#cause at the start of the question it was like 'joe was complaining about x' but by the end it was like 'because of y matt stopped'

[todayisafridaynight]

noooooo dude i just made it to The Eye Scene™ myself and i'm like. woag. i understand finally. then again i am a certified men-with-blood-on-their-faces liker so i don't know if i can strictly consider myself normal either

EYE SCENE GOOD INNIT ????????

[joesanrio]

Barbie Girl | R.R

Summary: “I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees” - Barbie Girl by Aqua

Pairings: Joe Anoa’i {Roman Reigns} x Nova (OC) || Established Relationship

Warnings: Dom!Joe, Sub!OC, kissing, pet names (Baby, Pretty, Doll), teasing, p-in-v (unprotected), creampie, cuddling, not edited

Word Count: 2178

Ratings: Fluff, Smut | 18+

———————————————————

One thing that Joesph loved doing more than removing my clothes seemed to be dressing me in whatever he wanted. I was his barbie, and he took full advantage of that, letting him pamper me whenever he liked. It was one of his favorite jobs after wrestling, of course. There was something so fascinating about me to him that I happened not to see.

“Baby, come here!” Joe called for me in the closet, getting up from the soft comforter of the bed to meet him. He holds up a white mini dress, admiring the soft fabric. He could already imagine how it was going to fit on my body, hugging all the right places, stopping at the perfect height, he couldn’t wait for me to try it on.

“Are you going to wear white too?” I ask looking at the man with questioning eyes, he hands me the dress with the velvet hanger eagerly. “I am now. So, stop asking questions and put it on, Pretty.” Joe taps my hips as he goes to leave me in the spacious closet alone (just standing at the door), my lips falling into their natural pout as I slip off my t-shirt.

Pulling the silk dress up my soft legs, it slips onto my shoulders with ease. Looking towards the man that’s leaning on the door frame with a small smirk on his pink lips, “Cute?” I ask doing a small spin. Joe nods before coming closer to me, his huge torso seeming to close in the once spacious closet into a small, confined space. “You’re always cute.” He smiles as he pulls at the silk fabric, tugging it down further as the fabric only stretches a bit past my butt.

Joe says nothing as he continues to look at my outfit that he chose. “I like this color on you.” His voice husky as he whispers the compliment to me, all I can do is smile as his closeness is causing me to panic. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be cuter if you back up.” I joke as I push him back by his chest, barely moving he grasps my wrist gently. “Then how will I see that little beauty mark right... there.” He teases as his long finger caresses over the beauty mark right above my left breast.

“You’re so annoying.” I pout as he lets go of my wrist in his other hand, he chuckles at my demeanor and turns to leave the closet. His back flexing as he walks away from me, biceps bulging as he crosses his arms.

Following behind him like a loss puppy, we end up stopping right beside our bed. “Novs, if our reservation is at 8:30 and its now 6:02, how long do we got, baby?” He asks sitting on the bed with his leg spread deliciously. Quickly calculating the time, he just burst into taunting chuckle at my concentration face. “Two hours and twenty-eight minutes.” I look at him confused, “So smart, come sit.” He smiles as he pulls me to straddle on top of his thick lap.

I feel the hardening bulge in his pants, “Joe! My dress, I can’t get it wrinkled.” I complain as he just looks at my lips without caring about the words coming out of them. “You’re too pretty to be complaining.” He says as his fingers trail up my thighs, lighting my skin on fire with need.

“Stop pouting.” Joe’s hand going to pull my chin to look at him, our eyes connecting and the lust in his eyes starting to spread throughout his whole body. Letting go of my chin, his eyes observing random parts of my face, I’m assuming the parts he loves the most. His eyes seeming to linger on my plump lips, Joe’s hand wrapping around my waist tightly to pull me closer. Finally breaking the daze, he guides his lips gently onto mine.

His mouth immediately moving into a slow rhythm, while his hands roam down to my ass, pulling and grabbing. Sends me into a frenzy, his lips soft against mine, trying to keep up with his intensity.

“You seem to want this, Pretty.” Joe whispers against my lips, before pulling me back in and dragging his tongue towards mine, letting me feel his warm tongue. Clinging onto his wide torso, pulling him closer by the nape of his neck. Joe doesn’t waste another second, his hands pushing my ass down to grind against his hips. “Please.” I moan out onto his lips softly.

He stands up holding me in his arms, before turning around and sitting me down on the bed. Before he pushes me down on our bed, he hovers above me, lingering his lips to tease me.

My need for them becoming worse with every second that passes, pushing my head upwards. Joe now beginning to grin over how greedy I’ve become. 

“You always this needy for me Baby?” His head coming closer to my face before quickly retracting when I go to kiss him. His lips form a smirk when my infamous pout forms on my lips from his teasing.

“You’re mean.” I whisper out as my minty breath fans his lips, my body not matching the words I speak as my hips buck towards his crotch. 

“Yeah?” He breathes out, dragging his hands from your thigh up to my waist. Joe doesn’t hold back, moving his hand in the front of my panties, cupping my core with a light squeeze. Gasping softly, I look down at his big hand that traces delicately over the fabric of my pink thong. 

“Quickie?” He mutters the suggestion as his eyes focus on the damp spot that’s spreading the more, he teases. Not realizing how my eyes are now closed as I take in his delicate touches.

“Stop teasing.” I mumble, before pulling him down into a kiss. I move my hips with the movement of his hand. Joe loves seeing me like this, all spread out and needy, bucking my hips out of control just because he has his hands on me.

He takes my answer as a yes, focusing on touching me. Groping him gently as I rub my palm on his hard on. Joe sighs against my lips, imitating my pace. Deciding to squeeze the large cock in my hand, earning a groan from

“So big…” I mutter against his lips as he smirks against mine. That’s his favorite thing to hear from me, the boost that it does to his ego is astronomical.

Joe drops his head on my shoulder and sucks my neck gently while fiddling with the edge of my thong to get underneath the fabric. He’s so smooth with it which is quite ridiculous. He pulls them off in seconds, one of his fingers touching my wet slit. 

“So wet pretty girl, fuck.” He nips at my neck, whispering in my ear. Following his movements, getting my hand under his briefs and feel the soft skin of his cock. As soon as my hands wrap firmly around it, he twitches in my palm. 

I begin to jerk him off, my thumb teasing with his wet slit as he moves his fingers on my clit causing me to moan. Again, we are in sync, moving against each other. The more Joe rubs down on my clit, the more I moan and whine against his cheek. 

The lust takes over inside the room, it is becoming so hot I might pass out. Joe’s big body hovering over mine, his body heat radiating off him sweetly. My body responds to every touch from Joe, bucking my hips uncontrollably under him while my hand has trouble jerking him off, too overwhelmed by the feeling creeping up in my core. 

“That’s it Nova. Shit!” Joe mumbles, picking up a bit faster pace, causing me to clutch my free hand tightly on his forearm. Trying my best to give him as much pleasure, stroking him at the same pace he’s touching my clit and wet core. 

It becomes too much, both of us moaning and gasping against each other’s lips, never stopping. The neediness shows when Joe pulls away from my touch to kick off his pants completely, then pulling my dress up in a hurry. Allowing me to finally take the time to breathe. 

Joe leans back into me all giddy, nothing beats seeing Joe naked. The details of every muscle in his thighs, his abs subtle but clear and vibrant chest. He’s hot, and the worst thing is, he knows how it affects me. 

He catches me staring too long, wanting to throw a cocky comment like he always does, but he holds himself back, needing nothing more than to feel me wrapped around him. 

Joe has complimented my body too much to be that cocky. Always talking about how I feel so good and warm that he’s trying his best not to finish after a few minutes. I didn’t believe him in the beginning of our relationship but with time he proved it. 

Joe hovers himself by my entrance, intertwining my my hands with his free one above my head, while his other holds his cock steadily. “You’re so sexy.” Joe smirks at my glistening folds. He rubs it against my slit, allowing me to feel the tip and sending the urge of need to consume my body.

I try to move my hips downwards onto his cock, but Joe stops me, and enters inside of me with ease. Since I’m so wet that he slides in easily. Joe almost loses his composure when he feels my walls surround him with warm heat, all wet and perfect.  

“So perfect- damn Baby.” He admits, groaning when he bottoms out, a gasp flies from my mouth at his thickness. He stills, looking at me for a second, until he starts thrusting. Now, something I love about his cock is, one it fills me up so nicely and two he manages to hit my g-spot with each thrust. 

It’s embarrassing how quickly he can make me cum when we fuck. “Oh- I love when you fill me up.” I moan out, harsh breaths leaving my lungs.  Joe on the other hand, loves it. He loves the feeling of when I clench around him with each thrust, the moans and small tears that fall from bliss all because of him. 

Moans just flowing from my mouth uncontrollably, “I literally love you so much. So so much!” My head falling back onto the pillow after my attempt to look at where he and I are connected. Joe letting out a taunting, breathy chuckle as he starts pounding into me.

Slapping noises being heard throughout the room as well as the sound of the headboard hitting the wall. “I love you.” He says happily, his other hand holding onto my hip. The grip on my hip tight, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Fuck… you gonna take it? Like a good doll, huh?” Joe’s head falls forward into my neck, letting his deep moans fan against the delicate skin. His grip on my hands that were held above me loosened, as he now uses both hands to grip the sheets on either side of my head.

He wouldn’t deny it if someone called him addicted, because he truly is. Everything about me makes him go into overdrive while he feels me tighten around him with each movement from his end. “

Joe’s hair begins to dampen at the nape of his neck, the room growing hotter with the way our bodies move in a pleasant wave. “Fuck! Baby please, I’m going to cum.” I cry out as his grunts get louder. My body tenses, back arching, every nerve in my body signaling for my release while Joe’s thrust never faltered.   

“Ah! Fuck, fuck—” I whine, as your body twitches once, my orgasm bursting through my entire body. Joe follows suit, his cock twitching inside of me as he fills my warm, tight walls up.

“Damn Pretty, such vulgar words coming from someone like you.” Joe breathes out, his cock still nestled inside of you while you both try and catch your breath. His hands caress over my cheek before placing a delicate kiss onto my swollen lips.

I can only hum back in response, my throat turning dry after being agape for so long. “I can always cancel the reservation.” Joe jokes making a sweet smile form onto my lips, “No, we still have time.” My eyes gazing into his.

Joe says nothing as he admires every little detail of my face, “You’re like a Barbie.” His whispers before placing a kiss onto my beauty mark above my breast.

“Then you can be Ken.” I giggle, his head shooting up from its previous position. “Oh, I was going to be him whether you wanted me to or not.” His hip doing a quick thrust making my body jolt. “Okay okay!” I smile before pulling him down to rest comfortably on top of me, still tight inside.

[dobiemart]

my chocolate wit' yo vanilla (ugh)

pairing, edward "eddie" munson, steven “steve” harrington, william "billy" hargrove, platonic!maxine "max" mayfield x reader

summary, different scenarios where the boys (and maxie pad) get their hair messed with

word count, like two or three maybe (900+ all together)

byr, tell a friend to TELL a friend... sheesss baacckkkk

i did write this with a black!reader in mind cause these are all things id id do to my white ass bf but anybody is welcome to read regardless

do ppl read st fics anymore?? i literally havent been able to open tumblr in like three months PELASEDFJS

warnings, eddie getting popped by the comb, steve getting damn near snatched off a stool, billy almost getting fought over his choice of words, prob ooc characters because i forgot how to write for them, pretty abrupt endings to each scenario, black shenanigans, etc.

⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ☆★☆★☆★☆★☆ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹

━━━ EDDIE MUNSON (pb. joseph quinn.)

"eddie, thats about the dumbest shit ive ever heard come from your mouth."

“no- hear me out, babe!” eddie tried to spin around and respond before you stopped him, quickly positioning his slender body back forwards. him, being the drama queen that could never make the lead in a play that he is, started to complain before you popped the side of his head.

“hey! what was that one for?!” he exclaimed in a whiny tone, reaching up to sooth the spot you'd hit with the comb. you kissed your teeth before moving his hand out of the way and resuming your section.

“i know damn well i told you to stop moving,” you said while coming through a knot, hushing eddie before he even started his whining mess. “maybe if you would sit and be still we wouldn't have this problem.” 

“you wound me, princess.” he said while tutting his bottom lip out, mocking a pout. he knew you weren't genuinely mad, but messing with you was always fun. even if he got his ass beat. “i thought my girl was supposed to treat me rig– ow!” he was cut off by a particularly harsh yank from another knot. 

“that’s whatcha’ ass gets,” you replied with a snicker, trying not to laugh too hard at the poor boy. “after all, you agreed to let me do your hair. since you wanna be all nosy bout' ‘how i do this’ and ‘what that product over there is for.’ whenever i have the patience to do mine.” 

you gestured all over the place with your comb as you went on about his questions and concerns, though, you noticed he didn't reply with the usual "you love it, anyway," or another snarky remark that made you love him impossibly more.

he instead opted to look up at you from his spot between your legs, gazing at you with nothing but pure adoration and love in his softened eyes. his calloused, overworked hands reached up to rub at the skin of your thighs gently, sighing as he embraced the feeling of your skin.

“i love you, baby. s’much. even if you're mea-- OW!"

━━━ STEVE HARRINGTON (pb. joe keery.)

“okay, babe! you don't have to yank it like that—” steve exclaimed, gripping onto the bathroom counter as to not fall off of the stool he was perched on.

you couldn't help but cackle at his reflection in the mirror, head being yanked back by the wig cap you were trying to shove his thick mop of hair under. 

“it's not my fault you got a big ass head! jus’ hold still so i can get it all up under there,” you barely got the sentence out without bursting out in laughter at your boy, a small smile catching on his face at your humor.

he eventually smacked your hands away and started to fix his hair underneath the cap by himself, insisting that you were gonna 'ruin his wave pattern.'

“i’m never losing a bet with robin again,” he murmured after you finished adjusting the cap around his head, noticing how much he actually needed his precious bangs. “especially if you’re in on it.”

you gave a shocked gasp and lightly slapped the back of his neck. “i’m being paid good money for this, so lose as many bets as you have to.” you continued while brushing out the pale blonde wig robin picked out for him.

you placed it on his head and tugged it around, causing him to grip onto the countertop again. you fussed with it until it looked decent enough, busting out into giggles at steve’s expression in the mirror.

“babe-- you didn't even do it right! give me this brush, you ain’t finna have me lookin’ all crazy like this–” he exuded sass while snatching the brush from your manicured hands and getting to work fixing up the hair.

all you could do was laugh while he frantically fixed some flyaway pieces and tried to messily give himself a middle part with his fingers, getting frustrated when it wouldn't come out jussttt right.

"there. now can i have those swirly hairs you do on your forehead? or a swoop? my forehead is not doing me any good right now," he asked while handing you back the brush, motioning what kind of baby hairs he wanted with his fingers.

man, was this boy a piece of work.

━━━ BILLY HARGROVE (pb. dacre montgomery.)

“ma, didn't i just tell you to sit down?” billy huffed while walking into the room, seeing you up and off your floor pillow.

you froze like a deer in headlights, followed quickly by max. you both had decided it would be a great idea to have a quick dance session to the smiths before billy got back, which had obviously been cut even shorter.

you both quickly returned to your respective spots on the floor with the most innocent looks you could muster. the silent energy of the room became too much for both you and max, causing you to look over at each other and laugh your asses off at billy’s ‘i’m not mad, just disappointed.’ posture. 

he huffed and shook his head before walking over to the couch, muttering a "always gotta be so damn difficult," before placing the basket of hair products he kept at his place beside him. he tapped the cushion between his legs, letting you know to scoot back. you dragged max back with you, making the girl giggle.

“i really don't know why you both decide to test every nerve i have at every given chance, yet here we are.” he started to fuss at the both of you, snatching your bonnet off, earning him a "hey!" along with a slap on the thigh. you heard max chortle from in front of you before you snatched her matching cap off, making her stop and snatch it back.

“first of all, you can't even say allat! you get on our nerves all the time. shut that tone down before we really get to it, sir.” you snapped back at billy, max following with a “yeah! it’s not our problem that you decide to be a fun vampire every time we do something,” 

he smirked to himself and replied with a hushed “be quiet and keep your head straight, an' watch that damn attitude.” before repositioning your bobbing head, getting into the first braid of many. you obeyed and started your own work on max's hair.

he gripped every thought and prayer you had in your scalp, making sure these braids were gonna stay in for the month. if you said it didn't hurt, you'd be a damn horrendous liar. you focus on giving max french braids, as to have something to stop you from tearing up at billy's technique.

it was quiet from that point on, minus the soft rhythm of ‘how soon is now?’ playing from the radio in the corner of the room. not that he would ever admit it, but billy loved these days. days where it was just the three of you in the house, all together, surrounded by nothing but love. the domestic feeling sent a feeling of warmth to his heart.

with you two, his unsavory household became a safe home.

⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ☆★☆★☆★☆★☆ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹

hi pooks

ive been gone for like 3 months cause of school and work and my dog babies and my bf and arruragrhsjfsujd;

BUT im trying to slowly get back into writing cause i still love to do it when i have the opportunity

idk what else to say but likes, reblogs, and feedback are all very appreciated <333

- a returning coraline! :)

© dobiemart 2022 — ☆

[13uswntimagines]

Our Song (Alyssa Naeher x Reader)

Request: alyssa naehex reader thats set during quarantine w/ “Shy” by Alexander Stewart. I just kind of think it’s cute since she’s an introvert and that it would be fitting

Author’s Note: Speical Thanks To @literaryhedgehog​

Alyssa knew she should just say it, that admitting it out loud would finally put an end to this madness. She ran a soothing hand through your hair when you sniffled loudly into her chest. 

God, she should just tell you how she felt. But, she also didn’t want to overstep. That would make being roommates really awkward. Especially since neither of you were supposed to leave the apartment right now except for essential purchases. And she didn’t want to lose her best friend. That would really suck. 

But she wasn’t afraid to say what no one else would- you had a terrible taste when it came to partners. You chose people who didn’t value you, and you always ended up hurt. 

This time was no different, well, it was slightly different considering you couldn’t leave your shared apartment to cope like you normally would. Alyssa didn’t know if that was better or worse, considering that you had adapted your breakup routine to just be endless cuddles with her and your favorite stuffed animal.  

She had already spent the last hour making comforting noises. You had stopped shedding tears 15 minutes ago, so Alyssa decided it was time to go for some humor. “Hey, so now you and Taylor Swift have something in common!”

“Hmm” You hummed in acknowledgment, your eyes never leaving where Supergirl was playing on screen. 

“Well, she was broken up with over text. You were broken up with over text. I think this is the perfect opportunity to listen to her re-recording of Fearless, and really channel those emotions!”

“No, Joe broke up with her in a 27-second phone call,” You lifted your head up off of her very comfortable chest to raise your eyebrow at the woman. 

Alyssa was a great keeper, and amazing at crosswords, but she always needed your help when it came to Taylor trivia. 

“Then Joe showed more consideration as an 18-year-old child than your 32 year old wanna be soccer star. It doesn’t change the fact that I think listening to Mr Perfectly Fine would be cathartic.” 

“It’s kinda funny that she wrote Forever and Always, Mr. Perfectly fine, Better than Revenge and Holy Ground all about the same guy, they’re all so different from each other,” You mumbled, settling back down on her chest. At least she didn’t say that you had as many breakups as she did. That was a rude joke. (One Alyssa wouldn’t dare make. She was more cultured than the media asshats that chased your team around). 

“Woman’s efficient,” Alyssa shrugged. “No reason why you can't recycle the same emotion into a different song genre.” 

“At least she could make millions off her pain. All I seem to be able to do is kick the ball harder,” You grumbled. Your landlord complained about you practicing in the street because of how hard you sent the ball careening into his precious brick wall. It wasn’t your fault Alyssa was too slow to stop the PK. 

“Darling, considering you’re one of the strongest kickers on the east coast, I’d say that pain is going to a worthwhile cause. But you do kind of have the worst taste in relationships.” 

“Hey! Savannah wasn’t a bad choice, just bad timing,” You huffed indignantly. 

“So that would be one out of…. How many bad relationships?” 

“At least one for every Taylor Swift album,” 

“Okay, here’s a fun idea, choose an ex for each album,” Alyssa said brightly. Thinking about music would definitely cheer you up. “Wannabe soccer star is obviously your Joe, so represents the Fearless album. Which relationship is your… Drew?”

“You already know the answer to that question,” you said, already picking up your phone to add Teardrops on my Guitar to the music queue. You then quickly added Forever and Always and started scrolling through Speak Now for the next song inspiration. 

Alyssa nodded. It was a well-known fact that you had a massive crush on one Hope Solo growing up, and you had been absolutely enamored with her the second you set foot into camp. But Alyssa also knew that Hope was very faithful to a certain veteran. 

The veteran keeper had tried to let you down easy, and Kelley was still one of your best friends, but it had hurt in the moment.

“Kristie was my Haunted,” you said, smiling slightly. Dating her felt like a whirlwind, one that took your breath until you never thought it would end. She made butterflies flutter in your stomach, and you were so desperate to say the right thing, to be the perfect partner, that you always felt like you were walking a tightrope. Floating on air, but desperate to keep your balance. “At least she had the decency to wait until we were in the same city to end it.” 

“Aren’t the two of you friends now?” Alyssa looked down at you, watching as you scrolled through songs from your comfortable place on her chest. 

You nodded with a small smile. “Hmm, we are much better off that way anyway.” 

“I bet you I can guess who your We are Never Ever Getting Back Together person is,” Alyssa trilled, reaching down to take the phone. 

You playfully snatched it away from her. “Who’s to say I wasn’t going to choose I knew you were trouble?” You raised your eyebrow at the woman, who simply smirked in response. 

“I can tell you who that is too if you like,” Alyssa reached for her own phone and took over control of the speakers, adding both songs to the music queue. 

“Alright, I’ll bite. Who?” 

“You definitely knew Sam Kerr was trouble, and I think it took you 4 breakups with Leah to finally call it quits,” 

“I was going to say Leah for 1989, it took me forever to realize how fucked up our relationship was after we finally broke up,” 

“I’m sure the distance didn’t help.” With her in London and you in Chicago things just kind of fell apart. 

“Maybe,” you hummed, noncommittally. 

“Okay, so for Reputation. I’m thinking Don’t Blame Me,” 

“You did go a bit crazy for Jane…” Alyssa said with a roll of her eyes. You had almost moved to Houston for that girl, thank god you didn’t. You sunburned like nobody's business. 

“Oh come on. You just didn’t like the idea of me moving. And considering how long we had been dating at that point it did make sense!” You argued. 

“It was 3 months Y/n,” She deadpanned. 

“I was in a wlw relationship. That’s like practically three years, it’s not like I brought a u-haul to our first date.” 

Alyssa quirked an eyebrow up at you. “Didn’t you have one of those the first time we met?” 

“Yeah, because I wasn’t moving into my college apartment without any furniture!”

“Whatever you say, babe. Who's your Folklore?” She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. 

“I think you skipped an album,” you said. This was weird because Lover was one of Alyssa’s favorite albums. “But, since you asked. I think Kelley is The 1.” 

“Ah, our favorite squirrel,” Alyssa’s lips ticked up. You and Kelley had dated in college (something that should have made her jealous), but Kelley was the one pushing her to admit her feelings now. 

“We were just too young and dumb,” you said, smiling. “We had a great time together, and it would have been fun if it worked out. But at some point we just realized, we were friends, but there wasn’t anything romantic there.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” Alyssa said, like a liar. 

“I’m not. Her and Emily are like made for each other,” You snorted with the shake of your head. “And at least she wasn’t afraid of the world knowing we were together,” 

“Well, yeah,” Alyssa smiled. She had loved seeing the way being publicly out with Kelley had brought out the best of you. “ Okay moving on! Next, we need to narrow down your No body, No Crime.” 

“I take offense. Alex is still alive, so that doesn’t count,” You huffed. 

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding. I know you didn’t kill any of your significant others,” Alyssa said, laughing. “Though if you listened to the song you would know that’s my job… ”

“Alex was my Champagne Problems,” You mumbled sadly. That relationship had been the hardest for you, as had the breakup. She was terrified of the world even suspecting she wasn’t straight. 

You had everything, except the freedom to be yourself, and In the end, you couldn’t take the hiding anymore. 

“You did your best, love. But people come out at their own pace. And it was before Obergfell v. Hodges was decided. Being queer was still more likely to be presented as a scandal in the media then.”

“She cheated on me with Serv. She doesn’t get a pass,” You grumbled, crossing your arms. 

“I’m pretty sure you were on a break dear,” Alyssa said, though she was inclined to agree with you. Being on a ‘break’ but not officially breaking up didn’t seem like a reason to start dating other people. Still getting over some of the semantics might theoretically help you move on. “BUT maybe we should move on. Who is your Lover?”

Your eyes squinted thoughtfully, a light pink shading your cheeks. “The only person who hasn’t ever left me is you. You let me leave the Christmas lights up until May and dance around the kitchen when you cook.” 

Alyssa looked away, not able to meet your eyes. ”I mean, the lights can change color, so they can be thematic all year. And you’re the one who chooses the music to listen to while I cook. I can’t help it if they’re all great for dancing.”

“You can dance to anything. I’m pretty sure you turned a Hosier song into a salsa dance last week.” You giggled. 

“The only person I dance with is you, Y/n,” Alyssa said, finally meeting your eyes. She could feel her body start shaking slightly, as the adrenaline kicked in. She was going to do it. She was going to tell you. “I don’t want to dance if I’m not dancing with you.” 

“I’d dance with you in a storm in my best dress,” 

“I have tried so hard to be supportive about your last several relationships. But seeing you dancing to your favorite song with anyone else… I’ve loved you for three years now and I couldn’t bear it.” 

The air was suddenly charged between you, and you realized your faces were just inches apart. It was hard to breathe. You never dreamed your best friend would return your feelings (maybe that’s why you had so many bad relationships). 

“Kiss me,” you breathed, slowly moving around so your heads were at the same level. 

“That’s not a Taylor swift Lyric,” Alyssa said. In her brain, there was a loading sign currently whirring in little circles, as she attempted to process what you just said. Did you mean what she thought you said?

“Baby just say yes,” You said, feeling so happy that tears were coming to your eyes. You leaned forward getting inches from her face, so close you could feel her breath hitch. “Please kiss me.”

“Yes,” was all Alyssa had time to say before she closed the distance and kissed you. 

[writing-the-end]

LoL Chapter 55- Hell’s Chosen

Masterpost

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU, designs, ideas belongs to @theguardiansofredland)

The hermits discover a dark past to their paladin knight, does this change their perspective of him, or will it save their unlikely ally? 

Warning: Some description of wounds (i think)

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All eyes were on Wels. Very few had a look of knowledge. TFC, for one. But Tango’s visible confusion gives way to a much softer, quieter version of the hellfire wizard. “Helsknight? You mean the marauder from years ago? But he died.” 

“You’re right, he did. And I killed him. I buried him so deep inside me, and vowed to do whatever I could to be a better man. When Helsknight died, Welsknight was born.” Wels’s fingers are tight in the bloodstained fabric, knuckles turned white as he’s forced to relive, to speak of his dark past. 

“No no no no. You’re joking, right?” Doc shakes his head. Even he feared Hell’s chosen knight. Wels can’t possibly be that same person. Wels, a quiet, collected paladin with the heart of gold and courage of a lion. “I mean...no one ever told the story of Helsknight with a tail.” 

“Less limbs to get cut off if it’s protected by armor.” Wels points out, flicking the lionesque tail. “You want proof? What was the last time anyone ever saw Helsknight?”

Doc cocks an eyebrow, then waves his hand. “Hels and his band of bad guys attacked one of Ventus’s- the God of Judgement- temples. But the attempt was failed, and Helsknight himself was left behind as he bled out...from his neck…”

The entire group stares as the scar that Wels reveals, running from his collar to his clavicle. TFC doesn’t stare like the others. He’s known all of this the whole time. Tango shakes his head. “But you’re nothing like Helsknight. He murdered and killed for fun, to cause chaos and bring hell onto Lairyon. Wels, you’re…” 

“A changed man. Just like Apatia can be- if you give him the chance. Like the woman who healed me did, like X and TFC. Tango, if you don’t let Apatia give his chance to change and rectify what he can, then you can’t let me be any different. You can’t be a hypocrite and pick and choose.” From between Wels and Tango, Apatia groans. The blood has stopped, Ren’s work healing leaving a sloppy open wound behind. 

Apatia was pale, paler than he already was. Almost the same color as Grian, as the latter continues to recuperate from the torture he faced. But unlike Grian’s shallow, soft breaths, Apatia’s runs ragged and harsh. His jaws are clenched, fighting off the pain. With the remaining bandages and healing salve, Wels wraps up the stump of Apatia’s tail fin. 

Tango and Doc are still quiet, trying to comprehend the news that’s been delivered to them. It all makes sense, but their eads still struggle to put the two completely different personas together. As if they’re different people all together. 

Everyone knows who Helsknight is- was. He appeared as if from nowhere, like a demon spawned straight from hell. And immediately, he began reeking havoc. His band of villains attacked and raided. They were more than just some lowly bandits, or even a mafia. Helsknight was a villain, killing without mercy, without remorse, and without discretion. It wasn’t until their botched attack on that temple that ended the reign of terror that Hell’s chosen knight left on Lairyon. Just as quickly as Helsknight appeared, he faded into nightmares and horror story. Kids were told to watch out for the knight with one eye, because he’d pluck out their own to replace his. 

But Welsknight? He’s calm and collected, if a bit snarky. Even when battling even the husks, he always hesitates to strike a killing blow if there’s a potential to save the life instead. Wels is jovial, and a great baker, and tells great stories. Sure, he’s a great knight, but Tango once saw Wels cry over a dead fish he found at the beach. He’s a paladin, not a barbarian. 

Helsknight supposedly died years ago. Welsknight joined the hermits a few years back. Though there’s a span of time in between the day Lairyon celebrated the defeat of Hels and Wels following TFC back to Eremita, it begins to all make sense. There's a reason why Wels never talks about his past. Never visits home. Never explains how he got many of his scars.

Like puzzle pieces, it all falls together and paints a picture. Doc’s jaw clenches. As much as he hates to say it, or even think it, Wels is right. If a monster like Hels can become the man before Doc today, then maybe, just maybe , theres hope for Apatia. 

So long as he lives. The hermits are so focused on Apatia, their argument on whether he should live or die, no one notices Grian rouse from the darkness that still grips him. No one noticed the sky open up, both in Grian’s eyes and the sky beyond the windows. No one notices him weakly clamber out of bed, nearly falling flat on his face, and walking over to join them in the group. 

“What are we on about?” Even when he speaks up, the other hermits are so used to his voice that it hardly registers. 

“Welsknight was once helsknight, and whether we should save Apatia’s life or not.” Tango shrugs, his red eyes glaring down at Apatia with distaste. He still hates the man, but at the same time… they’re supposed to be the heroes. 

“As your resident healer, I think we should. But...I’m not sure why he’s here in the first place.” Ren looks up, realizing who is speaking, and scoops Grian into his arms. His tail wags loud and heavy, banging against the other hermits with every oscillation. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, my dude!” Ren only sets Grian down when TFC reminds him that Grian is still working towards regaining his life, his color. He’s still slightly unsaturated, his skin missing the tint of pink, the red of his robest boarding the color of dried blood. Ren sets Grian back on the bed, trying to force the angel to rest. But now that Grian’s awake, he’s ready to cause trouble and start his day- even though he has no clue what time it is. 

“What’s going on? I...I don’t remember much. When did you guys save me? Why is Apatia here? How did you find me?” The questions fall like rain in a storm, impossible for the hermits to catch every last drop. 

It’s TFC that manages to slow the downpour. “Hold on, hold on Grian. Why don’t we start from the beginning? We’ll fill you in on everything, in time.”

----------------------------------------------------

All the hermits, once again under the safe canopy of the massive oak tree in their guild hall. Grian is wrapped in a warm, soft blanket- knitted by Stress- and a mug of warm apple cider rests in between his pale hands. “I can’t believe you guys came for me.” 

“Of course we were gonna save you, Grian.” Scar practically laughs at the mere idea of leaving him behind. But for Grian, who’s been kicked out of so many guilds for his troublemaking, it really shows how much they care. 

A rumble of agreements follow, and after a few more minutes of quiet comforting, it’s Grian himself that changes the subject. “Dolios is getting more powerful by the minute. I could feel all the energy flowing through those leylines, into him and that monster, Eurynomos. We can’t delay this any longer. Dolios has to go down.” 

“But we don’t even know how. We can destroy as many crystals as we want, but he’ll just keep making more. He has more power than a bunch of lowly mercenaries. He even beat Apatia, one of his own Councilmembers. One of the strongest guildmasters in all of Lairyon.” BDubs points out. Everyone goes silent as they remember the man in their infirmary. The stranger- he’s not a hermit, yet he’s among them. 

Grian looks up, pale face and hollowed eyes alarming for the hermits. He hardly looks to be among the living, but less like a dead man walking like he was before. “Xisuma, your brother mentioned something about the ancient ones. DO you think there could be a clue for us there? In the past?” 

X sighs, leaning back in his chair as he considers the question. “If the answer to ending Dolios’s dark reign truly lies in the past, then we’d have better luck finding the answer ourselves. Thousands of years, eroded by time, by kingdoms and cultures rising and falling, not to mention the disappearance of the ancient ones. There’s a reason ancient magic is dead- because none of the books teaching it survived.” 

“There’s one person we know who has studied the ancient ones for years.” Joe’s voice cuts through the crowd, looking around. Every other hermit is lost and confused, but Joe can see the mixed emotions raging in Xisuma’s eyes. “Besides Ex can take care of the island, of Apatia while we’re searching.” 

“Ex chose to leave Eremita. Why in gods’s names would he want to come back, to help us?” X growls. 

“Because he’s your brother. He helped us save Doc. He’s been helping us, helping all of Lairyon- in his own weird, Ex way. He’s not the villain here, he’s your brother.” 

X clenches his jaw. The scar over his eye burns at the memory of their fight. The words he said to his brother, and the worst responded in kind. Xisuma still received letters from Ex, but he only opened them when Cleo’s cider had clouded his better judgement. And he never responded. 

But he also remembers the moment, after years estranged, he laid eyes upon his twin brother, crammed into the bookstore he was running. The moment of relief, of happiness to see Ex alive and well. Their identical faces, like mirror images of one another. His hair pure white, like the bright sun in the sky. Even now Xisuma remembers how often he’d complain he could always find Ex hairs on his clothes. 

And that Ex helped them save Doc. All these years fighting, Xisuma can’t believe he’s going to be the one to concede defeat. But for the fate of Lairyon, he guesses he has to. He pulls off his mask, turning it over in his hands, running a thumb over the scratched out symbol. He swallows his pride, and stands. “I’ll get the letter to Phoebe. What’s one more stranger to the island?”

[cocastyle]

Robin — THREE

Pairing - Joel Dawson x reader

Word Count - 4,800

A/N - another update for you all! I just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback I have received on this series already! I love seeing people get excited for my writing snd it literally makes my day!

if you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know!

R O B I N

Robin Series Masterlist

⭒❃.✮:▹ THREE   ◃:✮.❃⭒

There was something different about letting her feet hit the soil under the circumstances she was currently in. Y/N was used to coming out every once and a while with the hunting team, but this. . .this was different. She wasn't about to stay near by and hurry back to the bunker before the hour was up. No, she was free. She could go wherever she wanted. She could go beyond the 'walls' that the hunting team had established.

And there was no better feeling than knowing all of that.

Y/N looked around with a soft smile playing at her features, closing her eyes for a moment to soak in the sunlight before opening them again and letting out a sigh of content. She turned to Joel after that, her smile only growing at the sight of the boy taking in his surroundings.

The girl had almost forgotten that her best friend hadn't stepped foot on the surface in seven years. Joel looked around as if he couldn't believe he was actually outside and Y/N chuckled softly as she watched him inhale deeply through his nose, his face all scrunched up in a way that she could only find adorable.

Joel's eyes shot open at her laughter, playfully glaring at the girl who just smiled before gesturing towards the map in his hands. "Where to, boss?" Y/N asked.

Joel stared at her for a moment, smiling softly at the way her eyes were squinted in his direction, her hand attempting to shadow her eyes from the sun. The boy cleared his throat and looked away, his hands fumbling with the map which he quickly opened.

Y/N walked over to his side, her arm resting against his shoulder while the two both looked at the paper with looks of concentration. "Where are we?" Joel muttered, his eyes flickering over the map confused. "Well, it's not super useful."

"Don't say that. Look right there. It says avoid that area because our lives depend on it. That's useful," Y/N tried to argue. "Besides, it's the best we could do with such little time since someone decided within a span of five minutes he was leaving the bunker for the first time in seven years."

Joel shot her a look and the girl just winked at him. Letting out a small sigh, Joel began to fold up the map before saying, "You've gone on hunting trips before. Which way should we go?"

Y/N was silent for a moment as she looked around, her finger gently tapping against her lips while she surveyed the area. Finally, she looked to Joel, the boy responding with a smile for they were finally going to start on their journey. However, it quickly disappeared as she said, "I have no clue."

"What? Robin," Joel complained.

"Joel," Y/N mimicked while the boy sighed and scratched his head.

"How do you not know? You've been out here plenty of times," Joel pointed out.

"Yeah, but Connor was always the one with the compass," Y/N explained, her voice softening a bit at the mention of her friend before she hardened and looked up at the boy. "And seeing as that compass is in a decapitated monster's stomach, I don't think I'm going to be very useful."

Joel sighed before looking around again, nervously biting his lip as he tried to decide which way was the best to go. "Okay, well, you know what? We know we gotta head west, right? Well, let's just. . .do that," Joel muttered.

"Wow. I never would've thought of that one," Y/N snorted earning a small glare from the boy.

"I could really go for some non-sarcastic advice right about now," Joel told her while the girl chuckled. "Come on, Robin. Which way should we go?"

"I'm telling you, Joel, I have no idea. Just chose a direction and we'll go with that, okay? I'll follow you whenever you go," she assured him, her words making him still for a moment before he let out a shaky breath and looked around.

"Start with something easy," Joel muttered before finally gesturing one way. "West," he declared before beginning to walk that way, Y/N trotting along behind him.

However, they didn't go every far before Joel was turning on his feet, his hands grabbing ahold of Y/N’s shoulders to turn her around and push her back in the other direction. "Nope, it's this way," he said. "West is this way."

Once again, they didn't get far before Joel let out a sigh and came to a stop. Y/N stopped as well and looked to her best friend as he glanced around. "Shit," he muttered making the girl laugh. Joel glanced her way and the sight of her smile mixed with the sound of her laughter was enough to make him chuckle too.

"Shut up," Joel laughed, gently punching the girl's arm while she just smiled his way. His heart skipped a beat at the action and Joel had to look away, his smile not as bright but still gracing his face. "Split the difference," he finally decided as he gestured forward. "We'll go this way. Done. First decision made."

Y/N cracked her neck before hopping into place beside Joel. The boy looked to her in amusement and she just flashed him that smile of hers.

"Let's do this."

- - -

Dear Aimee,

I am doing it. I'm really doing it!

Honestly, I thought it'd be way worse too. So far, it's not too bad.

Robin makes it easy. She fills the silence with some stories of past hunting trips she's been on. Not really what I want to hear while walking through the very place that holds all the monsters she's talking about. But it's kind of impossible not to get lost in the way she tells a story. She just gets so excited and there's this sparkle in her eyes that makes you want to listen to her talk forever.

We've seen a lot of signs of death, but no actual death, so cross your fingers.

Trying to stay positive. Weather's nice. Getting some fresh air. Spending time with my best friend.

What else can I tell ya?

- - -

"You should've seen the look on Tim's face," Y/N told the boy, her body shaking with laughter as she flashed a smile Joel's way. "But how was I supposed to know that cutting off the monster's head would make bile shoot out of the hole and onto him?"

"Gross," Joel laughed, shaking his head at the girl who just chuckled at the memory. "That's why Tim came back one day and showered for like an hour."

"Yeah. And then everyone got mad at him because he was using so much water," Y/N said earning another round of laughter from the two as they walked through a bus graveyard they had stumbled upon a few minutes prior.

A comfortable silence fell among the two at that point, small smiles still on their faces as they walked through the tall grass and looked around. "Oh," Joel muttered, his arm shooting out and in front of the girl as he slowly backed away from one of the buses. "Watch out. Monster eggs."

Y/N looked at what he was talking about and grimaced before looking around them. "Where do you think the monsters that came out of those eggs went?" she questioned, continuing to glance around while Joel went behind her and began to push her forward.

"I don't really plan on sticking around to find out," Joel admitted, pushing the girl the rest of the way out of the bus graveyard before joining her by her side once again as they approached what seemed to be the remnants of an old neighborhood.

"I wonder what our houses look like now," Y/N muttered, her gaze on the house in front of them that was overrun with vines and other greenery. "You think our things are still there?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe," Joel said, but his gaze was on the ground where he could see something red sticking up off the grass. He bent down to pick the object up, a small smile appearing on his face as he wiped off the grass and realized that the object was a frisbee. "Cool," he muttered causing the girl to look his way. His eyes flickered over the faded lettering as he whispered, "Wham-O."

The words had no sooner left his mouth before the familiar screeching of a monster filled the air. Y/N reacted without hesitation, her hands flying up to grab her katanas which she had by her side within a second.

"No," Joel whispered, the disappointment of already running into a monster after not even a full day on the road almost as strong as his nerves. He subconsciously took a step closer to Y/N who was still holding her katanas up in the air, her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the area.

"We should find somewhere to take cover," Y/N finally said after realizing the monster wasn't as close as she had initially thought.

"Run and hide," Joel remembered, nodding his head slightly. He looked around for a moment before gesturing towards the house. "Hide in the house. Hide in the house."

Y/N stuffed her katanas back into their sheaths before grabbing ahold of Joel's hand. "Come on," she whispered, dragging the boy forward while he quickly stuffed the frisbee into his backpack.

They hurried to the house as quickly and as quietly as possible, only letting go of each other's hand once they reached the door that was wide open. Knowing there wasn't much room to work with the katanas inside, Y/N reached for her crossbow instead. Joel did the same and the two shared a look before slowly creeping inside.

Y/N moved towards the kitchen, her crossbow up as she looked around. Joel was behind her and she didn't pay attention to him until she heard him begin to open something up. Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned around in time to see him opening up a fridge.

A loud screech filled the air and Joel slammed the door shut before backing up as quick as possible, Y/N moving to his side with her crossbow aimed at the fridge. She momentarily glanced towards Joe who gave her a nervous smile before whispering, "I think the food's expired."

Y/N rolled her eyes at that, but her lips tugged up slightly in amusement before she slowly nudged the boy out of the kitchen. Once they were out, the two took off towards the back door and into the backyard.

They both hesitated in the middle of the yard while looking to the house to see if the monster had ended up following them. Luckily, it didn't seem to have left the fridge, so Y/N let out a small sigh of relief and returned her crossbow to the hook on her backpack.

"Pro tip about surviving monsters," Y/N began, glancing towards Joel who looked her way. "Never look in a place they could be hiding."

"But that was a refrigerator," Joel argued, his eyes wide.

"Especially refrigerators," Y/N retorted before turning and beginning to walk away. Joel stood there dumbfounded as she left, trying to process why refrigerators would be such a big hiding spot for monsters.

A bubbling sound seemed to snap the boy out of his thoughts and he furrowed his eyebrows before glancing to his left and at a small pond. He could see small bubbles rising from one area and he let out a shaky breath before whispering, "R-Robin?"

"Yes, Joel?" Y/N asked, turning to look back, but she froze at the sight of Joel staring at the pond where not one, not two, but three eyes had popped out of the water to stare at him.

The two were frozen in place as a monster began to emerge from the water. It looked as if it were the mutation of a frog, it's body similar to the amphibian, just larger, grosser and with more eyes.

"Joel," Y/N whispered, reaching up to grab her crossbow. "Back up."

The boy didn't respond, a look of stunned terror on his face as he slowly reached for his crossbow as well. His eyes were filled with tears as he looked at the monster, his throat constricting at the thought of this already being the end.

"Joel," Y/N insisted, but it was too late. The monster's tongue was already shooting towards the boy, but something flew across the air and knocked him out of the way just in time.

Y/N didn't have time to look at what jumped at Joel and reacted quickly, pulling her crossbow out as fast as she possibly could and firing at the monster without hesitation. The arrow managed to land in one of the monster's eyes and it let out a roar that made both Joel and Y/N’s eyes widen in response.

"I think you made it mad!" Joel yelled causing the girl to look his way for the first time. She faltered slightly at the sight of a dog standing atop his chest.

"Is that. . .a dog?" she questioned, her eyes wide with shock.

"Robin!" Joel exclaimed, his voice bringing her back to reality in time for her to dodge the tongue attack that was now being thrown in her direction. The dog ran towards the monster without hesitation, putting itself between Y/N and the creature as it barked.

Joel was on his feet in an instant and attempted to run towards the girl who was trying to pull herself up onto her feet after having the air knocked from her lungs. However, he didn't get far before he was thrown against the wall by a hit from the monster's tongue. He landed with a loud groan, but quickly sat up as he felt something grab ahold of his leg.

"No! No, no, no. No!" Joel cried out as he recognized the tongue of the monster which had wrapped around his ankle. He felt a small tug and began sliding across the ground, a yell escaping his lips as he began picking up speed. He was just about to reach the fallen tree in the yard when he felt a hand grab ahold of his own. Joel's eyes flew upward and he yelled out, "Y/N!"

Y/N had her jaw clenched in concentration, her hand holding on tightly to Joel's as she propped her feet against the tree trunk in order to keep them in place. They could hear the dog barking in the background, but it sounded muffled over the sound of their beating hearts and their own voices.

"Robin," Joel cried, his eyes filling with tears as he brought his other hand up to desperately latch onto hers.

"I gotcha," Y/N assured him. "You're okay." However, it seemed she spoke too soon because the edge of the trunk broke and Y/N suddenly fell forward, the two now sliding across the ground together but with some resistance since the girl was clawing at the ground.

She managed to hook her hand into a small hole in the ground and glanced back at Joel who was yelling in fear before she attempted to look around. Y/N’s eyes landed on the dog that was still barking at the creature and then she looked at the monster before letting out a sigh.

"Joel, you gotta trust me on this, okay?" Y/N asked, her words making the boy look up at her confused.

"Trust you on what?" he replied, but then she was letting go of his hand and Joel began screaming as he reached for the fallen tree.

Y/N rolled up onto her feet before pulling her katanas out of their sheaths. She ran past Joel who was still sliding across the ground towards the monster and ran at the monster at full speed.

The dog must've realized she was attacking because it ran to Joel and bit into the monster's tongue right as Y/N launched herself into the air and sliced the katanas across the monster's face. The monster roared in pain and anger, it's head thrashing to the side and hitting Y/N with so much force that she went flying towards the fence.

However, during the monster's pain and anger, it had managed to let go of Joel who scrambled to his feet. He ran over to Y/N and was quick to help her up, the girl wincing slightly and shoving her katanas back into their sheaths before shaking off the pain once she noticed the monster attempting to pull its way out of the water.

"We need to go!" Joel exclaimed, his arm wrapping around Y/N before the two ran through the hole in the fence and after the dog. They managed to make it through the hole moments before the monster went crashing through the fence and Joel held onto Y/N tighter as they ran, both of their breathing ragged as they followed the dog to who knows where.

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Joel yelled after the dog who continued to pick up his speed. "Where are you going?"

"He's not going to answer you!" Y/N yelled before watching as the dog ran into an old bus. "There!"

Joel followed her gaze and was quick to pull her that direction, his arm still wrapped around her waist all the way there before he shoved her through the door first and hurried in after her.

The dog closed the door right behind them and Joel looked at the dog impressed as he whispered, "Whoa. Whoa, that was so cool."

They could hear the faint sound of the monster growing further away and it was only when it was gone that they finally moved. Letting out a small sigh of relief, Y/N leaned back against Joel who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let his head rest against her own.

"We're alive," he whispered.

"Barely," Y/N muttered, the two letting out shaky breaths as they attempted to slow their breathing down.

Once they had managed to calm down some, the two let go of each other and looked down at the dog. Furrowing her eyebrows, Y/N took a step forward and looked around. Inside the bus was a makeshift home of sorts, complete with a bed for both a person and the dog, clothes, some belongings, and numerous crafts lining the inside as if someone had spent the last seven years making nothing but decorations.

"Nice place," Joel commented, looking to the dog who was now laying on his bed. "Can we sit?" The dog glanced at him and Joel looked to Y/N who shrugged. The boy watched the dog hesitantly and made a move to sit down. When the animal didn't show any sign of disagreement, Joel fully sat down. "Thanks."

Y/N walked over as well, but she kneeled down in front of the dog who looked to her with big round eyes. "Hey there, buddy," she whispered, carefully holding her hand out. The dog looked to her hand and leaned forward, sniffing her fingers for a second before licking them. Smiling, Y/N reached forward and let her fingers brush through the dog's hair. "Thank you for saving us back there. Where did you come from, huh? You got a master coming back soon?"

"Robin," Joel whispered. The girl hummed in response and looked his way only to find the boy pointing towards some dishes that looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in a really long time. Y/N instantly put two and two together before looking back at the dog who was leaning into her touch as she scratched behind his ears.

"You all alone?" Joel asked, his eyes flickering over the dog before finally looking at Y/N who he couldn't help but smile at as he watched her interact with the animal.

The dog leaned back at Joel's words and Y/N sighed before standing up and sitting down beside Joel on the bed. "Yeah, us too. I mean, we have each other, but. . .you get what I mean," Joel explained while Y/N smiled softly and placed a hand on top of the boy's.

Joel smiled back and flipped his hand over in order to hold her hand and give it a small squeeze. Feeling content with the comfort his best friend provided him, Joel began to look around until his eyes landed on some graffiti on the bus that read 'Boy.'

"Boy?" he questioned, the name instantly making the dog sit up. Joel and Y/N both shared a look before Joel looked back to the dog. "Is that your name? Boy? Your name is Boy." The dog continued to look at him and Y/N smiled softly as she leaned against Joel.

"I'm Y/N," she said. "But this one right here calls me Robin."

"And I'm Joel," the boy spoke up. "But people call me Batman."

"They do not," Y/N snorted making the boy pout.

"No one calls you Robin," Joel tried to argue.

"You call me Robin," Y/N pointed out.

Knowing he was defeated, Joel looked back to Boy before nodding at the dog. "Nice to meet ya," he said. "Like Robin said earlier. . .thanks, uh. . .thanks for saving my life, Boy."

Boy lowered his head and Y/N just watched the dog with a small smile while Joel used his free hand to pick up a red dress that was lying on the makeshift bed. "Is this a dress?" he asked. However, the words had barely left his mouth before Boy was up and pulling the dress from his grasp.

"Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Sorry," Joel said as Boy ripped the dress away and laid back down on his bed with the dress next to him. "Okay, I won't touch it again."

Y/N let her eyes flicker over Boy, frowning slightly as she realized the dress must've belonged to his owner. Thinking the same thing, Joel asked, "Was that your owner's?"

Boy didn't move and Joel glanced towards Y/N. "It's okay," Joel assured the dog. "You don't have to talk about it. Sorry."

"Did you. . .did you think one of us was her?" Y/N asked, thinking back to the way the dog had grown so protective of them. Boy didn't look at them, but he didn't have to. Y/N was pretty sure he had thought one of them was his owner coming back to him.

"I'm gonna lie down too," Joel said, letting go of Y/N’s hand to pull his backpack off. "Is that o—" The dog looked his way and Joel slowed his actions down. "No, it's okay. Just my backpack." Boy laid back down and Joel let out a small sigh as he set the backpack down. However, he paused as he glanced towards Y/N and it registered in his head that there was only one bed.

"I forgot there's only one bed. Here, you take the bed," Joel told her, already beginning to get up. "I'll just lay on the ground."

Y/N rolled her eyes and reached up to grab the boy's wrist. Joel hesitated and looked back at her while she just gave him a small smile. "We've been best friends for years, Joel. Just shut up and lay down with me," she told him. "Don't worry. I won't bite."

Y/N then gave him a small wink and stood up to take off her backpack and katanas, not noticing the way Joel's cheeks reddened slightly. Although, he wasn't completely sure why that was happening either.

With the bed obviously only being made for one person, the two both had to lay on their side. Joel got on first and leaned all the way back against the far side before opening up his arms. Y/N got in next and laid beside him, the boy freezing as she laid down before he put his arm down at his side not daring to hold the girl like he found himself wanting to.

Y/N was glad Joel couldn't see her face for she was sure she had a slight frown on her face at the fact that he hadn't even wanted to hold her. However, her thoughts were pushed aside as she felt the boy gently nudge her before pointing towards the ceiling where they could see a stuffed dog and girl pinned up next to each other.

"You know," Joel said, glancing over at Boy, "I had a girl, too, once. I mean, I have Y/N, but I'm talking about a different girl. Think you would've really liked her. Yeah, you guys would totally get along. She—She loves dogs. I mean, all animals. She's a big animal lover."

Y/N closed her eyes as the boy began to ramble, especially thankful for not having to face the boy as she listened to him talk about Aimee. Usually she was able to ignore what he was saying, but something about being this close to him, close enough that she could feel his warmth and the way his breath fanned against her neck, and having to hear him talk about another girl was more painful than ever before.

"I haven't seen her in seven years," Joel muttered after a moment of silence. "Long time. That's why I'm trying to go find her. I haven't told anyone this, but I'm kinda nervous about it."

Y/N opened her eyes at that, her face softening at the boy's words. It seemed Boy was touched by his words as well because he got up and plopped down right beside their bed, the dress still in his mouth. He closed his eyes and Y/N smiled softly before reaching down and petting the dog one more time.

"Goodnight, Boy," she whispered, Joel repeating her words while the dog let out a small whine before going to sleep.

A silence filled the room after that, but Y/N knew neither of them were able to sleep. She waited for a moment before whispering, "Are you actually nervous to see Aimee?"

Joel let out a soft sigh, his breath fanning the back of her neck before he whispered, "Yeah." He paused for a moment. "It's been seven years. What if she doesn't want to see me?"

Sighing, the girl turned around in the bed until she was facing Joel. Their faces were an inch or two apart and she noticed Joel's eyes widen slightly in surprise, but it quickly disappeared as he looked into her eyes and relaxed a bit.

Y/N’s eyes searched his own as she said, "Aimee would have to be crazy to not want to see you. You're one of the best people out there, Joel, and that was even before ninety five percent of the population was killed."

Joel smiled softly at that and looked down. "I don't know," he whispered, but the girl quickly shook her head before gently reaching out and forcing his chin up so he could look at her.

"You need to stop doubting yourself, Joel. You have such a big heart and are one of the kindest and funniest people I know. You're making one of the most romantic gestures just daring to take this journey to see her. If she doesn't want to see you, then there's something wrong with her. Trust me. All you need to do is stay calm. Everything will work out in the end," she assured him, smiling softly as she caressed his cheek once with her thumb.

Joel couldn't speak as he looked at her, his eyes flickering over her face for a moment as he tried to process all that she had just said. He couldn't help but notice the rapid beating of his heart. Seeing as it was feeling he had never experienced around the girl before, Joel pushed it aside as nothing but fear of a monster attacking while they slept. But still. . .there was something about the feeling that was familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

Y/N was turning around before Joel could think anymore about it, nestling into the pillow as she closed her eyes. "Besides," she muttered, "your ass dragged me out of that bunker and I'm not about to let you have second thoughts or I'll kill you before any of these monsters can."

Joel chuckled softly at that, his whole body relaxing just because of the girl's presence. He stared at the back of her head for a moment, his eyes trailing down her form before he reached out and slowly let his arm wrap around her waist. Y/N responded by leaning backwards and into his chest while the boy pulled her closer to him and let his face nestle into the crook of her neck.

Y/N smiled softly as her eyes fluttered close once again, a sigh escaping her lips as she whispered out, "Goodnight, Joel."

"Goodnight, Robin."

- - -

Tag List

@simplybarnes @spideysimpossiblegirl @bookdorkfangirl @katemusic @eternallyvenus @juliebean247 @trustfundparker @blahhhhhhhaaa @used-avocado @havingagooddream @blogforhoes @weirdowithnobeardo @there-goes-my-sanity @cas-loves-pizza @ezgithechaotic

[problematicfavesareproblematic]

You Can Just Stay (Under This Weight)

Joe Toye x Reader One Shot

Requested?: lol nah fam. I’m just a sucker for soft intimacy in the middle of violent conflicts

Warnings: potty words, a messy attempt at describing hair brushing, a most likely shoddily written Joe Toye, like a skosh of angst, 90% just wish fulfillment and fluff (sorry) 

Ya girl listened to Lullaby by Mary Glenn while writing this nonsense, a perfect song to sway to alone in the dark (but like in a dreamy/fun way?)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With a final grunt of frustration, you threw the paddle of your broken hairbrush across the room, causing Perconte, Bill, Luz, and Joe Toye to startle as it clacked loudly to the ground.

 “Gees, Y/N,” Bill snapped, hand on his chest as if he could manually slow down his racing heart. “Don’t do that shit- fucking thought we were under attack—”

You didn’t bother to listen to the complaining sounds of upset coming from the men sitting to your left, snatching up your gun and bag before storming out of the room and heading towards the bedroom you and Joe had been assigned to for the night.

Part of you felt bad for scaring your friends by your childish outburst. The logical part of you knew that throwing your broken hairbrush had been unnecessary and needlessly disruptive and loud.

But the other part of you- the part that was sick of feeling like a goddamned invalid since you’d been shot in the hand?

Well, that part of you wanted to cause much more destruction than that.

When you got to the room dropped your stuff unceremoniously to the ground and grimaced at how loud that was, too.

The whole thing was ridiculous, and if you weren’t so frustrated with yourself you probably could’ve kept your immaturity in check.

But, after catching a stray bullet through some of the meat of your right hand from some ammo-wasting sham of a shooting competition between some drunk NCOs, you had found yourself in a bad mood that not even Luz and Liebgott could shake you from.

You were a sniper, your whole life was tied to your right hand and it’s steadiness in the field. Having that taken away, even for a little while, just served to remind you that that was about the only thing you were good for:

Shooting, reloading, firing. 

Without your gun, you were just another mouth for the mess officers to feed.

Just a stupid woman, in the way of the ‘big, brave men’ of the Airborne. 

Looking down at your bandaged hand, you sighed with defeat.

Roe had already been on your case about taking it easy, adamant that you shouldn’t push yourself lest risk further injury.

But tonight, you hadn’t even attempted to do anything high risk.

All you’d tried to do was brush your hair- something you had been attempting (and ultimately failing) to do for the past four weeks. Tonight you’d finally managed to get your hair out of it’s matted braid, your left hand managing to finger comb the three knotted sections apart with limited assistance from your right.

The moment you had tried to detangle the mess you’d realized you were going to need to utilize your right hand more. Of course, when it became painfully clear that your hand wasn’t yet up to the task of even holding on to the ratty ends of your hair, you’d allowed all of the frustration to boil over- lashing out like some toddler being denied their juvenile demand.

Now you were stuck with your tangled hair hanging around your face, unable to either brush or rebraid it.

 You hadn’t realized that someone had come in until you hear the click of the door as it closes, and when you whip your head around you realize that you’ve started to cry.

“What?” you asked harshly, voice softening at the last moment when you came face to face with Joe Toye.

He had an uncomfortable look on his face, and quickly you brought your left hand up to wipe the evidence of your tears away.

“Oh, sorry Joe,” you muttered, sniffing pathetically before clearing your throat and moving towards the spot on the floor you’d claimed earlier to be your bed for the night. “I'll get out of your way—”

“Y/N”

When you turned back to look at him you saw him holding up the still-surviving paddle of your hairbrush, a tight smile on his lips.

You grimace, looking away for a moment before meeting his gaze once more.

“Great, thanks….”

When you step closer to reach for it he hesitates, moving the brush infinitesimally away from your reach and looking at you worriedly.

“Are you okay?” He asks, and when you open your mouth to dismiss his concerns he furrows his brows and shakes his head. “And don’t tell me you’re okay or fine or whatever you were gonna say, because I know it’s bullshit.”

You scoff, chest feeling tight. “Joe—”

He gives you an exasperated look, crossing his arms across his chest and peering down his nose at you. 

Great, the Toye Staredown. As if i didn’t already feel like a petulant child…..

“I’ve known you for two goddamn years Y/L/N. I may be stupid but I’m not an idiot.”

Holding his glare, you sigh heavily and wipe at your runny nose.

“If anyone in thisroom deserves to be called a stupid idiot, I think I’m the more fitting candidate.”

Joe’s glare turns into a look of concern. One of the things he’d first loved about you was your quick wit and your refusal to bend under his good-natured ribbing. 

Seeing you look so defeated scared him.

When you made to poinch the bridge of your nose, Joe stepped in and caught your elbow. At first you were confused until you realized that you’d been about to use your right hand.

You bark a humorless laugh, letting your head loll back in rueful amusement.

“For fuck’s sake….”

Rough hands find your cheeks and tilt your face back so you’re looking at him again, and he murmurs something under his breath when he sees tears reforming in your eyes.

“What’s going on, huh? Talk to me, Y/N/N—”

“I’m useless.”

Like some dam bursting, you find yourself weepily confessing how useless you feel you’ve become, how you were questioning everything you’d once assumed to be true about yourself.

How horribly painful it was to hear about the replacements who were dying in your place while you were being kept in the relative safety of the XO camp.

To his credit, Joe didn’t interrupt you once. 

He’d listened as attentively as he would during a mission objective briefing, emitting a small tsking sound whenever your voice broke with a fresh wave of tears. Through your senseless babbling, you realized that this was the longest you’d ever seen him go without interrupting someone.

You hadn’t been able to mask your embarrassed scoff when you admitted why you’d lost your cool earlier, face hot with more than just shame.

When you’d finally stopped, Joe had nodded and taken a deep breath. 

“What can I do?”

Closing your eyes, you shake your head. “No, no, no! Joe- that’s not why….I don’t expect you to do anything—”

His thumbs wipe at the tear tracks under your eyes before he whispers your name and cuts you off, quietly telling you to look at him.

Joe’s gaze is unbearably soft, more gentle than you’ve ever seen it.

“Go sit down.”

You furrow your brows, but when you go to ask what he was planning he takes one of his hands away from your face to point towards the pile of blankets the two of you had gathered earlier.

“Drink water while you’re at it, you’ll give yourself a headache.”

Aah, there he is. There’s the Mama Toye I remember from Toccoa.

When he gave you a look that made it clear that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, you sigh and walk over to where he’d directed you and sit heavily in the pile of blankets.

You sip from your canteen as you watch Joe shrug off his overcoat and pull off his knit cap. You couldn’t help but smile as he finger combed his dark hair back into place, finding yourself admiring how handsome he looked with it slightly overgrown and smoothed away from his handsome face.

 Ever since he’d kissed you in the middle of the Eindhoven liberation celebration, you couldn't deny that things between the two of you had ….changed.

Nothing had been established, nor had either of you spoken about it. Yet there was certainly a closeness that existed where there hadn’t been before- a sort of mutually understood agreement that you’d pair up for patrols and eat meals together.

Each night Joe would ensure that you slept by his side, and by morning you always woke up with him curled around you protectively. If the others noticed, they made no mention of it- which, considering Joe Toye’s fiery temper, was probably more for their sake than for yours.

And even if they did, you got the feeling Joe wouldn’t change a thing.

 He catches you watching him and smirks, shooting you a wink as he strides over confidently.

“At least buy a guy dinner first before eye-fucking him like that….”

You shot him a glare that only served to make him grin wider. “Thanks Joe, I’ll try to rein it in.”

He snorted a laugh as he came to sit behind you, his right leg kicked out beside yours while he scooted closer.

You turn to look at him curiously over your shoulder, unable to stop your cheeks from heating up when you see that he’s got your hairbrush in his hand.

“Uh, what’re you doing back there, Joseph?”

He leans to the side a bit so you don’t have to strain as hard to look at him, mirroring your curious expression.

“What does it look like? I’m gonna tame this rat’s nest you’ve been growing for the past month.”

You blush in earnest at that, mouth going dry when he picks up a knotted tendril and brings your brush to the ends.

With a gentleness that you hadn’t expected, he dutifully begins to patiently detangle the strands, pinching the hair’s shaft to ensure you don’t feel any tugging or snags.

Well…..This certainly was not how i thought things were going to go down tonight…. 

After sitting in stunned silence for far too long, you finally will yourself to speak.

“Uhh, you’re brushing my hair.”

He hums. “That’s right. Good observation.”

“But….you are doing it, um, well?”

“Wow, you shoulda been in intelligence- nothing gets past you.”

You huff at his snark and shoot him a baleful look.

“Joseph.”

His dark eyes meet yours with a slightly inpatient glint in them.

“Are you going to let me do something nice for you, or are you going to overthink and fight about it?”

Before you can respond he’s resumed his gentle brushing, and with another deep sigh you resign yourself to your fate.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t like it, or that you didn’t whole-heartedly appreciate Joe’s kindness- in fact, you were beginning to get anxious that you may enjoy it too much.

It’s just….you couldn't remember the last time someone had touched your hair, let alone brush it for you. Maybe childhood….? Certainly long before Toccoa. It felt so intimate now- nearly as intimate as that kiss you’d shared.

And, if you weren’t mistaken- Joe seemed to be aware of the intimacy as well.

Every so often his eyes would find yours and he’d look at you warmly, the small smile on his lips growing whenever you unintentionally shuddered as the brush scratched deliciously across your scalp.

When he finished brushing your hair out, he surprised you further by instantly beginning to resection your hair and french braid it.

“How did you….how long have you known how to braid?”

He chuckled at that, bringing a hand up to turn your head away from him before continuing to twist and weave your hair into what you suspected to be a pretty adequate braid.

“Well, i may or may not have figured it out while sitting behind you during lectures back in Toccoa, but don’t —”

“What—?!”

“....get weird about it….” he sighs, holding his hand over your shoulder palm up and wiggling his fingers impatiently until you gave him a hair tie. He wrapped the elastic around the ends before smoothing his hand down the braid, allowing his hand to drift to your shoulder so he can knead into the tense muscle.

The moan you emit is near pornographic, and a laugh catches in your throat when Joe curses under his breath like you’ve punched him.

“That feel good, Y/N?” he teases good-naturedly, but simultaneously brought his other hand up to massage at the other shoulder and made you groan again.

“Don’t know, ask me again in five minutes.”

The two of you chuckle before falling into a comfortable silence, the only sound being your quiet sighs of pleasure and his echoing hums of confirmation.

After about ten minutes of having his hands exploring your upper back you hesitantly sat back slightly so you could lean into the strong plane of his chest.

“Joe, thank you.” your voice is slow and heavy, and you feel more relaxed than you imagined possible considering the circumstances that brought you two together in the first place. “I….you are nicer to me than i deserve—”

He snorted at that, wrapping his arms around you and resting his cheek atop your head. “Shut up and let me enjoy this. It’s been too long since it was just us….”

You blush at that, glad he can’t see your face as you smile privately.

“Didn’t know you, uh, wanted there to be time with ‘just us’.”

Joe moved his hold on you so he could look down at you, a look of amused confusion on his face.

“What’re you talkin’ about? Course I do. You think I would follow you ‘round like a goddamn lovesick dog if I didn’t at least enjoy your company a little bit?”

You feel a dumb smile cross your face, and before you can reply he pinches your chin lightly and angles your face up a bit more so he can kiss you soundly on the lips. 

Just like the last time, everything around you seems to fade into insignificance, and all you can hear and smell and feel and taste is Joe Toye. You part your lips and deepen the kiss, carefully moving your injured hand up and over his shoulder so you can wrap your arm around his shoulders.

With a happy hum, Joe nibbles on your bottom lip and smiles.

“I’ll take this as a good sign, as far as the kissing is concerned?” he half asked, moving to twist your bodies so he’s leaning over you while simultaneously laying you down softly against the blankets.

You took a deep breath, looking up at him with so much love and affection it makes your chest ache.

“How observant you are, Mr. Toye. Should’ve been an intelligence officer.”

The look he gives you is wicked, and when he ducks down to kiss your cheek he lets his lips linger at your ear. “Maybe you’ll let me show you all the other things I’m really good at sometime, huh?”

Letting the fingers of your uninjured hand bury themselves in his dark locks, you croon a warm affirmation.

“Oh, you can count on that, handsome. Just wait till I get the okay to use my other hand, I’ll return the favor.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Or you could hold me now—”

He cuts you off with another overwhelming kiss that promised so much more.

“Ma’am….you’ve got yourself a deal.”

~ ~ ~ ~~ TAG LIST: @mrseasycompany​ @itswormtrain​ @mrsalwayswrite​

Per usual, thank you so much for reading my mess! Let me know if you wanna be tagged, or if you’ve got any requests (barring Perconte and Sobel)

[thiswasinevitableid]

for the meet ugly asks, 08 with the ot4 if that’s ok? (the note in the locker one, in case I have the wrong number). rating up to you! :)

Here you go! I went NSFW

Joseph is not missing his chance. Not again.

If he’s keeping count, which he’s certainly not, he’s missed fifty-two chances between fifth grade and now.

Barclay’s family moved next door in the summer of 1951, causing eleven year old Joseph to learn very quickly what it’s like to have someone whose side you never want to leave. Lucky for him, Barclay felt the same way; they were in the same boyscout troop, were each others first choice for sleep overs or outings where they were allowed to take one friend. When they hit high school, Barclay went out for football because Joseph did (and Joseph did because that’s what upstanding young men do). They played together all four years, Barclays growth spurt rendering him doubly dangerous on defense and the dominant source of Joseph’s late-night fantasies. Joseph did debate club alone, but Barclay joined him for chess club. And when Barclay bought his car, his first stop was to take Joseph cruising, just the two of them.

Unluckily, Joseph’s never worked up the nerve to tell Barclay how he feels. This may be why he hasn’t had a date since the spring hop two years ago, while Barclay’s had quite a few (cheerleaders and band boys alike can’t seem to resist his physique and general gentleness).

That all changes today. Joseph slipped a note into Barclays locker right before lunch that conveyed all relevant information.

Dear you,

Drive in on Friday? We can park in the back row.

Love,

Joseph.

He’s sitting in his normal spot on the bench near the cafeteria, doing his best impersonation of someone who’s heart isn’t in his throat.

As he’s scanning the crowd, none other than Duck Newton begins weaving his way over to him, leather jacket reflecting the sun and his black hair combed back as always. Joseph was wary of him for years--as any good square is of kids from the rough side of town--until they got paired together in biology their senior year. Duck, who seems not to give a shit about school the rest of the time, is incredibly good at science. And he’s funny, nearly got them both kept after class for cracking a joke that made Joseph lose his breath laughing.

The problem is, right now he’s waving a very familiar piece of paper.

“Gotta say, I’m pretty fuckin flattered, Joe. But, uh” he leans on the table, smiling playfully, “I gotta make sure ‘Drid is okay with me playin backseat bingo with someone who ain’t him.”

“Um.” Joseph shakes his head, trying not to focus on the idea of Duck holding his head in his lap in the dark corner of the drive in, “I, I’m so sorry. I must have been nervous enough to put the note in the wrong locker. Not, not that you’re not a catch.”

Duck raises his eyebrow, “1650 or 1652?”

“1652.”

“Huh. Well, I got shop class with Barclay. You want me to just give it to him?”

“No.” Joseph holds out his hand.

Duck places the letter in it with a shrug, “Suit yourself, slick. See you later.”

Joseph rips the letter to shreds, tosses it in the trash, and hopes that’s the end of this humiliating error.

It’s not.

“Hello, Joseph.” Indrid Cold rests a shoulder on the locker next to his. There’s no one in Kepler High quite like him; his family moved from California three years ago, which most people use as the explanation for Indrid’s red glasses, crystal necklace, and pale hair that is always a quarter-inch shy of the principal writing him up for it. He’s never struck Joseph as the kind to fight, but he did mistakenly proposition his boyfriend three hours ago.

“Indrid. How can I help you?”

The taller boy hands him a folded slip of notebook paper, “By taking me up on this invitation.”

Before Joseph can ask any questions, Indrid is disappearing down the hall. The paper contains a hand drawn map to an X, under which is the word “Bash” but nothing else. Joseph has never been invited to any kind of party that needed a secret map. He mostly just gets invited to get togethers because he’s the captain of the football team. No one talks to him once he’s there. Well, except Barclay.

He stares at the map; he doesn’t have to be home until ten. He’s never going to get a chance to make the scene like this again.

Joseph shuts his locker and hurries to his car.

------------------------------------------------------

Indrid’s remarkably accurate map leads him to a dirt parking lot beneath the sign for Amnesty Point. As he follows the signs for the “beach house,” a Coaster’s song drifts through the air, underscored by splashes from the lake to his right. He’s deep in the woods on the wrong side of the tracks, but even so he’s unprepared for how everyone lounging around the weathered picnic tables on a shaded patio stops talking and stares at him.

“Who the fuck invited the square?” Someone whispers, making him wish he hadn’t left the map in the car.

“Joseph?”

He turns so fast the gravel flies. Barclay, clad in a grease-stained apron, is smiling so bright it evaporates his nervousness.

“Hi, big guy.”

His friend hoists him in a hug, “I’m so glad you’re here, Indrid said he invited you but I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“He piqued my curiosity. Um, is this the new job you were so cagey about?”

“Yep. Mama--she runs this place--pays real well, but tries to keep Amnesty Point kinda secret. Cops just love busting places like this up for no reason.”

Joseph nods, still a little hurt Barclay didn’t trust him enough to share where he worked. His friend must notice the dip in his smile before he hides it, because he adds, “It’s gonna be even better working here now that you know where to find me. Listen, um, I gotta get back before Jake sets something on fire, but the burger stand closes at eight. I’ll come find you after that. Duck and Indrid are down by the dock, if you want company.”

He absolutely does, since the alternative is looking even more out of place by being the only person here alone.

When he hits the grey sand, Duck is just pulling himself back onto dry land. The half moon scars on his chest are the only reminders of the trip he took to San Francisco last summer.

“Glad you showed up, slick. Day like this, the water is the only nice place to be.”

“I wish I’d known, I would have brought my swim shorts.” Maybe if he rolls up his pant legs he can get some relief from the heat…

“Could just go in your boxers. I won’t tell.” Duck winks.

“Nothing is also allowed.” Indrid lilts, floating past on his back.

Joseph looks at him, then at the planks of the dock because Indrid is also demonstrating that second option without a care.

Duck snickers, “sugar, put somethin on, you’re scandalizin’ the poor guy.”

“Very well. But I demand help with the sunblock in payment for quashing my self-expression this way.”

“You’re soundin like your pops there, ‘Drid.”

“....ugh, you’re right.” A splash and the soft fwup of a towel, “alright, Joseph, I’m decent.” He is, but his swim shorts leave very little to the imagination. Joseph stares a moment too long, notices Duck smirking when he looks away.

The greaser holds out a bottle of sunblock and they get to work.

“Goddamn, this wouldn’t take so long if you weren’t so fuckin long everywhere.”

“You’ve never complained about that before.” Indrid grins, red sunglasses hiding his eyes. He doesn’t lift a finger to help them, but Duck seems to get a kick from it. Joseph wonders if he spoils Indrid like this in everything they do. If Indrid ever does it back.

(If either of them would do it for him).

They spend the evening talking, Duck skipping stones and Indrid sunning himself while Joseph dangles his legs in the water. When they get back to the beach house Joseph receives fewer stares, Duck and Indrid’s company substituting for cool. He and Duck get a real dinner, but Indrid opts to down three Cokes in place of a meal.

When Barclay closes up shop, he’s immediately at Joseph’s side. Joseph is about to suggest they all go for a walk when Indrid winks at Barclay and steers Duck towards the trees with a promise to see Joseph at school tomorrow.

“You get on okay while I was working?” Barclay starts them on a path towards the edge of the point.

“I did. It was actually really nice just to spend time talking with people who like me. Or at least don’t hate me enough to shove me in the water fully clothed.”

“Nah, they’re not those kind of guys. Hell, it was their idea to invite you here. I was, uh, I was too shy.”

He stops, turning to face Barclay, “what do mean?”

“Duck told me about the note.”

“Oh lord.”

“Not on purpose, he just mentioned he’d seen you and when I asked how you were doing, well, you know he can’t lie for shit. So Indrid suggested we invite you out here.”

“Out of pity?”

“No.” Barclay frowns, sets his hands on Joseph’s shoulders, “Joseph, why didn’t you just ask me out in person?”

“I was too nervous. I thought it might ruin everything.”

“Not a chance, blue eyes.” Barclay rumbles. Then he’s kissing him, gentle and slow, whimpering when Joseph kisses back and cups his face. When they part, he’s certain there’s nothing but air under his feet.

“Can we do that again?”

“Not tonight. Your curfew is still ten.”

“Shit, you’re right, if I don’t get on the road I’ll be late.”

“Lemme walk you to your car. I gotta hang around since I’m Indrid and Duck’s ride home tonight.”

“Do you want to go get them so we can all leave together?”

Barclay chuckles, tips his head towards the woods where a faint, rhythmic grunting cane be heard.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, not gonna ruin their fun.” He pulls Joseph into a much more heated kiss, then sighs, “get home safe, blue eyes.”

---------------------------------------------------------

Joseph suffered through both the personal hygiene class at school and his father’s lecture on what to expect now that he was truly a man. But nothing in either of those taught him what to do if he’s so hot under the collar he can’t focus but the guy who’s causing it won’t just fuck him.

He and Barclay have gone out every Friday for the last month, steaming up the car windows with their kissing sessions. They tried to work out who was supposed to give who their varsity jacket and settled on just trading, Joseph smiling whenever he spots Barclays name on his back. And Barclay tells everyone Joseph is his boyfriend with a level of pride he never gave their state football wins.

But he won’t go all the way with him. One Sunday afternoon they were listening to records in Barclays room when the larger boy rolled across the rug to straddle Joseph. His hands were hot and a little rough on his cock, Joseph moaning into his mouth as he came in under a minute. Before he could reciprocate, the front door banged open, announcing the return of Barclay’s parents. His boyfriend told him not to worry about it and kissed him on the cheek.

He’s worried Barclay loves him but doesn’t want him. He’s worried that if he ever does, Joseph will embarrass himself, be so inexperienced and inelegant he’ll turn him off forever. He wonders if he can entice Barclay to ask him to fuck so he doesn’t have to admit the embarssing intensity of his desire.

“Duck? Do you, um, do you think I’d look better if I dressed like you?”

The greaser looks up from his notes, “Maybe? I mean, I dress like this because I dig it. You wanna try it, go wild.”

Joseph nods, intending to drop it. Instead, he slows his stride by Duck during their laps in gym.

“It’s just, I’m worried I’m too square for anyone to be really into me.”

“Joe, what the fuck is this about?”

“Newton, I heard that! That’s an extra lap.”

“Son of uh, hold on, are you worried about Barclay? Because he’s so into your goody-goody thing I’m surprised he ain’t asked you to fuck him with your report card.”

“Stern, you’re done, get off the track!”

He jogs to the bleachers, Duck’s words rattling around long after he’s hit the locker room.

“You’re really worried about this, ain’t you? You’re smart, slick, but I swear sometimes you can’t see what’s right in front of you.” Duck is behind him, still in his gym clothes while Joseph is half changed out of them. They’re both dawdling, the locker room empty save for some other stragglers near the bathroom.

“Duck, if I were in high demand, I’d be getting more, um, attention than I-”

His sentence is cut short by Duck yanking him down into a kiss, lips salty with sweat and so demanding Joseph wants to get on his knees.

Duck pulls back, pats his cheek, “Like I said; right in front of you.”

With that he waves and leaves the room the back way. Joseph can’t even be mad for cutting school; right now, he’s almost ready to follow him.

-------------------------------------------------

“I really must thank you again.” Indrid clears the low table of his math notes, “my focus is such that I struggle with math much more than I’d like. Having someone sit and walk me through it in a calm setting helps a great deal.”

“I’m always happy. Barclay can too, if you ever can’t get a hold of me.”

“Oh, I know he can. He helped me last year.” Indrid stretches his legs; they’re on the floor of his VW Westfalia. His parents let him live in it on the property behind their one-story house as long as he continues to be a cooperative member of the household.

“I didn’t know that.”

“It was only a few times, though he often lingered when we were through.” Indrid’s emphasis makes Joseph blush.

“Duck and I weren’t going steady yet. And my cocksucking skills are not the stuff of legend for nothing.” Indrid smiles, dreamily.

“Oh. Um.” Joseph shifts his notebook into his lap.

Indrid sits up straighter, “I apologize. I, ah, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not sure that’s what this is.”

Indrid cocks his head, “No? Envy perhaps? After all, you’ve had years to dream about him, to hope you’d be the first, and here comes a skinny little freak from the coast to beat you to it.”

“You’re not a freak” Joseph says softly, “I, I can’t say I blame Barclay for taking you up on it.”

“He does have excellent taste” Indrid looks pointedly over his glasses at him. The heat under his skin doubles as Indrid crawls forward, “you know, Duck and I have an...understanding. But if you and Barclay do not, I can stop. I mean, I can stop regardless, if you don’t want this.” He lowers to his belly between Joseph’s legs, nuzzles his fly with a hum.

“I, I--ohlord” He moans when Indrid mouths at his slacks; he’s getting hard, if he had his way he’d lay down and let Indrid suck him off until he came on his glasses. But he knows he won’t enjoy it if he isn’t sure how Barclay feels.

“I, we should stop. Please.”

Indrid sits up, smiling, “Of course. Would you like to stay for dinner? My mother is making fish stew instead of tofu salad for once.”

“...I’d love to.”

---------------------------------------------

“I didn’t know Amnesty owned all this.” Joseph let’s Barclay guide him through the trees.

“Yeah, Mama’s family bought it years ago and she’s hung onto it through some seriously nasty shit. Hah, there they are.” Barclay waves to Duck and Indrid, resting against each other on a massive, checkered blanket. His boyfriend sets the picnic basket down and then, confusingly, turns off the lantern Duck brought.

“Okay, baby, there’s something I’ve got to ask” Barclay looks at him, “do you think I don’t wanna make it with you?”

“Truthfully? Yes. You, you’ve barely gone beyond some heavy petting, meanwhile Indrid was offering to blow me.” He slaps a hand over his mouth; there go all three of these relationships.

Barclay shrugs, “He told me about that.”

“Honesty is important. Most of the time.” Indrid grins.

“Blue eyes, I’m crazy about you. I’ve just been going slow because I was afraid I’d stress you out. I know how you get, Joseph. You put so much pressure on yourself to do everything right, I was worried you’d try so hard to be perfect for me that you wouldn’t enjoy it at all.”

Joseph stares into deep brown eyes, eyes he’s loved since he was a boy. Then he laughs softly, rests his head on Barclay’s shoulder, “You really do know me well, you know that.”

“Oh, oh baby” Barclay holds him closer, “you really think there was a way of touching me that’d disappoint me? Fuck, just getting to kiss you makes me the happiest guy in the state.”

“That being said” Duck drawls, “aint there somethin about practice makin perfect?”

“I, are, is this really what you three want?”

“Yes” Indrid nods, “but if you don’t, well, we shall never speak of it again.”

“I do. Sweet fucking christ I do.” He kisses Barclay ferociously as the other two scoot closer.

“Hmm, I believe we should let seniority decide. Barclay, what’s your preference?”

His boyfriend pulls back, kissing his jaw, “Do you wanna blow me, blue eyes?”

“So badly.”

“That settles that. Duck, what about--ah, I see you’re already taking off your pants, so I guess you’re fucking hm. He’s fucking you? Ah, semantics.” Indrid waves his hand dismissively.

“Wait, does, do we have a rubber?”

Duck pulls one from his wallet, “never leave to see this one without one. I know how he is.”

Indrid pecks his cheek, then grins, “I believe, Joseph, that leaves me to help you with your hand jobs.”

“Fuck, yes.”

“On your back, baby.” Barclays nudges him and he falls onto the blanket. For a moment only the trees and stars look down on him; then Barclays face fills his vision as his hands open his fly and guide his cock out.

“AHshit, shit that’s good.” He bucks as his boyfriend jerks him off steadily, his cock standing at attention in a matter of seconds.

“Okay big fella, you go get your dick sucked.” Duck straddles him. He’s down to only his undershirt, his muscular thighs, soft belly, and strong arms on full displays as he rolls the condom down.

“You’re so handsome” Joseph sighs.

Duck seems to blush, “Thanks, slick. Not bad yourself.”

“I mean it, really, you’re incredible” he paws his legs, grabs his shirt and pulls him down into the kiss. Duck giggles into his mouth, then sinks down onto his cock. Joseph decides he is never, never letting go of the man above him; his weight is so comforting, his body so perfect, the way his laughs morph into moans so charming.

“G-great thing about this position” Duck gasps, “is you don’t gotta do much besides let me ride you. That’s why it’s ‘Drid’s favorite.”

“Second favorite; you on my face is my first. Speaking of which” he kneels, gently lifts Joseph’s head into his hands while Barclay sits cross-legged on the other side of his head. His cock is thick and long, so mouthwatering Joseph opens his mouth without being told.

“Fuck, baby, wanted this so long.” Barclay guides his cock between his lips when Indrid turns his head. The skinnier man keeps supporting him as his tongue registers skin, sweat, Barclay and he whines for more.

“Easy, blue eyes, fuck, you’re doing great.”

“I’ll say. Fuck, can’t believe you been keepin this dick all to yourself, Joe.”

“I got my haAAnds on it once.”

“Clearly you should have done it more” Indrid purrs, hips moving slightly, “as soon as someone plays with it, he sucks cock very nicely.”

“No fuckin kiddin. Baby, baby, yeah, suck like that.”

Indrid shifts behind him, “Barclay, hold him a moment, there’s been a change of plans.” A zipper goes as Barclay cradles him. Then Indrid’s fingers are back, turning him to face a second, narrower cock.

“Handjobs can wait.” Indrid pulls him forward, moaning high when he sucks the head, “oooh, yes, that’s it.”

“Fuck, I’m gonna fuckin combust watchin you do that.” Duck bounces more deliberately and Joseph yelps joyfully around Indrid’s cock. He’s already close to cumming, the feeling of Duck around him and Indrid inside him flooding the rest of him with pleasure.

Indrid pulls his head back, starts to turn him towards Barclays, when it punches through him. He moans, pushes up into Duck as the shorter man laughs.

“I, I came first, I’m sorry, this is one of the things-”

“Shush” Barclay helps him up as Duck climbs of him, “that was fucking incredible, and you’re not done yet.”

“On your knees, facing us. Unless, sweetheart, do you-”

Duck’s hand is already between his legs, “I’m gonna enjoy the show.”

“Mmm, which means I get to enjoy you enjoying it. Barclay, turn slightly, like this.”

“Why, oh, oh I got it, fuck, you’re a fucking genius.”

Joseph agrees, though he’s going a bit cross-eyed. So he closes them, lets first Indrid and then Barclay press their cock into his mouth. It’s a stretch, his jaw aching instantly, but it’s the best he’s ever felt. They can’t push more than the heads in, so he concentrates on sucking and licking, pre-cum collecting on his tongue and spit seeping down his chin. Duck grunts behind him, offering running commentary on Indrid’s appearance and Joseph's voice. Barclay shoves both hands into his hair while Indrid keeps one on his cock.

“Fuck, fuck, Joseph, baby, this is fucking aces, gonna paint your whole fucking stomach white.”

“Ahnnn, agreed” Indrid pants, “your mouth was made for this, ohyes, that’s it, mmm, this is even better, feeling your cock against mine dearest, oh, oh” Indrid cums, bitterness hitting his tongue, and when he tries to swallow he gasps and gags instead.

“Fuck” Barclay grunts and then another burst of cum fills his mouth. He gasps for air as they pull out, sending some down his chin. He wipes ineffectively at it with the back of his hand.

“Here” Duck, underwear back on, cleans his lips with a napkin.

“Th-thank you.”

“Of course.” Duck kisses him as Indrid flops on his belly and Barclay curls his arms around Joseph.

“Gotta say, blue eyes, don’t think you got anything to worry about when it comes to making it good for me. Or, uh, us.”

“No, I don’t think I do.” Joseph rests against him, then jolts up, “shit, what time is it?”

“Ten.”

“Shit!”

“Don’t worry” Indrid nestles next to his knees, “we’ll say I had car trouble and you two came to my aid.”

Joseph relaxes back among his boyfriends, “Good call. Just, um, don’t let Duck talk?”

“Only if I get an extra kiss for keepin my mouth shut.”

“Deal.”

[jobrookekarev]

Gorgeous

T.S. x Jolex Week 2021 hosted by @thejolexgroupchat​

Chapter One of One

Words: 4410

Summary: Jo goes out drinking with Stephanie at Joe’s bar, but the entire night she can’t stop staring at Alex and his gorgeous face.

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy.

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson.

Characters: Alex Karev, Jo Wilson, and Stephanie Edwards.

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences.

Additional Tags: Fluff, Pining, Drinking, Alcohol, Drink Jo, Reeses the dog.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

AN: DRUNK JO!!! Taylor Swift’s music or the lyrics to Gorgeous.

……………………………………………………………………

Jo watched Alex from across the bar as he played darts with Jackson and Meredith. She was sitting at the bar picking at peanut shells as she was drinking and trying desperately not to stare at him. 

“His voice is just so annoying sometimes, oh Jo go down to path and pick up my labs, oh Jo come assist me on this case, oh Jo blah blah blah,” Jo complained to Stephanie as she tossed a peanut shell into the empty red basket in front of her, just missing it as the shell fell to the floor. “Just because I'm a resident doesn't mean he can order me around all the time. I'm not his resident.”

“Yeah, that's kind of what being a resident is,” Stephanie said as she shook her head and took a sip of her drink. “I can't believe you're a resident again. Between you and Ben, switching careers, it’s like you all forgot the thrill of surgery.”

“You switch careers too,” Jo said, glaring at Stephanie. “You're a fancy med-school professor now. When was the last time you picked up a scalpel?”

“Yeah, but half of my body got melted off,” Stephanie said, gesturing to the burn scars on her arm and the side of her cheek. 

“You're still super hot, though,” Jo said as she smiled at her and Stephanie’s hard look broke and she smiled too.

“Thank you, babe,” Stephanie said, sitting up a little taller.

“You're welcome, babe,” Jo said as they both laughed. 

Jo was so glad that Stephanie was back. She missed her so much. Although they talked all the time on the phone, it wasn't the same as her being here. Sure he had Link and Meredith, but it wasn't the same either, they weren't Stephanie. Stephanie was her best friend, her girlfriend. Someone she could talk to about anything with, whether it was about how her new residency was kicking her ass or how heavy her last period was now that she was off her birth control. She had hoped that Since the University of Washington had offered Stephanie a teaching position, she could convince her to get a place close to her and the Loft, which was looking like a sure deal as Stephanie did seem pretty impressed with the U-Dubs offer. They were offering her a lot of perks, like her own fancy office and tenure right off the bat, along with an apartment in a really nice area with a pool. Jo liked the pool. Although she didn't know how to swim, maybe she could get Stephanie to teach her, but she wasn't sure if Stephanie knew how to swim either. 

Alex knew how to swim. Jo’s thoughts trailed off as she looked over at Alex again. He glanced over at her and gave her that smirk that she hated so much. Although she didn't really hate it, it was just so annoying sometimes. She narrowed her eyes at him and turned away, although it was impossible to stay away from him. He always drew her in like a magnet.

“Ugh, who cares about Alex Karev,” Jo said with a shake of her head, trying to convince Stephanie as much as she's just trying to convince herself. “Not me. I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Oh really, you've got a boyfriend?” Stephanie said with a smile and a little laugh that Jo didn't appreciate. She did have a boyfriend.

“Yes, I have a boyfriend he's,” Jo looked around the bar trying to spot him, but quickly gave up as she just waved her arm at Stephanie. “He's around here somewhere, I don't know. We're not attached to the hip or something, besides it's a girl's night.”

Stephanie just laughed and took a sip of her drink. They were both still drinking despite how the night was slowly fizzling out. It was late, Jo didn't know how late it was, but the bar was starting to empty out, and it made it easier to spot Alex in the crowd. She looked over at him again, acting so cool as he won another round of darts. He was so cool, she hated how cool he was.

Jo looked back at her whiskey drink, shaking the ice around in the glass. The drink was called Sunset and Vine or something like that, she didn't quite remember. It tasted good, and she threw back the rest of her drink before signaling to the bartender that she wanted another. Stephanie gave her a look but didn't cut her off. That had been the agreement for the night Jo could drink as much as she wanted, and no one would cut her off unless she threw up. But she was smart. She was a freaking doctor. She knew how to hold her liquor and when it was too much, and so far, it wasn't too much. 

“He’s just so gorgeous,” Jo thought as she looked back at Alex again.

“You said that one out loud,” Stephanie said with another smirk as Jo turned her glared at her. 

“I'm drunk, my mouth has thoughts,” Jo said as the bartender presented her with another drink, and she wrapped her fingers around the glass before she glanced back at Alex.

“If you think he's so gorgeous, just go talk to him. You don't have to stay here with me the entire night,” Stephanie said, giving Jo’s hips a little push that almost sent her off the barstool. As Jo nearly lost her balance, she gripped the bar, but Stephanie only laughed.

“No, I can't say anything to his face 'cause, 'cause look at his stupid face,” Jo said, pointing over at him before she looked back at Stephanie. “God, I hate his stupid, good looking, handsome face for making me feel like this.”

 Stephanie only shook her head as she continued to holler with laughter, nearly tipping out of her own seat before she regained her balance. “God, I missed you. I even missed you pining over Alex all night.”

“I miss you too, but for the record, I have not been pining over Alex,” Jo said, focusing back on Stephanie again as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

This was a night for the two of them, and no one, not even Alex Karev, and his stupidly gorgeous face was going to get in the way of that. Except for maybe the fact that Alex was coming over to them and looking straight at her as he walked up to the bar. Jo tried to remember not to stare, but she had to physically remember to turn her head away and close her mouth, so she didn’t drool all over the table. 

“Do you want anything else?” 

Jo looked back at the bartender as he presented her with another drink. Did she order another drink? She couldn't remember, but as she looked down at the drink in front of her, she figured why not and answered his question with a shake of her head as she grabbed the drink. As she set her glass down on the counter, she could feel Alex against her as he talked to the bartender. He set his arms on the counter and leaned forward as his hand brushed her. There was a spark of electricity that made her gasp as she stared down at their hands. 

“Hey Jo, are you having a good time?” Alex asked her, but she turned away and looked at Stephanie, who giggled as she took a sip of her drink.

“Yep,” Jo said, she decided to stick to one word answers in the hope that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of him.

“That’s good,” Alex said as she looked back at him and he just smiled. “Let me know if you want to go home soon?”

“Don't you have a girlfriend,” Jo said as she tried not to let her jealousy infect her voice.

Alex's eyes narrowed at her as he glanced over at Stephanie before looking back at her. “No, I don't have a girlfriend, but I do have a wife.”

“Oh, that's worse,” Jo said as she turned away and took a sip of her drink.

Stephanie tried to contain her giggles and put a hand over her mouth. Jo could see that she and Alex were exchanging a look over her shoulder, but she didn't care. He was so gorgeous and hearing that he was married physically hurt. Alex got his drink and walked back over to where he was sitting next to Meredith. As Jo stared at him, his honey brown eyes stared at her. Jo loved his eyes, she felt like she could sink and drown and die inside of them because they were so gorgeous.

“You've mentioned that before,” Stephanie said as apparently, Jo said everything out loud now.

“Whatever,” Jo said with an eye roll so hard that it hurt her brain. “You're my best friend. You're used to me moping about guys.”

“You mean moping about Alex Karev, yes that I'm a little too used to,” Stephanie said with a laugh as she finished her drink and gave the empty glass to the bartender. 

Jo didn't realize that he was starting to close up and tidying up the bar. It was late and she should get going home. Jo slipped off her barstool and tried to stand up, but she didn't realize that walking was this hard as she started to fall. Suddenly two strong hands were on her waist as Alex caught her.

“I've got to go home, alone to my dog,” Jo said to him, despite how she gripped his hands on her waist, hoping that she could keep him there a little longer. Only because she was fumbling around and not because she thought he was gorgeous or anything.

“I know, I'm here to take you home to your dog,” Alex said with a little chuckle as he put one arm around her waist and turned to put some cash on the bar.

“Okay, I guess you could come along,” Jo said with a smirk trying to seem sexy as she looked back at him.

“Well, I hope that I'm coming along, considering that I'm your ride,” Alex said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. 

“No, Stephanie is my ride,” Jo said as she looked back at Stephanie. 

“Yes, both of you are my ride, remember, Jo?” Stephanie said as she grabbed both of their purses and hopped off the bar stool with only a little bit of a stumble as Jo reached out to hold her hand. “We all came to the bar together?”

Jo tried to think for a second and remember how she had gotten to the bar and who was in the car with her, but it was all a little fuzzy, so she just shrugged and leaned against Alex. “I’m drunk, my memory isn't reliable. You should know this.”

“That's for sure,” Alex said with a smile as they finally started walking out of the bar. “You asked me if I had a girlfriend, completely forgetting that you were my wife.”

“Wait, I'm your wife,” Jo said in surprise as she looked down at the ring on her finger, and she realized that she was, in fact, his wife. “Oh, so I did marry your gorgeous face.”

“Yes, you did, twice,” Alex said with a smile that seemed brighter than the neon lights around her.

“Good, that means your gorgeous face is mine,” Jo said as she grabbed his face with her hand and leaned in to kiss him. It was a little sloppier than she would have liked, but she got to kiss him, and that was good enough. Plus, she could probably get more out of him once they got home. 

Alex helped her up to the parking lot and even held open the door for her as she sat down in the seat before putting her seatbelt on for her. She really did marry a kind, gorgeous guy, she got lucky in the husband department this time around, and she forgot how much she liked saying that he was her husband.

They dropped Stephanie off at her hotel and Jo insisted on giving her at least a five minute hug before letting her go. She knew they would have a lot of time together once Stephanie finalized her move back to Seattle, but having her here was still so new, and Jo wanted to make sure Stephanie knew that she loved her. Finally, she let Stephanie go, and they waved goodbye as she went into the hotel room. Jo pouted as she got back in the car and Alex put her seatbelt back on. 

“I miss her already,” Jo pouted as she looked out the window.

“I know, but you'll see a lot more of her. This is just your last night at the bar together. I’m sure you two will find a new hangout spot soon enough,” Alex said as he reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze as they drove off.

She didn't remember the ride back, but she always ended up falling asleep in the car because the car used to be home. Now she had a home of her own with her husband, who loved her and their dog. When she woke up, she wasn't in the car anymore instead, she was in Alex's arms as he carried her up the stairs to The Loft. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her over to the bed. While Reeses found it around their legs, eager for pets. He was always so excited to see them. As Alex laid her down on the bed, Jo smiled up at him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. 

“You're so gorgeous,” Jo whispered as he pulled back from her kiss. 

“I know you’ve said that several times tonight,” Alex said with a smile as he just looked down at her and brushed the hair out of her face. 

However, Reeses used the break in their kiss to take the opportunity to wiggle in between them and lay a dozen kisses on her face. Jo laughed as she scratched his ears. She loved having Reeses to come home too, especially on nights when Alex wasn't there. He was always happy to greet her and snuggle with her. Finally, Alex pulled him off and got him to settle down. As Alex paid some attention to Reeses before putting him to bed in his crate, Jo watched her husband as he bent over and showed her the best view of him. When he came back, Jo stretched out on the bed with a smile, and she put her hair in a bun as she wanted it out of the way for all the fun things she wanted to do to him tonight.

“You're so gorgeous that I want to have your babies,” Jo said as she pulled off her shirt. “I want to have your babies right now.”

Alex just laughed as he walked away. No, he wasn't supposed to walk away. He was supposed to give her babies. “Alex, come back.”

“I’m just grabbing a sleep shirt for you,” Alex said as he went over their shelves and grabbed her second favorite sleepshirt, her old Harvard shirt, as she had spilled coffee on his Iowa State Hawkeye shirt that morning.

“Good,” Jo said as she took off the rest of her clothes and lay down in the bed. 

Alex came back over to her, and instead of leaning down to kiss her, he just pulled the shirt over her head.

“Hey,” Jo said when he pulled the collar over her head so she could see him again. “You're not supposed to dress me. You’re supposed to undress me.”

“You did a pretty good job of that yourself, besides we’re not going to do anything tonight. You're too drunk and it's too late.”

“But I want your gorgeous babies,” Jo said, hooking her fingers into the hem of his jeans as she pulled him closer to her.

“How about this? If you go to bed right now, I'll give you a baby first thing in the morning,” Alex said with a smirk that she hated as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Promise?” 

“I promise,” Alex said, sealing their deal with a kiss to her lips as he pulled the covers over her.

“Umm, kay,” Jo said as she closed her eyes.

She didn't fall asleep as easily as she had in the car. Yet, once Alex wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her neck, she took a deep breath, and before she knew it, she was out like a light. That night she dreamed of having Alex Karev’s gorgeous babies.

……………………………………………………………………

Jo woke up to a pounding in her head, although thankfully it was still dark out and she pulled the pillow over her face. As she slowly became aware of things, she felt Recess asleep at her feet and the warm spot where Alex was sitting next to her. She rolled over to bury her face in his stomach with a groan. She could hear him chuckle as he wrapped one arm around her waist and his hand tingle in her hair, lightly massaging her scalp as her groan turned into a moan.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Alex thankfully whispered, although even that was a little too loud. 

“Mornin’,” Jo mumbled against his T-shirt as she cracked open one eye. 

She realized that the reason it was so dark was because she was wearing her favorite pink eye mask. She pulled it further down her nose to block out the remainder of the light that seems to be streaming in through the windows at this ungodly hour. Although really, she didn't know what time it was, given the fact that Alex and Reeses were still in bed next to her, it couldn't be that late. 

Things fell silent again or as silent as they could be in their neighborhood with the constant riff-raff outside their door. There were the trains that passed by as well and the horns from the boats as they dockside at the port down the road. Yet, here, safely tucked away in Alex's arms with Reeses at her feet, everything was quiet and peaceful. 

“Do you want some water and painkillers or some coffee?” Alex offered as his hand paused in her hair.

Jo only nodded in response as Alex moved his hand away. She could hear the shuffling of papers as he put down the magazine he was reading and reached over to the side table. She felt a cool glass of water press against her forehead and his fingers brushed against her lips. She opened her mouth, and he placed the pills on her tongue before she blindly reached out for the glass of water. Alex moved it down to rest on the bed and Jo grabbed the straw to take a few sips of water as she swallowed the pills. The water helped a lot, and Jo drank half the glass before she pushed it away and Alex set it back on the side table. 

As she waited for the medication to lessen the effects of her hangover, Jo buried her nose and Alex's t-shirt. It's a little stinky because he never washed his sleep shirt more than once a week. He claimed that it wasn’t as dirty as his other shirts, but it smells like Alex, but honestly, she thought that he was gorgeous wearing anything. Including a dirty old t-shirt. He was gorgeous and Jo thought about it again as memories from the night before slowly trickled in like raindrops in her mind. She opened her eyes and looked out the window as she realized she was hearing rain against the skylight, and the soft light was the sun trying to break through the grey clouds. 

Reeses’ soft brown nose nudged against her shoulder as he wiggled up next to her. Jo smiled as she looked over at him as she let Reeses snuggle up against her. She rubbed her hand down his back as he kissed her cheek again before he settled next to her as she continued to pet him. As she pet Reeses, she turned her head up and looked at Alex, who had started running his fingers through her hair again. He had gone back to reading his magazine, but he still played with her hair. She smiled at him again as she looked up at his features. From where her head was resting on his chest, her vision of him was mostly just his chin, but she loved it anyway.

“You're so gorgeous,” Jo whispered as she reached up to run her fingers along his cheek, pressing against his stubble and brushed against his lips as he smiled. 

“You said that a lot last night,” Alex said as he warmly smiled down at her.

“Ugh, don't remind me,” Jo said as she buried her face in his T-shirt again. “I can't believe I forgot that we were married.” 

“I thought it was pretty cute,” Alex said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Even drink Jo wants me.”

Jo smiled as she looked up at him. “I’ll always want you.”

The two of them exchanged a smile, staring at each other the way that they sometimes did. Neither of them could quite believe that the other wanted them even after all these years. Jo knew that Alex loved it when she said she still wanted him and that she loved him. Hearing that she still wanted him was his favorite thing in the world. Jo pushed herself so she could give her husband a proper good morning kiss. She let her lips linger on his, especially as he tasted the coffee on his tongue before she pulled back and rested her head on his shoulder as Alex went back to his magazine.

“Did you say there was coffee?” Jo asked, looking around and as she smelled the coffee beans in the air.

“Yeah, here,” Alex said as he handed her a full cup of warm coffee. 

Jo took a sip of her coffee and moaned. It was just how she liked it, with a hint of milk and the hazelnut creamer. As she sipped on her coffee, she looked around, and as if he could sense what she was looking for, he handed her her phone. Sometimes he was scary good at knowing what she wanted. Jo unlocked her phone and her eyes went wide as she looked at the time.

“It's noon?!” 

“Yep.”

“Oh shit, what time did we get in last night?” 

“I think it was about 2:30 a.m. by the time we got back to the loft, but you fell asleep in the car. Since it was so late, I figured I'd let you sleep for as long as you wanted,” Alex said with a light shrug so as not to jostle her head on his shoulder. 

Jo sighed as she laid her head back down and looked through her notifications. It was just the news articles and social media notes. There was a text from Stephanie saying that she had moved the viewing for the apartment until later that afternoon as Stephanie was just as hungover as she was. Jo sent her a quick text back before dismissing the rest of her notifications.

She put her thumb on the last one before she read the banner and paused. It was a notification from her period app. The banner happily announced that she was ovulating. Suddenly, Jo remembered the reason why she had been drinking so much last night and the conversation they had had before they went to bed as Jo asked for a baby.

She sat up, sitting back on her heels as she put her hand over her mouth and stared down at her phone.

“What is it, what's wrong?” Alex asked as he immediately tossed his magazine aside and sat up too.

Jo glanced over at him, and she could see the look of concern across his face, but she pulled her hand away to reveal her smile. “I'm ovulating.”

Alex's concern melted away as he smiled too. Her excitement was contagious as his eyes sparkled in delight. “I know, we’ve been waiting all month for this.”

Jo bit her lip as she just smiled. That was why she had been drinking so much last night with Stephanie. They were going to start trying for a baby the next time she ovulated, and since they were trying, Jo had to stop drinking. So since Stephanie was in town, the two of them had arranged to meet up for one last night of heavy drinking before she gave up alcohol and got pregnant. 

“I could get pregnant today.”

“You could.” 

Jo smiled and licked her lips as she stared at him. He put his magazine down and took the coffee from her hand as Jo dropped her phone onto the bed. As if he could spend the two of them were about to shake the bed at Reeses hopped off and went to lay on his dog bed across the room. Alex smiled as he reached out to hold her hips and pull her forward as she swung her legs over his and sat down in his lap. Her hands and immediately tangled in his T-shirt as his hands ran up her back under her shirt. She tilted her head as she stared at his lips, not kissing him just yet.

“And I do remember that you promised to give me a baby last night,” Jo said as her eyes flickered up to his, seeing that the spark of delight had changed into a black hole of lust.

“And I'm very good at keeping my promises,” Alex said as he pulled her forward and kissed her. 

“That you are,” Jo said as she kissed him again before she pulled back and looked at his face. “Our babies are going to be so gorgeous.”

“They will be gorgeous, just like their Mama,” Alex said as he smiled and pulled her in for a kiss before he pulled off her top, and he kept his promise and gave her a baby.

Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine,

You've ruined my life, by not being mine.

You're so gorgeous,

I can't say anything to your face,

'Cause look at your face,

And I'm so furious,

At you for making me feel this way,

But, what can I say?

You're gorgeous.

[spices-and-cherries]

SFW alphabet for Joe Bang

I’ve actually been working on this bad boy for a while now. Surprisingly, some of these were pretty hard to write and required some thinking...

I did not reference race, gender, sexuality, or physical appearance. If I missed something, please let me know so I can change it!

Warning: mention of explosives and sex

A= Affectionate (How affectionate are they?)

He’s super affectionate all the time with you. He calls you ‘baby doll’ or ‘sweet thang’. He’s a believer in PDA and always has an arm around you (it’s probably more of a possessive thing than anything else).

B= Beginning (How would the relationship start?)

You’d kinda already be dating before either one of you asks the question. You were introduced by a mutual and hit it off - before you knew it you were going on car rides in the middle of the night or drinking together at Duck Tape. No matter what, though, if someone asks, Joe will tell them it was love at first sight.

C= Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Joe really loves his cuddles on the couch. He enjoys having you either laying on top of him or snuggled into his side while watching TV. He also doesn’t care if he’s the little spoon.

He doesn’t really care if there are other people around either. Joe will just pull you down with him or tug you closer mid-conversation.

D= Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He does his fair share of the work without complaining. He comes from a big enough family, so cleaning and cooking comes naturally to him. That being said, his cooking does leave much to be desired seeing as hard-boiling eggs is his only forte... 

At the beginning of your relationship, you kept sleeping over at each other’s places so it was the obvious decision to move in with him. You help with yardwork and maintenance.

E= Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He doesn’t seem like the type to end things unless its really bad or if there’s no way around it (like you got a job far away). In all honesty, you’d probably leave him.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

It would take a while - you’d have to be together for almost a decade before he even thinks about it. Either way, he likes things the way they are and doesn’t feel the need to hurry anything up. It kinda already feels like you’re already married. 

G= Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Joe, to put it kindly, is rough around the edges. He’s soft and careful one moment and acting tough the next. That being said, he knows his own strength and always makes sure that he doesn’t accidentally hurt you. He may act nonchalant about it, but everyone can tell he treats you differently than everyone else. 

In terms of emotions, he’s not the one you want to go to for a heart to heart. That’s not to say he can’t have one, it’s just that he doesn’t like it when conversations get too serious.

H= Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He’s a one-armed hug kind of guy, especially in public. He’s not much of a hugger. 

Joe also really, really loves it when you hug him from behind - his face lights up and he smiles when you poke your head from under his arm. 

I= I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?) 

A few months - a year at the most - will go by before he says anything. When he does say it, it’ll be out of the blue. You’ll probably be out on his porch drinking beer and talking. Joe would just pause and turn to you as he says it. It might also be while you’re causing some mischief or doing something wild. 

Joe shows his love through action and presumes you already know.

J= Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Joe gets jealous very easily. If the two of you are out and he sees someone getting a little too close to you, he’ll come up from behind with his arm around your waist or back. He’ll either divert your attention to him by whispering some nonsensical jokes in your ear to make you giggle or tell you that something’s happening and you should come with. Near the beginning of your relationship, Joe might’ve been quick to try and show off (if it worked, you’d never tell).

K= Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Joe is an all or nothing kind of guy. If you try to be cute by kissing him on the cheek, he’ll pull you to him and tell you that you hit the wrong target. That being said, he really loves it when you kiss him on the cheek - there’s just something about it that makes him feel fuzzy inside. 

L= Little ones (How are they around children?)

Kids love him, but their parents don’t. Since he’s on the same wavelength as a five-year old, it’s easy for him to connect with children. The problem is, leave them alone for half a minute and he’s trying to teach them how to light a match or make a molotov. All that being said, he doesn’t want his own kids. They’re too much of a hassle and he doesn’t think he could ever settle down like that.

M= Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?)

Cuddles and sex.

N= Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Cuddles and sex.

O= Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He’s super open about somethings and super not about others. His family, for example, is something that he’s fine talking about and does it often. But any trauma or bad memories are things he doesn’t want to dwell on.

The first time that you did have a long heart-to-heart was on the porch of Duck Tape while drinking. The two of you were just leaning against the railing, looking at the stars, talking about this and that. Something about the air that night made it feel as though that you were the only ones in the world, so he was a lot more open than usual. 

P= Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Unless he’s in a hurry for whatever reason or just got up on the wrong side of the bed, he’s pretty chill. When he does get annoyed, he tries hard to not direct it at you, but that doesn’t always work out. That being said, you almost never fight. You’ve built up a steady rhythm and have learned how to spot the tells when one of you is not doing too good.

If he drops something or is tired, I would not suggest helping him out. He’s just fine and what ever it is, it’s nothing a few curse words can’t fix.

Q= Quizzes (Who much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

His memory is surprisingly good. It’s not the best (selective even), but not ban considering. He doesn’t remember every little thing by a long shot, but he does pay attention.

R= Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

When you took him to a tattoo parlor to get matching tattoos as a surprise or when the two of you went on an impromptu road-trip and got lost.

S= Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Joe is super protective, especially at the beginning of your relationship. As a big brother and being slightly stronger than the average man, he feels somewhat responsible for your safety. He can get aggressive if he needs to, but he tries not to, especially when you’re around. That doesn’t always work of course and you might have to keep some band-aids in the glove compartment...

Your presence alone is all he needs. As long as he knows that he can fall back into your arms, he’s fine. You don’t have to do anything - in fact just setting his eyes on you has helped him more times than you realize.

T= Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

When it comes to gift giving, he’s not very good. Like at all. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t try, but let’s just say that his brothers should be the last people he needs to go to for brainstorming... 

U= Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Those damn eggs. Also, he thinks it’s funny when he tries to kiss you while he’s all sweaty from working out.

V= Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks? Do your looks bother them?)

He’s pretty confident in his looks and definitely thinks that his tattoos make him look sexy. 

Joe loves it when you dress up for him - it makes him feel special. Besides that, though, he thinks that you can wear whatever you want to. 

W= Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He might not at first, but that changes pretty quickly once he realizes that you’re already pulling out of the driveway. Even if you’re gone for one night, please call him. He’ll be eying his phone all day.

X= Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He’s both spontaneous and not. Joe likes doing things for the sake of doing things, but if you’re planning on doing something, he likes to make sure that there’s an agenda. It can be super short, sweet and simple, he just needs to know that everyone’s on the right page. You don’t even need to tell him what it is half the time, just that it exists.

Y= Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He likes people who are smart and have personality. Joe doesn’t really understand why anyone would want to change themselves for others. 

He also doesn’t appreciate having his food taken...

Z= Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs? Does it change around a partner?)

He snores pretty loud and has a bad tendency to steal the blankets. Besides that, he doesn’t move around a lot and sleeps like a log.

Please send me any and all constructive feedback as well as requests! I love seeing your comments as well! Side note, I just started watching Hotel Splendide with Daniel Craig and Toni Collette. It’s good but I don’t think Craig and yoga do well together... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this and, as always, see you in the next one!

- Simpy

[theblekromantik]

somewhere new

Erik Stevens x Black Reader

a/n: hello lovelies, i hope you’re well and i hope that you enjoy this! i’ve been experimenting with writing lately, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!

summary: you and Erik go decide to go grocery shopping, but you switch things up a little

warnings: fluff-ish with some sexual tension and implied smut

word count: 3189

A booming,

“Yo, ma!”

Accompanied by a knock at the door rattles you, causing you to drop your eyelash into the sink. Your good, very expensive eyelash that requires much focus in order to be applied to your upper lash line.

Grunting and twinging your face in disgust of the sight before you, you fish it out of the sink, blowing on it to determine if the glue is still salvageable.

“Come on, E! Five minutes!” You respond with your mouth slightly parted, a strange requirement for impeccable eyelash placement.

“Princess, we gotta hurry up before the store closes,” Erik protests, pulling up his sleeve to check his diamond-encrusted AP watch. It’s almost seven o’clock, and Erik hated shopping minutes before a store closed. It made him feel like he was being rushed to gather his items and head to the register.

You and Erik frequently ran errands together, only this time you were grocery shopping. Staying in was nice and all – really quite enjoyable – but an end had to come to the endless Netflix bingeing and takeout from your favorite spots. You both, mainly Erik, decided that it was time for a nutritious, home-cooked meal, one that wouldn’t lead you down a road of clogged arteries and hypertension. But Erik was a phenomenal chef, so you could hardly complain that your ongoing DoorDash expenditure had been interrupted.

“Damn! One second!” You holler. “One second…there.”

You step back and look into the mirror, admiring yourself. Thirty minutes of hard work and determination had really paid off! You grab your phone from the sink’s surface and proceed to snap some photos of yourself.

SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER!

Beauty must always be captured, no matter what the time restraint.

“Princess! You taking pictures in there?” The dreaded man pounds on the door, harder this time. Banging, nearly shaking the hinges out of the door until you swing it open.

And there you are, dolled up and all, from the 26-inch deep wave hair to the Adidas tracksuit, the top zipped down nearly to the level of exposing the full extent of your breasts. Just the way you liked it.

Erik can hardly contain himself as he looks further down at you, ogling how your recently-manicured toes fit perfectly between each slot of your sandals. Man, he knew you were one for dressing up, but to the grocery store? Maybe he needs to step his game up.

“Well?” You jest. “You were so loud banging on the door, you got nothing to say now?”

Catching his lip underneath his teeth, he smugly looks you over once more, trying to gather words to say, for you’ve left him speechless.

He inches closer to you, “My babygirl likes to talk back, huh?”

“Yup, she do,” Boldness courses through you, nearly shattered as you maintain eye contact with your boyfriend.

His eyes were boulders, but you were just as unyielding. This game the two of you liked to play – this perpetual exchange of power – rarely ever ended with you emerging victorious. And you knew this, but you wanted to have your fun.

Finally, though smirkingly, you divert your gaze to your phone, shuffling through your gallery to decide which photos to keep, which photos to delete, and which photos to post.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Erik chuckles after pressing a kiss onto your lips. “Now let’s go.”

While you knew you had lost the battle in the bathroom, you couldn’t wait to enjoy the war you and Erik would have in the bedroom later.

–

“Shotgun!” Erik shouted as you were fumbling in your purse for your keys, making a sprint for the car through your apartment complex’s parking lot.

The sun was setting beneath the horizon, and it illuminated the sky a burnt orange, a hue that began to embellish the surfaces of each object it touched – buildings, vehicles, windows, trees, the reflective skin of Erik’s custom-designed Air Max 97s as he raced further away from you.

After some time, your nimble fingers reach the item of your search, which results in a chime. You pull the keys out, contemplating whether to unlock the car doors for dreaded man in order to relieve him from the heat of the California sun, or let him suffer. Though it was setting, this sun still could extract a cup of sweat from one’s body. But hey, Erik was grown, he could wait.

You strut up to the car to see your boyfriend leaning on the door, panting, condensation forming on his forehead.

You release a sound of triumph, “I was gonna drive anyway.”

The car unlocks with a chirp, and you open the door and sit down. Dumbfounded, Erik was clutching the hood of the car still, trying to catch his breath.

“You getting in, or…”

He opens the car door and slumps down into the seat.

“You didn’t have to have a nigga looking dumb, baby.”

“I don’t think you need me for that, E.”

Erik snickers, “So it’s like that?”

“Yeah, it’s like that,” you tease, pressing the car to start and reversing out of the lot.

The two of you were buckling in for a long evening, and quite frankly, you couldn’t wait to see how it would progress.

–

As you drive on the road, the city and all its structures – both new and old – vanish behind you as a multitude of cool currents of air whip into the car through the windows, blowing your hair in all sorts of directions.

The vehicle vibrates as you blast a playlist full of new releases through your aux, and Erik grips your thigh as he sings to you, gold canines flashing and all.

You gently place your foot on the break, easing the car to a stop before the upcoming red light.

Erik, nearly louder than the music, starts to grind on the seat à la Magic Mike, and you couldn’t help but to laugh at the dreaded man and his silliness, a behaviour that is a pleasant break from his usual brooding nature.

But your laughter is cut short by a car honking behind you, indicating that the light had just turned green. You roll your eyes, because it had literally just turned green, and you press on the gas, revving your vehicle to the speed limit.

You pass another number of buildings a before making a sharp left turn.

“Shit!” You mumble to yourself.

You had almost missed the turn.

“Babygirl, that wasn’t the turn. Where we going?” Erik questions, for the route you’re taking was not your usual one.

“A little change of plans. I wanted to go somewhere else this time.”

“’Somewhere else’?” Erik probes. “What’s wrong with Ralph’s?!”

Now this took Erik by surprise. He’s genuinely concerned about your decision. To him, Ralph’s is King.

“Nothing, just wanna try something different.”

Your boyfriend clutches his heart, feigning a heart attack. You snort and turn into the parking lot. Both the wind and the car’s engine settle as you drive into a spot and press the vehicle off.

“Trader Joe’s?!” Erik cries. “What they got up in there?”

You exit the car, grabbing your purse from the backseat. “Stop complaining. Let’s go.”

–

If boredom could be personified, it’s spitting image would be Erik, for he rests his forearms on the bar of the shopping cart, eyes drooping as he observes the eccentric packaging of Trader Joe’s products.

Picking up a container of salsa he says, “Why all this shit organic?”

But you just suck your teeth and let him sulk behind the cart, ignoring him and all his grumbling.

“And this,” His gaze sets upon another display, “Who the fuck needs all these types of dried fruit? Probably taste like tumbleweed anyway.”

“Yo, stop moaning and groaning over there,” You shoot back at him, grabbing two packages of dried mangoes and placing them into the cart.

But Erik persists, dragging his feet across the smooth, concrete floor.

Minding the grocery list you and Erik had created earlier on your phone, you head deeper into the produce section, searching for some leafy greens and other ingredients that would contribute toward Erik’s signature salad. He walks off with the cart, gathering some tomatoes and bell peppers before making his way into another section of the store.

You, on the other hand, stand in front of the illuminated display with every type of green you could think of: arugula, kale, spinach, and lettuce, just to name a few. Reaching in, you squish some of the bags in order to determine their freshness. And you grab some kale and return to your shopping partner, who was waiting patiently for you, his previous protesting done with.

Looking down at the list on your phone, there wasn’t that much left for you all to grab, just some seasonings that were essential for the completion of any dish. There’re so many to choose from, and quite frankly, you’d just grab them all if you weren’t on a budget. So, you place a couple in the cart. And when you look up again, there Erik is, a pouty look on his face.

“Birthday cake popcorn?” Erik suggests, holding up the multicoloured item.

“Put it in the cart,” You giggle, maneuvering to a checkout line with the least amount of people.

The line becomes shorter and shorter, with customers paying and leaving with their large brown bags. And before you know it, the cashier shouts, “Next!” and moves to take your cart.

“Find everything okay?” The cashier asks, briefly glancing up at the two of you before moving to scan the items in your cart.

“Yes, thank you,” you respond, blankly staring as more items appeared on the customer screen and the worker transferred your groceries into the bags adjacent to the register.

Erik, standing beside you, wraps his right pinky finger against your left one, linking the two of you before you adjust to hold his entire hand. He grips your waist and pulls you in to kiss your lips and lingers there for a short while, eyes boring into yours while also relishing the traces of your chocolate-flavoured lip gloss that had found its way to onto his tongue.

You’re flustered, of course, but not because he hadn’t kissed you this intensely before, but because you were reminded that you were still at the grocery store, for the cashier cleared their throat awkwardly, repeating the total cost you had missed in your fleeting moment of passion.

Scratching your neck, hoping to relieve the embarrassment that that crept up your spine, you ask, “I’m sorry, how much is it?”

To which the cashier responds, “That’s $43.96.”

“I got it, bae,” Erik interjects, pulling out his wallet and handing a crisp yet folded fifty-dollar bill to the worker.

And while the cashier hands Erik the change, you grab the red cart and head toward the exit but not before thanking them. A few steps behind, Erik acknowledges another cashier – the only Black cashier – with a head nod and a knowing smile, to which the cashier nods, shrugs, and returns the grin: the shared feeling of being the only Black person in the room. The automatic doors open, reintroducing the cool evening air upon your face and hair, and the rubber wheels of the cart greet the smooth pavement.

When you reach the cart return, Erik grabs all of the bags while you fit the cart among the lines of carts already present. The two of you begin to walk to your parked vehicle but instead accidentally stumble upon on one with a similar make and model to your own but was not yours.

“I swore I parked right here,” you huff, standing on the balls of your feet, searching the sea of identical cars in the well-lit parking lot. And the fact that there were so many other last-minute shoppers did not help your plight either.

“Lemme see the keys,” Erik says, intrigue in his voice. “I wanna see something.”

You hand him the keys to the car, and he places them under his chin, pressing the unlock button repeatedly.

“That doesn’t actually work, does it?” You quiz, doubt heavy on your words.

“We have to see.”

Supposedly, this little trick should increase the bandwidth of the key’s signal, using one’s head as a sort of antenna. But after a couple clicks, you hear nothing besides traffic on the neighbouring streets.

Pointless, you think, just wanting to hurry up and head home.

But then, you hear a series of chirps in the distance and Erik yipping about the fact.

“Over there,” Erik says, nodding his head toward the source of the noise.

He picks up the bags, and you both head to the vehicle.

–

Shutting the door to your car, you release a sigh. Finally, the bags are all placed on the floor of your car, and you can finally head home.

With your foot on the break, you reach to push the car to start but then Erik yelps, “Wait! I wanna try those mango joints.”

“Oh, now you wanna try them,” You jest, “Because if I can remember, you were just–”

“–Man,” Erik interrupts, reaching to the backseat and rummaging through the bags. “Found it.”

He surveys the clear package titled “Soft & Juicy Mango” with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips curled, a slight repugnance that he couldn’t even help hide. But ripping the bag open, his expression softens as the aroma fills his nostrils, the sweet, tropical scent soothing him.

You watch, rolling your eyes, as Erik cautiously lowers his fingers into the package. One would think that the former Navy Seal wouldn’t be so dramatic over something like trying a new food, but Erik never ceases to amaze you.

Mango slice in hand, Erik purses his lips as he brings it to his mouth, slowly. Tortuously. And chews, his head cocked to the side.

“Wait,” he says as he swallows the last bit. “These bitches smack!”

You release a sound of disbelief, start the vehicle, and pull into the street, heading home. Of course the mangoes were delicious.

–

The sound of the car door closing can be heard as you and Erik finish grabbing all the groceries and head to the entrance of your apartment building. Your boyfriend opens the door for you, his veiny forearm braced on it and towering above you as you enter.

“Damn, ma! You getting thick!” He hollers as he watches the sway of your hips in your fitted bottoms.

You feel your cheeks warm up as you push some hair behind your air. You had been getting thick.

The lobby as you pass through is empty except for the security guard looking down at a glow coming from their lap and a couple of young people with white wires cascading down from their ears, bopping their heads to music that you can hear but not quite make out specific lyrics.

You and Erik find your way inside the elevator, the flickering fluorescents easing you back home, a stark difference from the glaringly bright ones at Trader Joe’s. Erik presses the round “4”, and the aluminum doors begin to close before you, you staring ahead while Erik sneaks a glance at you, smirking before redirecting his gaze toward the sliding metal.

Watching the line of numbers flash as the lift ascends from the ground floor, you turn to Erik, kissing him softly on the lips, closing your eyes and feeling a tingling sensation coursing into him through you. An electrical current that ceases to meet its end, ravishing you both entirely.

And with a ding, the elevator doors open and there you and Erik are, standing chest to chest in the moment, biting your lips like a couple of anxious teenagers on a first date. You pull away from him, keys in hand, heading for the apartment while Erik watches you.

God, how did he get so lucky? You were a treasure to him, and not only because you were so extraordinary but the little things: how you treated him so tenderly and with love yet wouldn’t hesitate to call him out when he was acting like a fool, and how you were so receptive to him as he was to you. These were all things that he scarcely experienced, if he ever experienced them at all. You helped him learn how to love and to receive love, which is an astonishing feat that many cannot confess that they’ve accomplished for themselves. And as you look back at him and smile while you unlock the door, he feels a bit weak in the knees, your electricity overwhelming him once more. You’ve got him hooked, and he loves it. He’s entirely entranced by you, and he doesn’t mind.

You open the door and are welcomed by your apartment, which is completely shrouded in darkness, save for the streetlights, the headlights of passing cars, and the last sliver of the orange evening sky before it is overcome by those distant stars in the night sky.

“Whew,” you exhale, flipping on the light switch and opening the door wider.

Erik sets the bags down on the countertops and approaches you.

“What are you–” you begin, but Erik is sliding his arms around your midsection and turning you to him. He presses his forehead against yours, twirling the ends of your hair and breathes you in and attaches his lips to yours, gently, truly wanting to savour this moment and you in this moment.

He pulls away, slowly, and confesses for the first time aloud, “I love you,” in a voice no louder than a whisper in a public library, to which you respond, “I love you, too.”

And the two of you remain like this for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes, not even letting the ever-busy late-night traffic rattle you.

“So,” he starts, “About earlier in the bathroom…”

“Yeah, what about it?” You respond, seduction laced in your words.

“I’m thinking we need to address that.”

“Oh, do you?”

“Yup,” Erik answers, popping the “p”.

“And what about the groceries?”

“They’ll be a’ight.”

“Hm,” You sound, lacing your hand with his and walking the both of you to your shared bedroom.

Erik walks towards you, making you both fall on the bed. And the dreaded man begins pecking at your neck, travelling up to the bone of your jaw and landing once again on your plump lips. He swipes his finger down them, and repeats, “I love you.”

You stand up to close the door, while Erik sits up, waiting on you to return to him. You cradle his head in your hands while you kiss him, deeper, all that former tenderness left at the door. And stripping him of his shirt, his impatient fingers also dance to the zipper of your top, lowering it. He slides the jacket over your shoulders as you kneel on the bed to straddle him. But before you could grind down on his crotch, Erik grips your hips and flips you onto your back, the sudden movement bouncing your body on the bed after it meets the comforter.

“Not so fast, babygirl.”

[doitjake]

The music in us - P2

Jake kiszka x reader

warnings: none.

Request: “two rockstars meeting in a festival, and both bands hanging out cause they are both friends with the struts, then jake starts falling in love w this person because of their personality, talent and charisma, they start to match in the second day of camping at the festival and then the bands have to play in the same day, jake tells his feeling and the reader doesn’t know how to react.”

A/N:  sorry it took so long to bring the second part and unfortunately or luckily we will have part three! I hope you guys like it and if you want to see a specific scene in the second part comment here or you can send me a message / question!!

Requests here: https://forms.gle/6uMRSCzFvyR2FgZPA

"Wake up, bitch." I open my eyes and see Ana climbing down from her bed, going straight to mine. Strange, usually Lexa who has the job of waking us up.

I sit up in bed before Ana could reach over and start pulling my covers off. Ana looks satisfied and walks towards Lexa's bed.

"Let me sleep, Ana." Lexa covers her head with the sheets.

Poppy comes out of the bathroom, already with her makeup and hair done. "This is what happens when you spend the night hooking up with a drummer." Poppy stops next to Ana who laughs looking at Lexa.

"Hanging out with WHO?" I finally really wake up and still hit my head on Ana's bed, which is on top of mine.

"Lexa and Danny kissed yesterday at karaoke." Ana speaks excitedly and Poppy continues. "Momma got it off!"

In less than 2 seconds Lexa stands up and appears at Poppy and Ana's side. "Shut the fuck up." I can see her red cheeks as she walks past me to go to the bathroom.

"What about you, honey?" Poppy looks at me arching her eyebrow."You and Jake hm, I felt the tension."

"WE ALL FEEL IT!" Lexa shouts from the bathroom, over the sound of water.

"Why don't you talk more about yesterday, Lexa?" I yell in response, causing her to shut up.

"Did kissing happen?" Ana asks.

"Oh my God people, he just walked me to the bus." Lexa comes out of the bathroom and I walk in right after her. "You guys are watching too many movies." I say already inside the bathroom.Inside I take a quick shower before some of my band mates start complaining.

Back in the room I get my boots and some necklaces and rings to complete my outfit, Poppy comes to me saying that Ana and Lexa are already gone to make it to a concert of some indie band at the festival.

Poppy and I get out of the bus and head towards the stages, which are already starting to get crowded. We pass by the security guards - who for some reason laugh when they see us - showing us our badges to enter the VIP area of one of the stages, which is now occupied by the members of Bloc Party. When we enter we see Luke, Adam, Sam and Josh at one end of the stage.

"Hi girls!" Sam is the first to see us as we approach and am I going crazy or did I really see Poppy blush now?

"Hey guys" Luke offers us each a bottle of beer. Poppy accepts, going to sit on one of the benches below the stage, I nod my head no. "It's not even noon, Luke." I laugh walking over to Poppy. "May I ask why you sat down, dear? We have to be on the big stage in 15 minutes for the Aerosmith show, they're opening."

Poppy's face contorts into a grimace as she looks across the festival to the stage. "You know Y/N, you who are an Aerosmith fan here, you're not going to make your pretty friend walk all this way to see a band I don't even listen to much?" Poppy smiles childishly at me.

"You are the worst friend in the world!" I speak to as I walk past the boys to say goodbye to them.

"I love you too!" Poppy shouts as I am almost at the stage exit.

As I walk to the other stage, I realize how beautiful the festival is. Camping tents circle the lawn, groups of friends take fun pictures lying down, not caring about the grass and a little bit of mud. Food trucks begin to set up their trailers to receive the drunken crowd in need of something solid in their stomachs, Poppy and Ana are included in this crowd. I laugh with thought and only realize that there was someone in front of me when I bump into her as I enter the vip air of the stage.

"I'm sorry." I raise my gaze to the person and am relieved that it is not a stranger who would probably cuss me out. "Oh, hi Jake!" I smile at the man in front of me.

"Hi Y/N." He laughs making room for me to pass. "How are you doing?"

"Well, how about you?"

"Fine too." Jake leans against one of the bars, he's even more handsome in the daylight, shit! "Still feel like you're going to pass out at any moment?" He smiles at me.

"Don't even remind me of that!" I smile too. "And you Sir, you have to promise that even if I faint you won't let anyone take me away from this privileged place." I point to the VIP area we are in, which is less than a meter from the stage.

"Okay, I promise!" Jake laughs and runs his fingers through his bracelets, coming closer to me, to speak something in my ear. "I know the whole festival has probably already seen this, but I think it's only fair to warn you that your badge is backwards." He looks at me amused and waves his own badge.

I look at my badge and see that all the writing and pictures are upside down. I try to turn it over still holding the rope, but I only make it worse, making the badge fall into the grass.

Before I can duck to pick it up, Jake does it for me and he also catches the badge cord around my neck with his own fingers and puts the badge away easily.

"There!"

I look at him and smile at the same time blushing. "Thanks."

Jake shrugs his shoulder smiling.

We both look over our shoulder when we hear familiar voices. Coming towards us are Ana, Gethin and a little behind them Lexa and Danny. Very close.

I laugh at the scene and Jake seems to read my mind and follows me smiling at the 'couple'.

"Cute, huh?" Ana nods to Lexa and Danny, making them both blush.

I pat her arm lightly and turn to Gethin and Danny. "Hi guys."  

"Hey Y/N." The two respond in unison.

Gethin crouches on the floor opening a bale of beer and handing it out to each of us. I get tired of rejecting drinks, so I accept. Before I can open mine, Danny and Gethin are already toasting with their bottles.

I shiver at the whisper right next to my ear. "I said, beer guys."

I turn to Jake smiling at the memory of our first conversation.

The half-computerized voice comes out of the speakers, announcing that soon the band will take the stage. And maybe it's the adrenaline from the concert about to start, but I take courage and approach Jake.

"So, today the girls and I are going to build a bonfire on the lawn behind our bus." I look at him, who has a sideways smile on his face and nods. "Do you want to join us? I mean, you and all the boys too."

"Sure."

We smile at each other and only stop when seconds later, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler enter the stage, being followed by the rest of the band afterwards.

"No fainting, eh." Jake speaks low to me, but loud enough for me to hear over the beginning of 'DREAM ON.'

"No getting me out of here if I faint." I speak would be but can't stand it and follow Jake in laughter as he throws his head back.

And now the show really begins.

I spend the next two hours singing (screaming) all the Aerosmith songs, some hours cuddling with Ana, other times helping Gethin open another bale of beer.

Jake, Ana and Gethin spend the last 4 minutes of the show laughing at me and Lexa, because we were crying of 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' until we saw that Danny was also almost crying and then we were all engaged in the mission of laughing at him.

Definitely one of the best moments of my life.

When the concert of a small alternative band starts, we leave the VIP area and head towards the food trucks. Ok, maybe I am also part of the audience that needs something solid in the belly.

As we sit down on some folding chairs, Josh, Luke, Jed and Adam come towards us. Josh frowns, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of me.

"Where are Sam and Poppy?"

"Are you guys too drunk and have you forgotten that they were both with you?" I ask laughing and the 4 boys in front of me look even more confused.

"They said they were going to meet you in the VIP area of the big stage." Adam replies.

All ten of us stare at each other's faces. Then Josh can't help himself and lets out a laugh and everyone starts to understand what really happened.

"Wow, two couples in less than a day of festival?" Luke hisses.

Even though I am a few chairs away from Lexa and Danny I can feel them both wanting to hide when we all give them quick glances, my glance is quick but so much so that I miss the scene of the two of them smiling at each other.

When I finish eating everyone is still too busy discussing Poppy and Sam and how they match as a couple.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to Jake, who has also finished eating.

"We have an hour and a half until the Stones concert and I have half a bottle of Whiskey on the bus." He raises one of his eyebrows with an inviting smile.

"I'm in."

No one seems to care much when we say we're going for a walk around the festival. No one except Ana.

"Hey, Luke, look at the third couple!" She points to me and Jake laughing.

And for the second time in the day I feel all my blood rising to my cheeks. But I still have a little bit of bad bitch attitude left in me, so I yell back. "Only if you and Josh are the fourth." I hear Jake laugh behind me and get up the courage to look back, where I find Guitarist with his hand raised so we can have a high-five.

I slap his hand and look at Ana again and see a unique scene, my cousin embarrassed as Josh winks at her playfully.

Jake and I make our way back to the buses, stopping to look at a stall full of handmade jewelry. I leave with a lanyard with a pendant of James Jamerson's miniature Fender Precision bass and Jake with a leather bracelet, also with a pendant, a miniature Fender Stratocaster, Hendrix's trademark.

We stayed chatting about these iconic instruments until we arrived at his bus door.

"Welcome, Miss." He opens the door for me and I walk past him laughing.

Their bus is not much different from ours, except for the amount of drinks in one corner. But who am I kidding? If it weren't for Lexa, ours would be like this too.

Jake goes over to the corner and says he's going to get the glasses and the bottle and I sit down on the small brown leather sofa.

I pick up a book that was on the little table next to the couch, "Is it yours?" Jake comes over to me holding a bottle of Jack Daniel's and two glasses, one with ice and the other without.

"Yes." Jake sets the glasses down and opens the bottle. "Have you read it?"

I look at the paperback edition of an Edgar Allan Poe book of short stories and nod. "A classic." Jake fills both glasses with the liquid. "The best kind for touring."

Jake smiles and holds out one of the glasses to me. "No ice, right?"

"Right!" I smile at him.

We toast with our glasses and relax on the couch.

"Do you want to hear something?" Jake asks pointing to the small radio on the small table.

I say yes, even though the silence between us is not at all uncomfortable.

I smile when Five By Five by the Stones starts to play.

Jake lays back on the couch smiling as well "Just to get in the mood."

"I get it, Keith Richards's 'fangirl'." I wink at him, getting a laugh in response.

By the time the fifth and final one starts, we are at the end of the bottle.

I look at Jake beside me, his eyes and hands are focused on filling our glasses for the last time. A wavy lock of hair falls across his face, while the rest is tucked behind his shoulders.

And it must be the fault of the damned drink that I take my fingers to this lock and curl it around my finger, making it almost curl when I let go.

Jake looks over his shoulder and laughs anasaly. I pull my fingers out of his hair, embarrassed.

"Sorry, it was kind of irresistible." I give him a nervous smile.

Jake offers me my glass and smiles, "It's okay, Y/N!" He props his glass on the floor and brings his hand up to my hair, curling it in his finger, the same way I did with him.

Jake rests his cheek against the back of the couch and smiles. "Sorry, it was kind of irresistible."

I laugh and stare at the ceiling for a few seconds, but when I turn my gaze back to Jake, he is no longer smiling. But he doesn't look angry or upset. He scans my entire face, until his gaze meets mine again. My hair still curled on his finger.

"Would you be mad if I said I really want to kiss you?" Jake asks and shit I feel time stop and all that silly teenage nervousness come back.

I look at him and Jake looks anxious, waiting for an answer.

"No." I speak low, because for some reason my voice seems to get lost inside me, "I wouldn't be mad."

"And you wouldn't be mad if I actually kissed either?" Jake smiles sideways at me.

Without moving much, I leave my glass on the floor next to his.

"I would be mad if you didn't kiss." I admit smiling at him.

His fingers that were holding a lock of my hair, go to the back of my neck pulling me closer, one of my hands goes to his arm and the other goes through his hair.

And then our lips are together and when I briefly open my mouth, Jake gets the message and begins to explore my entire mouth. One of his hands goes to my waist, looking for support to deepen the kiss.

Neither Jake nor I care when the music stops.

Our breaths are a pleasant sound to both of us now.

His hands slide to the back of my thigh, pulling me onto his lap.

My two hands go to his neck while trying to make as much contact as possible with his mouth. I curse Jake mentally as he separates our kiss, he realizes my disappointment and laughs as he brings his mouth to my neck and I take back all the swearing I did second before.

Just as I am about to start the last buttons on his shirt (the only ones that were buttoned) a noise at the door and voices make me quickly get off Jake's lap.

"There are locks on these buses you know, brother?" We look at Sam who is dying to laugh at the moment.

And when Poppy's head appears through the door I realize that he is not the only one dying of laughter.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Graduation surprise; BoRhap cast x reader

*Author’s note*

Hey ya’ll well I promised this fic when I posted the Queen prom fic so here it is. Now I know it’s not as long as the last one is but I felt like this didn’t need to be super long. Also as another special little fact for ya’ll I was gonna make this a Queen fic as well but then I decided to change it to a BoRhap CAST fic since I hadn’t done one of just them in awhile. 

So to all seniors whether HS or college, the class of 2020 CONGRATULATIONS I know it’s not what you hoped it would be but still try to find celebration in this pandemic, you all achieved probably the greatest milestones in your life. So stay safe, stay healthy, stay sane, and be happy :) Lot’s of love from me my darlings!

Taglist:

@waddles03​

@psychosupernatural​

@plethora-of-things​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@ixchel-9275​

@simonedk​

@queensdivas​

@platawnic​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@kairosfreddie​

_______________________________________________________________

Goddamn this year! Just when we think the new decade would be worth our wild, now we’ve got all this shit going on! First there was the threat of WW3, then the next month we’re dealing with wildfires in Australia, and finally to top it off why not add a global pandemic?!

The Coronavirus has literally been all over the news for months, and the fact that our government knew about it since late last year and didn’t warn us about it!? Then when they told us to be on lockdown, everyone starts hording toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and food that no one can buy said items for weeks on end.

But of course my main problem is the fact that I, along with so many other kids and adults around the world can’t participate in their own graduation ceremony.  As a college student, I was just longing to finally participate in my final graduation ceremony ever.  This was supposed to be my final chapter in school life and now because of this damn virus, that’s gone.

I mean yeah my diploma will be coming in the mail but I wanted my family to all be there to see me reach the end of my school life before I finally begin a new chapter.  Plus my cousin’s friends said that they would come and see me and I’ve missed seeing those guys, I hadn’t seen them all since the Bohemian Rhapsody premiere.

I sat there in my old room of my house (cause since the University closed down back in March, all students had to leave the college campus and go home so that way we could reduce the spread of the virus. So I ended up moving back in with my parents) just finishing up my final paper for class.

That’s when my Zoom video chat blew up with my cousin’s profile pic.  I grinned and clicked on the answer button and soon enough my cousin’s face took over my screen.

“Hey poppet.”

“Hey Gwil, how you holding up?” he let out a sigh.

“As best as I can. Though I should be asking you that, you are the one really dealing with this whole Coronavirus adjustment than I am. How’d you do on your classes?”

“For those that have said online classes are easier, they’re dirty rotten liars and completely incompetent.” He softly chuckled. “But thankfully I finished my last exam paper and submitted it just now.”

“Your dad look over it for you? Cause I know you’re a terrible editor.”

“Oi not all the time. Just when I’m lazy.” He hummed as he raised his brow at me. “But yes I did have dad review it for me. Cause before we got to submit the rough draft and my professor said I needed more analysis to my quotes on why I quoted that specific source. God I don’t know why I took that class to begin with?”

“Because you’re a criminology nut and you have been since you turned 16. God and I thought my horror movie tastes were bad.”

“Hey it’s good to be aware of shit like that!”

“Language missy!”

“Okay Cap.” I teased.  He gave me his stern look which made me laugh as I fell to my side on the bed. “Oh by the way I saw that little dating app video you did.”

“And what did you think?”

“I liked it. Kinda makes me wish an app like that did exist in real life.”

“You not just pulling my leg on this?”

“No. Honest and swear to god you had me moved by your performance. Well next to you being Brian May of course.” He grinned. “I swear I still can’t get over when I first saw you in the full hair and makeup, I literally almost had a freakin panic attack.”

“And the fact that Brian was also there to witness that.”

“Oh god don’t even go there!” I groaned as I hid my face in embarrassment.

“So—now that you’re all done with school, what’s next for you?”

“Well any plans I had are put on hold till this whole crisis goes away. And I really thought 2020 was gonna be my year. This sucks!”

“I know poppet, I know. But believe me that it’s not just you whose affected by this. Everyone in the whole world is suffering exactly the same way you are.” I sighed solemnly.

“I know. I mean I should be feeling for you and the guys right now, I mean all of you are out of work till further notice. And all the restaurants that I love going to. Did you know that the little ice cream parlor you and I used to go to when we were kids shut down?”

“No!”

“Yeah, the owner couldn’t keep up the payments because hardly anyone was ordering from them anymore, even with online delivery. So she closed it down.”

“Damn, that sucks. I really loved going to that place with you. That was always our special little time together without the grownups around.” I nodded remembering all the fun times we had together in that little shop.

It was then someone suddenly popped into our conversation.  The extra person now on my screen was none other than Joe Mazzello.

“Hey Gwil, mini-Lee!”

“Hello Joe.” Answered Gwil.

“Hey Joe been a long time.”

“How you two holding up?” he asked us.

“As best as we can, how about you? I’ve seen those Youtube videos you’ve been doing on your page.” Gwil said.

“You know those were jokes, especially that last one. I just wanted to get a laugh out of everyone, or have them hate me.”

“No one could hate you Joey.” I said with a smile.

“Aww thanks mini-Lee. How’s classes been?” I let out a groan as I once again flopped on my bed which made Joe laugh.

“I am just thankful that this is all over. At first I thought online classes would be easy but one of my professors was technology challenged. Another one would sometimes forget to do a lesson, and then of course blackboard could barely operate long enough for me to submit an assignment which caused some of them to be late.”

“Well like you said it’s over now.” Joe assured me.

“Oh hey I saw that Jurassic Park livestream you did.”

“Oh did you? How come I didn’t see you submit a question or just say hello? I’ve seen your Youtube page so I know your username by heart.”

“Cause I may or may not have also been working on a project. But chose the livestream over the project.”

“Nice going Joe, you’ve turned my cousin into a procrastinator.” Gwil complained.

“Hey at least she has Jurassic Park unlike you Gwilym Lee! Serious shame on you for not owning it! This is why mini-Lee is the coolest out of the two of you.” I snarked out a mock laugh as I stuck my tongue out.

“Ganging up against me okay I see how it is you two.”

“Oh come now cousin dear, we’re just messing around.”

“Messing around? If we’re messing with Gwil then I want a part of it.” Soon another picture came up and there lying on his side was Ben Hardy.

“Benjamin!” Joe screamed joyously.

“Hi Ben.” I sung out.

“Hey (y/n).” he waved at me with a wink. “Now going back to teasing Gwilym.”

“You guys are officially gonna be blocked right after this.” My cousin groaned.  We all laughed when I told him.

“Again cousin, we’re teasing you. So Ben, what brings you here?”

“What can’t I pop in and say hello?” I giggled.

“I see nothing wrong with it. Oh hey get this; I finally got around to watching 6 Underground.”

“And what did you think of it?”

“The first 10 minutes were insane! And truthfully I never really understood Michael Bay films, but this one—definitely my favorite. I loved it Ben, really.”

“Well thank you (n/n). Thank you.”

“Never did I think I needed to see both you and Ryan Reynolds on screen together….”

“Whoa okay easy there (n/n)!” Joe interrupted me.

“Oi you get your mind out of the gutters! And you say it’s the fans that make what you say to the extreme.” I scowled him.

“Trust me, I’ve known him for over 10 years and he still doesn’t grow up.” Another voice stated and soon two more familiar faces popped up on screen, stuck in quarantine together in LA were Rami and Lucy. And then a split second later another face came on the screen, it was none other than Alan Leech.

“Hey, Rami, Lu-lu, Alan!” I cheered.

“Hey (y/n)!” the three of them said as they waved.

“God I feel like I’m getting spoiled, got the entire BoRhap family together for the first time in like—forever.”

“It’s crazy.” Alan said.

“Definitely.” Agreed Rami.

“Maybe when this whole thing blows over we should all get together some time in New York.” Offered Joe.

“I’m down with it.” Ben said.

“Me too.” Lucy agreed with a nod.

“Yeah, (n/n), Ben and I could fly out together.” Said Gwil.

“I’m down with that. Now that I’m done with school, I can do what I want now.”

“So guys now that we’re all here shall we begin?” Lucy said.

“Begin what? Gwil what’s going on?” I asked.

“Well (n/n), when this whole quarantine shutdown and school cancellations started affecting the class of 2020 we all felt bad that you couldn’t graduate the way you hoped you would.” Gwil said before Joe continued.

“So Gwil called all of us up via the Whatsapp chat, as well as our daily zoom calls. To gather us all together on your ‘last day’ of college.”

“To celebrate your own Virtual college graduation party!” Rami cheered.  At that point everyone either threw confetti, blew on graduation blowers, or holding up signs that said CONGRATS 2020 GRADUATE!!!

I covered my mouth with my hands speechless and tried to hold back the tears.

“Ohh you guys.”

“Since you couldn’t have a college graduation party, we figure we’d bring the party to you. See not even this pandemic can stop us from celebrating our Mini-Lee’s ultimate milestone.” Ben said as he set down his congrats sign.

“And also expect some gifts within the next few weeks, depending on how the mailing services do with overseas gifts.” Alan said.

“Aww thanks you guys, you didn’t have to.”

“We know, but we wanted to. Let us spoil you even through this pandemic.” Said Joe.

“Thanks guys, this—really means a lot to me.” I wiped a hidden tear that strayed down the corner of my eye.  They all awed at me that’s when Gwil lifted up a small graduation cake.

“I know, I know this’ll be ridiculous but just humor me will yah?” I smiled and nodded.  He lit up the 2020 candles and held it just high enough for me to see the top part of the candles.

“CONGRATS (Y/N) LEE! CLASS OF 2020!!!” everyone proclaimed at once which made me smile and I blew out towards the screen.  Gwil then blew out the candles for me as everyone else cheered and clapped.

“Thanks so much you guys. Really, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

“We’re happy to do it (y/n). If it makes your day a little bit brighter in these dark times.” Rami said.

“It did Rami, it really did.”

“Well hope we can make this even better cause I’ve also got a part 2 to this little surprise. But in order for that to happen, everyone else has got to go otherwise you won’t really be able to see it as clearly.” Gwil said.

“Aww man.” I whined.

“No worries mini-Lee, your cousin added you to our BoRhap Whatsapp chat and I’ll send you a link to our zoom channel if you ever wanna chat with us again.” Joe said with a wink.

“Thanks Joe. And thanks everyone take care and stay safe.” They all waved and bid me goodbye with waves or blowing kisses at me and one by one they signed off till it was once again just Gwil and I.

All I could see across his bearded face was that cheeky grin he does whenever he’s trying to hide something.

“What are you grinning about?”

“Just the fact that I’ll be the best cousin once you see part 2 of your special surprise.”

“What did you do?”

“If I told you it won’t be a surprise now would it? Now let’s see, god I hope they get it.” He muttered the last part to himself. It took a few minutes till finally another screen popped up and standing there in his room was Adam Lambert.  I fangirled in my seat and covered my mouth trying to contain my squeals.

“Hey girlfriend!” he greeted with a wave.

“Adam oh my god!”

“How’s it going?”

“It’s been going. Finally submitted my last paper. So I’m officially done with school forever.”

“Yaas Queen!” he snapped. “So how’s it feel to be a college graduate?”

“Well it’d be better if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic.”

“Understandable, but hey you’ve worked hard for this so be proud of yourself no matter what’s going on in the world right now.” I nodded with a shrug. “And to celebrate your graduation, your cousin whipped up another little surprise for you.”

“Oh my god Gwil you didn’t!” I gasped.  He merely raised a brow at me cheekily as he bit his lip back from a smile.

“Hey guys you there?!” Adam called out and soon enough two more screens came on and the picture revealed to be both Brian May and Roger Taylor.  Brian sitting on his couch while Roger looked to be in his basement with his drumkit.

At this point, I had lost my shit.  I was fangirling to the max at this rate but tried to calm down.

“Hi (y/n), congratulations of graduating.” Brian greeted me.

“Major achievement there love. Congrats.” Roger added.

“Oh my god…..Gwil this is—how……”

“I knew you’d love it (n/n). Plus I knew this would cheer you up after our last conversation we had last week. You really needed some cheering up.”

“So guys are we ready to do this?” asked Adam.

“I’m ready to go if you both are.” Said Brian as he took his Red Special and set it on his lap and Roger twirled his drumstick.

“(Y/n), this is for you love. Hopefully when this whole mess is over, you can finally go out there and reach your dream job. Till then we hope you enjoy this.” Roger said.

It was then both Roger and Brian began playing the tune for ‘we are the champions’ but as Adam began singing the song, it turns out that they were actually singing their new song, ‘You are the champions’ dedicated to the first responders worldwide.

But now they were playing it in my honor as a college graduate.  As they continued to play the song, I allowed the tears to flow down my face as I laced my hand over my heart.

God—never did I think that through this pandemic would I be happy.  From having to never see any of my friends I made in college again, to not having my whole family come to the house to celebrate, or going out to party with some of my friends.  But this—right here and now, my cousin made it all up to me all the way from London.

At this point, I knew that I was officially the luckiest person in the world.  All thanks to my favorite cousin, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

[queenmylovely]

Wedding Party- Mini ii

Summary: Ben hardy x fem!reader. Your normal Sunday routine with Ben is interrupted by a hangover. 

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: cussing, smut (fingering, protected sex, etc.) (18+!! marked with ***)

Request: smut and hanging around being cute?- requested by my roommate 

A/N: I still love these two and they deserve all the soft smut in the world. I think I’m done with 700 stuff (I mean unless anyone wants to send more stuff) other than something that was sent in that might have taken on a life of its own. Keep tuned. Any feedback is super appreciated but especially replies, messages, and asks are super helpful for my writing ‘cause I get to hear what you think!

what’s going on send me stuff!

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Mini i, Masterlist

(ignore joey but that’s how ben looks at you, gif by @mrbenhardys​)

💖💖💖

A month and a half after Lucy and Rami’s wedding, you and Ben had developed a good routine that started with going out on Saturday nights, whether it was to dinner, to a bar, over to Lucy and Rami’s, or whatever plans you could scare up. Then you would go to his or yours, it alternated every weekend, have hot sex and crash for the night. The next day you would laze around, having a relaxed brunch of pancakes or waffles, eating them as they came off the griddle. You two might help each other do whatever chores you needed to do, if you had the motivation. If not, it’d just be a nice day to hang out and probably have some lazy sex in the afternoon.

This Sunday was pretty much the same and the two of you were laying in bed at your apartment about an hour after waking up. The night before was another of Lucy and Rami’s game nights, and since you were staying at your place, you drove. It was the last one before Joe had to go back to the states (though he still wasn’t leaving for another week). Since you were driving, you told Ben to live it up and he really listened, getting too drunk to do anything but be put straight to bed once you got to your place.

So today, Ben was extremely hung over. Lucky for him, and you, he wasn’t the type to throw up, but he did have a raging headache and achy body. So when the two of you had gotten up, you had drawn the blinds and closed the curtains to block out the bright sunlight. And you had gotten him a glass of water and aspirin to help the headache.

Then he had looked at you with puppy dog eyes and jutted out those lips of his in a pout and asked, “Can you give me a massage?”

You rolled your eyes but acquiesced, pushing him onto his stomach. Then you straddled his lower back and started with his arms. From his biceps down to his forearms to his hands, you got every inch while Ben hummed his approval. Next you moved to his shoulders and neck, working out the tension and Ben groaned when you worked out a knot with your elbow.

“You know, you should get regular massages with all the working out you do. You don’t get knots from being hungover,” you pointed out.

“Mhmm,” was all that Ben managed.

After his upper back, you did a quick bit over his lower back because that wasn’t very sore or tense. Then turned around so you were facing the other way. You even did a few rubs over his ass, then gave it a quick swat which made Ben cry out, “Babe!” and you laughed.

“I refuse to do your feet for a hangover,” you told him and he chuckled, so instead you started with his calves.

Once they were done, you slowly moved up his thighs and you probably spent a little extra time there, but who could blame you? Lastly you started to work your way up his inner thighs and you heard Ben’s breath catch. You kept going and Ben moaned, more sexual than relaxed.

“You good, baby?” you asked with a light laugh.

“Fuck, you got me hard,” he lifted his head from his arms and said with a little whine in his voice that made you feel a type of way.

“Too bad you have too big of a headache to fuck right now,” you said wistfully.

“Says you,” he countered, turning to look at you, but still squinting his eyes due to the light.

“Well me is who you have to convince to get fucked,” you pointed out. Then you got up from on top of him and said, “I’m going to make some breakfast. You’re welcome to join if you can stand the light in the kitchen.”

Ben groaned and put his head back on his arms as you walked away.

_

A couple hours later with some food in your stomach (you had taken some to Ben who was still in your bedroom), you were lounging on the couch, reading a book with soft music playing over the speakers.

Ben came walking out of your bedroom, rubbing his eyes and groaning softly.

“Did you have a nice little nap, baby?” you asked with a smile, putting your book to the side.

He nodded sleepily and then asked, “Can I lay down with you?”

“Yeah, come on,” you told him, holding your arms out for him. Since you were on your back, he laid down between your legs, resting his head on your chest. He pressed a soft kiss to your boob through your shirt and you laughed, swatting his shoulder lightly.

“Read to me, babe,” Ben said softly.

Picking up your book again, you found your page and then started reading. Ben interrupted every so often with questions to catch up but for the most part was quiet, paying attention to your voice.

The two of you laid like that for a while until your voice got tired and you set down the book again. Then you settled in and started playing with Ben’s hair lazily and he pressed another kiss to your chest. This time you didn’t swat his shoulder and he placed another kiss.

***

Ben’s hands smoothed up under your shirt and he brushed the sides of your breasts with his thumbs. The light touch made you shiver and Ben kissed his way to your right nipple, mouthing it over your shirt. You hummed and tugged his hair lightly to get him to switch to the other side. Once he had you breathing quicker, he helped you lift your shirt over your head.

“Yours too, baby,” you said with a smile and you helped him take it off. You ran your hands down his torso, thumbing at his nipples and feeling his abs.

Ben pressed hot kisses up from your chest to your neck and then finally reached your mouth. His lips moving against yours, it wasn’t long before you were moaning and opening your mouth for his tongue.

His hand traveled down your body and landed over your clothed pussy. He rubbed at your clit through your clothes and while it was good, you wanted more.

Breaking the kiss, you whispered against his lips, “I can just take them off for you.”

Ben chuckled against your mouth and took your pants and underwear off for you. You opened your mouth to say something but Ben beat you to it.

“I know, mine too,” he said with a laugh and you nodded happily.

Everything off, Ben’s hand came back between your thighs and his middle finger found your clit. You sighed and brought him to kiss you again, running your hands through his hair and then scratching your hands down his back.

Ben’s finger moved down to your entrance, pushing inside slowly and you moaned into his mouth. You could tell that Ben was into it too, his hard dick pressing against the side of your thigh. Ben pushed another finger in with the first and you gasped when the heel of his hand started to rub against your clit.

One of your hands on Ben’s hip, you pulled him closer to you until his hips were practically flush with yours.

He broke the kiss, “Uh, you’re kinda trapping my hand, babe.”

“Then move it-- out of the way-- I’m trying to get-- to something else,” you mumbled in between short kisses.

Ben grinned and moved his hand, pressing a searing kiss to your lips before jumping up from the couch.

“Ow, that hurt my head. Just a second,” Ben said, searching for his pants wherever they landed. Then he pulled a condom out of the pocket of his sweatpants and you laughed incredulously.

“Are you serious? Did you put a condom in your pocket ahead of time?” you said, still laughing.

“Well you said that I had to convince you and I knew that’d be pretty easy,” Ben admitted, already putting the condom on.

You gave him a mostly fake shocked look, “Are you saying I’m easy?”

“I’m speaking from previous experience. Don’t act like you don’t want this,” he said with a smirk, gesturing to himself.

“Shut up and get over here,” you said with a roll of your eyes, reaching up for him again.

He climbed back on top of you, using one hand to prop himself up and the other to guide his cock inside of your pussy slowly and he dropped his head to your shoulder. Then he just stayed there for a moment.

“Aren’t you going to move?” you asked, tapping the back of his head.

“I’m just feeling for a minute,” he explained, still staying still but lifting his head.

“You convinced me of fucking, not cockwarming, speed it up,” you told him wryly, clenching around him purposefully to entice him.

“Always so impatient,” he commented, finally starting to thrust. Even though he was still going slower than fast, he was going deep, and you made a happy sound at the feeling. “‘cept when you’re the one teasing.”

“That’s an entirely-- entirely different situation,” you said, stuttering a little when his hand found its way back to your clit.

“You should be able to take what you dish out,” was Ben’s rebuttal, but with how deep he was fucking you and the mix of frictions of his cock in your pussy and his fingers on your clit, your words escaped you.

All you could do was shush him before pulling him into another kiss. At least that didn’t need brainpower because your mouths always naturally worked together. But the slow pace and amazing feeling was making you itchy for more, like your fingertips were burning with need. So you kissed down his jaw to his neck, using your teeth to nip at all of the spots with faded hickeys on Ben’s neck. He would probably complain again that you kept giving him hickeys in the same spots, never letting them completely fade, but they looked so good there that you did it anyway.

When you nipped at his pulse point, Ben moaned and his hips snapped against yours and you gasped.

“Yes, Ben, do that-- do that again, again,” you said breathlessly.

To your relief, he did, and you continued your work on his neck. One particularly hard thrust had your pussy clenching around him and Ben whined, “aah fuck-- fuck, babe, you feel good, so good.”

“You too, so good, baby,” you breathed into his neck. “I’m gonna come, just keep going and come too, wanna feel it.”

Ben nodded frantically, keeping his hips thrusting into you even a little harder, and his fingers moved faster on your clit. A few more seconds and you were coming, your mouth pressed against Ben’s neck to stifle your moans as you felt the pleasure radiate from your pussy and clit out to burn along your back, neck, all the way out to your fingertips.

You came down and Ben was still going, still chasing his release like you told him to. Wanting to help him along, you wrapped your legs around his waist and just that little change in angle had him coming in two more thrusts. The feeling of his cock pulsing inside of you, his pitchy moans next to your ear, and your aftershocks gave you a heady feeling that you now associated with sex with Ben. Knowing that you were able to make each other feel so good was a pleasure of its own and always kept you hungry for more.

Once Ben’s breathing had slowed a little, you leaned up and brought your lips to his in a soft and sweet kiss. After a couple minutes of lazily making out, you pulled away, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Alright, we gotta get up, baby. Still need to do meal prep for this week,” you reminded him and he groaned.

“Let’s just stay here a little while longer,” Ben tried, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

“I’ll give you five more minutes,” you said.

“Fine, but you have to give me some of the food to take home,” lifting his head to look at you.

You smiled and kissed his cheek, “Of course.”

💖💖💖

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[babyleclerc]

Tequila Sunrise

Pairings: Chris Evans x Fem Reader

Style: One-Shot

Request?: No, but 100% inspired by that stupid Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello song I will never get out of my head

Warnings: Language. Smut. Unprotected sex (woops, wrap it before you tap it, kids). NSFW. Slight dom!Chris.

Word count: 4.5K 

Summary: You’ve known Chris since you were twelve. He’s always been a constant for you, never a romantic interest. But will the summer heatwave, humidity and pool time get to your head and change the way you feel about each other? Includes Anthony Mackie!

A/N: Holy shit, you guys. I’ve been working on this one all week. I won’t lie, I’m attached to this one and really hope you guys like it. :3 I’m considering doing a series tied to this -- more of what happens with Reader/Chris & potentially with Ava (bc I love her personality and modeled her off Blake Lively, if you couldn’t tell). If you liked this/would be interested in reading more in this world please comment and let me know!! Your support helps me write :))

This story truly feels like my baby so please do leave it some love/review if you liked it. Sorry if the smut sucked I hate writing it but felt like it was essential to the story jfdlakflds;akf;dsaf. Don’t hate me. ALSO, huge thank you to my #1 @deartomhardy. She helped me through this in so many ways. Hyped me up when parts of this fic made me sweaty, yelled at me when I whined about the smut. Supported me literally through it all. I love u my baby angel. <3 (Gif not mine!)

You say we’re just friends,

But friends don’t know the way you taste.

‘Cause you know it’s been a long time coming,

Don’t you let me fall.

It was hotter than all hell, and you were starting to get sick of the dry heat that was coursing it’s way through the city the past few days. Your hometown used to be so enjoyable; better weather, less traffic, less people, less lines, less noise. Now, everything was popular - and not in a cute way. The donut shop down the street you had been going to since you were five was now considered a collectible. You saw tourists at the airport with the stupid blue boxes everywhere. The quaint coffee shop that was next to a questionable Chinese restaurant had now multiplied where you could find one on almost every street corner. Even down to the people - one in particular - who used to just be a regular Joe Schmoe was now a celebrity in his (also your) hometown. Wild.

“Find any hotties out there?” You turned your head to the edge of the pool to peer through your circular sunglasses at the voice. Mackie was leaned against the cool tiles surrounding the edge of the pool, the bottom of his body enveloped in water. He turned to look at Chris who had just entered the gated pool area.

“I just went to get some beers, Mack. Chill.” Chris replied, and you couldn’t help the small smile that formed on your lips at his response.

Local-theatre-geek-turned-celebrity did have its perks, though. For one, you were able to enjoy a private pool on a 97 degree day, well, privately. Chris’s summer home was nothing short of a resort; food at any and all hours of the day, a pool, hot tub, and theater room. The best part about the pool was that there were no kids screaming and running around, wreaking havoc. You had a barbecue all to yourself, you could blast music and no one would complain. Plus, you found yourself suddenly surrounded by far better and more interesting company.

You and Chris had always been close. That was clear to everyone around you. You went to his premieres, supported him on Broadway, stayed up with him late into the night over the phone when his anxiety got the best of him, and he was a full Country away from you. Assured him that he would have the family he’s always wanted one day. And he supported you through all your endeavors. Helped you pay your way through grad school (I have so much money, Y/N, I literally don’t know what to do with it. Let me do something good for you, just this once he’d said to you late that night on the floor of your college dorm). Listened to you when you ranted about your parents and how the planet alignment was throwing off your mood. Was a shoulder to cry on when you went through breakups. There were no secrets between you, and there was no drama.

You knew this was because the only rule you had with Chris was the one that had stood the test of time: no sex. Period. No matter how drunk you got in the college dorms or at Marvel premieres. Even if you didn’t have someone to kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Even if you were vulnerable, heart aching for some affection and non-romantic sex after your ex cheated on you. Even if you were just plain horny. No. Sex. Your 20+ year friendship had lasted this long because one person in the relationship had always stood that ground no matter the circumstances. And for that, you were so thankful. Thankful for the lack of complications and strings; thankful you had someone in your life you could be you around. It was a rarity these days.

“Beer?” Said friend asked you, sunglasses adorned his tanning face. You looked up from Mackie and nodded, stretching out a hand to reach for the refreshing drink Chris was offering your way.

“Please,” You respond, waiting for Chris to pad his way over to you across the massive outdoor patio.

Had Chris not had his sunglasses on, you would have noticed the way he was eyeing your outstretched body, clad only in a thin, navy blue bikini on the poolside chair. Your bottoms hugged your hips as if made just for you; your tousled hair touching just beneath your shoulders; stray strands innocently snuggled beneath your breasts.

He took a breath, willing himself to look away as he handed you the cool drink. You noticed the way his obliques twitched with his arm movement, and how massive his biceps were after coming off of Endgame. You had, of course, noticed your best friend’s looks before - you weren’t blind - but the heat was making you see him in a different light. You took a swig of your beer, hoping the distraction would take you away from the way a bead of sweat was falling just along his torso towards the top of his swim trunks...

“I’d love one, Chris, thanks for asking.” Your best friend, Ava, spoke out next to you.

“Did you have to bring her?” Chris teased, grabbing another beer and gently tossing it towards Ava, who lay sprawled out on a lounge chair next to you in a stunning red one piece that hugged her cleavage just right.

Ava was the quintessential best friend whose kindness and selflessness made up for the fact that any woman next to her would otherwise feel inadequate.

She had long, slender legs, carved after years of soccer, tennis, biking, and basically any sport she could get her hands on. The constant need for an adrenaline rush made her tanned skin stay year-round, which was accompanied by a moderate four pack, large natural breasts, and wavy, thick blonde hair that always fell just right. Add her bright emerald eyes and a contagious laugh that lit up any room, and she was a heartbreaker to any man that was lucky enough to be in the same room as her.

But Ava didn’t care about that stuff, and that’s what made her so special. She was selfless. She put everyone else’s needs above her own, and had kindness oozing out of her, no matter the circumstances. She went to Mexico on a UNICEF trip on a whim after reading an article about children in need on a random Tuesday morning. She put her younger brother through medical school when both of her parents passed away unexpectedly (still a mystery to everyone else how she ever managed it). She was a perfect blend of compassion and enthusiasm that attracted men who wanted to get in bed with her and women who wanted to be associated with her. And it was effortless; as if it came to her like breathing.

“They’re kind of a package deal, those two.” Mackie piped up from the pool, grinning as he unashamedly drank Ava in. He had been trying to get with her all summer, but Ava stood her ground. She wasn’t one for summer flings.

But Chris knew this already; in fact it was Ava and Chris’s friendship that had gotten you to know Chris to begin with. Your mom had forced you into 6th grade soccer (hoping you would show some sort of athletic talent in your childhood) where you had met Ava on the very first day. Chris had been on the boys team at your middle school, and Ava being, well, Ava, had already made friends with the entire team within days. Your practices were on separate fields, separated only by a goal post but always ended at the same time. You would frequently all walk home together after practice, stopping for a smoothie, donuts, or ice cream along the way depending on the weather and talking about everything under the sun. Those walks were the reason you stuck with soccer for all those years (sorry, Mom).

“I already know what you’re going to say,” Ava started, lowering her voice and leaning towards you so the boys couldn’t hear. “But if I didn’t know any better, I’d say a certain someone was checking you out today.”

You rolled your eyes, but felt your heart skip a beat at the insinuation. “Don’t go starting shit, Ave. He’s seen me in a bikini a million times.”

“Yeah, and you’ve seen him shirtless a million times, too, and yet here you are gawking at him like he’s some Sports Illustrated model.”

“Am not!” You laughed, taking a drink of your beer. You noticed the way Chris’s eyebrows raised at the sound of you from across the patio; he was always in tune with you even from a thousand miles away.

“Prove it.” Ava deadpanned, swinging her legs over her chair to sit up and face you.

“What?” You asked, exhausted by your best friend’s antics.

“Prove it.” She repeated, setting her beer down on the cement. “If it’s no big deal, and you feel the same way about him you always have and nothing’s changed-” She used air quotations, referring to the thousands of conversations you’d had about Chris since you were both back visiting your hometown and hanging out with Ava, “-then swimming and playing around in the pool should be no big deal. Just another swim with your best buds.”

She had a wicked grin on her face, and you knew you were in trouble. When Ava set her mind to something, she always saw it through. No matter what.

“Please don’t do this.” You pouted, though your best friend was already standing, waiting to make her move. The pitied look on your face didn’t fool her, and you found she was ignoring you as she dramatically fanned herself, heading towards the pool.

“It’s getting a bit toasty. I think I’ll take a dip to cool off.” She announced, “Y/N, you coming?”

“I think I’m good, thanks.” You glared at her, unamused. She shot you a wink in response.

“Man, I was really hoping we could chicken fight. Evans!” Chris jumped at the sudden inclusion from the loud blonde. “You in?”

He looked up from the edge of the pool where he had been leaning against one of the railings. Him and Mackie had been discussing some latest sports announcement at length, since you had been too bored earlier to listen out at lunch.

“Mhm?” Chris asked, clearly not paying attention to Ava’s antics and shooting a look over to the both of you. You noticed the beer in his hand was nearly empty.

“Chicken fight!” Ava said enthusiastically, “Me ‘n Mack vs you two losers.”

“Alright!” Mackie shouted happily, “Now things are getting interesting. Finally.”

Chris sighed, not near excited for the fight as the other two. “You in, partner?”

“I guess.” You groaned, knowing you had no way out of both Anthony and Ava’s persistence. You pulled yourself up off the chair and stood, stretching and rolling your neck, which had been stiff from the CrossFit class Ava had forced you to earlier in the week. Your muscles still ached from the fifty minute torture session you cursed your best friend all the way through, and though you’d never admit it - a dip in the pool sounded so refreshing after nearly 45 minutes in the heat.

Chris’s eyes never left you, or the way your body was glistening in the sunlight. The summer heat was leaving your cheeks just flushed, and he noticed how the thin swim material hugged your plump ass seductively. You were oblivious. Oblivious to the beauty and perfection Chris saw in you, how your right dimple surfaced when you laughed, and your eyelashes fluttered when you slept deeply. He felt a small pang of jealousy in his gut at the thought of all the guys who had seen you that way, and wondered if they noticed all those things about you that he did.

Throughout high school and through adulthood, people had always assumed Chris was dating Ava. Whether it was friends, family, or tabloids - people always gushed over what a “beautiful couple” he and Ava made. Maybe it was because of the stark blond hair, or maybe that she was almost taller than Chris, and they appeared to be “perfectly matched”. To Chris, she was just Ava. A close, and dear friend, but no one he would ever be romantically interested in. 

She wasn’t you.

--- 

Much to your annoyance (and to Ava’s pleasure), chicken fighting with Chris had been just as awkward as you had expected. You were acutely aware of every touch - the way his strong hands gripped your thighs when you were straddled on top of his shoulders, desperately trying to shove your best friend off Anthony’s. She was stronger than you; that much was obvious. But having Chris at the base gave you an edge, and you ended up winning more than the other pair thanks to his cheating swipes at Mackie from under the water.

While the game was innocent enough, you heart drummed loudly in your chest every time his skin made contact with yours. Several times as you fell, shoved off by Ava’s very aggressive pushes, you’d feel Chris’s strong arms envelope you, laughing and crashing into the water with you. His arm stayed wrapped around your torso, holding you easily against his hip as you pushed up for air. Water droplets danced along your shoulders as you laughed, easily wrapping your legs around Chris as an excuse for support.

Finally, after several hours of Marco/Polo, ring tossing, and shark and minnows, Anthony and Ava had tired themselves out and retired to their respective homes. You and Chris had moved to the hot tub, tucked deep into the corner of the house, where you could still see the stars. The heatwave had finally burnt off, and you felt a cool breeze rolling through the property, sending a slight shiver down your spine. You leaned your head back onto the cool, diamond tiles that lined the tub, your legs peacefully resting on Chris’s lap across from you as the jets made water bubbles all around you. You sighed, blissfully happy - nothing was better than a long, warm day at the pool with your best friends.

“What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?” Chris asked softly. His fingers danced across your legs like a whisper, his warm blues matching the color of the water just beneath his sturdy chest. 

“I’ve just missed this,” You reply, raising your eyes to meet his. “Life should always be this simple.”

“It can be.” Chris retaliated, thumb now making small circles just above your ankle. You smiled softly.

“Sometimes. But other times I remember that there’s reality, and we have to work and pay bills and like... be an adult.” You sighed again, “It’s just not the same as...” You trailed off, not having the balls to finish your sentence. You awkwardly broke eye contact with him, looking down at your hands in the water.

“Not the same as what?” He pressed, hand now gripping your ankle gently. He tugged just enough to force you to make eye contact with him again. 

“Real life just isn’t the same as being here with you,” You finished out awkwardly. This was uncharted territory - you’d never talked about this kind of stuff with Chris. You were always just friends, and that was the extent of it. Nothing more; and there was never really an opportunity to be more than that because both of you had never let it. 

But now... now he was here. And he was so... perfect. And caring. And kind. And he listened to your ideas, beyond just wanting to get into your pants. And he knew you so intimately, it was hard to think about being with anyone else. It made you wonder if all of your past relationships had failed for a reason, maybe there was someone else you were supposed to be with, and he had been right in front of you this entire time?

Chris tugged on your leg, a little stronger this time, willing you towards him as the water bounced between you guys softly. He was closing the gap between the both of you, but the pace in which he was taking was painfully slow. You felt every second, as if it had been slowed down five times, as you inched towards him slowly.

“Chris, I...” You whispered, as his hands enveloped you, gripping your waist and maneuvering you so that you straddled his lap.

“What?” He asked breathlessly, drunk on your smell, and the way your ass was settling on his groin. His eyes still haven’t left yours, he’s testing you - daring you to be the one to pull away first. 

“I don’t trust myself right now.” You reply, eyes boring into his. Your face was millimeters away from his, and you so desperately wanted to reach out and taste him; know what it would feel like to kiss those soft, pink lips. 

“Just one kiss.” He breathed. His tone was more of a request than it was statement, he was begging you to give in just this once. You lifted your hands and rested them on the sides of his face, feeling his slight stubble against the palms of your hands.In the decades of knowing him, you had never been this close. You breathed in deeply, taking in his scent. You felt as though you were home. And although it was likely only seconds that passed by, it felt like it had been a million minutes all smashed into one, and you finally leaned in, closing the fraction of space between your lips.

And suddenly, you were falling. Falling so deep into Chris and your feelings it was indescribable. He tasted like a perfect blend of vanilla, honey and strawberries; likely from the massive bowl he had eaten just hours before. 

His arms wrapped around you, pulling you as close into him as he could. This was more than just one kiss, and both of you knew it. There was no going back now.

After a few breathy moments, Chris pulled back for air, immediately relocating his lips onto the crook of your neck, kissing every inch of your skin from your jawline down to your shoulder. Your skin felt as though it was on fire, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. You leaned into him, a soft moan escaping your lips as you let your eyes flutter closed. His hands roamed up your spine, tugging at the spandex material that was barricading him from access to your breasts.

“Not here,” You murmured, letting your head fall against his shoulder. As warm and sexy as the hot tub was, you weren’t interested in your first time with Chris being messy and wet in his outdoor hot tub. Plus, the cool breeze was starting to give you goosebumps.

He pulled away from the hickey he was working on just above your right breast. “Hold onto my neck.” He said against your skin. Wrapping your legs around his waist he easily stood, carefully maneuvering the both of you out of the hot tub and towards one of the guest bedrooms just a few feet from the hot tub. All the while his lips continued his assault on any part of you that he could, stumbling in the dark towards the massive queen bed that was enveloped in snow white sheets.

A small giggle escaped from your lips as he tripped slightly, dropping you backwards and onto the soft mattress.

“Think that’s funny?” He asked, grinning as he took in the sight of you; eyes sparkling and hair wet and wild, soaking the cotton sheets beneath you. Nothing separated him from you other than your skimpy bikini, which he was determined to pull off within minutes of having you on the bed.

“I mean, it was a little dramatic,” You teased, reaching out to grab his left arm, and interlacing your fingers easily as he leaned over, hovering over top of you. No part of you were touching just yet, other than his hand in yours. “I do have working legs, ya know.”

“Well, yes, but where’s the fun in that?” He teased, allowing himself to settle on top of you easily. He was grinning from ear to ear, and you weren’t sure if it was your ego or the heat of the moment - but you could have sown you’d never seen him this happy.

“Are we really gonna do this?” You asked softly, reaching your hand to stroke the side of his face, your eyes searching his.

“Do you want to?” He asked, ever the gentleman. Your heart was ringing in your ears, aware of the hard erection Chris was sporting through his swim trunks. It pressed against your right thigh gently. You squirmed beneath him.

“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.” You murmured, and that was the final confirmation Chris needed to close the gap between you two once more.

And this time was different from the hot tub. In the water you were slow, deliberate, wanting every nerve in your body to feel him against you. This was different; he was hungry for you. His hands made quick work of your bikini top, tossing it onto the floor as your lips parted to make room for his tongue.

His right hand massaged your left breast, pinching and flicking your nipple every so often. The sensation made you moan, and you arched your back in response. You could feel your pussy throbbing for him, begging him to please you, touch you.

Needing air, you pulled away from him, placing kisses along his chin and down his jawline.

“Chris,” You moaned into his ear, slightly tugging on his long, wet hair as his thumb padded your tout nipple.

“Mhm,” You were quickly realizing that Chris was going to make you beg him for this one. After years and years of waiting, he wanted to hear exactly what you wanted him to do to you. He wasn’t going to give you an easy out. Not tonight anyway.

“Please,” You begged, as his right hand moved slowly, torturously from your breast and across your tummy, running a finger along your slit over top your bottoms.

“What do you want?” He asked, nose nuzzling your neck before biting you gently.

You groaned, annoyed at the teasing. “We’ve had twenty years of foreplay, Evans. You know what I want.”

He chuckled against your skin, palming your pussy in response.

“Don’t be a smartass.” He bit your earlobe gently, running his tongue along your neck. “All you have to do is ask.”

You weren’t used to such a dominant side of Chris, but the rate in which it was turning you on was unbelievable. He was confident and sexy in the bedroom - a side of him you weren’t used to seeing. It was a relief to feel like you were being taken care of, and that your needs were coming before his. Even if he was making you beg.

Deciding that being blunt was the only way to get what you want you pushed him away from your neck gently, meeting his warm blues. There was a quick beat.

“I want you to fuck me, Chris.” It was so vulgar you felt your cheeks go warm. But if Chris was turned on before, it was nothing like the look of desperation and hunger he had in his eyes now.

He shoved  his swim trunks off, freeing his cock that was standing at attention. You craned your neck to get a look, mouth practically watering at the sight. Chris yanked off your bottoms next and paused for a minute, drinking you in.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He breathed, his hands running down your sides. His hand stopped just above your folds, locating your wild eyes and watching your face as he slipped in one, two, then three fingers, testing your readiness.

You hissed, writhing at the feeling and pulled at the sheets in a death grip. After a few pumps he pulled out of you, but not after sliding his index finger once across your clit. The feeling made you shutter, and your eyes rolled to the back of your head.

He aligned himself, pausing to soak you in. After all these years of wondering, wishing, hoping; you were all his. He didn’t have to worry about anybody or anything else. You were here, and this was perfect.

Your eyes fluttered open, wondering what the hesitation was. You knew immediately he was silently asking for permission one more time. Once you crossed this line, there was no going back. Your hand found his and you intertwined your fingers once more.

“I want this.” You whispered reassuringly.

That was the confirmation Chris needed to settle himself above you, and slide into your pussy slowly. Inch by inch you felt yourself filled up by his impressive length, and you squeezed his hand, moaning loudly.

“Jesus,” He moaned, allowing your body to adjust before beginning to fuck you slowly. “So wet.”

His mouth latched onto one your breasts, licking and nipping at your sensitive nipple as he began slamming into you with more speed. His thumb was still making fast work of your clit, and the triple combination was making it hard for you to not cum quickly.

“Chris,” You breathed, reveling in the way his cock felt inside of you. You bucked your hips hoping to allow him to penetrate you deeper.

“So absolutely perfect.” Chris kept murmuring against your skin, over and over as he kissed, licked, and squeezed every inch of you he could. He picked up the pace, feeling your walls tightening around his cock. You were dangerously close to release.

You tried to form words but couldn’t think coherently. Everything was a blur, and every nerve was on edge as you felt yourself inching quickly toward orgasm. One more thrust from Chris and you let go, crying out as your walls clenched down on his cock without mercy.

Squeezing your breast, he found your mouth and kissed you as if his life depended on it. After a few more thrusts, he, too, let out a loud groan as you felt him finish inside you.

Still seeing stars you blinked a few times, your brain trying to catch up to the scene unfolding in front of you. You had just had sex with Chris Evans. Best friend of over 20 years. Man you shared every intimate secret with. He’s seen you naked. Touched you everywhere. Came inside you. Holy shit.

Chris was still lost in his orgasm, panting slightly. He pulled out of you, rolling over to his side.

“Wow,” He breathed. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “That was…”

“Amazing?” You offered, snuggling into his chest and letting a hand dance along his skin. Your heart still hadn’t recovered from the previous cardio session, and you could feel Chris’s still racing also.

“I was gonna say mind blowing.” His chest rippled in your hand from a laugh. “But amazing works too.”

Fin.

---

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[supernaturalee]

Green and Gold: Part 2 - Gwilym Lee x Reader

Pairings: Widow/Single Father! Gwilym Lee x Reader

Warnings: Some swearing, Mentions of X rated thoughts, and more KAREN

Word Count: 4.4k

Previous Parts: One

Summary: When Gwilym lost his wife two years ago he feared raising his daughter alone in a small coastal New Jersey town would be difficult. In the two years since her death, Gwil and Brianne are finally ready to start moving on. Following the words of a child psychologist, Gwil signs Bri up for cheerleading with the local youth squad, something Gwil knows nothing about. As he is thrust in the world of cheer bows and back handsprings, he will learn it takes a lot more than green and gold uniforms to mend his and his daughter’s hearts. Hopefully through the squad they will find strength, friendship, and possibly a spark of new love for the widow himself.  

Taglist:@the-baby-bookworm​ @ixchel-9275​ @slutforbritdick​ @kurt-nightcrawler​ @radio-hoo-ha​ @imgonnabeyourslave​ @queendeakyy​ @girllety​ @im-an-adult-ish​ @what-wicked-delights​ @drivenbybri​

Author’s Note: It’s almost 2 am EST and I thought to myself, why not post part two. We are getting into meat of the story here, y’all! Again, this update is late, but my writing was hard to come by for a while. So without further ado, he is part 2 of Green & Gold. Please let me know if you want to be tagged in future installments. 

In the four short weeks since Brianne had started cheerleading practice, Gwilym had come to learn three absolute truths. First being that cheer made Bri happier than Gwil had ever hoped. In the time since that first practice, he had seen her smile more than he had seen since before Angela had passed away. Her eyes lit up now whenever she spoke about how the routine was coming along or how she was learning all of these different things. Such as stunts or new tumbling passages or jumps that had odd names like toe touches, herkies, and pikes. While Gwilym cooked dinner or checked over her homework, he could always hear her routine music coming from the stereo in the living room. Once he got her to wash her hands and then settled at the table. It would become Gwilym’s inquiry into the world of cheerleading and Brianne was more than happy to oblige his many questions. 

Bri had taken to cheering like a fish takes to water. It was in her blood, Angela’s cheerleading history flowing through Brianne’s veins now. It made Gwil so happy. She spent three nights a week on the mat now and Saturday during the day at either the home field or away fields cheering on the young football players. The football team’s age coincided with the cheerleaders of Bri's team’s ages. Or the Mustang Pee Wees as Gwil had learned. He had finally found out the difference between the game cheers and the competition cheer as Bri had once told him. He usually sat in the game bleachers trying to decipher how American football was more popular than actual football. Or as Y/N lovingly reminded him every time he complained, “It’s soccer here.” she would say with a smile. At first he thought it was kind of annoying but now anytime she reminded him, he found it endearing. The way her lips curled up in a smile as she said it, he found himself mesmerized by it. 

When Brianne wasn’t cheering and once her homework was done, she could be found hanging out with her new friends Jasmine, Joey, and Selma. The carpool Y/N had promised had been fruitful for Brianne and Gwilym on the friendship front. They had been the type of cheer parents Gwilym had hoped for and luckily he got in with them instead of the others. That was the second absolute truth he learned that, cheer parents were absolutely bonkers bananas insane. Karen Diguimi was just the tip of the massive iceberg that was the “Stepford Stangs” as Joe lovingly coined them. Gwil had now become a member of the mailing list. A dreaded place to be that he wouldn’t have agreed to had he known what a nightmare it truly was. 

He had now started to receive daily emails with updates on fundraising and how close they were to the nice buses. Game schedules, rule changes, and low fat recipes to keep your little cheerleader in proper cheering shape were among the other important articles. Plus little snide comments on the surrounding towns’ teams and how far superior the Mustangs were to them. It was like a tabloid magazine that Gwil now had a daily subscription too.

 Y/N had sent him a long paragraph text about the low carb recipes and how dare the “Stepford Stangs” imply that only certain shaped children could be cheerleaders. ‘It is the middle of October and they are nine and ten years old. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SWIMSUIT READY?! Gwil, you will have to stop me from strangling Karen at the next practice.’ It made Gwilym feel a swell of pride for a moment that he read her text. It caused the return of a certain set of emotions. These feelings that he was feeling were something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Often he would check over the email for that week’s game schedule then file the email away. His new gang of misfit parents would mock the over ridiculous links in the emails or the fact that they received a new one every day. Joe always sent a meme or two about them, while Rami commented on the complete lack of email etiquette. ‘It’s too many emails and too many people hit Reply All instead of reply. It is chaotic!’ Rami had sent in their group chat. ‘I think its nice to keep us informed with the same information that we knew yesterday.’ Lucy had added. Gwil finally being able to put a face to the name as he met Rami’s other half at the first football game of the year. She was blonde, slim, and in a way almost fairy like. Her movements were graceful but she had this hidden strength to her. Rami and Lucy complimented each other well. Rami was a computer engineer, who like Gwil, could do most of his work from home. Lucy, on the other hand, was a certified midwife and a nurse at the local OBGYN. Often traveling between the hospital and the doctor office. Their schedules mostly allow for their twin girls’ busy sports schedules to work. Joe ran an accounting firm but swore he was bad at math. He stated he liked the business but preferred leaving the accounting to his dedicated small team of accountants.

Finally, the third absolute truth that Gwilym Lee knew was that Wednesday nights were now his favorite night of the week. It was the only night parents were allowed to stay for the whole practice. This meant about two hours of watching Bri have the most fun and grow into an even stronger, more beautiful young woman. It also meant getting to spend time with his new friends including Y/N.  Y/N had quickly become Gwil’s confidant in all things cheer related. Any question or need he had, she had the answer and was always there with a smile. It was just another reason why Gwil was now harboring a crush on this woman. He and Bri had not seen her coming. He thought he would scrap by with googled information and keep his head down. He would be quiet and lonely,  knowing just enough to get by. 

Yet there was Y/N with her intelligence, her helping hand, and her kind heart. Bri also loved her and Jasmine. She was treated with so much love, respect, and care by Y/N. Gwil found it hard to keep himself from melting every time he was in her gaze. He felt like a teenage boy with a crush. He had confided in Ben who told him to get back on the horse. However, to Gwil, the horse was a twenty foot tall bear that was very hungry. Angela was still on his mind, in his life, in his heart. He saw her every day in the brown eyes of his daughter. He feared that any new relationship he would start would be doomed to be branded as the rebound relationship for the man with the dead wife. Even if he found someone, they had to pass the most important test in his book, being well loved by the most important person in his life, Brianne. He shook away the heavy thoughts as the red light turned green. He pressed his foot on the gas as he continued the drive to practice. Bri and Jasmine chatting in the back of his car. 

Y/N had asked him to pick Jasmine up from school and drive her to practice. Y/N had a meeting with the college board about one of her students. She would meet them at the cheer gym later. Gwil’s mind couldn’t help but wander to Y/N. He hoped her meeting went well. He knew in just the short few weeks of knowing her that her job meant a tremendous amount to her. Professor Y/L/N had a very nice ring to it. His mind wandering further to dirtier thoughts. If they were ever to be together would she let him play the teacher's pet. His fantasy slowly took form in his head when Bri’s voice snapped him back to reality. 

“Dad?” No answer came from the driver’s seat. “Earth to dad. Father?” She laughed. Gwil pushed all X rated thoughts from his mind and looked to the rear view. 

“Hmm?” He answered, putting on a small smile to show her that he has really been paying attention the whole time. 

“Could Jasmine and Ms. Y/L/N come to dinner with us?” Bri asked sweetly. The two had joined them for dinner every Wednesday night since that first practice. 

“Please Mr. Lee!” Jasmine used the same sweet voice. Gwil rubbed his jaw with his free hand as the two girls started repeating the world please. 

“Please please please please please please please please please please please please please!” Bri and Jasmine begged together. Gwilym laughed, smiling. 

“It is fine with me but we will have to ask your aunt, Jasmine, when we see her.” He said.  Both girls cheered happily as they looked at each other. 

“Of course Mr. Lee!” Jasmine smiled. “Aunt Y/N likes getting dinner with you and Bri.” Jasmine said. Gwil felt his cheeks heat up for a moment. This came as a surprise to him in a way. Sure he knew she cared about their friendship but maybe this meant she also felt something more for him. He quickly pushed this thought away, no it wasn’t a good time for him to get into a new relationship. I’m not ready. His thoughts continued his mantra. 

“Well we like having dinner with both of you as well, dear.” He answered her. Jasmine’s smile grew. She was a wonderful little girl who Gwilym had grown to care for. She didn’t know what she was doing for Brianne, but Gwil did and how it helped her improve immensely. He had known his daughter had tried to hide her sadness from him. It was something she tried to do to prove she was strong like Angela but she didn’t need to. Gwil and her grandparents knew that Brianne had every ounce of Angela’s strength tenfold. 

As he pulled into the parking lot of the cheer gym he saw Y/N’s Jeep had not yet arrived. He also didn’t see Joe’s or Rami’s cars either which meant he would be alone. He would most likely have to face yet another conversation with Karen. Or he could just hide out in his car until his friends arrived. He shook his head for a moment, he had to go inside, he could handle this. As both young girls made their way inside, Gwil followed behind them making sure both safely got in the building. 

He signed both in at the desk where the young man who Gwil had learned was one of the coaches’ sons sat. He gave the teenaged boy a wave before moving to his usual spot in the bleachers. He had settled into the groove of sitting with everyone, Gwil sat on a lower bench due to his height, while Y/N sat on the bleacher bench above him so she could make eye contact easier. Rami would sit above her and then Joe would sit beside her, the four almost making a little diamond of security. His blue eyes looked around the room before he spotted her. 

Karen was talking to some of the other team parents, her eyes scanning the room for him. He dropped his head down trying to hide himself from her.

“Oh Gwilym!” She exclaimed, moving to him. Gwil sat up straight, damn he had been caught. He politely smiled and nodded. Please don’t come over, please don’t come over, please don’t come over… He repeated in his head, it was too little too late. She made her way over to his place of peace and quiet. 

“Hello Mrs. Digumi.” He said politely. Her smile grew. Damn, his British charm. She stood in front of him. 

“Please call me Karen.” She smiled still. “I wanted to ask how everything was going with Brianne. She is quite the little cheerleader. One of the best on the squad. Almost as good as my little McKenna.” 

“Thank you. I will tell her that later. She certainly seems to be enjoying it and that makes me happy.” He said honestly, maybe he was wrong about Karen. 

“You should have her over for a play date with my McKenna. You and I can exchange parenting tips or tips of some other kind.” She batted her heavily mascaraed eyes at him. He gulped softly. 

“I will have to talk to Bri about it and get back to you Mrs. Dig-Karen.” He corrected himself. 

“I am just saying Brianne seems like a very sweet girl and you don’t want her to get in with the wrong crowd before middle school. Popularity is key and my little McKenna is going to be one of the most popular girls in school. Just like I was. If Brianne settles herself with the likes of those children, her social life is over and I don’t want that for her or for you. Popularity is everything.” She said as she sat next to him. No, he wasn’t wrong about Karen.

Wrong crowd? What the hell, they are children not teenagers. He thought to himself before defending the children of his friends. Popularity is everything. What a bunch of bullocks. 

“Jasmine, Joey, and Selma are good kids. They are smart, fun, courteous, kind and they are Bri’s friends. They were the first ones to welcome her with open arms,” He said. Gwil was a bit taken aback that a grown woman would say something like that about ten year olds. If Bri and Jasmine weren’t on the mat about 50 feet away, he would have forgotten his manners and let Karen have it. 

“I don’t appreciate you talking that way about my friends’ children or about your child’s fellow teammates.”   He continued, his tone was serious and sharp. Her eyes went wide as she heard the manner in which he spoke. 

“Oh! I didn’t mean the kids! I meant, um, the parents.” She was quick to backtrack and try to fix her mistake. Her chance with the Welsh man slipping away. “Gwilly, you are new to all of this. I should have specified that I meant that if Brianne settles herself with the likes of the parents of those children, her social life is over. You both deserve so much but you are still so naive, honey.” 

“My name is Gwilym.” He stated. She had called him Gwilly, a nickname that Angela would lovingly call him after a few glasses of wine. How dare this woman even try to put herself in the same realm of love as his wife. 

“I am so sorry honey.” She smiled to try to cover up the large hole she had dug for herself. “Like I was saying to you that first practice those parents you have chosen to bond with don’t understand the mustang way.” It was clear to Gwilym that Karen intended to keep digging. “Especially Y/N, I mean she likes to pretend she was a good cheerleader because she was once a national champion herself. But she was the worst one of that team, I should know, I did date her brother.” Karen said as jealousy slipped between each word. It was clear to her that Gwilym cared more for Y/N than he would ever care for her. “They carried her to the gold medal and she got the recognition for it like everyone else. Even made her brother break up with me, how dare she. That bitch.” That was the final straw for him.  

“I am going to stop you right there, Mrs. Diguimi. I do not want to hear you ever bad mouth my friends or their children. Please understand I am friendly with you because I have to be. You are the team mom and I do not really like having issues with anyone. However, my daughter is the only reason I am here. Y/N, Joe, Lucy and Rami plus their amazing children came as an incredible bonus to all of this. You did not.” He said calmly. “Now please step away from me and know, this is the last conversation we will have that is not about fundraising or cheering information. I do not take kindly to people belittling others or their children for their own personal benefit. Thank you and have a good night.” 

Karen let out a breath of air through her nose, standing up quickly. Moving from the bleachers, staring him down. 

“Oh I understand.” Her voice dripped with sweetly sickening venom. “If you ever change your mind I am right over there with the good parents.” She moved to the other waiting ‘Stepford Stangs’. Gwil let out a long breath as a smile appeared on his lips. God, how good it felt to let her have it and god how he wished Y/N had seen him. She would be so proud once he told her. It was the sudden sound of two voices that drew him away from his fantasy. 

“I see you are on the list now.” Rami said as he and Joe joined Gwilym in the bleachers. 

“List?” He asked, tilting his head curiously. 

“I’ll let Joe explain.” Rami smiled. 

“It is Karen Diguimi’s way of saying you are cancelled until you apologize.” Joe smirked. “We just caught the tail end of what you were saying but from what we heard, it was fucking brilliant.” He said quietly enough for just the three men to hear. “Welcome to the list. I have been on it since the ‘I won’t let my underage child wash stranger’s cars in the shortest shorts debacle of last summer season.” Joe said. 

“Rami, how did you end up on the list? It seems like she likes you the most out of all of us.” Gwil asked. Rami chuckled. 

“I once asked her if the pom poms for adults were necessary at a competition because it was just one extra thing to carry.” 

“That’s not too bad.”

“She also hates my wife.”

“Ah, I see.”

“So we both reside on the list with Joe and Y/N.”

“What did Y/N do to get on the list?”

“What hasn’t she done to get on the list?” Joe laughed. “First it was being Dominic Y/L/N’s little sister during high school. Then it was becoming Jasmine’s key guardian when he died, then it was a few other arbitrary things I don’t remember, but most recently, it was getting you to be our friend instead of hers.” Joe said. 

“It’s a rite of passage to get on the list.” Rami said. All three men laughed as Gwil felt more at peace than ever before. Even though Karen had basically verbally bashed children in front of him and badmouthed Y/N, she did provide one key piece of vital information. Y/N as a former national champion for the Mustangs, maybe even on the same squad as his late wife. He marked it in his brain to ask her later. 

As practice started and the three men continued their conversation, still no Y/N. Part of Gwilym began to worry that something bad had happened. He checked his phone to see if she had called or texted but nothing. He tried to push the worry to the back of his mind as Joe began to talk about the upcoming competition this weekend. It was the same thing Bri had not stopped talking about for the past week. Even as he got her and Jasmine into the car today, they talked about their nervous excitement for it. 

Joe was going to ride up with Rami and Lucy. Figuring Gwil would want to carpool with Y/N. Actually all three of them, Joe, Rami, and Lucy, hoped something would blossom between the two. 

“Oh I hadn’t even thought to ask her. It is probably too late, I will just drive up myself.” He said he was a bit disappointed he hadn’t asked. 

“She’ll say yes if you do ask.” Rami smled. 

“She might not.” Gwil continued. 

“Oh no, she will definitely say yes.” Joe smiled slyly. Both men looked at each like they both held the same secret that Gwil wasn’t privy to. It was at that moment Y/N moved into the gym still in her work clothes. Her blazer that was once covering the purple silk blouse, was replaced by a jean jacket. She wore black slacks and black vans. 

“I don’t drive in heels, I don’t want to be responsible for that many lives.” She had told him their first Wednesday night dinner out with the girls. He knew that she kept a pair of black lace up vans in her Jeep for the drive home from the university. 

“Speak of the Devil and she shall appear.” Joe teased her as she sat in her usual spot. She laughed and Gwil’s heart skyrocketed into flight. 

“Ha ha. Good to see you, Mozzarella.” She snarked. 

“That’s Mr. Mozzarella to you.” Joe answered. Both tossing their heads back gently and laughed. There went Gwil’s pulse racing for a moment. 

“Did I miss anything?” 

“Gwil’s on the list.” 

“No!”

“Oh hell yeah!”

“How? Tell me! I have to know how Karen’s little lust for you somehow got you on the list.”

“Karen’s little what?” Gwil said. 

“Dude, she wanted to bone you.” Joe said. “Hard.”

“Bone?” He asked.

“Sleep with you, knock boots, cherry pick, dude I know too analogies for sex.”

“She’s married!” Gwil exclaimed quietly to the group. 

“Hasn’t stopped her before.” Y/N said. “Anyway, tell me how you got on the list.” 

Gwilym began to tell the story of her confrontation with Karen. His own smile grew as he watched Y/N’s own smile grow as he got to the words match. 

“Mr. Lee you are bloody brilliant.” She said, her hand rubbed his arm for a moment before she withdrew it. Gwil blushed. 

“It was nothing.”

“This is cause for celebration. You being on the list. We will all go out kid free and celebrate soon.” Joe said. 

“Sounds good to me.” Rami agreed. Y/N nodded, her eyes looking up and waving to Jasmine as the girl waved back. 

“Hey Y/N, did you know Gwilym here was going to drive to Trenton all alone?” Joe stated. Gwil’s eyes went wide as he looked at the man over Y/N’s shoulder. He felt his cheeks heat up.

“Really?” She asked.

“Yeah. He was going to drive by himself.”

“Why don’t you ride with me? It isn’t as long as a drive if you have a partner.” She offered him. Her Y/E/C eyes meeting his blue. A small smile on her lips.

“Um, you won’t mind?” He asked shyly. 

“No, it will be a treat to spend time with you alone.” She said honestly, all the room felt almost like it was silent around them. Joe and Rami watching the two just share prolonged eye contact. Gwil could almost swear there was a light pink tinge on her cheeks as well. 

“Then it's all set. I’d love to ride with you.” He smiled. The tinge got a bit darker. 

Joe poked his head between the two, “Is your, um, neighbor coming?” He asked her. His voice was almost giddy, like Gwil’s when he talked about Y/N on the phone to Ben. Who was this woman  that was making Joe act like the same lovestruck teenager he was?

“Oh no. Unfortunately, Jolene had one of her advanced painting classes rescheduled to Saturday. It is too much money to miss out on but she promised Jasmine she was coming to Regionals.” Y/N said as she raked her hair up into a messy ponytail. 

“Oh.” Joe’s smile faded quickly. 

“You know you could just ask her out. She likes you too.” Y/N patted her friend’s shoulder. Joe shook his head. 

“The divorce is still too fresh to Joey. It wouldn’t be fair to him for me to get involved with someone new so soon after his mother and I split up.” Joe admitted. Gwilym understood that point. A divorce was a similar loss to a child as a parent passing. Everything became different over night for them, changing so suddenly. Joe and his ex were friendly enough to a point for the sake of their son. The one thing that will keep them forever linked. 

“Okay honey. One day though, Joey is just going to want his dad to be happy.” She said with a soft smile to their friend. Joe just nodded looking over at his son. 

How Karen could ever call this wonderful woman a bitch was past Gwilym’s arena of thought. He looked at Y/N and smiled. God how beautiful she is even in the lighting of this gym. He thought to himself. As more time passed for the practice, the three experienced cheer parents told Gwilym everything he would need to know to be ready for Saturday. How he would have to have Brianne ready before 6 am to get her to the gym so that the team could take a bus together to the arena before driving there with Y/N. He would have to make sure he paced enough bobby pins, snacks, water, everything. His worry level that he would mess this all up grew. Especially the idea that he would have to do her hair in a high slick back ponytail. Brianne had hair like her mom’s thick and wavy, he could barely get it into braids without at least three Youtube tutorials. 

“How about this? I bring Jasmine over at like 5. I can do both of their hair and you can make sure they have enough snacks?” Y/N offered, once again being the incredible person that she was. 

“Please. I fear what I would do to my poor girl’s head.” He said honestly. 

“I think you would be fine, but the first competition is the scariest for both the parent and the cheerleader.” 

“It will put not only my mind at rest but Bri’s mind too. Thank you Y/N.” 

“Anything for you, Gwil.” She smiled. “Oh and um, thanks for standing up for the kids earlier with Karen. She can talk all the crap she wants about me but Jasmine doesn’t deserve that. It means a lot to me and it shows me how wonderful of a human being you are.” She said before turning her attention back to the mat. His heart raced again. God, Wednesday nights really were his favorite.