife. Why does he have a knife?

Holding you from behind, sitting down on the floor, with candles and rose petal covering your whole room. He whispers; "I have a ring and everything baby," kissing your cheek and licking away your tears.

The knife. Its at your throat and held in shaky a shaking hand as he slips on the ring. "Got it after we made love that first night. You remember baby? 'Course you do. Best night of our lives, right? Well almost."

His hold on you get tighter, you can barely breath, "This. This is gonna be the best night. Our wedding night." The knife. It cuts your throat slightly, just enough to sting.

"If we had kids, that might'a been the best. But its ok. We're gonna have each other, baby."

The knife digs deeper. The pain isn't the worst part. Its that warm wet feeling dripping down your neck. Its the fact that the blood is choking you. That you can fucking taste it.

Your vision is getting blurry. You look at Kazutora and see that he's crying too. The knife. Its at his own throat now.

"Not even in death, will we ever part."

The world goes black.

[sayitdido]

lovesick ● txt

genre: pure angst

synopsis: ending of your relationship with txt

warnings: a curseword maybe, txt may came across really toxic but this is just fiction

yeonjun

you still wait at the restaurant he promised he would be on time to your date. why does everything have to have a flaw? everything has been going great with you and yeonjun. you are not the punctual type either but you never made him wait almost for two hours. his massages said he'll be there, just wait a bit longer for him but you start to pity yourself and feel the gaze upon you. everyone probably thinking you are pathetic. who waits for someone this long?

even though you were starving before your arrival, you completely lost your appetite. you keep ordering the damn water over and over again. you tell yourself to give these waiters huge tip after this.

when you finally see his siluet, you sigh in relief. finally, you think to yourself. he immediately starts apologizing the minute he sits down on the chair facing you. "yeonjun, i know you are busy but-" he interrupts "but what, baby? but if i loved you enough, i would make more time for you? we have been through this. i love you but there is things that i cannot control. and i am sorry" he is right. you have been through this. maybe even a millionth time. why keep bothering? the solution is right there but you both avoid to see. yet the only thing you see is that right this moment. you had it enough. you needed someone who can give you the care you give them back, not someone who is too busy for that.

without going further you say "it's over." you stand up and walk away to avoid confrontation. sweet old pangs of love waits for you, shouldn't you be on time?

soobin

you admired soobin for his ways to keep it calm. always finding ways to healthily communicate instead of starting a fight. choosing his words carefully to avoid hurting you.

but now you cannot recognize the man in front of you. the man you love, the man who is supposed to love you.

you became mute once you saw the tantrum he had just because you did a small mistake. unable to answer him or hear what he says because of the shock. he keeps screaming at you and all you can do is to take it. "you are so useless, Y/N! do you understand me, utterly useless!" how can the man you thought you knew turn into someone else just because you burnt the meal you wanted to cook for him to show him how much you care and love him.

his hurtful words cutting your heart like a knife, you can't help but start crying. "you cry now?! don't think that this will work on me. god, i had it enough! i always kept it to myself to all of those become just vain. i don't even want to see you anymore." his final words causing you to bellow, you watch him walk away. and you know it wasn't the heath of the moment, he was having this emotions for a very long time. you understand it now.

beomgyu

you and beomgyu used to plan thing to do together, always doing something more exciting each time. both of you loved it too much.

yet time has passed. first you started doing them less often, then someday completely stopped. but you loved chilling with your boyfriend. first it was also exciting since you always found a new topic or something to share keeping both of your brains stimulated.

but nowadays you two were more like an married couple minus the legal benefits of marriage and potential children but you loved it. you thought he did too. to be honest for a moment he did. at least this is what he says in the letter he wrote.

why couldn't he at least do it face to face? the letter says he is afraid to tell you something that would hurt or scar you. but doesn't the letter do the same? was he too bored of you that even the break up talk was too much for him? even though his letter is considerate, it does no good for your brain to stop repeating the sentence. "you are so boring, even for getting dumped."

taehyun

"Y/N, we need to talk." you feel your throat going sore. nothing good comes with these words. and what he says next makes your suspicions correct, taehyun is breaking up with you.

"there is no easy way to say this. but i think we outgrew each other. it is not like i hate you now but the attraction, the romance... i cannot feel those things with you anymore." the only thing you wanted was to run away after hearing those words. have you become less desirable looking? have your personality changed? what made him stop having feelings for you? you just say "why?"

"there is no 'why', Y/N. we just outgrew each other. time has passed and time changes everything. we don't need a reason to feel different." even though it all makes sense, it sounds nonsense to you. "is there anyone else you like? that's why?" you ask. "no, i promise there is no one now but that doesn't mean i like you."

you want to start a fight but his annoyingly calm attitude makes it impossible. "is there anything else?" you ask your final question. "no." he answers. and you both sit there for almost an hour before he excuses himself.

huening kai

you feel like your your boyfriend kai has been ignoring you. talking or texting you less and less day by day. yet he was always nice to you so you thought there was no problem.

at the end of the day he always says "i love you" that is all that matters. even though you crave for more, you are contented with what you have.

you cannot imagine a life without him so it is all okay that he is the way he is. you still love him.

and then today he decides to leave everything on read.

you: hi baby (seen: 07:35)

you: good morning (seen: 07:35)

you: what r your plans for today? (seen: 07:37

you: hey! how was your day? (seen: 16:42)

you: are you okay? (seen: 17:30)

you: why aren't you answering? (seen: 17:53)

you: did i do something? (seen: 17:54)

you: kai, you are making me worry. can you please talk? at least give me some dismissive answers if you don't wanna talk but don't do this to me. (seen: 17:59)

you: kai, please... (seen: 17:59)

you: please answer (seen: 18:0)

you: does this mean it is over? if it is not just text something (seen: 23:15)

you: anything (seen: 23:16)

you: like this? (seen: 23: 20)

you: you end it all like this? (seen: 23:20)

you are going to miss him. you are going to miss him so much. why did he do this?