#dallas tour & travel

[steven-cartoons]

fob isn't coming to my city next year like I was hoping they would

[cellythefloshie]

;; Mama Bear Dedicated to myself. Because this has been my passion project.

Summary: With her son Parker set to skate in his first NHL game with the Boston Bruins, Katherine Stacy travels to Boston. When her plans are derailed by her ex-husband, Katherine is forced to spend a night on the town alone where she meets Jeremy who is more than willing to show her a good time. Kinks & Tropes: Age Gap (22 v. 40). Divorcee. Alcohol Consumption. One Night Stand. Oral Sex - Fem Receiving. Mirror Reflection. Protected Sex. - If I missed something, yell at me. ABOUT THE OC’s: Katherine: AKA Katie. Face Claim: Bryce Dallas Howard. 40's. Mother of Parker Waylon-Stacy. Parker: Face Claim: N/A. Boston Bruin's Rookie. Dorthey: AKA Dottie. Face Claim: Kate Hudson. Best friend of Katherine. Word Count: 12k+

A/N: Would you believe me if I said that this fic was 4 months in the making? @hagelpoint-3821 and @hockeyboysimagines -- I do not know how you have put up with me teasing this fic for so long. This fic is one that ignited a fire of excitement in me, and to be able to share that excitement with the two of you is something I will always appreciate. You both know that this fic could have easily become a full length novel - and I did have to cut back on this things to assure I could get this out before the new year. I won't have to but you guys with persistent updates about the progress anymore! Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement. With that said, this fic is not going to appeal to everyone. It is unlike anything I have written before, and is unlike anything I have seen in this community before. So please consider liking and relogging if you enjoy, and if doesn't end up being your cup of tea - thank you for giving it a shot. And please note that I did not do a full edit of this fic. I will be editing any mistakes I see upon rereads. I hope you all enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As a woman traveling alone, there was one thing Katherine Stacy made sure to do: she created a detailed itinerary. Everything from her flights to hotel check-in times and the sights she was planning to see in the great city of Boston were listed in detail on two neatly organized pages. And she made sure to print 3 copies. One for herself, that she carried in her black Kate Spade purse. One for her ex-husband, Ronnie, who was meant to join her on her trip. And the last, for her best friend, Dottie, who remained back home in Toronto - but was the one person she knew she could count on if something did not go according to plan. 

Which was why, as Katie called her from her dimly lit hotel room in the middle of the day - when she was supposed to be touring the Museum of Fine Arts - Dottie answered with such urgency you would have thought her home was on fire. Her mass of blonde curls was the first thing you could see when she answered the video call. They fell into her face that was too close to the screen, her words rushed so close together they slurred into one. “What’sgoingon?Whyisitsodark?Thisisnottheartmuseum.”

Katie propped her phone up against her suitcase, the camera obstructed by the bag’s handle as she rushed to get one of the lights, a string of apologies leaving her lips. When she returned to the end of her bed, she fixed the camera just right before her hands dipped into her bag and she continued to unpack her belongings and store them away in the hotel room’s dresser. It was only then, with her hands busy and a heavy breath rocking her shoulders, that Katie told Dottie why she was calling. 

“He brought her.”

That was all Dottie needed to hear for her eyes to be sent wide in disbelief, “He. Did. Not.” Dottie was always nothing short of eccentric and supportive, but that support only had grown stronger since Katie’s divorce. And since Ronnie started dating again. 

Not even a year into their separation before their divorce was finalized, he had started dating Monica. A beautiful, blonde, twenty-something, esthetician from Etoboike who had weaseled her way into the Waylon family before Katie could even realize what was happening. Which included joining Ronnie on their trip to Boston. Which was supposed to be just the two of them. One where they were coming together as parents to celebrate the success of their son, Parker Waylon-Stacy, who was set to play his first game in the NHL the next evening.  

Worst of all, he hadn’t told her she was coming. Monica had been a nasty surprise when she met him at The Westland for lunch. Katie knew the young woman could see the shock all over her face when she spotted her, and while her attendance was an unpleasant surprise, she had tried to be civil. Yet, Katie could only tolerate so much. 

So she canceled their dinner reservations at the Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar and did not make her planned trip to the art museum. Instead, she had taken a taxi back to the Courtyard by Marriott where she was staying for her short visit in Boston. What she was going to do now, she didn’t know, but Katie knew she needed to call Dottie.

“I knew you should have just come with me Dot-”

Dottie cut in, her words strained by her frustration. “I would have ripped his testicles off with my bare hands-”

“Dot!”

“What?” Dottie was taken back, her brows furrowed. 

“He’s allowed to be dating, we aren’t married.” She and Ronnie hadn’t been together since their son had turned sixteen. That was almost two years ago now, and Katie didn’t miss a single minute of being married to him. She never would. 

“But this trip was supposed to be a family trip,” Dottie reminded, her hand coming up to run over her face with a sigh, “for Parker.”

“Well,” Katie chewed at the inside of her cheek, her hand coming up to push her long red hair back out of her face, “he’s marrying her.”

All Katie could hear was a long, low growl of a no, the video call going dark as Dottie either dropped the phone face down onto a surface or accidentally turned her camera off at the shock of the news. When the sight of her returned, her hand was over her mouth, and her eyes were wide. 

“You should have seen her ring,” Katie told her, her hands wringing the fabric of one of her blouses in her hands like a wet rag, “it was, wow.”

The band was gold, and the diamond was big. Bigger than what she had on her engagement ring and wedding band combined. It was so big it was almost gaudy and hard to miss. It was eye-catching with every single one of Monica’s movements, and all Katie could think of at the sight of it was: Does Parker know? 

It was a question that haunted her as she put down her blouse, pulled her pajamas from the bottom of her bag, and began to undress with little care that Dottie was still on the other end of the call. They had been friends since middle school. There was little Dottie hadn’t seen or didn’t know. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Dottie spoke, the shock fading at the sight of Katie stripping out of her jeans, “what are you doing?”

Katie stepped out of her jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor as she held her satin bottoms in her hand, “Turning in?”

“NO, you aren’t going to let that selfish prick ruin this trip for you,” Dottie spoke in a firm tone, her finger pointing right into the lens of her camera. 

“What am I supposed to do, Dottie?” Katie sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat and accidentally throwing her pajamas across the room, “I’m just going to order room service and watch some paper view-”

“No, no. You’re going to go out and enjoy yourself.”

A sigh rocked through Katie’s entire body, her hand falling into her hands as she fought back a frustrated sob. She’s a divorced mother in a city she doesn’t know. Her son was off with his teammates doing god knows what on a team-building outing. Her ex-husband was off celebrating his engagement. And she was alone. 

Hot tears pricked at green eyes in the shadow of her hands, but Katie didn’t let them fall. Deep, heavy breaths from years of hiding her frustrations with her husband kept them at bay, but Dottie noticed. She always noticed. 

Which was why her voice had softened when she spoke again, “Show me what’s in your suitcase?”

“My suitcase?” Katie croaked out, her hands coming down to rest against the pale freckles skin of her thighs. 

“Yes, your suitcase.”

Stepping forward, Katie took her phone in her hold and flipped her camera around for Dottie to see. The suitcase was mostly empty now, save for the jacket she had packed at the bottom. The rest of her clothes she had tucked away in the dresser drawers. She had packed just enough clothes to last the three-day trip. Her main outfit was a pair of jeans, boots, and a t-shirt she planned to wear under a jersey to the hockey game the following night. Everything else was meant to be worn during sightseeing, or on the flight home. And every bit of it was practical. 

“No, no, love. Why do you do this to yourself?” Dottie sighed, her shoulder slouching forward. Dottie, herself, was a bit of a fashionista. She always wore the latest trends and was always seen in the brightest colors. Because, well, Dottie liked to be seen. “Where is the sext shit we bought last time we went out?”

“Back home?” Katie spoke in more of a question, her brow raising as if where it was wasn’t already obvious. “I wasn’t coming out here intending to seduce my ex-husband, Dot.”

“You’re in Boston, Katie! A city full of eligible bachelors you can forget about the moment you fly home.”

“Dot-”

“When was the last time you got laid, Katie?”

Her stomach sunk, her mouth going dry at the question. Dottie already knew the answer to that question, but she was trying to use it to motivate her now, even if Katie hated it when she did that. 

“You would have heard about it if it happened.”

“You’ve been divorced for over a year, Katie - separated for two. It’s time to ditch the vibrator.”

Katie let out a long, frustrated huff, fighting the urge to toss her phone onto the pillow. She knew exactly where this was going. “I’m not using that stupid dating app-” 

Tinder. Bumble. Plenty of Fish. Hinge. If it was a dating app, she was on it, and failing miserably at it. Dottie’s daughter, Megan, had set her up with the accounts. Helped her pick every flattering picture and even wrote her biography to cater to the current dating scene. And it had only led her to two types of people, men just like her husband who were divorced and looking for their next way to mother them, or were young men - too young for her to comfortably consider - with mommy issues. And both had gifted her far too many unsolicited pictures of their cocks. 

Just the thought of opening the app made her want to gag. 

“Then don’t,” Dottie spoke, her tone assuring and not forceful. “Just do this one thing for yourself. Go buy a nice dress and a pair of underwear that haven’t seen postpartum. Something sexy. Something to make you feel confident, and go out to dinner. Take yourself out. Hell, even if it’s just the hotel bar. Get a drink and try to have a little fun. For me.”

Dottie dipped her chin down and pouted her lips. Growing up, it was always how Dottie had gotten her way, and sometimes it still worked. Just like it had then. 

“Fine.”

“Good, now, I gotta go,” she spoke, and her screen was suddenly a rush of color as she was on the move, “The twins have a game tonight.”

Dottie was a mother of three. Megan, 18, the same as Parker, was off at university, but the twins were only 12. And had a very extensive hockey schedule to maintain, which kept Dottie’s schedule busy and her hands full. 

“Alright, alright, I won’t keep you,” Katie waved her hand at the phone casually, “Tell Brandon and Brayden Auntie Katie is cheering for them-”

“Don’t think this gets you off the hook,” Dottie added quickly, “I want a selfie of you looking sexy at the bar. Love you. Kisses!” 

Shopping alone was something Katie loathed. Nothing ever fit her proportions right, especially after the rollercoaster that was going from a size 2 to pregnant to struggling with her weight postpartum, to a grueling weight loss journey that brought her to a weight that she could be both healthy and happy with. But Katie wasn’t skin and bones. She was soft and curvy with an ass that was maybe a little bigger than she would like, and breasts that didn’t match the fashion industries’ standards of what her body was supposed to look like. It was that fact that left her rotating out of each boutique's change room, trying on one dress and then the next before she found one dress that fit her body just enough for her to confidently make the purchase. 

It was a little black dress that stopped just below the knee. It was sleeveless, and the deep vee neckline showed off her cleavage with a little help from some strategically placed fashion tape. The dress hugged her curves without restricting her stride and left her feeling sexy as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and took her time to do her hair and makeup for her night on the town. 

Aka. Her night at the hotel bar. 

It was only a short walk from the elevator to the bar's entrance. The dark bar filled with the warm amber glow of the lights that hung above each table, and along the high traffic points of the bar. Normally, she wouldn’t consider going to a place like this. Katie liked to be able to see what she was eating and drinking. But tonight she was desperate. Desperate and alone with no thought in her mind that the latter would change. Besides, she just needed to be there long enough to take a few pictures and leave without an empty stomach. With those two facts in mind, Katie walked into the bar with the confidence only a mother could have and seated herself down the bar.

It’s the most lit area of the establishment, her seat was right beside one of the beautiful bronze light fixtures. It set her face aglow, her bright red lipstick and dark mascara framed eyes illuminated so fully she feared she might look like a clown, but she tried not to focus on the insecurities of dining out alone. Instead, Katie pulled out her phone and texted a quick picture of herself to Dottie. She looked a little more anxious than sexy, but it proved she was out. Then, she took a picture of the light fixture before placing her phone screen down on the bar top and welcomed a menu as it was placed in front of her.

The barkeep was nice, and if she was younger she might have mistaken his kindness for flirtation. But Katie knew better. It was his job to be friendly. Good service meant better tips, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t need the confidence boost. It, at the very least, left her smiling as she looked over her menu and ordered a drink to start: a Negroni Sbagliato. 

It would be the first of two during her meal. The first left her more comfortable being out in Boston alone. The second gave her the confidence to lift her phone from the bartop. Her fingers hovered over the darkened screen before she awakened its brightness with the single click of the home button. Her eyes had to squint at the harshness of its light, her eyes having adjusted to the bar’s moody atmosphere before she could be greeted with the series of notifications from Dottie. 

She was at her son’s hockey game, but she had taken the time to respond to the photo with a series of flame emojis. Quick, but effective support that had Katie’s finger leaning towards the Tinder app that she had tucked on her last page of applications. 

The screen came to life with an even harsher light, leaving Katie to flinch in her seat as she tried to hide her screen beneath her arm. At her age, there was nothing more embarrassing, in her mind, than being on a dating app. She looked down at the first profile carefully as she brought her phone down to her lap, her thumb swiping left on the first eligible bachelor who didn’t look all that eligible when she was sure the woman in the picture was his wife, and not his sister or a friend. Then the second, third, and fourth men in her radius were all at the bottom of her age range and looked all too young. 

In her position, Katie knew she shouldn’t be so picky. She was in Boston for only a few days. Alone for one night. If anyone wanted to meet her for a drink, or at the very least provided a pleasant series of text messages before ghosting her when she found out she was a mother, she would be able to label the night as a success. 

With each passing profile, Katie fell further into defeat and accepted that she would be enjoying her night alone. And she accepted that as she sipped at what was her second drink, only for it to gently choke at her throat at a soft, unfamiliar voice spoken at her side. 

“I’d swipe right on you.”  

The words sent a blossom of heat through Katie from her heart to her cheeks and the tips of her toes. Unsolicited, they should have flooded her with dread. But they were flirtatious and left her giddy before she could even offer the man more than a glance. It had been a long time since someone hit on her at a bar, and it left her sitting taller in her seat. Confident. 

That was until she looked right, and to the man who had greeted her with his flirtatious words. Her stomach was left unsettled. He wasn’t ugly. Far from it with his tall, lean stature, chestnut brown hair, and eyes a warm brown hue that could so easily tempt her into comfort if she let them. But he was young. Younger than anything in her age range on any of the dating apps on her phone. He looked older than her son, but she may have mistaken them for the same age if it wasn’t for the beginnings of a beard along the angles of his jawline. 

As quickly as her stomach fluttered with butterflies, she was flooded with disappointment. She wouldn’t even entertain a man as young as he was. But Katie was too polite. 

“That’s very flattering,” there was a hint of a smile in her voice as she looked down at the bartop to hide the blush that still threatened to creep up on her cheeks. “But I’m pretty sure I’m old enough to be your mother.”

The statement seemed to amuse him, his smile growing as he stepped up to sit on the barstool next to her. He, whoever he was, was getting too comfortable. It left Katie shifting in her seat, suddenly all too aware of how her heels hooked on her stool and how her thighs pressed together uncomfortably as her ass was cradled by her seat. 

“I don’t believe it,” he wore a boyish grin as he turned his body just enough to give her all of his attention, “You here, looking like that…”

Katie could feel his eyes drag up and down the length of his body, admiring her figure and how it looked in her little black dress. 

“Being anyone’s mother would be a shock to me,” he finished his train of thought, his words still on the verge of flirtation. 

Katie wanted to accept it. To feel flattered by his interest however great or mild it may be. But there was an anxiety that bubbled deep in her stomach. One that left her paranoid that this could be a joke. Shifting in her seat, Katie did a glance around the bar. Looking from table to table she looked for anyone that the man beside her could be associated with. But the bar was quiet. There was a table with what looked like a bridal party that would be pregaming before hitting the town. Then, there was a table of old-timers who may have been regulars or retirees visiting the city. Neither were crowds he would be a part of. That was unless he was homosexual. But, if he were, he wouldn’t be seated beside her at the bar, hitting on her. 

“You’re too kind,” she spoke slowly, trying to be polite. 

“What can I say, my mama raised me right,” he smiled a boyish grin, “which is why I’d like to buy you a drink.”

Katie’s heart fluttered in her chest at the offer, her head cocking to the side as she spoke; “You don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

Katie had to give him one thing, he was confident. She could see it in how his dark eyes didn’t tear away from her, and how his shoulders remained strong instead of slouching with each of her flattered but deflective responses. He could have taken her brief remarks as being disinterested - which in a way she was disinterested if only because of his apparent age - yet, he persisted.  

Reaching up with his hand, the mystery Bostonian flagged down the bartender and met him with a smile. He ordered himself a drink, before nodding towards Katie and requesting another for her as well. Then, he offered him his credit card. Katie’s eyes lingered on the piece of plastic as it was passed from one man to the other. It was just a typical credit card. Nothing fancy that would indicate that he was a man with exceptionally deep pockets, and her stomach filled with dread as she realized that she had probably let some poor college student pay for her drink. 

It left her mouth tasting sour as her third drink of the evening was placed in front of her. So sour, that she almost rejected it. But it was already paid for, so she accepted it and decided that if he ordered a second for himself, she would pay for it. 

“Thanks,” she spoke across the short distance between them, her body turning to be a little more open to a conversation. 

Talking to him was the least that she could do. 

“What brings you to Boston…” he started, his words trailing off. He wasn’t done with his question, yet, he was asking her for something already. 

Blankly, Katie stared at him, unsure of what exactly he was fishing for until it hit her. He wanted to know her name. She could feel her face go red with the realization, and redder when she hesitated when she almost said her full name, Katherine. 

Katherine felt old. Stale. Everything she was trying to avoid being, so she gave him her nickname instead, “Katie.”

“What brings you to Boston, Katie?”

“Visiting family,” she kept her answer brief without the messy details. And without the mention of having a son that she was sure was only a few years younger than him. “What about you…”

“Jeremy,” he was quicker to answer, his hand reaching out halfway. She smiled at the gesture, reaching out and meeting his hand with hers in a simple handshake before she withdrew to wrap her fist around her glass. 

“What brings you to Boston, Jeremy?”

“Nothing too exciting, just work.”

Just work. Such a simple answer. Straightforward. No details. And she could have asked for more, but he met her level of secrecy - of mystery - all the while making his intentions known. He didn’t need to disclose his life to her, or her to him, because he couldn’t care less if he was just looking for a woman to take back to his room. But before she could confirm her theory to be true, he pressed her for more. 

“If you’re here to visit with family, why are you alone?”

Katie wasn’t sure what she heard in Jeremy’s voice when he asked that question. If it was merely curiosity or pity, she hadn’t known him long enough to know. But it left her smile wavering as she answered him, “Busy schedules,” she shrugged her shoulders to give off a feeling of carelessness even though it was still bothering her, “I’ll see them all in the morning.”

“How early?”

 If she had been taking a sip of her drink, Katie would have choked again. “You aren’t very discreet.” 

“I can’t afford to be. A beautiful woman like yourself, you could fly off tomorrow and I’d never see you again. At least I can know I took my shot.”

Katie cocked her hair to the side, her bright auburn hair cascading down between her shoulders as her eyes looked at Jeremy in disbelief. He was the very definition of a golden retriever. Happy, waiting with the greatest anticipation that if he was a dog, his tail would be wagging. And he was waiting for her to throw her a bone. 

Biting her lip, Katie placed her drink down on the bartop and her gaze followed after. She shouldn’t have been considering it. Yet there she was, her hands came to rest around her phone and gripped it tight as one thought was clear in her mind. She needed to call Dottie. 

“Can you excuse me for just a moment?” she asked slowly. 

Jeremy answered with a curt nod, his smile unwavering as he watched her with his wide brown eyes. 

With his permission, Katie couldn’t get out of her chair fast enough. She slid from the stool, and her heels slipping on the hardwood. It left her unsteady for a moment, her hand reaching out to catch herself on the bar, but before she could reach the polished wood a pair of large, warm hands had wrapped around her waist.  

The heat of his touch blossomed through Katie’s belly, sending her breath to hitch in the depths of her throat. She wanted nothing more but to hide her surely reddened face in her hands with embarrassment. She wanted to curse herself for her clumsiness, but she was frozen in his hold as he breathed out a whisper she could barely hear but could feel against her cheek; “Don’t worry. I got you.”

His touch. 

His words. 

It was almost enough to make her shudder. But with one shallow, forced breath Katie found her composure  and gave his arm a careful squeeze and a thank you that he might not have been able to hear. Then, she was drying back, her steps quick as she moved for the privacy of the woman’s washroom. It was there she was able to pull out her phone and call Dottie. But Jeremy’s touch was not forgotten, it’s warmth remained deep in her belly, lingering. 

“Where’s the fire?” There was an alertness in Dottie’s voice, nothing but the peaks of her face visible on the screen as she lay in the dark. Katie could only see more of her tired features as Dottie squinted and brought the phone closer to her face. “Wait,” her tone was one of disbelief, “are you still out?”

“Yeah,” Katie’s voice was uneven as she reached a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, “and I think I have a problem.”

“If it’s your card, I told you so. I knew you should have called the bank before you went-”

Shaking her head, Katie cut her off, “No, no, there’s a guy?”

Dottie perked up, any sign of sleepiness void from her face in an instant. “A guy? What are you calling me for? Take him to bed!”

Her excitement was contagious, not even the complaints from Dottie’s tired husband who lay beside her in bed could spoil the mood. Katie wanted to be able to revert back to her younger self. To squeal with excitement over a man. A man who thought she was sexy - who wanted to sleep with her with no strings attached. But it wasn’t that simple. 

“It’s just that,” Katie chewed her lip, a heavy sigh rocking her shoulders, “he’s young.”

“How young is young?” Dottie asked slowly, and cautiously as they waded into dangerous territories together. 

“I don’t know,” she sighed, “they didn’t card him. Maybe, twenty-five. No more than thirty.”

“Shit,” Dottie cursed, the single word drawn out and earning another grunt of disapproval from her husband, “he cute?”

“Very.”

“Well, I mean… Thirty isn’t too bad.”

“That’s IF he’s thirty, Dot,” she emphasized, her eyes wide as she dropped her voice lower at the sound of someone entering the washroom. 

“What’s the worst-case scenario?” Dottie asked. 

Katie thought for a moment, her teeth chewing her lip as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. As a woman, there were many horrible scenarios a woman could end up in when dating. Ending up dead was the worst of the worst, but she didn’t take it to that extreme. “Worst case? He’s a twenty-one-year-old fuckboy like the ones we warned Megan about before she went off to college. And I end up with the clap.”

Dottie’s laugh was lost on the flush of the toilet in the stall next to Katie, and the rush of the sink as the stranger in the bathroom washed their hands. It was a mess of noise, but Katie could still make out Dottie’s next question, “Best case?”

Katie hesitated as she threw her head back to rest against the stall. She was embarrassed by the answer. 

Dottie answered for her, “Best case you get laid for the first time in what is it? Two years?”

Hearing it outloud sent her stomach sinking? Had it really been that long? 

Katie cursed under her breath, her head hanging low. When had she let her life get so pathetic? For years, her life had one priority, raising her son. And she had done a good job, he was successful, about to play in his first NHL game after starting his season with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate.  But she never really moved on from her divorce, and from being a mom. Her ex-husband was engaged, and ready to start a new family. But she hadn’t even fucked someone anyone since her divorce. Even then, she and her husband hadn’t even shared a bed before their divorce. She couldn’t even recall the last time they slept together, even if she wanted to. 

From her throat erupted a long, unsatisfied groan. Her mind quickly fell on a decision that she may come to regret. 

“Dot,” she sighed, “is it fucked up if I take him back to my room?”

Silence hung between the two of them for a moment. Dottie processed the decision, and Katie waited anxiously for her friend to tell her if she was making the wrong decision.

“Teach the kid a thing or two,” Dottie spoke, the playful nature of her words lifting a weight of insecurity from her shoulders. 

“Dottie, thank you,” she spoke quickly, one hand going to the lock on the door while the other ended the call. 

With the decision made, with a little help from her friend, all Katie could do now was hope that Jeremy had waited for her at the bar. If he hadn’t she couldn’t blame him for leaving. Maybe she was older than she looked from a distance. Or he had just come to the bar to kill time before a night out in Boston, and she was merely the entertainment. She couldn’t let herself get too hung up on him if he were gone, but thankfully, she didn’t have too. Jeremy remained at the bar. Standing instead of propped up on his stool, his hand slipping something into his back pocket on her approach. 

And Katie, she didn’t waste any time being coy. “I don’t have reservations until 11.”

The smile that was beginning to feel like a welcome constant on Jeremy’s features grew at her words. Katie wasn’t sure if it was the question he was expecting, but it was clear that it was the one that he was hoping for and it flooded her stomach with butterflies. 

She was going to do it. 

She was going to take this attractive young man back to her room. 

“Let me just pay my tab,” Katie told him, her hands already on her purse to dig out her credit card. She merely pressed her jump against the thin, cold plastic card when the bartender threw his towel over his shoulder and raised his hand to reject her payment. He didn’t want it. Katie’s brow furrowed, then it hit her. It had already been paid for. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” she was quick to quip. Katie knew she should have been thanking him, but she couldn’t help but feel a little insulted. She was a grown woman. Successful in her own right. She was more than capable of paying for her own meal. 

“It’s nothing, really,” Jeremy shrugged it off, his arm sliding behind her to rest on her back so effortlessly it was as if they had come to the bar together. 

“Let me pay you back,” Katie insisted, earning the gentle pressure of his hand against the small of her back as he began to lead her out to the lobby. She almost scoffed. As if he knew where her room was - because she wasn’t going back to his. If this was going to happen, it needed to happen on her terms. That also meant, shoving her hand into her wallet and shoving a fist full of American money in his direction. 

Jeremy continued to refuse, his one hand reaching out to guide her hand back towards her open wallet. “And why would I do that?”

“Because I’m more than capable of paying for my own dinner-” She voiced, ready to fight him on it further, but his answer stopped her in place. 

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

Katie stood in the middle of the hotel lobby, her head slightly cocked to the side as she slid out of Jeremy’s reach. He only took a few strides before looking back at her with such warmth in her eyes she thought she might melt. Jeremy was sweet. Too sweet. Acting in every way he had wanted her husband to when they were married, and he was just a young man. It was a cruel thing in a way. For the universe to taunt her with him, but she would let herself enjoy him, if only for the night. 

“Come on, I’m up on the fourth floor,” as she spoke, Katie’s words softened. She wouldn’t be fighting him about her bill again. If he wanted to be a gentleman, she was going to let him. 

They boarded the elevator together, Katie drawing her key card and moving to the right, and Jeremy boarding and leaning against the far left wall. Scanning her card, the elevator doors shut, the two of them alone together for the first time as the elevator began its slow ascent.

The movement made it feel as if her heart was sinking to the depths of her stomach, her anxiety building, as she leaned back against the right side of the elevator directly across from Jeremy. He was smiling still, watching her, admiring her. And she couldn’t help but smile too. It was contagious. 

Her smile had him smiling wider. 

Then, he pushed off the wall of the elevator and closed the short distance between them. He moved so quickly her anxieties didn’t have enough time to worsen, nor did they ease. Her heart raced in the depth of her chest as his hands found her waist, drawing her in from the cold support of the elevator wall and into the strength of his body. He was lean, maybe even a little too lean for her liking, but she could feel how strong he was as her body was pulled flush with his. Katie could feel it first in his grasp, as Jeremy’s fingertips pressed into the curves of her waist. Then again, as her hands braced against his chest, her own careful touch sliding up - feeling his pectorals flex in the process - and around before linking behind his neck. Her tough welcomed Jeremy in, and with him came his kiss. 

Katie had to press up onto her toes to meet it, even in her heels. Teetering on the toes of her heels as Jeremy leaned in and pressed a slow kiss to her lips. She had expected it to be a desperate kiss. One that was sloppy, and would leave her face wet and her eyes rolling, but she was wrong. Jeremy kissed her slowly, both hands on her hips for one moment, the next one had risen to stroke over the soft skin of her cheek. His thumb dragged over the smooth flesh, and down to catch on her chin, drawing her mouth open. Katie had to choke back a moan at the feeling of his tongue slipping in between parted lips. The warm stroke of his tongue infiltrated her mouth, the depth of the kiss leaving her legs weak as the elevator door chimed. 

They had reached her floor. 

red

She licked her lips as she drew back, her hands falling to her clutch to fumble with its contents for her room key. If she was fumbling with her purse, she wouldn’t have to look up and risk anyone else seeing the red lipstick that quickly became a mess on her face. She could feel how it was smudged off her lips, and she was sure that if she looked to Jeremy who now followed behind her like a shadow, that it would be smeared over his lips as well. 

But she didn’t look up. Not until she got to the door of her room and she took a deep breath. Once she crossed the threshold, there would be no going back. The thought left her on the verge of vomiting as she heard the lock click, and her hand reached for the door handle. She was nervous, more than that. Anxious. She was anxious. But there was an excitement that left her shivering as she led Jeremy into her hotel room. 

If he was going to kiss her like that, she couldn’t wait to see what else he intended to do with her. But first-

“Do you want another drink?” Katie asked him quickly as she came to stand in front of the small console table in the entryway. She placed her clutch there, and her key and had intended to peel away from it to move to the small bar in her room, but she found herself trapped between it and Jeremy’s body as the door shut behind her. 

Hands splaying out over the table, Katie braced herself there as Jeremy’s hands returned to her body. One snake around her waist, easing her to lean back into him while the other carefully pushed her loose auburn curls away from the pale skin from her neck. Her eyes went wide, fixated on the horrible piece of art that hung on the wall as his hot breath encroached on her neck. It washed over her in heated waves. The hot moisture was almost enough to make her sweat, but instead Jeremy left her melting. His kiss was slow against her neck. Peppering at first before his lips were dragging down her skin, leaving hot trails down to her collarbone and back up again. 

Her heart fluttered. Then it pounded. So loudly, all Katie could hear was her heartbeat in her ears. It left her eyes fluttering shut, her mind focused on nothing but the kiss of his lips and the touch of his hands on her body. He caressed her curves, gripped at her flesh and kissed every bit of exposed skin on her neck, throat and shoulders. And it all left her melting, her mind fuzzy, and any bit of inhibition was ready to leave her and let him do as he pleased with her body. That was until she left his hand encroached on the hem of her dress. The warm touch of his hand on the sensitive skin of her thigh sent her head into a panic. 

This was the beginning of foreplay. 

Katie should have expected it, she should have been looking forward to it. But it left her nerves raw. In all the years she had been married to Ronnie, foreplay had been forgotten. Sex was an obligation and it was quick. A mere tool used to please her husband while she was left to finish herself off in the shower or beside him after he had fallen asleep in bed. Back then, it didn’t matter if she was dressed in lingerie or pajamas. If she had a fresh shave, or hadn’t shaved for weeks. Ronnie didn’t care - or atleast, he always said he didn’t. But now, as a stranger’s hands were so eager to explore every inch of her body, it left her self conscious. 

“I’ve got whiskey at the bar,” Katie breathed out quickly, her knees weak as she stepped away from him and quickly moved for the bar. 

She was met by Jeremy’s low chuckle,“I’m not that bad looking, am I?”

“No - no, it’s not that - I’m sorry,” Katie apologized, her hand grasping at one of the little bottles of rum from the bar, “I haven’t done anything like this in a long time. I’m just a little nervous.” 

“How long’s it been?” His words were casual, his confidence unwavering even as she found her so close to plummeting. 

“Since when?” She asked slowly, seeking clarification if only to bide herself more time. Katie didn’t want to have to tell him the truth, but she wasn’t a liar. 

“Since you’ve had casual sex?”

“You really don’t want to know,” she countered. 

Omission was not the same as lying. 

Looking up from the bar top, and the bottle of whiskey in her hand that she had yet to uncork her eyes rose to look at Jeremy who had found his way to the end of her bed. He had seated himself down, his shoes kicked off his feet, and he leaned back on his elbows, lounging casually in the bed that had yet to be slept in. 

While he laid back, so casually, that he could have let his head lul back and let himself stare at the ceiling. But even as he relaxed there, waiting for her nerves to be put at ease by a little liquid courage, his soft brown eyes were fixated on her. Her grip tightened around the neck of the bottle, a quivering breath coursing through her body as she held his stare. It was soft, alluring in a way that left her ready to answer anything he may ask of her and it left her curing under her breath. It was a dangerous thing, just how easy to trust he was. 

Pouring her drink, straight whiskey into her glass, she sipped the room temperature alcohol back and let it burn. Then, under the blaze of it consuming her, Katie answered, “Twenty years.”

“Bullshit.”

Katie’s lips pressed together in a small smile, the shock on his ace coaxing an innocent shrug from her shoulders. 

“You don’t look a day over thirty.”

“Now that is bullshit,” she pointed at him, her lips spreading into a wider grin now. 

“You look incredible. That dress, your body. What can I say? You caught my attention. But I bet that dress looks even better on the floor.”

Katie swallowed back the lump that quickly formed in her throat as his words. She was very self conscious about her body. It changed drastically over the years. Once she was skinny, flat and narrow in no way the healthiest version of herself. But it was also the one that had carried her child, and left her with curves she didn’t want and scars only her ex-husband had seen. And now she was going to share it with Jeremy, a man who she was sure still had so much to learn about a woman’s body. It was a terrifying thought. One that hung in the back of her mind as she abandoned her drink on the bar and stepped out of her heels. 

Barefoot, she took careful strides towards the bed, her demeanor caught somewhere between confident and terrified, but it caught his attention all the same. Katie knew she had caught his eye when his smile tested the limits of how far it could spread over his cheeks as Jeremy sat up from where he leaned. He moved slowly to the edge of the bed, his legs spreading just enough for Katie to stand between them. 

With a careful, final step, Katie stood between his legs and looked down at him. Her heart pounded deep in her chest, so hard and so rapidly she thought her ribs were about to rattle. And in her chest, she could feel her very last inhale struggling to creep its way back up her throat in the calm of an exhale. It burned in her lungs, the nerves of undressing in front of him smothering her. That was, until she felt the warms of Jeremy’s hands find her body, and in an instant she calmed. 

She exhaled slowly through slightly parted lips as her eyes fell shut. In the darkness it brought, Katie fixated on the warmth of Jeremy’s touch. It dragged over her curves, tracing each rise and fall with his fingers and palms before each of his hands settled on her broad hips. There, he gripped her gently and guided her steps in a small circle so she stood with her back to him. 

Katie raised up her arms slowly, her hands dragging up her own neck and tangled into her auburn strands as she drew them away from the zipper of her dress. Her breath hitched again, but only for a moment,  in the back of her throat as she felt his fingers pinch at the zipper and drag it down. He inched it down slowly, and Katie could feel the black fabric begin to fall away from her skin. And as the warm fabric fell away, the cold air of the room kissed her skin. It sent a shiver coursing up her spine, her entire body shuttering as the fabric hit the ground, leaving her in nothing but a pair of black lace pair of panties. 

They were brand new. The tag was in the trash bin in the bathroom. And Katie would be forever thankful that she had bought them when she bought the dress instead of wearing something she had packed. If she had been wearing anything else, she may have recoiled from his touch, but instead, as she turned in place to face him, Katie radiated confidence. 

He could see almost all of her, from her stretch marks to the freckles on her skin. Yet, Jeremy’s touch didn’t recoil, his hands continued to explore the expanse of her body and his dark eyes didn’t look away. Instead, they traced her every curve on the way back up to her face that was left blank from the nerves that came from waiting for his reaction. Katie was sure that Jeremy hadn’t seen a body like hers before. So old, so flawed, so-

Her thoughts were broken by Jeremy’s slow, soft spoken words. “Yeah, looks much better on the floor,” Jeremy punctuated his words with the slow swipe of his tongue over his lip as his warm gaze dragged up and down the length of her body. His complement dissolved any feeling of nervousness, of insecurity, that had consumed Katie. Her joints had been weak, and her heart racing, but he brought her calm. 

In that calm, Katie found her confidence. Her teeth bit down on her lower lip, her mind racing as she tried to determine what exactly her first move would be – and then she took it. 

One step, and then another, Katie brought her legs up to kneel on the bed, the mattress shifting beneath her weight as she straddled Jeremy’s lap. The denim on his dark jeans was rough against the inside of her thighs as his hands helped guide her down into his lap. Jeremy’s arms constricted around her, drawing her nearly naked body flush to his. Katie could feel his hot breath against her cheek, her inhale drawing in the sweet scent of alcohol before she stole a kiss from his lips. 

Katie wasted no time with sweetness or caution. Instead she kissed him with such an insatiable hunger, she knew tasting him on her tongue wouldn’t be enough. But it was a start. Each deep kiss and stroke of her tongue against his left his stubble to drag over the sensitive skin of her jaw and cheeks. It was rough, scratching against her skin and contrasting the tender movements of his hands as his warm touch moved up over the curves of her body. Jeremy’s touch settled on the broad curve of her hips, his fingers digging into the soft and supple flesh. And it was the only encouragement she needed to coax the subtle roll of her hips over the roughness of her jeans. 

Quickly, Katie became intoxicated by his kiss, by his touch and the very feeling of him between her legs. It began with the friction of his fly against the crotch of her panties, the subtle friction sparking the beginnings of her arousal. And then she felt him. His cock stiffened in the confines of his jeans, growing and becoming a thick outline that pressed up into the thick denim that divided them. Katie dragged her core up and down his clothed length, a shudder taking her body as a soft moan was coaxed from her lips. And it left Jeremy smiling as he pulled back just enough to tug off his t-shirt. 

Her eyes looked him up and down in a quick glance. Jeremy was fit. With his chest muscles flexing, the outline of his abs clear and his biceps building as he tossed his t-shirt aside, Katie almost tucked her tail and ran. He wasn’t an Adonis of a man, but he was intimidating in every way. Especially, while she was no idyllic beauty herself. 

“That’s just,” she exhaled a long, desperate breath, “not even fair.”

Jeremy’s grin grew wider, his hands gripping her hips a little tighter, as he picked her up and flipped her to lay back against the comfort of the bed. The action left her breathless, her hands scrambling against the bed to ease herself upright until she felt Jeremy’s hand flat against her stomach to keep her in place as she lay just beneath the comfort of the hotel room pillows. She lay there panting for a moment, her hair a mess against the bed and her eyes fixated on the ceiling as she felt the bed shift, and Jeremy settle between her legs. 

“Just take a second, relax,” Jeremy’s hot words washed over the inside of her thighs, and her core clenched. 

The room around her seemed to spin as she lay there, her lips parted in disbelief as she felt his fingers hook on the black lace of her panties and dragged them down the length of her legs. She could feel the warm, wet puddle of her arousal as it dragged down against her inner thigh, and her stomach knotted as she felt the warmth of his breath encroach on her needy core. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had been between her legs - if one had been at all, because she knew her husband never had been. But Jeremy didn’t hesitate. 

He lay on the bed on his stomach between her legs, his one hand sliding down from her hip, over the red curls of hair that trailed down over her pelvis and down to the slick folds between her thighs. He stroked her slowly, with two fingers barely brushing her slit before parting her with his fingers and tracing the sweet arousal at her core. Jeremy teashed her there, her heart racing as she tried so desperately to be calm. Her heart pounded, and her teeth care down on her lower lip in a firm bite, the pain a little distraction from the insecurities that threatened to consume her. She in no way felt prepared for this of all things. It was supposed to be a quick fuck, but then she felt him. The warmth of his tongue stroked over the entrance of her cunt and she moaned. 

It ripped up her throat before she could stop it, the heat and wetness of his long tongue a stark contrast to the colder temperature of the hotel room. And the sound only seemed to fuel him. He delved into her as if he was dehydrated and she was all he had to drink. His tongue parted her folds, and delved into her core leaving her cunt dripping with his saliva. His hands wound around her waist, one moving over the thick red curls of her hair as he blindingly fumbled for her clit as his face was buried between her thighs. 

Reaching down, her hand took hold of his carefully. Her fingers slid along his, gripping them carefully as she guided him to just the right spot. But once she guided him there, Katie’s touch didn’t leave him. Her hand remained resting over his. It kept his pressure even, and his motion just right as he rubbed her in slow circles. The action wound her up, the pleasure building like a wind up toy. Each stroke of his tongue, and every rotation of his fingers left her burning pleasure to coil in her stomach and soon she was seeing stars. She was so close to the brink of her pleasure, that her toes were curling against the sheets and her thighs threatened to close in on his ears. But that was where he left her, on the verge of her climax, as he trailed sloppy kisses down the inside of her thighs before he could push up and pull as his belt. 

Pushing up onto her elbows, she watched as she pulled his belt free, and worked his jeans and his boxer briefs down his legs together. It was hard not to stare, to admire the muscles of his body as she fished through his pocket or his wallet, and then the condom that was tucked in its folds. 

The wrapper became discarded on the bed beside her, and he worked the latex onto his cock, ready to take his place between her legs again, but she didn’t let him. Katie felt too guilty, selfish even, for having his face buried between her legs, and it had her pushing up from her place with a sudden surge of confidence. Her hands found the strength of Jeremy’s chest, a playful shove knocking him back to lay against the bed so she could climb into his lap once more. She took in a steady breath, her nose wrinkling for a moment as it crossed her mind that she may be too old for what she had in mind, but it didn’t stop her. 

With a single hand, Katie reached down between their bodies and took hold of his cock in her hand. She stoke it slowly, once and then again before she brought it to the entrance of her core. The mere pressure of the tip of her cock threatened to send her legs trembling before she could take him. If it were anyone else, Katie might have given up and let him take her plainly on her back knowing full well it would get the job done for her. But Katie persevered. She eased herself down onto him slowly, her eager core accommodating him so effortlessly it left her moaning. And once she felt his warmth against her ass, and had consumed him into the depths of her core, Katie began to ride him. 

Her hands braced herself against the slender strength of her chest as her hips rolled. She moved in a slow and steady rhythm, the friction sending pleasure boiling through her entire body. Katie became lost in the feeling of hip hips rising to meet her body in a gentle pound. It was all she could fixate on, even as her legs began to tremble and the muscles in her legs began to burn. She could hear each subtle impact, the meeting of skin, and it became a symphony of sounds that mixed with her desperate breath and the soft sounds that she coaxed from Jeremy’s lips. He reeled on the bed beneath her, his warm eyes admiring her body as his hands gripped her hips and fingers sunk into the flesh of her ass. He encouraged her every move, guiding her up and down his cock, but she couldn’t hide how her legs trembled. 

Jeremy grinned wide, his head leaning back against the pillow as he let out a trembling breath of words, “Look so pretty taking my cock, you wanna see?”

Katie found herself at a loss for words as she slid down the length of his cock and froze with him deep inside her. Her breaths quaked under each uneven breath, and her mind was left fuzzy by the mere feeling of being so full of him. And all she could do was nod. 

Carefully, Jeremy eased her from his cock, and guided her to rest on all fours on the bed. In front of her at the end of the bed was the dresser, her empty bag still resting on top of it, but it wasn’t enough to block the view of the mirror that hung on the wall above it. She could see her reflection there, her auburn hair left mused and her face was almost just as red as it was flushed and smeared with her red lipstick. She could see her body too. Her skin was fair and freckled and so exposed. Her breast hung in two small swells, and from behind her shoulders she could see the swell of her hips and Jeremy positioning himself behind her. His eyes were fixated on her ass, as were his hands that kneaded at the soft flesh. 

Katie could see his lips move in a silent curse that was lost on her as he pulled he positioned her just right. And when he had her just where he wanted her, the careful glide of the tip of his cock found her entrance again, and her thrust deep inside. The first thrust left her mewling, and the second left her fingers to grip at the bedding below. She met every single one of Jeremy’s thrusts, the mass of her ass quaking from each impact. But she didn’t watch herself, Katie’s eyes did not leave Jeremy. She watched as his face softened, and his muscles flexed. His eyes even closed from the time as he became lost in the feeling – but when they opened his stare met his gaze in the mirror. 

Jeremy tutted her gently, a single hand leaving the soft flesh of her hip to travel up the length of her back. As he moved, she could feel more and more of his body against her. Then, his hand found her throat. He held it carefully, without pressure, and guided her up to kneel. There she could feel his entire body against hers, all the while his cock was buried deep in her core. His thumb rested along her chin, and his forefinger stretched out along her jaw, and Jeremey held her gaze there, on her own feeble expression as he fucked her until her throat was raw, and her core clenched desperately around her cock. It was under the pressure of her core’s embrace that she felt his breathing quicken,the rush of air hot against the back of her neck as he reached the very peak of his climax. 

His hands fell away from her lip ribbon, and Katie fell back onto her hands and knees. Her entire body trembled as she lowered herself down to the mattress. The soft twitches involuntary as she was left panting and void of Jeremy as he eased his cock from her. She was seeing stars, her head or the room spinning as the rush of being fucked began to fade. Katie was left exhausted, ready for sleep, but satisfied - feeling euphoria for the first time in years. But before she could sleep, she needed to take care of Jeremy. 

“You’re welcome to shower before you go,” she offered as she lay sprawled out on the mattress. It was the least she could do. 

“I’m going to take you up on that,” Jeremy carded a hand through his sweaty curls as he nodded towards what he thought was the bathroom door. 

Katie nodded in confirmation, and watched as he disappeared through the bathroom door. She did not move until she could hear the water tattooing against the shower floor. But she didn’t go far. She reached out to the dresser, and she pulled open the dresser drawer. She had left her pajamas on the very top, the same ones she was going to wear before Dottie had convinced her to go out, and she dressed slowly. Her body ached in the best way as she stepped into them. Then, she joined Jeremy in the bathroom. 

The room was full of steam, the mirror fogged over as she moved to stand in front of it. A single hand cut through the fog, revealing her tired reflection, but best of all she could see the silhouette of Jeremy in the shower behind her. She stood there, brushing her teeth, her eyes admiring his body as it was obscured by the steamy glass. 

Leaning forward, Katie spat a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink. 

“I’m going to turn in, you can let yourself out when you’re done. Use all the hot water if you want, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t steal my wallet while I slept.”

Jeremy’s laughter filled the air as effortlessly as the plumes of steam from his shower. It drew Katie's eyes to his blurred silhouette, a small smile curling up on her own lips. She could get used to that sound, and the warm fuzzy feeling that came with it. The joy and amusement it embodied was one she needed to embrace herself–

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. Goodnight, Katie.”

–And for a moment she frowned as she moved for the doorway, her eyes fixated on the ground, as she realized it was a laugh she wouldn't hear again.

Sweaty palms threatened the integrity of a single slip of paper as Katie held it firm in a single fist. It was a pale yellow posted note, one that she had found stuck to her bathroom mirror when she had woken up in the morning. It was left there to be found by tired eyes, the message:  For if you ever find yourself alone in Boston. Paired with Jeremy’s phone number,  it had made her smile as she tucked it into her purse before she had gone out for brunch with her son, Parker, her ex-husband and his new fiance. But it had also left her panicked when it had fallen out of her purse when she pulled out her wallet as she insisted on paying at least half of the bill. It rested on the table face door for a moment, Katie had frozen completely and Parker was quick to try and retrieve it for her, but she had acted quickly. She had grabbed it before he could, and then she had conceded. Parker paid for their meal, and the paper had remained secured in her hand as they left and parted ways. 

Even as she walked alone in a park she couldn’t remember the name of, the slip of paper remained secure in her hand. In the other she held her cell phone against her ear as it rang. She needed to call Dottie. She needed to know everything. 

“He left me his number.”

“That’s my girl. Rocked that boy’s world.” Dottie encouraged her with a holler. 

Katie looked down to her feet, her face flushed with color. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done anything like she had with Jeremy, and if it had been anyone else Katie would have bit her tongue. But she could trust Dottie more than anyone. They were best friends, practically sisters, Katie could tell her anything. 

“I think he had to be older than I thought. He was actually really good in bed,” Katie smiled a little too wide as she spoke. It had been too long since she had a real girl talk. “Like really good. And his body, Dot, I couldn't have pulled a guy like that when I was twenty.” 

“What did he say he did for work?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask-”

“Maybe he’s a porn star,” Dottie joked but Katie didn’t laugh.

She could only shrug. “I mean, it would explain a lot.” 

“You used a condom, right?”

“Yes mom, of course I did,” Katie rolled her eyes. 

“Good girl, are you going to text him?”

The question hung in the air for a moment. Katie looked away out over the park as if Katie could see her on what was merely a voice call. The prospect of reaching out to Jeremy was a pleasant thought in her mind. He was attractive, kind, and so good in bed. He treated her the way that she wanted to be treated. She should want to call him, but he was young. Too young to be anything more than a one night stand. 

She could never see Jeremy again. 

“Fuck, no,” she assured Dottie, “number went into the trash,” her words were rushed as she lied, and rushed further to assure Dottie wouldn’t question her on it. “I gotta go, I’ll call you after the game tonight. Kisses!”

TD Garden was unlike any arena Katie had ever been in. The fans were loud, so loud she swore her bones rattled in her body with every intense cheer. And the atmosphere left her sitting on the edge of the seat since before the game could even start. Or maybe that was just the nerves as she sat beside her ex-husband as they watched their son Parker Waylon-Stacy erupt from the tunnel to take his rookie lap. 

Her hands came together over her heart, her eyes fixated on him, and then the jumbotron above as the camera followed his path along the side. The threat of tears burned at her eyes, her lips parted in a breath that fought back of heartfelt sob that erupted when his name was plastered across the screen with his stats from the AHL. Parker Stacy.

Stacy. 

Her last name on her back, not her husband’s last name or the hyphenation of the two. It left ehr on the verge of tears throughout the night, and they did spill as it came down to the third period when she shot up from her seat as her son assisted on what would be the game winning goal. Katie cried into her hands, her husband’s arm patting her back as the crowd erupted around them. There was no greater pride than celebrating her son’s success in that moment with her husband, and the strangers around her that even offered her some napkins as her mascara began to run. 

“That’s my son,” she sobbed with pride, and the crowd of college kids around her celebrated with her. Some jumped, others spilled their beer, Katie even received a hug, but they all cheered, “Stacy's Mom!”

Katie remained in her seat after the game, reveling in the silence as the seats around her and her family cleared. And she only moved from her palace when she received a text message from Parker. He wanted them to come down to the locker room. It sent her through what felt like a maze of the arena, but with the help of a member of the security team, she found her boy. 

Katie ran to him, her arms enveloping her only son in her arms and pressing a kiss into his sweat drench hair. There the tears began to fall in hot streams down her cheeks, “I am so proud of you,” she told him as she drew back, her hand cradling his cheeks. Parker’s face was red, surely embarrassed by his mother’s affections, but he didn’t stop her. He had always been a mama’s boy, and that wouldn’t change even if his teammates gave him a hard time about that later. 

Parker wore a boyish grin, his hand raising to push through his wet hair. He was already showered and dressed, even if some of the other players around him were still half-dressed in their equipment. Parker was ready to leave, but first he wanted to make the introductions he felt he may never be able to make again. “Mom this is Patrice Bergeron-”

Katie turned in place, a smile blossoming over her face as she reached out to shake the Captain’s hand. She had every intention of being polite. She wanted to introduce herself, to make the small talk as she was prompted to. But her words were lost as hoots and hollers of the nickname Bulldog filled the room. The players were welcoming their rookie goaltender back into the room after completing his post game interview. Confidence embodied his every stride, and it drew Katie’s curious eye. 

The player was still dressed in his equipment, his back to her as he stood in front of his stall. SWAYMAN was sprawled across the back of his shoulders, framed by his shoulders. A single large hand reached back, peeling it from his body before it was tossed into a pile with the others. Katie’s eyes moved back to the Captain, a small awkward smile on her lips as she listened to him talk about the pleasure of mentoring her son. But his words were lost on her ears as they perked up at the sound of all too familiar laughter. 

Katie’s blood ran cold, her eyes searching for the sources of the laughter. Her heart pounded in her chest, her stomach jumping up into her throat as she was left on the verge of vomiting. There, standing in his stall, laughing along with his teammates was Swayman, who no longer stood with his back to her. He was completely shirtless now, and his face was all too clear to see. She knew those warm brown eyes, and that soft confident smile. The sight of them was one that would be etched into her memories for the rest of her days. 

Swayman was Jeremy. 

She stood there, petrified, her eyes unmoving from his as he leaned back and flexed his chest muscles. It was there, with his back leaned against his stall, his warm gaze rose and his face softened with recognition. If he was panicked he didn’t show it. And while she froze, Jeremy acted. He stood up slowly, Katie had to fight not to let her eyes wander, and he approached with a casual stride. 

“I didn’t realize we had guests,” Jeremy smiled as he came up to stand beside his Captain, but Katie could barely hear him over the pounding of her heart in her ears. 

The room around her seemed to move in slow motion, her head suddenly feeling light as Patrice introduced her as Stacy’s Mom. It was then she thought she might actually vomit, the bile burning at the back of her throat as Jeremy looked to her with slightly parted lips and a slight glimmer in his eyes. Her palms began to sweat, so much so that she had to wipe her hands along the seam of her jeans before she could reach out to shake Jeremy’s hand as he offered it to her. 

“Stacy’s Mom?” Jeremy spoke with such disbelief that Katie almost believed her, “You don’t look a day over thirty.”

White she had heard that same flattery before it made her heart race all the same. But this time, she couldn’t show it. 

“You’re too kind,” Katie forced a smile, struggling to remain composed as the feeling of her hand encased by his left her heart racing just as his touch had the night before. It was enough to bring her to her knees. 

Jeremy made her weak, and he would for the rest of her days. She would crave him, in every sense of the word. Katie wanted to hear his sweet laughter. She wanted to feel his hands on her body, and enjoy every piece of his that he could offer her. It was a hunger that would rage and burn in the depths of her, but it was one that she could never fulfill. Not now, not that she knew who he was. 

Standing there, the chaos of the room became an echo in her ears as her hand fell away from Jeremy’s hold. She watched as he met her ex-husband, his smile consistently pleasant and was the only thing keeping her from spiraling right there in the locker room. 

Katie would be seeing Jeremy Swayman again. At games, during breaks. Often. So often it would pain her. And she could only pray that she would have the strength to refuse him, or that Parker would find himself on a new team before her will could break. 

Katherine Stacey could not fuck Jeremy Swayman. 

She wouldn’t. 

Not again. 

Surely, she wouldn’t be able to get away with it. Not without complications. 

Could she? 

Taglist: @mp0625 @starshine-hockey-girl

[oopsiedaisiesbaby]

This is my contribution to the @harringrove-relay-race ✨ Thank you @chrisbitchtree for passing the baton ❤️

Dangerous Girl

Bull Rider Billy & Buckle Bunny Steve (CW: feminization, barebacking)

Also on AO3

The buzzer sounded and Steve blinked for the first time in a little over eight seconds.

Just like every other time, it had been the longest eight seconds of Steve’s life.

He watched as Billy seemed to effortlessly jump off of the wildly bucking bull before running a few yards to safety. Steve felt his entire body unclench, only becoming aware that he’d tensed every muscle as they released, achingly slow.

Fiery blue eyes caught Steve’s and he felt himself freeze again. Pinned by the heavy gaze that was interrupted only by the guard of a helmet.

Billy should’ve looked ridiculous as he took off the helmet, shaking out the blonde curls of his mullet and grinning wickedly. Except he really didn’t and Steve’s heart raced as Billy licked his lips, eyes still locked on Steve, causing all of the buckle bunnies around him to titter excitedly.

They all thought Billy was eyeing them. That they’d be the lucky one to ensnare The Billy Hargrove.

Steve knew better though.

Knew that no matter how hard he tried to fight it, that’d he’d be the one warming the bed in Billy’s travel trailer yet again. It happened every time Billy came back to Texas.

Steve would be drawn to whatever rodeo circuit Billy was currently dominating. Would hang on Billy’s fence just like those desperate buckle bunnies. He’d then make his way to the local bar and bend over the pool table to flirt shamelessly with Eddie or Argyle or whichever other bull rider was willing to put themselves into the line of fire that night. Eventually Billy would have enough and drag Steve out and fuck him six ways to Sunday.

He didn’t know why he bothered trying to convince himself that it wouldn’t happen.

It’d been happening since they were teenagers and Billy was just touring the local circuit. It didn’t matter how terribly he’d broken Steve’s heart when he’d signed up for a PBR membership at 18 and taken off to tour the entire continent, leaving Steve behind in their small, backwoods, Texan town.

The moment Billy had been back in Texas, Steve had dragged Jason and Robin to an event three hours away in Dallas just to let Billy defile him in a bar bathroom because they couldn’t make it out of the bar. Jason and Robin had not been amused on the drive home the following day.

He’d seen how they’d eyed Eddie and Heather though. They didn’t have much room to talk.

He drove the two and half hours to Houston a few days later by himself, just to do it all over again. He followed Billy to every single Texas show, turning around and heading back home just to wait another year then rinse and repeat for the last four years.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Billy broke eye contact and shuffled out of the arena. The spell broken, Steve removed himself from the fence and started trudging out towards his truck to drive himself to the local bar.

He was busy watching the way his boots kicked up dirt with each step which is why he let loose a scream when he suddenly found himself being yanked backwards and slammed up against a travel trailer. Steve’s scream was muffled by plush lips pressing against his, stubble scraping the sensitive skin of his face as fingers tangled in his hair.

Steve melted into the kiss, the familiar smell of Billy’s sweat and cologne hitting his nose just as his tongue forced its way into Steve’s mouth. Steve whined into the kiss as a strong hand grabbed his thigh and hiked it up so that their hips could press together a little tighter.

Hands lifting to grip the leather vest tightly, Steve finally found enough will power to push Billy back just enough to get some air.

“What the fuck, Billy?” Steve gasped, head thunking back against the metal of the trailer.

He was saved from the pain of collision by Billy’s hand cradling the back of his head.

“Couldn’t wait for all the bull shit at the bar,” Billy admitted, panting. “The way you were hanging on my fence with your fucking tits out almost got me bucked two seconds in.”

Steve glanced down at his chest where he’d left his pearl snap button up undone obscenely low. It was the same amount of buttons Billy usually had undone when he wasn’t buttoned up for riding. It was only fair.

“I don’t hang on your fence,” Steve muttered, rolling his hips and grinning when Billy cursed and stopped cupping the back of Steve’s head to plant it against the trailer.

“Don’t lie to yourself, princess,” Billy hissed, rocking against Steve in a dirty grind. “My own personal buckle bunny, getting wet just from watching me ride.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Billy,” Steve scoffed, eyes fluttering closed as they continued to rut against each other slow and filthy. “You’ve got plenty of bunnies to choose from.”

He’d meant it as a jab at Billy but Steve felt pain lance through his chest at his own words.

“Don’t care about any of them,” Billy grunted, burying his face in Steve’s neck and mouthing at the sensitive skin. “You’re the only bunny I care about hanging on my fence.”

“Bullshit,” Steve whimpered as Billy bit down.

“Bull true,” Billy mumbled, dropping his hand from the trailer and grabbing Steve’s other thigh.

Steve jumped so that Billy was supporting all of his weight and his already skin tight wranglers became suffocating. Billy gave Steve’s neck one last bruising suck before lifting his face to kiss him senseless again.

Letting his hands wander to plant against Billy’s drenched button down, Steve felt the strong muscles shifting under the fabric and sighed into the kiss. Fuck, he’d missed Billy. Only getting to see him a few times a year wasn’t enough and Steve yearned for more.

“It’s just you, Steve,” Billy breathed as he pulled away, pushing his sweaty forehead against Steve’s. “You know that, right?”

Steve hoped against all hope that it was true.

It’d been just Billy for him since he was 14 and Steve’s family moved to the sad little town of Hawkins, Texas.

“Then take me to bed and prove it to me, cowboy,” Steve dared, smiling when Billy’s grin turned sharp.

Billy pulled them away from the trailer and started marching along the length of it until they were inside. The smell of horse, cologne, and something quintessentially Billy that had Steve clenching in anticipation.

When Billy reached the steps to his bed, he set Steve down letting him climb up the short ladder and slapping his ass for good measure. Steve turned around to glare and was met with Billy’s self-satisfied grin.

“You knew what you were doing when you put on those jeans, princess,” Billy said like that explained everything.

It did.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his elbows as he watched Billy climb up onto the raised area that constituted the trailer’s bedroom. Billy paused at the edge of the bed, kneeling between Steve’s knees

“You wet for me, princess?” Billy asked, sliding his palms up Steve’s denim clad thighs, eyes burning as he looked up at Steve.

Nodding, Steve bit his lip as he considered telling Billy just how wet he actually was. He wanted it to be a surprise though.

Billy gently removed Steve’s boots with an ease that never ceased to amaze Steve. He felt like he was going to war every time he tried to take them off himself.

He slowly moved on to Steve’s belt before working on his button and fly. Billy was moving so slow it was painful and Steve’s dick twitched as the pressure of his tight jeans released. With a smirk, Billy teasingly pulled down Steve’s jeans and briefs before settling back between his thighs.

His broad shoulders forced Steve’s thighs apart far enough to make his hips twinge. Steve held his breath in anticipation as Billy kissed his way up the inside of one of his thighs before parting Steve’s cheeks with his thumbs and choking.

Steve bit his lip against the smile fighting its way across his face as he felt Billy’s breath stutter against his dick.

“Fuck me,” Billy breathed reverantly as he dipped a thumb inside of Steve’s already lubed and stretched hole.

Steve groaned at the sensation of finally being filled, back arching against the bed.

“Watching me ride really got you fucking soaked, huh?” Billy asked, voice thick and gruff as he dipped a couple of fingers inside of Steve.

Gasping and falling back against the bed, Steve whined as Billy stroked his prostate with gentle pulses of his fingertips.

“Need you in me,” Steve pleaded, pitchy and whiny in the worst way as he squirmed. “Been thinking about it all day, waiting for your ride.”

“I can’t -“ Billy cut himself off as he shifted around, yanking his boots and clothes off in a flurry that contradicted his slow, teasing approach from moments before. “I can’t do foreplay right now, princess.”

Billy flushed at the admittance, tossing his last piece of clothing to the floor and grabbing Steve’s thighs. He hauled Steve up the bed and situated himself so that he was hovering over him, lining up and looking at him in askance.

“Don’t need it,” Steve whispered, grabbing Billy’s pendant where it was dangling in his face. “Need you in me right now.”

Nodding, Billy lined up and pushed in tenderly. His face was red, veins popping as he tried to hold himself back.

Steve didn’t want him to hold back. It’d been months. Steve wanted the raw, desperate, reconciliation sex they always had. The kind that made his toes curl.

“Give it to me, cowboy,” Steve demanded, tangling his free hand in Billy’s curls.

“Christ, princess,” Billy moaned, his eyes fluttering closed as he allowed himself to fuck into Steve fully. “You got me so fucking pussy whipped.”

It was a gross statement, practically a line if he really thought about it. The way Billy had said it, like a confession had Steve feeling split open and unmoored.

“Yeah?” Steve checked, running his fingers through Billy’s curls.

“Yeah,” Billy croaked, eyes opening to gaze down at Steve.

Steve nodded to show he was ready and wailed as Billy started to fuck into him without abandon. He had to drop his grip on Billy’s necklace for fear of ripping it from his neck with how forceful his thrusts were.

It was the same, toe-curling, eye rolling rhythm they always had but something was missing and Steve couldn’t put his finger on it.

He didn’t have long to consider it as Billy angled his hips down so that he was brushing roughly against Steve’s prostate with each quick thrust. Steve looked up to gauge how close his head was to hitting the wall when he saw it.

“No hat?” Steve gasped, his voice nearly breaking, making Billy freeze as he gaped down at Steve.

It was silly, but Billy always wore his hat when they met up at the bars afterwards and Steve was feeling a little off kilter due to its absence. Billy’s surprised expression slowly melted into a lascivious smirk.

“Is that what does it for you?” Billy asked as he grabbed the black Stetson off its hook above the head of the bed.

He plopped it on top of his dirty, sweaty curls before quirking a teasing eyebrow at Steve.

“Shut up and fuck me, cowboy,” Steve mumbled, face flushing as he squeezed Billy’s hips with his thighs.

“As you wish, princess,” Billy agreed, before fucking into Steve so hard that he jolted up the bed.

Steve moaned, hand flying up to brace against the wall so that his head didn’t slam into it. He grinned up at Billy, hiking his legs higher on his waist to allow Billy to deepen the angle.

It was like a lightning storm every time they came together and Steve was helpless but to give in. It only got more overwhelming as Billy started running his mouth.

“We’re gonna go the bar after this,” Billy promised, breathless with exertion as he continued to fuck into Steve at a ridiculous pace.

“My cum’s gonna be dripping from your pussy when you bend over the pool table like a slut.”

Steve whimpered as he imagined it. Feeling Billy’s cum slide out of him as they hung out with their friends.

“Everyone always wants a piece of you,” Billy grunted, hands twisting in the sheets on either side of Steve’s head. “But everyone will know you’re my bunny.”

The crackling electricity of arousal hummed insistently in Steve’s belly.

“How?” Steve asked through stuttering breaths as Billy’s hips snapped into his at an unparalleled pace.

“Gonna put my necklace on you,” Billy panted, mouth dropping wide and tongue wetting his bottom lip as he struggled to keep his insane rhythm while coming down from the adrenaline rush.

Steve’s hand flew back up to the necklace in question, tightening up reflexively around Billy.

“Shit,” Billy choked out, eyes screwing shut as he trembled above Steve. “Pussy’s so fucking tight.”

“Yeah?” Steve asked, wrapping a hand around himself, orgasm buzzing close at seeing just how overwhelmed Billy was.

“Yeah,” Billy breathed, letting his eyes open so he could look at Steve again. “You’re so fucking pretty.”

“Show me how pretty I am,” Steve demanded softly, muscles tensing as his fingers and toes tingled. “Cum in my pussy.”

“Gonna fill you up,” Billy promised gruffly, rhythm growing sloppy. “Make you mine.”

Whimpering, Steve started stroking himself faster as he practically vibrated out of his skin.

“Come on, cowboy,” Steve urged, screwing up purposefully tight. “Show me who I belong to.”

“Belong to me,” Billy groaned, fucking into Steve impossibly harder, hand flying up to cradle Steve’s head so he didn’t hit it against the wall. “My princess.”

“Yes,” Steve agreed, vision blurring around the edges as his toes curled against Billy’s back, shocks of arousal sparking through his veins dangerously.

“Only one who gets to fuck this pussy,” Billy grunted, trembling above Steve as his eyes widened and his breath started to stutter.

“Only one,” Steve promised, voice going high as Billy fucked into him just right. “Give it to me.”

“Oh fuck,” Billy groaned before his breath caught.

Steve watched his muscles strain as Billy shook above him and Steve felt a shock of warmth spill inside of him.

Moaning loud and obscene, Steve gave in to the lightning bolting up his spine and through his limbs as he came all over his belly in strong bursts. The sensation of Billy’s thrusts getting sloppier and wetter had him clenching reflexively causing them both to whine.

Billy fucked him through the aftershocks of their orgasms as Steve’s muscles went limp and Billy’s breathing caught up. He slowed his thrusts to gentle rocks and Steve released Billy’s pendant and grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into a kiss.

Obliging easily, Billy slipped his tongue past Steve’s lips and let himself explore as he trailed callus rough fingertips up and down Steve’s thigh. Steve let himself relax into it fully, sinking against the mattress.

He hummed as Billy pulled back just enough to look at Steve’s face. His fiery gaze burned through Steve despite how gentle it was. Steve would never get enough of it.

Steve whined softly as Billy pulled away further, but settled as Billy fiddled with his necklace. Steve lifted his neck so that Billy could close the clasp and fell back against the bed once it was in place against his chest.

Billy stroked an exploratory finger over the pendant where it rested against Steve’s chest before pressing his weight down on Steve once again.

“Join me on the circuit,” Billy whispered, tilting Steve’s face so that he was staring directly into Billy’s fiery blue eyes.

“Billy,” Steve protested, eyes fluttering closed as he fought the itch in his nose that signaled oncoming tears.

They went over this every time. It broke Steve’s heart more and more each time. He didn’t know how Billy could stand it.

“Not now,” Billy amended, nudging their noses together. “In a couple of months when you graduate.”

Steve sighed and let his eyes flutter close. He’d be officially done with college in just a few short months. He’d be expected to start working for his father in just a few short months so he could take over the company eventually.

Could Steve survive eight or more years of only seeing Billy for a handful of days each year?

He opened his eyes to stare up into Billy’s, the absolute certainty and love reflected back at him making the decision for him.

“Okay,” Steve relented, grinning softly at the pure, unadulterated joy that spread across Billy’s face.

Billy whooped, grabbing Steve’s waist and rolling them over so that Steve was straddling his waist. Billy took his hat off, plopping it on Steve’s head and smiling so wide it had to have hurt his cheeks.

“The boys are gonna be so jealous when they find out I locked down the prettiest buckle bunny on the circuit,” Billy gloated, eyes glimmering with unbridled glee.

“I don’t think you’re allowed to call me a buckle bunny if we’re actually together,” Steve scoffed, smacking Billy’s shoulder.

“I can if you keep hanging off my fence, looking the way you do, watching me win all those buckles,” Billy teased, biting his tongue when Steve pinched his side.

Rolling his eyes, Steve readjusted the Stetson on his head and Billy’s gaze went molten.

“Looks good on you, princess,” Billy whispered, callused hands running up Steve’s thighs.

“Yeah?” Steve asked, rolling his hips back against Billy’s twitching dick.

“Mmhmm,” Billy hummed, grabbing Steve’s hips and holding him in place as he grinded up against his ass. “Think you should wear it while you ride me.”

Steve gasped as Billy’s cock settled between his cheeks, their rhythm growing harder and more frenzied.

“Think I’ll last all eight seconds?” Steve teased, whining as the head of Billy’s dick caught on his rim.

“Only one way to find out,” Billy challenged, guiding himself back into Steve and sliding home.

Steve made it significantly longer than eight seconds and left Billy wheezing about how Steve should upgrade from being a buckle bunny to a bull rider.

Please look forward to the lovely, wonderful, and amazing work from the next contributor, @imsodishy.

[yunhonumeris1fane]

One Bed•JYH

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“The title explains it all. You are traveling together with the boys, as you encounter an issue with the hotel reservation, that leads you to sharing a room with that someone you dislike”

pairing - idol_yunho x non_idol fem reader

genre - suggestive(tiny bit of smut) to fluff

warnings - Smut (tiny tiny bit)

The boys were mid tour, as you joined them as ‘team member’, though more as a guest. You were studying music business, so your brother Hoongjoong suggested you join them for a week, to see the process of being a musician on tour. Almost all of the boys were welcoming, they were happy with your presence, except for Yunho. He was usually the type of person that chose not to be on bad terms with anyone, but you somehow landed on his bad side and so did he on yours. He couldn’t explain exactly why he disliked you, he thought you were too pretty, then too challenging, always too nosy, stubborn and so on. Almost a complete opposite of Hoongjoong. But there was something attractive in you, he couldn’t explain either. On the second day of you traveling with them, after the show ended, you spent the entire evening out in the streets by yourself, leaving the boys alone and he oddly missed you. He wanted to slap himself for having those kinds of thoughts. He couldn’t let himself fold over you.

 Fast Forward to the 5th day, you just landed in Dallas and all of you are on the way to the hotel. Once you arrive, the managers lead the way to the reception, as the worst news of your life is announced.

“The rooms for the tour crew are alright, however we encountered an issue with the guys' rooms. You booked 5 deluxe twin bed rooms, but as there was an issue with our system, now there’s 4 rooms with two twin beds and one room with a regular double bed. We are really sorry, but our hotel is fully booked for tonight, so we can’t change the room” The receptionist explains the situation to the manager.

“Guys, two of you have to take the room, who’s taking it?” He turns around, expecting volunteers, but there’s none.

“I want to sleep alone” Seonghwa turns down the offer, slowly moving away from the crowd.

“Same” Yeosang raises his arm, so does Jongho and Hoongjoong.

“We all want to sleep in separate beds, but since it’s impossible, I vote for Yunho and Y/n to take the room with one bed” Wooyoung comes up with a solution, there’s a mischievous grin lingering on his face. He thinks he’s slick

“No, she’s not sharing a bed with any of you” Hoongjoon protests, there is no way he’d let his sister sleep with a man.

“Then you share the bed with her, she’s your sister”, Mingi suggests, as Hoongjoong instantly frowns.

“n-no…” he disagrees, with a shameful look on his face, “listen, she kicks when sleeping, she kicked me really hard a couple of days ago. It still hurts”

“Why can’t you two share a bed?” the manager turns to San and Wooyoung.

“No reason…We just don’t feel like sleeping next to each other tonight” they shrug in unison, as the manager rubs his temples, he’s had enough.

"Okay, hold up your hands if you think these two" Wooyoung points at you and Yunho, "should share the room" as he finishes, everyone's except Hoongjoong's hands are raised.

"We're not sharing the room Wooyoung" Yunho says firmly, with you nodding along.

But here you are, saying goodnight to your neighbors, as Yunho unlocks the door and lets you in first. Placing your travel bag down on the carpet floor, you stroll around the room, viewing the decor of the place. It is nice and modern, nothing too overwhelming.

"Well… At least the bed is large" you comment, eyes landing on a large and comfortable looking bed in the middle of the room.

"Yeah" Yunho mumbles as he runs through his luggage, "do you want to shower first?"

"You go first" you take out your phone to check up on your social media accounts.

 While he’s in the shower, you sit down at the writing desk and scroll relentlessly through social media, snacking on a granola bar. So immersed in your phone, you forget that you’re sharing a room with Yunho and when you hear the door clicking, your heart stops for a moment. 

 He walks out of the bathroom, already changed into a black set of sleeping clothes, his hair still wet from the shower. If you didn't hate him, you'd definitely be down bad for him. But you don’t have time for these thoughts, so you throw your bag over your shoulder and sprint right into the bathroom.

 After slamming the door shut, you undress yourself and hop in for a short but thorough shower. After you are done, you dry yourself with a towel, change into a fresh pj shirt and shorts set, complete your skincare and tie your hair in a low ponytail. Checking yourself in the mirror for one last time, you pick up your bag and head out. 

 The moment you leave the bathroom, you eyes meet Yunho laying on the bed, doing something on his phone. Your heartbeat increases rapidly, when you realize you'll have to sleep right next to him for the whole night. 

“You’re just going to stand here?” He lifts his eyes off the screen, noticing you standing in the corner, spaced out to another universe. You immediately shake off all the unnecessary thoughts and plug in the charger, as your phone is at 5 percent. And since your phone is currently charging and you aren’t feeling very sleepy, you take out your favorite romance book to read before bed. Bad decision

 Gathering all of your strength, you try to walk to the bed like a normal unbothered person, but you end up walking like a penguin. Good thing Yunho is too deep into his phone to notice your awkward walk. You slide under the covers, puffing up the pillow behind your head and open your book. A few pages later, you finally make it to the part where the main characters confront each other after a long slow burn. The male lead intertwines his fingers with the female lead and confesses, making you start giggling happily. That piques Yunho’s interest. He wants to know what you're so excited about, so he discreetly glances over at your book, but his eyes land on the page you haven’t read yet. And it is a part where the sexual tension is at its highest. 

“That’s an interesting thing you’re reading” He comments, casually as you turn your head into his direction, there’s a questionable look on his face.You can’t seem to understand what he meant by that, as it was very fluffy, nothing out of ordinary.

“It’s just romance and cute, you wouldn’t understand”

 Seeing that you still don’t get it, he points at the other page with his index finger, “this” and after reading the first paragraph you shut the book.

“I-don’t-read-these-pages-y’know… I only read for the cute things” You start babbling, knowing damn well you were just caught.

“Yeah sure”

“Fine, what if I read that, what’s wrong with that?” You confront him, admitting your choice in books.

“nothing, you don’t have to lie about reading freaky stuff”

“it’s not freaky, it’s art” you correct him.

“freaky art” He adds, making you feel very agitated. 

“at least i read it and not watch the exaggerated stuff”

“good for you, there are good videos tho” He continues teasing you, enjoying how annoyed you are.

“we’re talking about porn now”

“you started it” he accuses you as you let out an exaggerated gasp.

“No! you started it, why pry on things that don’t have anything to do with you”

“What can I say, I’m curious” He wonders and looks over to you, you're staring at the wall, trying hard not to snap.

“Aren’t you going to continue reading?”

“Why do you want to know?” you question him, wondering if it’s another attempt to irritate you or just a genuine thought.

“I want to see what happens next”

 Unfortunately, you want it too, so you open the book once again and find the page where the action starts. You hold the book in between both of you and start reading. When you get to the part where the female lead gets laid down on the bed and the male lead starts leaving trails of kisses from her neck down to her chest, you look away from the book, unable to focus. 

“Eyes up here” Yunho points at the book, “We still have one page to go” He says, intrigued in the plot, so you get your eyes back on the book.

 As the two of you are engulfed in the book, you fail to hear intruders entering your room.

“OmmoOO” You immediately look up to see your brother and Jongho standing at the doorstep.

“What a sight?! Never in this life have I imagined Yunho reading a book, reading a book with Y/n together” Jongho gasps, as Hoongjoong is completely frozen, like a block of ice.

“Listen… I was bored and…” Yunho tries to explain the situation, but his mind is slow.

“excuses excuses… What are you reading, can we read it?” Jongho inquires as he takes a few steps closer.

“No!” you hide the book under your back, protecting the innocent intruders from the damage of the book.

“Go to sleep, why are you here anyways?” Yunho distracts them from the topic of the book.

“Hoongjoong wanted to make sure everything is fine in this room, just watching out for Y/n” Jongho explains, trying to figure out what the two of you are hiding. It’s strange to see you two teaming up,

“Well I guess we will go, everything seems good. Sleep tight” Hoongjoong exchanges final words with you and they both leave.

“Did you finish reading the chapter, I couldn’t” Yunho breaks the long silence that has been lingering around ever since the boys left.

“They fucked, went to sleep. End of story. Goodnight” you place the book on the bedside table and lie down, turning your back to Yunho, who’s not happy with the way you explained.

“You’re very mean” Yunho admits as he lies down as well, turning to the other side, your back’s facing each other.

“So?”

“I didn’t hate you from the beginning, but your laid back attitude made me dislike you, you could be a little nicer” He as if scolds you.

“Everyone likes me, except you” you mumble, picking at the fabric of your pillow case.

“Cause I’m the only one you’re always complaining about”, he explains, “Wanna elaborate on that?”

“You’re just naturally annoying” you trail off, trying to find a good reason for disliking him. But there’s no exact one.

“You said Wooyoung’s too, why are you treating him better”

“I don’t know…S-stop interrogating me” you blurt out, now he’s really getting annoying.

“I’ll stop once you tell me the truth” He insists and you can’t take it anymore, so you pull off the covers and get off the bed, “I’ll sleep on the carpet”

 He immediately sits up, turning to you, “No, you won’t” with that he reaches for your arm, wrapping his hand around, pulling you back to bed. But instead of hitting the mattress, you land on top of him. Your eyes meet and you stare into each other for a good moment, until his hand finds its way over to your face, pushing away a strand of hair that's blocking your view. He’s not resisting anymore.

“I really hate you” He murmurs as his thumb rests on your chin, “But I think I hate it more that I like you” he lets out a soft chuckle, “I don’t know if it makes any sense”

“I doesn’t” you breathe out, not breaking the eye contact. Now that you’re inches away from each other, suddenly all the hate you felt towards him vanishes. All you feel is an intense desire to kiss him and he can see it in your face too, as your eyes travel down to his lips.

“Go ahead” he reads you like a book, giving you a push as you inch your face closer to his. Gazing into his eyes for one last time, you close your eyes and connect your lips with his. His hands entangle into your hair, as you lead the kiss, exploring every inch of his mouth when he parts his lips. He likes it when you dominate, but he really wants to have you under him, so in a split second he swiftly flips you over. Now you're trapped under him and he reconnects his lips, with even much more hunger. Your hands automatically find its way to his back, fingers tracing every crevice of his back as he dips his knee in between your legs, causing a moan falling off your lips. Using the opportunity he glides his tongue through your lips, tasting the unfamiliar waters. Unconsciously, you find yourself grinding against his leg, desperate for some friction, now that you’ve gotten used to his lips moving against yours. It doesn’t go unnoticed by him, as soon as he breaks off the kiss, there’s a smirk plastered over his face.

 You reach for his shirt, wanting to unbutton it and look him in his now darkened eyes for approval. He doesn’t say anything, but kisses you again. You take it as a yes and reach for the button, slowly working your way down to the last one. Once his shirt is unbuttoned, your hands are all over him, your fingertips grazing at his soft skin. Wanting to play fair, he tugs at your shirt, “we need this off” he instructs as you lift yourself a little, helping him to take your shirt off. Then he sits up his heels and hooks his fingers under the waistband of your shorts. With a nod from you, he slides them down your legs and tosses them on the floor. Now that he’s partially satisfied he brings himself up to kiss you and then you feel his intense gaze memorizing your whole body. His eyes are burning with desire, as he runs his fingers down your body. Even if he really wants to love you tonight, there’s uncertainty lurking behind his eyes.

“What is it” You ask him, your voice barely audible.

“I don’t think this is right” He’s once again face to face with you, “I think we’re going to fast” his thumb draws circles on your cheek.

“Did you change your mind, you don’t want to sleep with me?” 

“Fuck no. I’m really trying not to go insane and take you from behind right now, but I think we should get to know each other in real life, before getting to know each other in bed” He explains with soft spoken words.

“Let’s talk then and you do what you just said” You encourage him, he riled you up for no reason, if he doesn’t want to do it.

“You really have no chill” he laughs at your desperation, all smug from knowing that he has you in a chokehold now.

“I just really don’t want to wait for months to get railed” you admit, trying hard to change his mind, but he’s too stubborn.

“Well isn’t that exciting, that after that month, once I’m home, you get a reward, for being a good girl and waiting patiently” 

“You’re not helping!” You playfully punch him in his bare chest, “What if you don’t like me anymore then?”

“You’ve got me all wrong, I don’t move on that quickly” He assures you as he takes your hands into his, intertwining your fingers with his, “This was a promise and I keep my promises”

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡

A/n I really don’t know how to write toe gripping smut, so I’m leaving you on a hang here.

[virilitas]

MUSES THAT WILL BE ADDED HERE SOON.

the family members.

( luke roberts fc ) arthur chase - father to eric chase, step father to athony kyle. harsh business man who loves his children in the only way he knows how, however extreme it might look for them. rarely engages in sexual affairs outside of his marriage, but when he does, he always seek utmost discretion. [ position: versatile, top leaning ]

( chad michael murray fc ) richard heaton - father to harris, harley, hunter, and henry heaton. a former a-list actor, big shot director, and now a visual artist, richard has pretty much left the limelight and stopped chasing the stars when he had his boys. he already has a lot of money, with businesses and investments that makes sure his bank account is never empty. so now he's just enjoying his life making art, and getting his ass fucked. [ position: bottom ]

( jay hernandez fc ) almario moreno - father to patrick moreno. former celebrity chef who opened up his own chain of restaurants. as a single father, he tried his best to raise patrick in the way he knows. there are days that he doubts his parenting is effective, but patrick has grown into a fine young man. shy and quiet, sure, but he could be worse. has not had a relationship in a long time. [ position: versatile ]

( ricky whittle fc ) alphonse "alpha" harrison - father to bash harrison. a failed musician before he became a commercial pilot. built up a travel and tours company with his wife. really wants to support his son so he could be the musician he failed to be, but his wife insists on bash to take over the company. still tries his best to be the best dad on the sides. let him be your sugar daddy. [ position: top ]

( drew starkey fc ) harris heaton - the eldest of the heaton children. probably the most troublesome of the bunch, definitely inherited a lot of his father's charm, good look, and ... virility. traits, some would say, he then passed down to his younger brother hunter. but these traits have certainly gotten him far-- with connections to everywhere due to him being a socialite and internet celebrity, and his face on everyone's mind as a sought after model. [ position: versatile, bottom leaning ]

the neighbors.

( giacomo gianniotti fc ) cristian callo - doctor. versatile, an alumni of the elysian fields university and family doctor to the chase, heaton, and harrison families. owns his own clinic within the neighborhood. an exceptional doctor with a charm to match his brain. though, sometimes his charm gets a little too much and he gets into all sorts of ... situations. [ position: versatile ]

( travis van winkle fc ) matthew chase - brother to arthur, and uncle to both eric and anthony. he loves his family so much, but when presented with the option to leave, he took it without any hesitation and has not looked back since. now, he spends his days travelling the world and writing famous travel guides. anthony looks up to him so much. [ position: versatile, bottom ]

( josh dallas fc ) andrew wilson - former partner ( business and relationship wise ) and close friend to almario. father of thaddeus. like almario, he was also a former celebrity chef who had an expertise in baking. but unlike him, andrew didn't stick around when the fame starts to be too much. when almario decided to open his chain, he split from their partnership amicably to start a small pastry shop and focus on writing cookbooks instead. [ position: top ]

( freddie stroma fc ) thaddeus wilson - son of andrew. the neighborhood's golden boy. works at his father's pastry shop and is currently studying the trade. he could have dreamed big, because he has the brains and the motivation to do so. but he chose to continue in the family business instead. [ position: bottom. ]

( ed skrein fc ) alexander riemelt - musician. some would say, he sticks out like a sore thumb among the other families in the neighborhood ... especially since he is living in a big colonial house on his own. but he's been living there for as long as he can remember. he just sought other avenues to spend his time following a tragedy in his life. now, he plays in the cradle every night to make money and forget. maybe pick up a guy or two to have a little fun. [ position: top ]

[zilabee]

Snippets from Ticket To Ride, by Larry Kane, a reporter who accompanied the Beatles during the 1964 and 1965 US Tours:

- My own positive relationship with the Beatles was formed early on. Despite my cynical scepticism at the beginning, I became a fan, not only of their professional personas and their music, but also of the individuals they were. What impressed me most about all of them was their indisputable naturalness and, to varying degrees, the depth of their humanity and their lack of phoniness. Another unaffected aspect of their behaviour that was special to watch and be around was their relationship to each other.

- At one point on the tour, as I interviewed Brian Epstein, I mentioned how he seemed so protective of the Beatles. "Well, it is a simple proposition," he explained. "They are special. I believe in them. They should not be compromised or taken advantage of in any form."

- The Dallas police brandished their rifles openly; this was the first time in America that the Beatles had seen rifles at the ready. I got the impression that we would be well protected on this leg of the tour, but the raising of rifles only reinforced the anxiety that the Beatles were feeling. The expressions on their faces, their eyes wandering around, gave me the feeling that they were concerned about their safety.

- On the flight to Ohio, the Beatles seemed joyful. Paul walked up and down the aisle, winking that Paul wink and acting as host of the day. At one point, he stopped by some members of the group Exciter and said jokingly, "Coffee, tea or me?" On the plane Paul was also the biggest walker. He didn't like being confined.

- I knew we were in big trouble when the upholstery of the car's ceiling [started] getting lower, closing in on my face. By sheer force, the eager crowd, jumping on and pressing against the roof of the car, was pushing the metal roof into a dent that evolved into a sinkhole.

Ringo's smile was a wonder to watch.

- The next morning I discovered that the Beatles, or someone in their party, had urinated on the carpets of their suite at the Edgewater. This was the apparent 'plan' Lennon had mentioned to have the last laugh - or in this case the last drop - against local merchants who had planned to cut the rug up and sell it.

- I realised for the first time that this sceptical, cynical reporter was beginning to fall for the music of the Beatles. I was even humming out loud along to the tune, and I continued to do so throughout the evening. Was it the repetition, the hearing of these songs over and over, or was the music beginning to stir my spirits? Whatever the reason, listening to the music was making me feel happy. (Aug 64)

- I was curious, "How many of you have tickets?" Only a few raised their hands. Once again, hundreds, maybe thousands for all I knew, were travelling - and travelling without a chaperone - just to get close to the Beatles. Remember, in those days, teenage girls travelling alone without a parent or guardian was unheard of, but on this ride they were legion.

- Watching Brian Epstein watch the Beatles in complete absorption was one of the most educational sideshows of both great tours. He truly loved their music.

- Much has been said about the static between Paul McCartney and John Lennon after the breakup. But on our tours, we saw nothing but a sensitive closeness between all of them.

- Brian Epstein and Derek Taylor were initially prohibited from getting in making them quite upset. Epstein was also furious that day because Ringo wasn't wearing a tie.

- One of the girls got through and made a wild dash for the elevator. She tripped on a rug and fell to the floor, trapped beneath the weight of two cops. It looked like a football scrimmage. The tape of my conversation with the girl is missing, but I will never forget some of her words. She said, "They're all scumbags, those cops. They suck." She got up, dusted herself off, left the hotel and made it to the street, where she received a round of brief applause from her soulmates.

- The flight from Cleveland to New Orleans featured a magnificent pillow fight, with Lennon and Jackie DeShannon leading the combatants. It was fascinating to watch John Lennon leaping up and down the aisle and - with that eager smile and those penetrating eyes - toying with the pillows and his targets like a five year old in a playground. Practically everyone aboard got involved until a flight attendant, giggling uncontrollably, broke it up.

- One vivid image I'll never forget is of an ice-cream vendor who stopped in place, stared at the Beatles on stage in front of the grandstand and started crying. I said to him, "Is something wrong?" He replied, "No, their music just makes me very happy."

Epstein: I'm very much a Beatles fan. I've probably felt everything that any, um, male Beatles fan ever felt. All the various things I've liked, I think, is what the fans have liked, both in their music and their general manner. To me, in terms of popular music, the Beatles express a cross quality of happiness and tragedy. And this is basically what the greatest form of entertainment is made up of. They in fact do original things. Their songs are always new and different. So are their performances.

- Suddenly I heard the smashing of glass and watched the people inside the lobby rushing toward the windows. When I arrived by the windows myself, the scene was ghastly. Three girls were lying on the floor, bleeding profusely from head and facial injuries. A fourth was up on her feet and trying to stop the blood flowing from her knees. The force of the crowd had pushed these kids through the glass.

- One of the press cars, the one I was in, had a brief upside down experience. Overzealous fans mobbed our vehicle, began to shake it wildly, and ended up rolling it over onto its side. We remained stuck inside for several minutes before the highway patrol were able to right us.

- Ivor Davis (on seeing the Beatles meet Elvis): "We stood a few feet away, trying not to make them feel like prize horses at stud being watched over the fence to see if they'll mate."

- The flight to Indianapolis was subdued, but thankfully it was also short and uneventful. […] Travelling down the aisle later, John broke out a big smile and said, "So how are the nameless, faceless, unidentified news whores doing tonight?"

- Paul was the master host, providing a welcome that made the extremely nervous fans at home and comfortable. In Baltimore, I watched three girls and a boy leave the dressing room and, in the hallway outside, break into tears. They were tears of relief and joy.

- In a corner, John sat quietly and reached into his jacket for his cigarettes. He pulled out a thinner cigarette from his pack, a marijuana joint, and thumbed his lighter to start it. But before he was able to light the joint, Brian Epstein took a quick detour away from chatting with me and a few others, walked over to John, and glowered at him, shaking his head. John slipped the object of his desire back into his jacket pocket, pulled out a legal smoke from his pack, and lit up.

- Art Schreiber: "They were lonely, isolated from the world, both on tour and at home. They couldn't go anywhere. Remember, aside from all the fame and glory, they were young men, barely out of boyhood. I've always been a pretty tough reporter when it came to the people I covered, but let me tell you, they were terrific. I actually started feeling close to them. They really opened up. I was also impressed with how bright they were. They knew how to treat people. They were terrific."

- Paul would look left and right, and wink to a face in the crowd. It was a sexy form of eye candy, tantalizing the crowd with his head gyrations. Paul was a world class flirt when it came to the fans. And they loved him back.

Kane: Will you ever be anything but the Beatles? Paul: We are the Beatles, that's what we are.

[yourkimjaejin]

Unwelcome Touch

Finally we have Hannah's tour!angst post!! I know it's been awhile but work got hectic but now we've calmed down a bit so I get my head right. We still have Juno's angst left but until then....Happy Reading!! ~ Author Izzy

Warning: I don't really know how to warn for this but the closest I can come up with is non-consensual touch and cornering. If anything like this is triggering for you, that part starts with the words

“Hi Hannah.”

and ends with

“Hannah!! Thank God! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

I'll bold both of these sentences so you can skip that section if you need to. I'll also put a description underneath the post of what happened.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hannah could taste the barbecue on her tongue as she walked to The Smoke-Out, a restaurant she found online.

AG had made it to the Dallas stop on their world tour. Sometimes the girls questioned the decision making in their company. This time they got it right. Giving the members the space to rest between cities provided a small chance to recharge and give their best performance for fans in each city. Which Hannah took full advantage of. Her other members tapped out after three full days of exploring. But not our resident Hawaiian. .

The exploring bug has hit her HARD for the entire tour, but can you blame her. Hannah never traveled outside the borders of her hometown.. Now she lives in Korea and travels the world with AG and WayV. It’s only natural that she’d want to see everything she could. Not bad for a girl from the island

After spending her last free day seeing the sights no one else was interested in, Hannah was walking to a fan recommended barbecue restaurant. She ran forward once the neon sign came into view. Touring around the city really works up the appetite. Luckily some of the crowd had died down and the dancer was able to walk right up to the counter and order. 

“What would you like?” 

“Let me get the rib combo and the brisket combo. One with coleslaw and mashed potatoes. The other with mac and cheese and brussel sprouts. Oh! Let me add a one pulled pork sandwich and one pulled chicken sandwich, both with potato wedges. I’m ordering for four.” Hannah laughs a bit. 

“Totally cool. You wouldn’t imagine some of the orders we get from food bloggers. Your total is $74.35 and you can pay with cash or card.” Hannah tapped her card on the scanner. 

“It’ll be about an half hour wait, if that's okay?” The cashier informed her but Hannah waved them off. 

“The best things are worth waiting for. Especially food.” Hannah and the cashier shared a laugh while she moved to the side. While waiting, she took a picture of the restaurant's wall where dozens of awards and memorabilia were hung up. The dancer's phone camera has been working overtime with all the pictures she’s taken.

While scrolling through the pics she took at the Dallas Arboretum Hannah noticed two guys walk in. They didn’t order but one of them locked eyes with her. The look in his eyes sent a small shiver down her spine. 

Hannah wasn’t crazy. She knew how it looked being a woman, alone at night. And that's why she kept her phone in her hand, shuffling closer to the security camera she saw on the wall. From the corner of her eye she could see them talking to each other but pointing in her direction. A part of her hoped they were nervous fans wanting autographs.

A text from Moxy took her attention off them. 

From Momo Unnie: Where R U??? To Momo Unnie: I’m getting bbq!! Suggestion from Czennie From Momo Unnie: HOW DARE!!! To Momo Unnie: You were asleep when I left From Momo Unnie: I could have been tempted by Dallas bbq To Momo Unnie: ….no you wouldn’t

The two members bickered back and forth, distracting Hannah from the sound of footsteps coming closer. 

“Hi Hannah.” A male voice said from way too close. Both of the boys were now crowded around her. The one to her left was blonde while his friend on the right had brunette hair.  Hannah smiled politely but it never reached her eyes. Something about the way they looked gave Hannah the creeps. She could feel their eyes trailing across her body. She put distance between them, disguising the movement by rocking back and forth. 

“Nice to meet you.” She lowered her head, bowing in greeting.

“We’ve been fans for a long time.” The blonde explained while inching closer. 

“Yeah and we’ve always wanted to meet you.” the brunette continued. The smaller of the three shivered, their voices felt slimy and unwelcome. Hannah made herself focus on their body language, cause the last thing she wanted was to piss off the two boys standing between herself and the exit. 

Hannah plastered on a smile, “Oh really! Thank you so much! One of the best parts of being an idol is interacting with fans. Especially ones we don’t get to see that often” Things got quiet after that. Hannah positions herself as far away from them as possible but they keep inching closer. Panic got her heart beat faster. There’s no way she could fight back against two boys who stood a head taller than her, 

But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t gonna try if it got to that. 

“You should hang out with us.” 

“Someone like you shouldn’t be alone. Especially not in a foreign city.” While the brunette got closer, the blonde reached over pushing a strand of hair behind her ear then trailing his finger down her neck to her shoulder. Tugging her shirt to reveal bare skin. Hannah closed her eyes, forcing her body to still. To not flinch away from a foreign touch. 

She flinched anyway when a new female voice took the boys' attention off of her. 

“Hannah!! Thank God! I’ve been looking all over for you.” A girl ran over to the trio. She was dressed in pajama pants with converse and hoodie. Her black hair was pulled into a hasty ponytail. She barged her way between the two boys and hugged the idol. The girl grabbed Hannah’s hand, pulling her away from the creepy boys and closer to the door. 

“Sorry I took so long, I went to the wrong restaurant. Have you been waiting?” The girl gave a subtle nod, hoping the idol got her message.

Some of the panic faded, knowing this kind stranger was trying to help her. Hannah pulled her into another quick embrace, “I didn’t wait long. I must have sent you the wrong location. I….got caught up with these two fans.” Hannah gestured to the boys standing together dumbfounded. 

The newcomer turned to them and bowed in apology, “Sorry for interrupting. You don’t get much hang out time with friends who turned into superstars.” 

“Oh, you weren’t interrupting and I am hardly a superstar!!” Hannah grabbed the hand of her new ‘friend’, grounding herself. 

“Sorry for barging in. Maybe I could take a photo for you guys. As an apology for stealing Hannah away?” Both boys shook their heads and quickly fled the restaurant. Before either could speak the cashier called out Hannah's name. Both girls couldn’t hold eye contact with the other person. They just awkwardly stood there waiting for someone to make a move. Which turned out to be Hannah. The dancer grabbed her food and expected her ‘friend’ to be gone. But there she was waiting at one of the restaurant's tables, trying and failing to look occupied. Hannah and the girls' eyes locked. They both gave a crooked smile. 

The idol made her way over claiming the seat across from the girl. Taking a moment to breathe now that immediate danger was behind them. Hannah took out her phone, texting her manager to pick her up. I think that's enough excitement for one day, she thought. Hannah took in her helper across from the table who was trying, and once again failing, to not look at the idol in awe. The singer discreetly observed the fan while sending the restaurant’s address to her manager. Hannah noticed the cinnamaroll photocard holder with a pc of her face protected inside. 

“I must have a new perfume on because I keep attracting fans tonight.” The girl's hands flew to the holder in an effort to cover it up. Panicked eyes met hers. 

The girl shook her head frantically, “I promise I’m not like those guys back there! I saw you cornered and I barely registered you were…..the Hannah of NCT AG. I just wanted to help.” Her words trailed off at the end, her cheeks turned red in embarrassment. Hannah couldn't hold back a laugh. 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. Honestly I don’t meet many people who are fans of myself. What’s your name?” 

The girl's blush spread covering her ears, “I’m E-Emerald. Emmy for short. I’ve been a fan for a while now. Especially of you. WayV’s my favorite subunit and you kill every performance I’ve seen.” She could tell Emerald wanted to say more but was holding back. 

It felt good. Seeing someone genuinely happy to meet her. Performing in Korea helped her develop a thick skin. It hurts when you can tell nobodies there for you. But being on this tour reminded Hannah that she was loved. Emerald was living, breathing proof. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Emerald. And I have to thank you for the save back there. Is there anything I can do? Buy you food or something to drink.” The girl shook her head again. 

“It’s what any decent person would do for another. I can’t accept thanks for basic human kindness.” Hannah tried to offer more things but every time Emerald refused. Seeing she was fighting a losing battle, Hannah moved to getting to know the fan in front of her. She asked about her life in Dallas, what her hobbies were, ect. With every question Emmy opened up more. She even asked questions of her own.  Mainly about Hannah’s management of two groups with equally hectic schedules. 

“My best friend, who wasn’t a K-pop fan, changed her mind about NCT after listening to Basically Over You.” Emerald gushed to the idol. 

“You got your friend into NCT because of us?? That’s amazing!! I guess I’ll see you both tomorrow then?” Hannah was mistaken as she watched the other girl's face fall. 

Emerald shook her head, “We couldn’t get tickets. I heard the rumors about an AG tour but nobody could confirm. So I saved up for Dream’s concert. Now that my friend is into NCT we went to look for tickets but it was sold out.” Emerald perked up a bit, “It’s okay. My friend and I are planning a sleep and stalk night. We’re gonna be all over the official hashtag for videos. One of the good things about international fans, everyone posts on their socials.” The conversation got cut off by a honking horn. Outside, Hannah could see two of her managers in the front seats. . 

Knowing her time with her bias was over, Emerald sighed. But Hannah couldn’t just leave her fan with nothing. 

“Could you wait here for a moment?” Hannah grabbed her food and  jogged outside to the van. She climbed into the back seat rummaging around for something.

“Looking for something Hannah-ssi?” 

“Yeah…Where are those extra tickets we keep?” One of the managers opened the glove box, pulling the tickets out. 

“Do you need them for some….thing” He couldn’t even finish his sentence before Hannah snatched the tickets and jogged back inside. Emerald had grabbed her purse when Hannah stopped in front of her. 

“I know you told me that I couldn’t do anything for you but actually….I can.” Hannah watched amused while Emerald stared at the tickets dumbfounded. Her mouth fell open and her eyes wide. They flicked between Hannah and the tickets, unsure of what to do. 

“I hope you know I refuse to take these back to the car. I guess you’ll just have to take them.” Hannah placed the tickets in Emerald's hand with a smile. “Thank you again for your help back there. Enjoy the concert tomorrow! I’ll be looking for you both.” Hannah waved, jogging back to her van and hopping in. Emerald stood in disbelief, eyes moving between the tickets and the door her bias just walked through.

She just got tickets for AG’s concert handed to her……

And she didn’t even say thank you.

The familiar ringtone brought Emerald back to earth. She fumbled around getting her hand on her phone and swiping to answer. 

“Emmy!?!? Where are you? I was at your front door but you didn’t answer. Are you home? We have less than 36 hours to mentally prepare ourselves for the biggest fomo experience of our lives.” Emerald friend, Peri said to a mostly unresponsive Emerald. 

“Emmy? You good?” Peri asked.

“Peri…..Change of plans.” 

“To what?! There is NO WAY I’m missing—”  “YOU'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING BECAUSE WE'RE GOING!!!!” Emerald interrupted before Peri could get her rant started. It was silent on both ends of the line. Emerald waited for Peri's reaction while her best friend took in what she said.

“We’re going where now?” 

Emerald envisioned the look on her friend's face as she said, “We’re going to see AG. In concert. Live. In Person. A Day from now. We’re going, Riri!””

“Did you just say we're going to the concert?” 

“I have so much to tell you.” Emerald said, smiling in glee.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Summary if you chose to skip: Hannah while waiting in the restaurant is cornered by two male fans who block her from the exit. One begins to touch her without her permission before they are interrupted by another fan, this time female, who sees the interaction, notices that Hannah isn't comfortable and saves Hannah.

[emahriel]

i was unwell enough to travel from montreal to vegas, vegas to dallas and dallas to montreal to see sleep token 3 times in their NA tour, but now bestie and i are also planning a trip to scotland in november for sightseeing but also to see sleep token again... we have a problem

[audrey-caden]

October 9th. 

It was Dallas and Audrey had been traveling with her boyfriend and the band during the peak of their tour. It was an important time for Jakob and Audrey was the proudest girlfriend you could ever have imagined. She stood by his side—whether directly by his side, behind the cameras as he gave interviews, or even in the front row as he performed. Wherever Jakob was, Audrey was nearby. 

By the time they made it to Dallas, Audrey was exhausted from the constant traveling. They were on the go for the better part of a month and she could barely keep her eyes open and stand on her feet. Jakob was already at the arena for practice when Audrey let Holly know that she wasn’t gonna come to the concert tonight. She needed to sleep. 

Audrey slept for about thirty minutes before her body jolted her awake and all she could think about was Jakob performing. What if he looked into the crowd and didn’t see her cheering for him in her bedazzled shirts she made for all his concerts? No. She couldn’t disappoint him. She’d sleep tonight after the concert while he chilled with the bandmates. 

So, Audrey climbed off the hotel bed and found an outfit for the night, pulling on her newest shirt she crafted for Jakob: slut for jakob only. She grabbed a cab and headed to the arena to surprise her boyfriend, not even bothering to let Holly know.  

______

Audrey approached the “band only” door and twisted the knob, letting herself in as she did all the time. Immediately, her eyes fell on Jakob as he was crouched over the table that held a line of coke, ready to snort it. She could feel all eyes on her, but her gaze was locked on her boyfriend who peered up to see her, his smile falling instantly, as did hers. She stared at him for a few moments before turning and leaving the scene, she slammed the door behind her. 

Audrey stormed out of the building and was in the dock area behind the arena where they loaded the equipment in and out. She could feel her eyes burning with frustrated tears, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She paced back and forth and waited….waiting for Jakob to come and explain to her what the hell that was. After all, he told her he stopped doing drugs, so what the fuck did she just walk into? Her hands were shaking with anger, but she tried to keep calm. She wanted to give him a chance to explain himself. 

As the minutes ticked away, Audrey could hear the music queuing up, meaning they were on stage now. “Asshole,” she wept, realizing he wasn’t going to come. Audrey crossed the road to a little cafe and called for an uber to take her back to the hotel. 

______

Back at the hotel, Audrey took a hot bath to decompress and then climbed in bed in just an oversized shirt. She didn’t go to sleep, but she laid there, waiting. It was hours before she heard the keycard chime as someone came into the room. He was moving slowly so as not to wake up, maybe? Audrey rolled over to face him, her eyes sad. “You lied to me,” she whispered. 

Jakob sat down on the edge of the bed. “It just happened,” he said softly. “We’ve been touring so hard and it was there and…” he trailed off, shrugging. 

Audrey sat up and stared at him. “You’re a grown adult, I’m not going to force you to do anything. If you want to do drugs, that’s on you, but don’t tell me one thing and do something completely different.” She sighed. “I told you—what you say, is what I believe. Don’t tell me something unless you mean it.” 

Jakob nodded, “I understand.” 

Audrey laid her hand on his cheek, pulling his face closer to her. “Don’t lie to me, Jakob,” she whispered, her eyes pleading with him now. Trust was everything for the girl who had been morbidly broken in the past. She exhaled as a pout formed on her lips. “You didn’t even get to see my cute shirt I made for you. Sucks for you.” She smiled mischievously at him and pulled him closer to her. “Take me.”

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Loyal Service Dog Gets A Special Send-Off On Her Final Flight Home

9 February 2023

Kaya helped her owner, a Marine Corps veteran, through PTSD and suicidal thoughts, and even inspired a national law to help veterans get service dogs.

When Kaya was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Cole flew her home — and the airline gave her a beautiful special tribute on her final flight

Service dogs are invaluable companions for so many people, especially veterans. The benefits are great: dogs provide therapeutic companionship that can be used to treat conditions like PTSD.

For many vets who have service dogs, these dogs become their best friends in the world.

For Marine Corps veteran Cole Lyle, that dog was Kaya, a German Shepherd. Kaya was by his side all the time, even on hundreds of airline flights.

Sadly, Kaya took her final flight recently — but was given an incredible honor on board.

Cole, from North Texas, came home after a six-year tour in Afghanistan and was suffering from PTSD.

“I tried pills and tried therapy. The pills just made things worse. I spiraled down and almost became a veteran suicide statistic,” the veteran told WFAA.

A fellow veteran suggested he try getting a service dog. Cole brought home Kaya, the runt of her litter, and spent $10,000 of his own money to have her trained as a service dog.

It was well worth it: Kaya was trained to wake the vet up from nightmares and to stop anxiety attacks.

Cole said the dog made a huge difference on his condition and even credited her with stopping his suicidal thoughts.

“A dog can be a powerful thing to keep you around,” he said. “If you get to that point, you look down at the dog and say, well, I can’t leave the dog. The dog would miss me.”

Kaya not only made an impact on Cole’s life but for veterans around the country.

After Cole became an advisor to the US Senate on veterans policies, the pair lobbied for the PAWS Act, which provides canine training for veterans with PTSD.

That act was passed into law on August 2022, receiving bipartisan support.

Kaya lived quite a life: she met many politicians and celebrities, walked at graduation with Cole, and accompanied the vet on hundreds of flights around the country.

But sadly, a tumor under her tongue metastasized in January and took a toll on her quality of life. Cole didn’t want to see his loyal friend suffer.

“I didn’t want her to be in pain and suffer after all the pain and suffering that she stopped,” Cole told WFAA.

Realizing the end was near, he took her on one last flight, from Virginia to their home in Texas.

“She’s a Texas girl and I didn’t want her to die in Virginia,” Cole explained.

But it wasn’t just any ordinary flight. They flew on Southwest Airlines, with whom they had traveled over 250 times.

After finding out that this was Kaya’s final journey, the airline did something inspiring to mark the occasion.

On the February 2 flight, the pilot got on the intercom and made a special announcement.

He introduced Kaya, explaining to the travellers her work as a service dog and her work to get the PAWS Act passed.

He then explained he had the “solemn honor of what will be her last flight, as she goes home to rest where she was born and first met Cole.”

“On behalf of Southwest Airlines, your two veterans up front, we thank both Maya and Cole… for their service.”

In a video shared by Southwest Airlines, you can see Kaya get a round of applause from the plane’s passengers — and Kaya, who had been laying down, suddenly lifts her head up.

After the two arrived in Dallas, the airline also provided a cart for Kaya’s mobility issues.

A few days later, Cole announced that Kaya had died.

Rest in peace, Kaya. You may be gone but you made a huge difference in the world and were a best friend to Cole. We hope you’re at peace now.

https://thespacedogs.com/loyal-service-dog-gets-a-special-send-off-on-her-final-flight-home/

Texas service dog with 250+ Southwest flights takes her final trip home

9 February 2023

Kaya, a German Shepherd with years of service, went home to Texas last week.

[souvlakibyslowdive]

i have a confession i used to love dan and phil for years my original deleted tumblr that i mourn everyday probably had sooo many dan and phil posts and at 22 years old ive finally allowed myself to not be embarrassed about that because i don't understand what about them made me happy but the truth is they did make me happy when i was 12 ot 13 and very lonely and i found out they are currently touring and i would genuinely buy a ticket by myself and would definitely consider a meet + greet just as a soothing my inner child thing but im coming back to tumblr to admit that im so mad that i went online and there's not only a lack of oklahoma dates but there's not even a dallas date and with an adult schedule i don't have the time or money to travel for something like that just for 1 afternoon by myself :(

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica # 313 - AA.VV. - She Rocks Volume 1, 2017

Un giovane chitarrista di origini italiane (i nonni arrivarono negli Stati Uniti dalla Lomellina) nel 1978, quando ha appena 18 anni, manda una cassetta e una trascrizione del leggendario pezzo The Black Page al suo creatore, Frank Zappa. Il brano si chiama così perchè lo spartito è così pieno di segni musicali (punti, segni, note) ed è famoso perchè di una complessità mostruosa. Zappa impressionato dal talento del giovane chitarrista lo contatta e dopo che il nostro giovane eroe finisce la scuola, lo invita a Los Angeles, gli fa un provino e lo stipendia prima come trascrittore ufficiale e poi, dal 1980 fino al 1985, lo porta sul palco e in studio a registrare, presentandolo come il suo "little Italian virtuoso" e gli assegna spettacolari assolo definiti "impossible guitar parts". Quel giovane chitarrista è Steve Vai, unanimemente considerato uno dei più grandi chitarristi di tutti i tempi. Oltre ai dischi, ai concerti, ai premi, al ruolo di innovatore dello strumento (leggendarie le chitarre Ibanez Jem con lui sviluppate) il suo è sempre stato un lavoro di ricerca sia strumentale sia umano: cacciatore di talenti prima, e poi produttore ed editore musicale. Nel 1999 infatti fonda insieme a Ray Scherr, il fondatore di Guitar Center, la più grande catena di negozi di strumenti musicali di tutte le Americhe (con oltre 300 negozi) una etichetta discografica, Favored Nations, con il preciso obiettivo di sviluppare la musica chitarristica, di scovare nuovi artisti e di produrre quelli già affermati. Il primo disco prodotto è del 2000, Coming To Your Senses del chitarrista jazz fusion Frank Gambale, di lì in poi è un susseguirsi di grandi nomi. A metà del decennio successivo, Vai sente la necessità di rispondere, con un disco, ad una domanda: Who says the ladies can’t rock?.

Per questo in collaborazione con l'associazione Women’s International Music Network mette su una compilation, insieme con Brad Tolinski, direttore di una delle bibbie dei chitarristi e chitarriste, Guitar World, di strepitose chitarriste, a cui dà il titolo di She Rocks Vol.1, sottotitolo: A Collection of Kick-Ass Guitar Goddesses, che esce nel gennaio del 2017. In scaletta 11 brani di 11 chitarriste che comprendono diversi generi, dal jazz rock al blues, ma che spingono forte verso l'hard rock e l'heavy metal, per un assortimento niente male. C'è una delle scoperte di Vai, la tedesca Yasi Hofer (qui presente con una torrida sua composizione, Cosmic Star), c'è la leggenda del rock femminile Lita Ford, delle Runwayas, che si unisce alle Lez Zeppelin, una tribute band femminile dei mitici Led Zeppelin, cantando The Lemon Song (uno dei testi più maliziosi ed erotici del catalogo di Plant e soci, nello slang "lemon" è una metafora del pene) accompagnata da Steph Paynes, che nella compilation regala una meravigliosa The Sun At Her Eastern Gate (Payne è stata anche scrittrice e giornalista del rock per riviste come il New Music Express e Rolling Stone). C'è il blues di U Know What I Like di Kat Dyson (che è stata più volte la lead guitar dei tour internazionali di Zucchero), il trascinante heavy metal di Transmogrify, brano scritto da Orianthi, chitarrista e polistrumentista australiana che accompagnò Micheal Jackson nel suo ultimo tour This Is It. Jackson era un grande estimatore di chitarriste, tanto che nella compilation c'è pure il contributo di un'altra sua storica sessionista, Jennifer Batten, che lo ha accompagnato nei tour di Bad, Dangerous e History: qui è presente la sua In The Aftermath. Si passa dal jazz rock di Sarah Longfield (The Taxi Time Travel Task Force) alle sonorità sofisticate di Yvette Young, uno dei talenti più puri in circolazione (Hydra), alle super prove di nomi più famosi come Nita Strauss (la chitarrista di Alice Cooper), che contribuisce con Pandemonium e Gretchen Menn con Scrap Metal. Da ricordare anche il brano di Nili Brosh, A Matter Of Perception, la chitarrista è stata per anni star degli spettacoli musicali del Cirque Du Soleil e insieme ad altre protagoniste di questa compilation suonerà in una tribute band, The Iron Maidens, che omaggia al femminile la musica degli inglesi Iron Maiden. In copertina c'è un disegno di Laura B. Whitmore, musicista, produttrice e ex manager di importantissime etichette discografiche, che nel 2012 fondò la WiMN per fornire supporto, informazioni e un senso di comunità alle donne in tutti gli aspetti del settore musicale, compresi artisti, addetti ai lavori, educatori e studenti.

La dicitura Vol.1 mi ha fatto sempre sperare in un Vol.2 che al momento non è ancora arrivato. Tuttavia questo disco è prova viva che " A Lady Can Surely Rocks".

[aeverse]

XOXO is a fictional South Korean girl group which currently consists of the four members: Aera, Jiyeon, Eunmi, and Yu. The group debuted on June 24, 2011 under Delphi Entertainment. They are mostly known for their diverse concept, giving all sides to ‘XOXO’.

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. BASICS

GROUP ✧ XOXO

MEMBERS ✧ Aera, Jiyeon, Eunmi, Yu

FANDOM ✧ Valentines

COLORS ✧ #E24767 & #B51A3A

COMPANY ✧ Delphi Entertainment

DEBUT ALBUM ✧ Electric Love

DEBUT SONG ✧ Darling

DEBUT DATE ✧ June 24th, 2011

GREETING ✧ “Hugs and kisses, we’re XOXO!”

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. MEMBERS

jung AERA leader, main rapper, visual 1991

lee JIYEON main dancer, lead rapper, center 1992

oh EUNMI lead dancer, face of the group, lead vocalist 1994

park YU yoojung maknae, main vocalist 1994

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. DISCOGRAPHY

You can find XOXO’s discography here.

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. HISTORY

XOXO debuted with the single “Darling” in June 2011. The group began promotions with their debut stage on May 27th at M! Countdown and continued promotions on various Korean music shows to June 20th.

The group returned a year later with the mini album “I Am Me” in June 2011. The album consists of four songs, including “I Don’t Need a Man” and “U-Go-Girl”, which XOXO promoted at the same time. “I Don’t Need a Man” gained XOXO quite a bit anti-fans, mainly men. They posted on Reddit about burning or cutting up pictures of XOXO’s faces and demanded apologies but there was no statement from Delphi Entertainment.

Though XOXO had gained some attention with their first comeback, it was not until their third comeback that the group rose to stardom. In March 2012, they came-back with their full album “Electric Love”. The album consists of nine songs, including “Mr. Chu”. The album peaked atop South Korea's Gaon Album Chart and has sold over 234,500 copies in South Korea. The album's title track peaked atop South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and was the second best-selling digital single of 2011 in the country, selling over 3.3 million copies. XOXO received a total of five wins on music shows this era.

For their third mini album, Jiyeon did not participate in the stages as she had injured her knee but was in the music video. She constantly supported XOXO’s stages, posting constantly on Twitter and Instagram.

XOXO made their Japanese debut in 2014 with the Japanese versions of their already existing songs. At this time, Eunmi took a hiatus for the majority of the year for unknown reasons and was not seen until the end of the year music awards. The members did not mention her at all throughout activities, confusing fans who then made demands for XOXO and Delphi Entertainment to update them. Neither XOXO or Delphi Entertainment acknowledged these demands.

With the comeback of Eunmi and their second full length album, XOXO announced their first tour, XOXO 1st Asia Tour 2015. They had eight shows, 2 in South Korea, 2 in Japan, 2 in Thailand, 1 in Indonesia and 1 in Taiwan.

XOXO released the first episode of their reality show “Hugs and Kisses!” on November 2015 which comprised 10 episodes being released throughout the year following the four members as they traveled around Asia for their first tour, XOXO 1st Asia Tour 2015.

In January 2017, XOXO announced their North American tour and held four shows: New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Tickets were sold out in three minutes.

In 2019, Delphi Entertainment announced the indefinite hiatus of group activities. All four members still remain under Delphi Entertainment. Aera is busy with her modeling contract, Jiyeon and Eunmi both actively promote as solo artists, and Yu goes by Yoojung now and is focused on her acting career.

[all-risejd]

After Shine Part 1 (Damian Priest x OC) (Eventual The Judgment Day x OC)

Danika

June 16, 2018 - Dallas, Texas

She’d been back from Japan maybe five days, and was riding the uplifting high of being close enough to California she swore she could smell her momma's cooking. Tonight was going to be amazing, she could feel it in her bones, she wasn’t exactly sure why Cage had sent her on the road with his talent, when a group of them decided to work Ring of Honor, but she’d spent the last year touring with some of the most irritating bastards she’d ever met (she sort of loved it though). The move to New York almost two summers ago, alone and in the big city, had been disarming. She swore looking back she’d spent most of the first two months crying herself to sleep.

Danny Cage had been a friend of her fathers, sort of, and he’d ‘taken her in’ out of respect for how famous her dad really was. He hadn’t actually known what to do with an almost eighteen-year old girl who wasn’t at all interested in the limelight of the ring. It’s how she became an Influencer, she supposed, they traveled constantly, so she started a blog, and back then she could make little short stories with some of Cage’s younger talent. There was one man, Martinez, that she tended to stick close to. He was large and big, and just this side of dangerous, but he’d saved her ass more than once in Japan - she’d never forget the night he punched some handsy Englishman for copping a feel of her, when she’d come to collect them from a bar. 

The thing about Martinez was he didn’t want her around, not really. But she was always underfoot. She wanted him to win, he had the power and the drive, and fuck the charisma once he got stared in the ring - he was damn hard not to look at. The thing was, he was mean. And more often than not she suffered for her attempts at helping him, but there were days (sometimes even two in a row) where he would talk with her in Spanish about his home, about his familia, about who he wanted to be, and in turn she told him stories of her familia, of being adopted by a huge Latino family, and how lucky she was. Then there were rushed mornings, where she was tossing women (sometimes multiple) out of his hotel room, and running around doing last minute checks to see if he had anything, before corralling the still intoxicated, angry bull of a man toward the taxi.

“Hey, kid, you're dad’s on the phone!” Cage shouted, and motioned to his cell phone - her’s was dead.

“Thanks, Mr. Cage.” She hurried to him, around the pool, side stepping the large man in question who was drinking before ten in the morning, stretched out over a lounger, he shot her a smile, which made her blush. “Papi?” She said into the phone, a grin pulling at her face as the familiar noise of home sounded behind her.

“Hola, Danika, we are going to come tonight to the matches, Dominik wants to see you.” She smiled warmly, Cage was just going to love hosting the Mysterio familia. “How was Japan?” She launched into telling him all about the customs and their version of wrestling, and how she’d met Chris Jericho, and boy was he protective of her, she talked about the fashion and all the gifts she’d brought back for them, but mostly she asked about her younger sister Lainey, who Dominik had been visiting with while she’d been out of the country (six months in Japan was longer than she’d anticipated). 

“We are actually going to bring her with us tonight.” Danika’s heart soared damn near out of her chest. “And Cage has agreed, you need a vacation, so while we have custody of Delainey and are waiting to figure out what’s going to happen with your mom, you're coming home tonight.” She couldn’t help but grin even wider, after they talked a bit more, and she got off the phone, she wandered back to the pool, settling onto the lounge next to Martinez.

“¿Qué te tiene tan feliz, pequeña?”

She shot Martinez a look, she knew he knew English, probably more than he let on, she responded in kind, “Mi familia is coming to the show tonight, and I’m going home for a while afterward.” The man lowered his sunglasses to look her over, he shot her a toothy grin, it both unsettled her and made her want to vibrate out of her skin, “I might even miss you.” She admitted, after a long moment. 

May 21, 2020

Danika Wesson moved through her bedroom technically cleaning up, she’d finished her weekly list of projects from AEW’s Talent Development and had set up social media accounts for several new talents under him as well as worked with them to do their first videos and pictures. She herself had spent the day doing an unboxing of new Mysterio gear for YouTube. She had to have the whole bedroom cleaned and in top shape for the weekend because she was getting a weekend visit with Lainey. Now, with a pregnancy test clutched in her hand she was pulling all the laundry into her arms and headed for the bathroom she shared with Dom and Aalyah. Her room was still covered in more Mysterio merchandise than she would like, but she’d get over it. 

Living with the Mysterio’s had been… an adjustment in her youth. Now she was just the third kid in the second floor of the house who did laundry because it was Dom’s job to clean the bathroom and Aalyah’s job to vacuum their floor. “Dominik!” She called over her shoulder, Aalyah was mercifully in her bedroom ignoring them. Dominik appeared in his doorway, basketball shorts and a comfortable looking gray short sleeve shirt. “Help?” She gave him a curious look, he glanced at the maybe seven articles of clothing she was holding with a raised eyebrow. “I need your help, Dominik, in the bathroom.”

“Oh.” She watched as his eyes widened a bit, a mischievous smile on his face like he thought they were going to mess around (they were not doing anything remotely sexy with either Aalyah or Angie in the house, she had rules), then he was following behind her. She let him open the door, in their teen years they had spent a lot of time being fussed at for being in the bathroom together, and with old habits dying hard, Dominik immediately locked the door behind him as she tossed the laundry into her purple hamper. “So no period then.” He cocked his head to the side, looking down at Danika, who hadn’t really thought much about their height difference until recently. 

She cut her eyes at him, “Wow, Captain Obvious. Glad to see you have made it to the party.” She rolled her eyes, and stepped closer to him, “Do you really think I would risk moms wrath by sharing the bathroom with you otherwise.” She pinched his chest, above his left nipple, another holdover from their youth when they pushed boundaries of friendship often too far. Or at least Angie, their shared mother, had thought they were pushing boundaries back then, relatively speaking things had been pretty tame. Sharing food, Dominik reading to her while she was taking a bubble bath, tickling and shoving at each other, once they handcuffed themselves to each other, and there was a whole summer they spent reenacting scenes from Jackass.

Dominik snickered, “You could have just agreed. A nice yeah Dominik you're right I didn’t have my period this month would have been fine.” He had morphed his voice into something resembling a girl but it sounded more hilarious than accurate. 

“I don’t sound like that.” She huffed but grinned at him nonetheless, “And it’s been two months.”

“Well that’s a bit more serious than I thought.” He moved to sit on the sink, another thing Angie would have their asses for, sinks and counters were not made for butts. “Are you sure it’s not what happened when we were younger?” His voice was a bit worried now, “You went like five months without a period then had like… cyst or something.” Bless his heart, he was trying. 

She gave him an appraising look, “I mean I guess it could be but Dr. Keyes removed my right ovary and all that jazz.” She shrugged. “I have a test, figure we might as well do this now.” She brandished the test at him only for him to yank it out of her hand, he immediately tore into the box and started reading the instructions. Never let it be said Dominik didn’t love to know everything. “You gonna share with the class?” She pointed at the directions. 

“You just pee on the stick.” He shoved it back at her, “Once you do that, we just wait two minutes.”

She took the pregnancy test and narrowed her eyes at him. “I know we fucked multiple times but I dunno if I want you to hear me pee…” There was a bit of desperation edging into her voice. 

Dominik laughed, hard. “I can pee in the tub while you pee on the stick. We can pee together.”

“I hate you.” She snickered, “By all means pee in the tub, heathen.” She waited for Dominik to climb off the sink and slowly walk around her to head for the tub, he wrenched the shower open just as she pushed her yoga pants and underwear down. “How do you even…” She trailed off as she figured out how to hold the stick and not pee on her hand. Settling down over the toilet, pointedly facing away from Dom and the tub, she cleared her throat, “Together or whatever.”

It was weird. She was so relieved to drop the test in the sink and clean herself off, she closed tre toilet and sat on it, before pulling the test back into her hands, and folding her hands around it, protecting it from view, while Dom moved back to sit on the sink, his shorts back in place. “Two minutes.” He set the timer as he kicked his legs out looking like a much younger boy than the 23 year old man he was. 

“Two minutes.” She agreed, “So did you talk to Megan? Are you two gonna patch things up?”

“Negative ghost rider.” Dominik offered as he looked up toward the ceiling, “She uh, well she didn’t like me being on the road and she hated our friendship. Like how am I supposed to explain that my parents adopted you but you aren’t my sister when Aalyah introduces you as our sister to everyone.”

“Tough break, boo.” She offered almost sweetly. Megan and Dom had been on and off since they were in tenth grade. Danika was honestly happy to see her gone, not because she wanted to be Dominik’s girlfriend but because Megan had a tendency to make Dominik’s life hell. In fact Danika had only just managed to talk him out of marrying the monster the previous Christmas. 

“You get all your work done?” Dominik asked not so subtly to change the subject.

She let him have it, “You mean the unboxing for Rey and the stuff for AEW? Yeah. I got it finished.” She let out a long sigh, “I think Cody has more talent he wants me to fly out and meet.” She admitted, “So I can finish setting up the accounts and can finish getting everyone started on their socials, plus Cody wants me to do a series of soundbites for him.”

Dominik hummed, “You should have finished going to school for filmography.”

“Shoulda, woulda, coulda.” She hummed, impatiently, “How much longer?”

“Like a whole ‘nother minute.” Dominik turned his attention back to her, “Do you want kids?”

“That’s an odd question, considering we are sort of on a knife blade here.” Danika huffed, “I mean, yeah, I like the idea of kids, I don’t want kids that… I don’t want kids with someone who I’m not sure is going to be around, I don’t want a repeat of my childhood.”

Dominik was silent after that, contemplating what she had said, she would bet. He had wanted to be a dad since literally the third grade. His phone alarm went off, announcing they could look at the test, Danika didn’t move, her whole body was frozen, it felt like moving was impossible. Dominik, thankfully, grabbed the test from her folded hands. “Oh.” He whispered, before he climbed off the counter, and knelt in front of her, “Danika, am I someone who you think is always going to be around?”

She jerked the test out of his grasp and looked down, two pink lines. “Oh.” She let out a little giggle, “Well, Dominik, I think I made another one of your dreams come true.”

Dominik was silent again, “We don’t have to do this.” He cupped her face, “I want you to be happy too, we both know I’ve wanted kids since I was like seven, but…” He trailed off, “If you aren’t ready for this, then I’m not ready for this.” He assured her.

Before she could answer there was a harsh pounding on the door, “I have to pee!” Aalyah shouted.

“GO DOWNSTAIRS!” Dominik and Danika both screamed back at her.

“OH MY GOD, MOM, DOM AND DANI ARE IN THE BATHROOM TOGETHER!” 

“Dios, she gets older but does she get any more mature?” Danika hissed, but leaned into Dominik’s hands, “I want to have children with you, I’ll give you all the babies you want, I know we aren’t in love like that, but I do love you, unconditionally and forever. I know you won’t-”

“MOM!” Aalyah shouted, followed by, “MAMI!” 

“Dios.” Dominik grabbed the test and shoved it into his basketball shorts pocket, he hauled Danika to her feet, unlocked the bathroom door, and yanked it open to glare down at Aalyah, “Being the bratty little sister should end at eighteen.” He snapped, “We are both over eighteen, and can be in the bathroom alone or together if we wa-”

Angie had climbed to the second floor, and was looking between the three of them, “¿Qué son todos los gritos?”

“They were in the bathroom together, again, with the door locked.” Aalyah looked positively excited to say it aloud, Danika rolled her eyes violently from where she was hiding behind Dominik.

“Mom,” Dominik sighed, “I was helping Danika with something, yes it was in the bathroom, yes the door was locked, her belly ring got messed up, she lost the ball and we had to change it.” He offered unamused. “Now, if you could just move-'' He made to push around Aalyah, who pushed back, the jostling dislodged the pregnancy test which he hadn’t put into his pocket properly. 

Danika wanted to scream, she reached for the test at the same time Aalyah did, the younger girl snatching it out of her grasp, “OH MY GOD, YOU'RE PREGNANT!”

“Can we stop screaming?” Danika snapped, she grabbed the test and pulled it back.

Angie was talking in spanish far to fast for her to keep up with, but she caught the jist of it - Angie was bemoaning the fact that she’d let Rey talk her into adopting a street kid from the wrong side of San Diego, with a dash of the shame that Danika would bring to their name (although she largely used the Wesson last name publically, legally she had been adopted by the Mysterios, making her legal last name Gutiérrez). 

Dominik glared at Aalyah then looked directly at his mom, “Detener. Danika está embarazada de mi hijo.”

Angie looked for a moment like she’d been slapped, “You're child?” She clutched at her heart, “What?”

Dominik and Danika shared a look, with Danika shrugging her shoulders, Dominik had opened this can of worms so he could close it. “When Megan and I broke up I was heartbroken, Danika and I might have drank that bottle of tequila we told you we didn’t drink.” Her eyes widened, “And we uh, well…” He looked at Danika for support, she instead sent Jefe a text message, Rey would be home within the next few minutes, and she could tell this was going to be a fight the level of a Latino telenovela if the man didn’t come sooth his wife, quickly. “Look, before that we’d never had sex, and we’ve sort of messed around since then, but-”

“Eres hermano y hermana.” Angie looked close to tears.

“Legally, yes.” Danika agreed, “Biologically, no. We’ve tried to explain this to you multiple times. We don’t see each other as siblings, yes both of us look at Aalyah like our little sister, but Mom, we are best friends.”

Angie shook her head, “Tendrás que casarte ahora.” 

The front door opened and closed, downstairs, the alarm system pinged to let them know. “We are not getting married.” Dominik countered, irritated. “It’s not happening, we aren’t in love.” Dominik snapped, his voice going hard, “We are never going to get married.”

“Hey, now, we have an agreement about your fortieth birthday.” Danika wiggled her eyebrows at him, “If you haven’t gotten married by the time you're forty and I’m thirty-eight we will get married.”

Rey snickered as he joined them, “I remember this agreement, you two signed it in crayons.” 

Dominik looked between his father and Danika, “Ok, well, we aren’t getting married right now.”

“Why would you get married, mi hijo?” Rey looked perplexed.

Seriously, it was a wonder to Danika that they didn’t have a WWE themed reality television show. 

Aalyah chose that moment to cackle, “Because Dominik got her pregnant.”

There was a long stretch of Rey’s eyes darting between Dominik and Danika, with Angie sniffling to herself, and Aalyah pitched forward in a way that suggested she wished she had popcorn. Finally Rey cleared his throat, “What are we doing about this?”

“We hadn’t decided yet.” Dominik cleared his throat, “We were talking about our options and what we wanted to do when Aalyah started being her usual bratty self, and caused this whole argument.” Dominik explained, exasperated. 

Rey hummed, “Danika, cariño, what do you want to do?” 

“Jefe, I would like Dominik and I to talk about it privately, once we have a decision we will let you all know.” She cast her glance to Aalyah, “That’s my shirt, asshole, give it back.” 

“You’ll be too fat to wear it.” Aalyah sang as she walked back to her room.

“I thought you had to go to the bathroom!” Dominik snapped after her.

Aalyah cackled, “I never had to pee, I just heard you two talking in the bathroom and knew the door would be locked.” 

“Oh, you little-” Danika made to give chase, but Dominik caught her around her middle.

“Not so fast,” He tutted, “You're carrying my child, and I don’t want the little bean to inherit whatever ridiculous gene it is that makes you and Aalyah act like children all the time.”

“That’s rich.” Rey huffed, “You usually start their little fights.” Rey looked pointedly at Dominik, then at Angie, “We will support their choice, mi esposa, let them make it.” He took her arm and started to steer her down the stairs, “I will say, if you are going to give us grandchildren, at least let us do something Catholic for their birth.” With that Rey headed them down the stairs.

Danika growled under her breath, “Come on.” She tugged him back into the bathroom, and locked the door. She reclaimed her seat on the toilet, and motioned for him to kneel before her again, “Alright, take two.” 

He snickered, “Danika Wesson Gutiérrez, my best friend, my soulmate, my hero, and my ride or die, would you do me the honor of having my baby?”

She burst out laughing, unable to hold it in, she laughed until she felt the tears start on her cheeks, “If you ever propose to anyone let me write the script for you, boo.” She giggled, “Alright, let’s do this, we’ve always been good together, you are my knight in shining armor, I mean you did ride across San Diego to the scary part of town to rescue me, and you punched that guy in ninth grade who told me I couldn’t be a Gutiérrez because I wasn’t Mexican, and you-” 

He cut her off with a chaste kiss, just a press of their lips together, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” She nodded her head, their noses bumping, “Dominik, I’d be no one without you, I’ve always wanted to have kids, and if I were going to accidentally get pregnant, I am so glad it’s with you. Cause come hell or high water, as Uncle Adam says, we are always going to have each other's backs.” She nuzzled his nose, “Now aren’t you meant to be packing for SmackDown?”

He rolled his eyes, but stood, ruffling her red hair as he went. The both spilled back out of the bathroom, pushing at each other and laughing, until Dominik veered off into his room, no doubt to actually pack up for his and Rey’s upcoming flight. She headed back to her room, and gazed around the piles of Mysterio merchandise. Her life with the Mysterio’s might be a rollercoaster, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. She ran her hand over her flat stomach, mostly to reassure herself that there was a little baby growing in there. 

Dominik had promised her adventures, when he came to rescue her on his bike when they were eleven and thirteen (with Dominik being the older one), and he’d yet to disappoint. 

[gxbtx]

Peter Cat Recording Co. at The Echo Lounge

Dallas, Tx, September 22nd

   This past weekend I was honored to be able to experience the Peter Cat Recording Co in the flesh, with their performance of songs from their newest album, Beta. This album was released a hefty 5 years after their last studio album, Bismillah. After the new-found success during COVID-19, the Dahli based band went on to perform for their new-found fanbase on the Good Luck Beta Tour 24. They are in the process of traveling to perform a total of 77 shows across three continents, selling out a majority of these venues to varied crowds. 

Peter Cat Recording Co. performing at The Echo Lounge in Dallas for a crowd of about 200 people 

I can best describe Peter Cat Recording Co. (PCRC) as an Indian psychedelic jazz band, taking elements of sounds transcontinental to create a movie like experience with their studio albums. Having about a decade of tenure as a band, they come to offer an evolved sense of introspection, utilizing so many different instruments to create soundtracks to the life of struggle and other complex sentiments alike. Such as seen in A Portrait of a Time: 2010-2016, they metaphorically paint pictures of a time period in their lives in which they conceptualize their feelings in regards to aspects of the human experience by making fun of their own turmoil.

PCRC displays typical traits of a band, such as guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, but then adds flairs of color with less common instruments such as the clarinet, accordion, saxophone, and even a banana shaker! 

The show started on the song “Flowers R Blooming”, starting off the show on the foundational lessons they center their themes around; through lyrics of “For Changing Is Living/And Living is Love”, they share a valuable insight into a perspective of living far more fulfilling and redeeming in this game we call life. This song broke tears out of me, fostering an emotional connection to the band that seems rare for me to encounter. This song gave me an outlet of emotions to express that recognition in who I am is the best thing I can do to spread love to myself and others. 

 In maturing comes sacrifice, and ultimately growth in our ability to cope and humor our sensitivities in our emotions; PCRC audiolizes (I just created a new word!) these lessons such as in the leading single “People Never Change” where they renounce the power of others to impact our moods and confidence. He reverses this happier tune with a melancholy song “Heera” from their previous studio album reflecting a low point in the singer’s life, standing at a crossroads of whether it’s too late to “live a lovely life”. The hollow guitar riff being repeated with the dissonant tones of keyboard make it out to have a ghoulish feeling from this time period. As expanded upon within his band, growing up is demonstrated in coming to terms with your emotions and wearing them on full display, becoming sensible in the process, which is what Lifafa demonstrates when he lets loose and dances along to his pain in the guitar riff.

The combination of lights tastefully adds to the psychedelic feelings filling up the room, keeping the audience invested in the growth of the artistic messages

I appreciate the diversified sounds this band created, as the lead singer Lifafa has described the instrumentation to be specially tailored to the idea of what the song’s goal is.  The creative process of starting with the idea of the song, leads the band to switch around instruments to what feels right. While members progressively came and went towards the inception of the band, the 5 members we see have become comfortable together for 6 years. The versatility reeks of the experience this band has come to acquire, providing quite an alluring experience to the dedicated audience. The Echo Lounge in Dallas venue notably accommodated PCRC elegantly, having a sophisticated theater-like quality that felt appropriate to the presentation of family established in the heartfelt odes.

Guitar player Kartik Pillai went up to play “Foolmuse,” the third leading single for Beta

On my ever-prolonged journey of learning what it takes to be a man and to be the best me I can be, this band shares valuable perspectives that come from a long pipeline of experience and wisdom cross-culturally.  In Beta, their new project released earlier last month, they further their documented maturation in life coming to share feelings associated with love and connection, as well as overcoming anxious thoughts that keep us from seeing the absolute beautiful world we see around us. Although the music can sometimes seem long and heavy, I believe PCRC displays an excellent feat of music in connecting time into thoughtful reflections of their humanity - and in a way that connects us to our own. 

To read my RadioUTD finalized version, go to https://radioutd.com/blog/2024/10/peter-cat-recording-co-at-the-echo-lounge-in-dallas/

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

Behind The Iron Claw: The Von Erich Story Part 2

TW: Death , Drug Use , Drowning, Electric Shock, Suicide , Automobile Accident, Mental Health, Illness

Hey Everyone! Here is Part 2 of the true story of the Von Erich family. This article is going to focus on the Second Generation of the Von Erich family. If you haven’t read part 1 about Fritz Von Erich , please check it out !

Jack Barton Adkisson Jr - Jack was the eldest child of Fritz and Doris Adkisson ( Von Erich ). He was born on September 21 , 1952. He would never live a full life. He passed away from drowning after being electrocuted by a trailer tongue on March 7,1959 at the age of 6. Fritz would stop traveling the East Coast to wrestle and it would affect Doris to the brink of where she tried to protect her other sons.

Kevin Ross Adkisson ( Kevin Von Erich ) - Kevin is the second eldest son of Doris and Fritz Adkisson. He was born on May 15,1957. He is the only surviving Von Erich brother . Kevin began his career in 1976 with his first opponent being Playboy Buddy Rose. He was a naturally gifted athlete, playing football. However , he didn’t want to be a wrestler at first , he wanted to play in the NFL. Kevin would spend the majority of his career in his family’s promotion , WCCW ( World Class Championship Wrestling), the Dallas territory of the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA). Kevin began wrestling barefoot in 1982. He is a multi time tag team champion alongside brothers David and Kerry being his main partners, and father, Fritz. He is also a 1x WCCW TV Champion , 2x WCWA Texas Heavyweight Champion, 1x WCWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1x NWA North American Champion.

David Alan Adkisson ( David Von Erich ) - David is the third child of Fritz and Doris. He was born on July 22,1958. David made his wrestling debut in 1977, the year after his brother , Kevin , debuted. David was also a gifted athlete, playing football and basketball. He would be the breakout star of the family due to his explosive temper. He would be known for his two out of three falls match with Harley Race due to wrestling him to a 30 minute draw. This match happened on August 15,1977. He would also wrestle in WCCW being a multi tag team champion alongside his brothers Kevin and Kerry, and Dory Funk Jr. David would join Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1981 being a 1x NWA Florida TV Champion, North American Tag Team Champion with Dory Funk Jr., and a 1x NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion ( Florida). He would also have several NWA World Heavyweight Championship reigns. He would have a rivalry with ‘ The Nature Boy ’ Ric Flair. David would have personal struggles , losing his daughter , Natosha, to SIDS ( Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ) , and a divorce from his first wife , Candy. David would pass away at the age of 25 on February 10,1984 while on a tour in Japan. His cause of death was listed as Enteritis, a condition in which the small intestine is inflamed. There are many theories surrounding David’s death. David was known as ‘ The Yellow Rose of Texas ’.

Kerry Gene Adkisson ( Kerry Von Erich ) - Kerry is the fourth child of Fritz and Doris. He was born on February 3,1960. Like his brothers, Kevin and David, Kerry was also a gifted athlete. He was a track and field star. He was training for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow until President Jimmy Carter asked athletes to boycott the games. Kerry debuted in WCCW in 1978. He was multi time tag team champion with his brothers , David, Kevin , and Mike being his main partners. He was a 1x NWA World Heavyweight Champion ( defeating Ric Flair in 1984 in memory of David), 3x NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion, 4x WCWA World Heavyweight Champion all before being signed to Vince McMahon’s WWF in 1990. He would make his WWF debut in June 1990 against Playboy Buddy Rose. He would be known as the ‘ Texas Tornado’. He is a 1x WWF Intercontinental Champion. Kerry would be involved in motorcycle accident on June 4,1986. He would suffer a severely injured right leg and a dislocated hip. Kerry would have his right foot amputated. He wrestled with a prosthetic foot and kept it as a secret from wrestling fans. He would also face his own personal demons with addictions to painkillers and other substances. He would also go through a divorce from his wife , Cathy, and two arrests. One of the arrests would lead to him being jailed due to violating his probation from the first one. Kerry took his own life on February 18,1993 at the age of 33. His cause of death was a self inflicted gunshot wound to the heart. Bret Hart has stated that he tried to help Kerry with his mental health and tried to convince him to stay for his daughters.

Michael ‘ Mike ’ Brett Adkisson ( Mike Von Erich ) - Mike is the fifth child of Fritz and Doris. He was born on March 2,1964. Mike never wanted to be an in ring competitor. He wanted to work as a cameraman for WCCW. He also loved music, playing the guitar and having a dream of becoming a guitarist. Mike made his debut in 1983 at WCCW: Wrestling Star Wars against Skandor Akbar. He would also be involved with his brothers in a feud with The Fabulous Freebirds. He would be a 4x WCWA 6 Man Tag Team Champion with Kevin and Kerry , and faux Von Erich family member , Lance. He would also be a 1x WCCW Middle Eastern Champion, and a 1x NWA American Heavyweight Champion. He would also have a run in NJPW ( New Japan Pro Wrestling) in 1987. In 1985, Mike would develop Toxic Shock Syndrome ( TSS) due to shoulder surgery after suffering an injury on a tour in Israel. He would lose a large amount of weight and suffer brain damage due to being sick. In 1986, he would also suffer head injuries after being involved in a car accident. He also felt like he had to be like his brother , David , after his death according to Kevin. Mike would pass away from an overdose on April 12,1987 at the age of 23. Before his death, he would be arrested for Possession of Marijuana and a DUI.

Christopher ‘ Chris ’ Barton Adkisson ( Chris Von Erich )- Chris was the sixth and the youngest child of Fritz and Doris. He was born on September 30,1969. Chris would look up to his father and older brothers and wanted to be a wrestler just like them. However , he would never find success as a wrestler like they did. He would face health problems such as Asthma and brittle bones. He was also the smallest of the Von Erich brothers. Therefore , he would work at WCCW by working the cameras and doing other jobs for the promotion. Chris would be involved in angles helping his brothers fight off The Fabulous Freebirds. He did this by running into the ring. He would also be in the ring in 1984 when Kerry defeated Ric Flair to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He would also assist his brothers by preventing Gino Hernandez from escaping from the Von Erichs who were going to shave his head after losing a tag team match to them and hitting Buddy Roberts in the back with a steel chair at the 1985 Cotton Bowl. He would become a full time wrestler in 1990 after Kerry left WCCW for the WWF. He would have a rivalry with Percy Pringle ( Paul Bearer ) in the United States Wrestling Association ( USWA). He would team with Kevin and family friend , Chris Adams against Steve Austin and Percy Pringle. Chris would be supported by fans during his matches with the chant , ‘ Go Chris Go!’. He would suffer a five day headache after being attacked by Matt Borne ( Doink The Clown ) and Percy Pringle during their tag team match against Kerry and Kevin. Chris would be their manager. His last match would come in March 1991. Nevertheless, he would begin to struggle with substance abuse and Depression. This would come from his grief over Mike Von Erich’s death and stress due to not being able to be as successful as his brothers in the ring . Chris would pass away on September 12,1991 at the age of 21. His cause of death was a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He would be found by Doris and Kevin. He passed away at the hospital. Kevin tried to save him by telling him not to hurt himself.

The Von Erich family would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 by Michael PS Hayes of The Fabulous Freebirds. They would also be featured in the popular VICE TV show, ‘ Dark Side of The Ring’. The episode about them is Season 1, Episode 4: The Last of The Von Erichs. They would also have a movie about their lives, ‘ The Iron Claw ’, which came out in 2023.

My Final Thoughts:

The Von Erich family tragedy is one of the darkest and saddest stories in pro wrestling. I was in tears the entire time writing this article. I wanted to write this article to celebrate their contributions to wrestling and tell their stories. Chris really stood out to me because I feel like his story was forgotten in ‘ The Iron Claw ’ and I don’t like how he was omitted from the film. I wish that he knew how he would make an impact in wrestling just by his small contributions. His strength is what made fans love him and how inspiring it was. I also wasn’t a fan of how his story was combined with Mike’s. I also wanted to pay tribute to Jack Jr as well as he never got to live a full life. If you or anyone you know is struggling with anything , please know that help is out there! I am a message away if you need help as well! I’ll do anything I can!

As Always , I Love You All

- Kay