#faints dramatically into your arms with my arm draped over my face

[itskinwell]

Primis dempsey dm pls i miss u big guy

[fastandcarlos]

Late Night Drives : ̗̀➛ Logan Sargeant

summary: with logan home, you decide to head off on an adventure, allowing the man behind the wheel to lead the way

A smile graces Logan’s face as you make yourself comfortable in the seat beside him, a blanket draped over your body. Despite you insisting that you were warm enough, he still watched you closely, wanting to be absolutely certain that the chill in their air wasn’t disturbing you too much.

A faint chuckle escaped as Logan began to rev the engine of his car, it was nothing compared to the engines that Logan started on his day job, but he still liked to impress you. He could feel your eyes watching him closely, leaning across and pressing a kiss against the side of your head as you rested your head further into the headrest of Logan’s car, admiring the view of him concentrating on what was ahead.

Around your car the sun was starting to set, the stunning shade of orange set the scene for you both perfectly. After a lazy day, you both craved the feeling of fresh air hitting against your body, and so when Logan suggested the two of you head out for a drive for a while, you found yourself unable to say no. Happy to play passenger princess whilst Logan took control of the wheel.

He wasn’t expecting you to agree to his offer, you were sleepy, surprising really when you hadn’t done much, but Logan somehow seemed to sweet talk you. Undeniably, you would agree to do anything as long as it meant that you got to enjoy Logan’s company for a little while longer, unable to bring yourself to separate from him for even a second.

“It’s not fair how one person can look so effortlessly beautiful,” Logan complimented, turning his eyes back to the road ahead of you.

“Don’t start being all adorable now,” you laughed, jabbing your fingertip against his arm, “you’ve been mean to me all day.”

A sigh came from Logan, “are you still bitter about the pancakes?”

“You ate my pancakes, that’s an unforgivable act.”

Logan could only shake his head at your dramatics, whilst he knew you were only joking, admittedly he did feel slightly guilty for stealing your food, and mostly getting a huge satisfaction from enjoying the meal he found on the counter top of the kitchen too.

“In my defence, you just left them there, so I just assumed they were for me.”

“Oh, I see…it’s my fault?! Well, forgive me for leaving my food unattended whilst I go to the toilet,” you cried out, rolling your eyes back at Logan. He was about to put his foot down on the accelerator, only to stop himself.

“Exactly,” Logan plays along, looking at you as if it’s obvious that this has been your fault all along. “You should know by now that when you live with me, the second there’s food around, it’s mine,” he added, chuckling away to himself, feeling your eyes burning a hole against the side of your head.

Once his laughter subsided, Logan reached across and rested his hand against the top of your thigh, squeezing it gently. You were as bad as each other, but you could never stay at mad at him, how could you when he smiled so beautifully across at you?

Together you were well known for your bickering, squabbling like children, but always making up. The feeling of Logan kissing against your cheek was enough for you to know that he was just messing with you, and that he was ready to get going and head off to wherever it was that you wanted to go.

You both put your seatbelts on, Logan winding the window down slightly to let in some fresh air, your fingers pressing play on the car radio before setting off down the road.

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

You weren’t quite sure how long the two of you had been travelling for, but when the car finally came to a stop, a smile crept onto your face as you looked out to realise that Logan had stopped you both by the beach.

“It’s the second-best view I’ve had today,” Logan spoke as he watched the way your eyes narrowed, taking in the beautiful sight before you. Your head shook as you listened to him, glancing in his direction momentarily before taking in the beauty of the beach again.

You take a moment to shuffle in your seat, waking your body back up again. Your hand comes out from underneath the blanket, reaching across and taking Logan’s hand off of the steering wheel and intertwining it in with your own.

His hand is cold, thanks to the cool breeze that came through the window. Summer hadn’t quite arrived yet, but that didn’t stop him from wearing a thin shirt, knowing you always loved to admire the way the material gripped to the muscles on his body.

It was all comfortable between you, you wore smiles, relaxed, and made the most of being able to spend time together.

With the sunset behind you, Logan’s breath was taken away by the view beside him. His heart was racing, his mind still wondering how he ever managed to get so lucky, even after so many years together.

Logan was lost for a moment, until he met your eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you whispered back to him, leaning across and peppering a kiss against his slightly chapped lips.

Outside of your car, the beach was still pretty busy. There were young families running around, dogs chasing anything they could find in the sand, waves smacking against the shoreline. Down by the water you could see a small gap in the sand, there was a dip where someone else must have been sat previously, a gap that looked like it was the perfect size for you and Logan to fit in and spend a bit of time together, being able to shut yourselves off completely from the rest of the world, even just for a few moments.

And as you pondered, it quickly turned out that you were not the only one to do so.

“What are you thinking pretty girl?” Logan asked, intrigued by what had made you smile.

“It’s just lovely down here, isn’t it?” You calmly spoke, unable to tear your eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of you, “our lives our so busy, and yet down here everything just feels so quiet.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Logan questioned, usually the two of you were on the same page, and he really hoped you were now too.

You were all too aware that the beach was Logan’s favourite place in the world, the spot where he could relax and forget about everything else. The positives, the negatives, the whispers that always went around the paddock, many of which seemed to revolve around him and the future of his career in formula one.

The nod of your head was all Logan needed to take the keys out of the ignition and climb out of the car, running around the outside of the vehicle.

“Here,” he proudly grinned as he opened up your car door and extended his hand out for you to take a hold of.

“Such a gent,” you teased, making sure that you still had the blanket wrapped around you and your phone securely in your jean pocket before letting Logan help you out of the car. It took a moment for you to wake your legs up, but Logan was happy to stand beside you and give you all the time that you needed.

Once your feet were on the ground, his arm moved to wrap around your waist. “Are you going to be warm enough just taking that down there?”

You hum in reply to Logan, “I’m more concerned about you; will you be warm enough just in that shirt?”

“Of course,” he insisted, “and if I get cold then that just gives me more of a reason to cuddle into you, doesn’t it?”

You couldn’t help but laugh as Logan tickled against your waist, knowing that you would never argue with him. After locking up the car and making sure that the two of you had everything that you’d need, intertwined together you made your way down to the beach, finding the perfect spot.

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Time ran away from you both as you settled in the dip that you had pointed out to Logan earlier. By now the sun was almost set, the sky was turning darker and darker, but that didn’t seem to bother either of you in the slightest.

The sound of the waves crashing filled those momentary pauses of conversation between you both, providing the perfect backdrop to your evening.

There was plenty going on around you both, but neither of you were paying any attention to it at all. All you wanted was Logan. All Logan wanted was you. It was as if there was an imaginary barrier wrapped around you both, keeping everyone and everything else away.

Your head was resting against Logan’s chest, propped up to try and avoid getting too many grains of sand tangled in your locks. Logan’s hands were all over your body, one on your waist to keep you close by, the other against the top of your head so that Logan could twirl a few strands of your hair around his fingertips whenever he found himself beginning to slip into a bit of a daydream.

“Are you warm enough?” Logan asked as his fingertips brushed against the goosebumps that were beginning to form on your skin. “We can go home if you want, I don’t want you to catch a cold or anything baby.”

“I’m good,” you whispered, trying your best to reassure Logan and stop him from worrying. You try your best to sound convincing, but with the sun now hidden, the coolness of the breeze is beginning to trouble you.

“I can tell when you’re lying,” Logan sniggered, able to read you like a book, arguably knowing you better than you knew yourself.

“Honestly, I’m happy here for a while,” you once again assured.

Logan hummed, although he was far from convinced, running his hand along your arm to try and generate some warmth. “We’ll stay here for a few more minutes, I’ve got something else in mind to finish our evening off, which I know you’ll love.”

“What’s that?” You quizzed, propping yourself up with a hand against Logan’s chest. He shook his head though, refusing to share what his plans were with you.

You tried your best to get his plans out of Logan. Your hands tickled against his tummy, fingers poked against his cheek and his ears, lips pressed several times against his cheeks and his lips, but he still remained silent. It was torment for you not being able to know exactly what was happening next for you both, but for Logan, it brought him a great deal of satisfaction to know that he was irritating you.

“You’ll love it,” he repeated, feeling you press yet another kiss along his jawline. “Do you really think I would ever organise for us to do something you dislike?” He then asked, however with Logan, you never managed to quite know what he had up his sleeve.

Feeling your eyes on him brought another laugh from Logan, especially as you doubted him.

“I’m not as horrible as you think you think I am I’ll have you know.”

“Do you remember the time-“ you began to say, only for Logan to cut you off by tickling your sides. The squeal that escaped from you earnt you a couple of glares from other people around you, but you didn’t care as you tried your hardest to push Logan’s hands off of you before you lost all control.

Unfortunately for you, Logan was far stronger than you, keeping his hands tight on your body as your legs kicked out against him, enjoying having you exactly where he wanted you.

Eventually, after pleading what felt like hundreds of times, Logan finally let you go.

“Come on, let’s get out of here before someone files a noise complaint against us,” Logan suggested, slipping his hand into yours and pulling you up from the comfort of the sand wrapped around your body.

You made sure to keep your blanket nice and tight around your frame as you allowed Logan to lead you back up the sand and towards the car. It was beginning to get quieter as people slipped away after the sun had set, giving you an easy path to the car. Like before, Logan opened up your car door for you, giving you a hand up so you could comfortably slip into the passenger seat, a seat that seemed like it had been moulded for your body given how much time you spent there these days, letting Logan drive you around.

“Are you still planning on keeping this a secret?” You quizzed as Logan impressively revved up his engine once again, nodding his head in response to you as he began to concentrate on safely getting the two of you to his next destination.

He smirked as you groaned, wishing that he wasn’t so secretive with you. “Just trust me my love, I told you that you’d love it, didn’t I?”

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

And love it you did as the two of you sat with your feet on the dashboard, a portion of chips between you both and messy burgers being held in your hands. You had sauce dripping everywhere, half of your fillings were in the footwell of the car, but neither of you cared a bit, simply humming in delight with every mouthful that you took.

You soon realised as Logan drove where he planned on taking you, the burger shack that he was only allowed to indulge in during certain weeks of the year. You promised Logan that you would never eat from there unless he was allowed to too, and with a three week break at your fingertips, he finally had permission. You were bouncing in your seat as soon as you realised where he was heading for, desperate to get your hands on the treat that you had craved for so long.

Beside you, Logan was a lot calmer, but on the inside, he was a bubbling mess just like you.

You’re so lost in your bubble of delight that you’ve almost forgotten Logan beside you. “It’s unfair how one fast food place can make food that tastes so good.”

“They’re still not as nice as the burgers you make,” Logan remarked as he grabbed a napkin, reaching across and dabbing against the corner of your mouth where a bit of sauce was beginning to dribble.

“You don’t have to pretend to be nice to me, we all know that’s not true,” you replied, refusing to let him even make the comparison.

“I think this is the perfect end to the perfect day, what do you think?” Logan quizzed, taking yet another huge bite out of his burger, closing his eyes as he savoured it.

You nodded in agreement, “we should go on some late night drives more often if this is how they’re going to end.”

A chuckle came from Logan, “just don’t tell the team that this is where we ended up.”

“Of course, our evening ended with us going home and making a delicious, nutritious chicken salad for our dinner.”

Over the years you seemed to have perfected your ability to lie, the ability to save Logan from getting into trouble with his bosses by pretending to agree with anything that he had to say.

“And obviously whilst we were at the beach you were doing some sort of workout to make sure that you’re in perfect shape for after the break.”

“I like your thinking,” Logan chuckled, admiring how well you knew what you had to do.

“See, not just a pretty face.”

No, you were far from just that in Logan’s eyes.

“Thank you for such a lovely evening babe.”

Logan simply smiled back at you, your eyes were bright with colour, and most of all he knew that your heart was full of happiness after spending your day with him.

“Don’t be silly, it should be me thanking you.”

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[byhees]

pillow barriers between your bodies.

엔하이픈 ・ female reader + word count 500 genre fluff established relationship non-idol au warnings not proof-read pet-names skinship — more

a/n. requested— plagiarism notice

heeseung would be so confused; had he done something wrong? were you, perhaps, upset with him? a million thoughts would be circling his mind. stretching an arm over to lightly tap you on the shoulder, finding the fluffy pillow a major annoyance. “you okay, babe?” he’d ask with such a soft voice, thoughts of dozing off dissipating into the air. might actually buy your acting, and gently yank the pillow out the way, closing the space between your bodies; after about three minutes of hugging, he’d fall into the depths of slumber, face buried in your embrace, soft snores falling from his mouth…

jay would be far too tired to question your actions— he just wants his late-night cuddles, and gentle hair strokes. cheek would be smooshed against the pillow, arm lazily draping over your side. would probably complain a little about how the pillow’s uncomfortably separating you two, and would eventually tuck the soft object at the end of the bed; “this feels so much better,” he’d murmur, eyelids fluttering close…

jake would probably sulk immediately— his offer for snuggles being so rudely rejected in front of him? that’s so not like you. tries to toss the pillow away, but is met, face first, with another one. “no cuddles today?” he’d ask, and his pout would only deepen with your response; you’d eventually give in, leaning in to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. his sulky demeanour would evaporate so quickly, and he’d pull you into a tight hug…

sunghoon would watch the whole thing in silence, and dramatically sigh. musters all his acting knowledge to concoct an expression of mock offence— “and i thought i was your favourite cuddle buddy”. would playfully snatch the pillow away, and draw you close in his embrace, hands finding recluse in tracing faint shapes on your skin; “i’m reclaiming my rightful spot”. holds you close to him the whole night…

sunoo would instantly gawk at you, wide eyed and everything; is probably subtly sarcastic as he quips about how he’s been ‘replaced’. would try and shift the pillow away, little by little, but immediately feigns cluelessness when you look up at him and point it out. at one point, he’d simply just wrap his arms around both you and the pillow, sandwiching the rectangle of fluff between your bodies…

jungwon would immediately, and i repeat, immediately, get worried; wonders if anything has happened, and offers a listening ear. pulls the pillow away, and embraces you in a back hug, indirectly spooning you in the process; “everything alright, angel?” would pout in response after hearing about your little scheme. ends up falling asleep a few moments after, a little content smile lightly tugging on the corners of his lips...

riki would be teasing you so much; the room would be a little bit dim, and he’d just be playfully smiling. gradually scoots closer to you under the guise of feeling cold from the small, shared blanket. swiftly pulls the pillow out the way, and nuzzles himself close to you; “i think this arrangement suits us better. what do you think, love?” would slide an arm around your waist, and fall asleep to the lullaby of your hushed laughter…

taglist open! @halcyoni-ki @wondipity @yjjungwon @shysakuno @niktwazny303 @crxzs @g4m3girl @minhosify @haechansbbg @yeomha @stepout-09-15 @chansburgah @sona-verse01 networks! @kflixnet @enhanet @k-labels

[tokkiwrites]

summary: You're caught off guard when Wade calls you 'puppy'. He's even more shocked when he realizes how much it actually affects you in all the right ways. tags: pwp, established relationships, afab reader, pet play themes, degradation, dry humping, choking, cum eating, masturbaton (m receiving). /ᐠ - ˕ -マ⁩ authors note 𑁯 ✿ happy spookytokki kinktober!! my first deadpool fanfic yay!!! its kind of short, only 1.8k words but i hope you enjoy this nonetheless. not betad!

The soft glow of the TV flickers across the living room, casting shadows on the walls as you curl up next to Wade on the couch. The evening is unusually quiet, a break from the chaos that follows him around like a storm, something you'd gotten used to. His arm is draped gently over your shoulders, and your head rests against his chest, the steady rise and fall of his breathing making you feel safe, even when you know that quiet never lasts long with Wade. he keeps you safeㅡ you just wish he'd keep himself too.

Wade was flipping through channels with a practiced boredom, sighing dramatically every few seconds. “How is there nothing on TV? Hundreds of channels, and I still can’t find anything to keep my superior intellect entertained.”

You roll your eyes, leaning over to steal a piece of popcorn from his bowl. “Maybe because you’ve seen every movie that involves crazy inhuman acts at least ten times.”

“Or,” he says, pointing at you with mock seriousness, “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. I mean, where’s the drama? The art? The—” He pauses, turning to look at you with a grin. “I’m just kidding. I’m way too distracted by your cute face to care about movies right now.” and you can't help but blush. it felt stupid, but he made you feel like you were a teenager in love all over again.

Wade shifts beside you, stretching his legs across the coffee table with a satisfied groan. “Ah, domestic bliss. You, me, questionable snacks, and the delightful sound of my own voice,” he says, breaking the silence. “Does it get any better than this? No bullets, no explosions… I’m practically a whole new Wade.”

You smile, leaning into his shoulder, the smell of his cologne and a faint trace of gunpowder still clinging to him. “You sure you’re okay with a quiet night in? I mean, I know you’ve got that... thing where you need constant action.”

“I am fully committed to this lifestyle,” Wade declares, patting your leg as if sealing the deal. “I’ve already planned out our entire evening: sit, snuggle, snack, snarky commentary, and then maybe I serenade you with my totally above-average karaoke skills. You’ll swoon, I’ll catch you, and we’ll live happily ever after. It’s like a Hallmark movie, but with better one-liners.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head at his antics. “Swooning’s a big maybe. And since when do you plan things?”

“Since I started dating a woman who demands excellence,” he says, giving you a dramatic, exaggerated wink. “I’m a changed man, baby. No more flying by the seat of my pants… unless those pants are on fire. Which, you know, happens more often than you’d think.”

"Let's just watch the movie, Wade." You whisper softly whilst planting a gentle peck on his lips.

A few minutes later, the credits of some random action movie roll on the screen, and you stretch, deciding to get up and grab a drink from the kitchen. “Do you want anything?” you ask, looking over your shoulder.

Wade leans back into the cushions, folding his arms behind his head. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, puppy.”

You freeze mid-step, your hand gripping the edge of the counter, the word clinging to you like a spell. puppy? Your heart skips a beat, and you can feel the warmth creeping up your neck to your cheeks. The way it rolled off his tongue, like he didn’t even realize he’d said it, but it hits you harder than you’d like to admit, making your core burn up in an instant.

Turning around slowly, you glance at him, but Wade is staring at the TV, completely unfazed, as if calling you ‘puppy’ is the most normal thing in the world. “what did you just call me?” you ask, your voice coming out quieter than you intended, the heat washes over you.

Wade raises an eyebrow, turning to you with a smirk. “Huh? Oh, puppy? Yeah. What, you don’t like it?” He stretches his legs out a bit more, clearly enjoying the fact that he’s caught you off guard. You feel your face get even warmer, and you stammer, “I—I didn’t say that. It’s just… I didn’tㅡ” you stumble and get tangled in your own words.

His smirk grows, and he tilts his head as if he’s just made the most fascinating discovery. “Oh,” he says, drawing out the word. "you don’t mind it, huh, puppy?" Your stomach flips at the way he says it again, with just enough teasing in his tone to send your nerves into overdrive. You quickly busy yourself with grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, hoping he won’t notice how flustered you’ve gotten.

But Wade is Wade, and of course, he notices. He’s grinning now, watching you with amused eyes as you awkwardly sip from your glass. It's like he can smell it on you. “You’re so cute when you’re all flustered, you know that?” he adds, still teasing. “Should I call you ‘puppy’ more often?”

You shake your head, trying to will away the blush on your cheeks, but you can’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. “No… I mean, maybe. I don’t knowㅡ I'm sorry, it's weird." he laughs, sitting up and pulling you back down onto the couch beside him. “Too late." he chirps, voice dropping down an octave.

You bury your face in your hands, trying your best to ignore the growing wetness in your panties. "Maybe I'll get you one of those cute collars, with a bell...make you crawl on all fours around the house, hm?" you let out a shaky breath, mumbling a soft 'Wade' as his hands snake around you and up your back, his rugged palm finally in your hair. "You'd want that, huh? be my good little puppy." the ringing in your ears picks up, heart running wildly in your chest as a hursh tug of you locks pulls you off of wade. "Show me."

"Whㅡ?"

"Show me you're a good pet, baby. Show me you deserve to have me as an owner." oh, and how your pussy flutters at his words, eyes wider than before, pupils fully blown out and lips puffy from how much you've bitten them. "You wanna make me proud, right?" you let yourself play his little dirty game, arousal coating your very being. "Y-Yes?"

"Yeah? Get down. On your knees, c'mon." You quickly obliged, not wanting to waste any more moments. the way his eyes scanned you, top to bottom as you kneeled in front of him, as if waiting for a treatㅡ it drove him mad.

"I want you to hump my leg." you choke a bit on your own breath. "Wade whatㅡ?" but he quickly shuts you up with a gentle slap to the mouth with the back of his hand. "Do dogs talk? I don't think so...They take orders and do as they're told." you gulp the knot in your throat, wades dark voice making each hair stand up on your body. something about this was so exciting, so new.

you hesitate at first, but with a few breaths in you scoot yourself over so that your clothed cunt is now directly on top of his foot, the sudden pressure on your swollen bud making you whimper. wade can't help but smile seeing you like this. his hand reaches out to the other end of the couch where a leather belt laid for the past few days. in a few moves the accessory is wrapped snug around your throat, with wade holding one end of it.

"Look so pretty like this, puppy. Go on now." he motions you to move. you slowly start rocking your hips, your knees already aching from the rough carpet underneath you, but the pain hurt so good mixed with the friction and heat from your underwear. the belt tightened as wade pulled on it, earning a soft gasp from you. "Faster, show me you want it."

and show you do. in a few second your speed picks up, breasts bouncing as you chase your high. your eyes are teary, vision blurry and mouth wide open as you gasp for air. the belt was digging into your skin, you knew you'd be bruised for the next few days, but you didn't care. "Open your mouth, pup." You're quick to obey, and the moment your lips part wade leans in closer only to spit right onto your lulled out tongue. "Swallow." he's stern and rough with his words and actions, leaning back as he watches you fuck yourself onto his leg. he enjoyed seeing you like this, nothing behind your eyes, just the thought of pleasing him. "You look so dumb right now, baby." he laughs, tugging harder at the belt. "I thought i needed to get you cockdrunkㅡ turns out i don't even need to give you any dick. there's literally nothing else in that small puppy brain of yours, huh?"

you whine and whimper as you feel your orgasm near, wades words only amplifying that feeling. you couldn’t even form a sentence. you didn’t even try. it felt perfect like this, at his feet. "Keep your tongue out." he commands, as he reaches his hand into the boxer shorts he was wearing and pulling out his erect shaft. the tip was leaking, and you swear it was harder than you've ever seen before. wades hand wraps tightly around the base of it, and gives it a few pumps as he watches you continuously rub yourself onto him. "Poor pussy, baby. probably so needy for this cock, hm?" you mumble a few incoherent 'yes's, fingers gripping tightly at his thighs. "Want me to come on you, pup? make you clean it up after, lick it all up like the good doggy you areㅡ shit." you were so close, you could barely hold your head up anymore.

"Fuckㅡ that's right, pup, earn it. Earn my come." he groans, stroking himself, veins pulsing, hips bucking up into his hand. your moans fill the room, the fuzzy feeling in your brain getting harder to overcome. thats when you feel it ripping through you, that familiar feeling that was pulled in your core now erupting like a million fireworks. your eyes roll back as you mindlessly keep moving your body. you hear wade mutter a harsh 'fuck' before you feel warm drops fall onto your tongue, face and chest, then trickle down. you try your best to swallow whatever you can as you both sit like that, breathless for a few second.

"And I thought I had weird kinksㅡ"

"Wade!"

[atinyslittleworld]

The Next Morning

maknaeline x f!reader

Genre: humour, explicit, fluff

Warnings: MDNI 18+

a/n: i saw a couple of you when you read drunkteez were interested in seeing the boys' reactions the next morning and thay said, so here it is, enjoy xx

San

Y/N stretched and yawned, feeling the warmth of the bed as she slowly woke up. Beside her, San was still asleep, his arm draped lazily over his forehead, a faint smile playing on his lips.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of last night. He had been so drunk, so earnest, and so utterly ridiculous. She had lost count of how many times he’d repeated his desires, his words slurring more with each attempt. She shook her head, already planning how she was going to tease him about it.

Slipping out of bed, Y/N padded quietly to the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the apartment, and soon enough, she heard the soft rustling of sheets as San began to stir. Moments later, he appeared in the doorway, looking adorably disheveled with his hair sticking up in all directions.

“Morning,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he shuffled over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “What time is it?”

“Late enough,” Y/N teased, pouring two cups of coffee. She handed him one, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Feeling okay?”

San groaned, taking a sip of his coffee. “My head is killing me. How much did I drink?”

“Enough to make some pretty bold declarations,” Y/N replied, turning in his arms to face him. She couldn’t resist any longer. “Do you remember what you said last night?”

San blinked, a frown creasing his brow as he tried to recall. “Uh… no? What did I say?”

Y/N bit her lip, trying to keep a straight face. “You were very insistent about a few things. You told me that all you wanted in life was to have a good time, that you wanted me, and…” She paused for dramatic effect, watching his expression. “That you wanted your dick sucked.”

San froze, his eyes widening in horror as the words registered. “I… I said that?”

Y/N nodded, barely containing her laughter. “Multiple times, actually. You even started listing the different ways you like it.”

San groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I was so drunk…”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. She reached up, pulling his hands away from his face so she could see him. “San, it’s okay. It was actually pretty funny.”

He sighed, his cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to be so… blunt.”

“Well, maybe not in those exact words, but…” Y/N paused, looking up at him with a softer expression. “Is it true, though? I mean, you said you wanted me, in all the ways.”

San looked down at her, his gaze suddenly more serious. He took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah, it’s true. I do want you, Y/N. In every way. I want to be with you, and… well, I wasn’t lying about how good you are at, uh, you know…”

Y/N smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at his sincerity. She reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. “You could have just said that, you know. I didn’t need the drunken confession.”

San laughed, the tension easing out of him. “Yeah, well, I guess I have a way with words when I’m drunk.”

“Apparently,” Y/N teased, leaning in to kiss him softly. “But just so you know, you don’t need to be drunk to tell me what you want.”

San smiled against her lips, pulling her closer. “Good to know. But, um, just for the record… you are really good at it.”

Y/N laughed, shaking her head as she kissed him again. “Noted. Now, how about we have some breakfast before you embarrass yourself even more?”

San grinned, his embarrassment melting away as he followed her to the kitchen. “Sounds like a plan. But, Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe later… we can revisit that conversation?”

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, but the smile on her face said it all. “We’ll see, Casanova. We’ll see.”

Mingi

Mingi was sprawled out next to Y/N, his face buried in the pillow, snoring softly.

Y/N smiled, the memory of his drunken confession replaying in her mind. She knew he wouldn’t remember a thing, and the thought of telling him made her giggle to herself.

A few minutes later, Mingi began to stir. He groaned, rubbing his face with one hand as he slowly woke up. “Morning,” he mumbled, his voice hoarse with sleep.

“Good morning,” Y/N replied, watching as he blinked groggily at her. She decided to let him wake up a bit more before dropping the bombshell.

After a few minutes of stretching and trying to shake off the remnants of his hangover, Mingi turned to Y/N with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t do anything too embarrassing last night, did I?”

Y/N couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. “Well, actually, there was one thing…”

Mingi’s eyebrows shot up, a mix of curiosity and concern crossing his features. “Oh no, what did I do?”

She bit her lip, trying to suppress her laughter. “You, um, you told me something very interesting.”

He sat up a little straighter, his interest piqued. “What did I say?”

Y/N took a deep breath, trying to keep a straight face. “You said that you wanted to… rub your dick between my boobs.”

For a moment, there was complete silence. Mingi’s eyes widened, and his face flushed bright red as the words sank in. “I… I did?”

Y/N nodded, biting her lip to keep from bursting into laughter again. “You did. Very seriously, I might add.”

Mingi buried his face in his hands, groaning in embarrassment. “Oh my god, Y/N, I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I said that!”

Y/N reached over, pulling his hands away from his face so she could see him. “It’s okay, really. It was actually kind of hilarious.”

He peeked at her through his fingers, his ears still burning. “But… I mean, that’s not really something you say when you’re drunk, right? Like, that’s… wow.”

Y/N chuckled, squeezing his hand. “Well, it’s something you said when you were drunk. And honestly, I wasn’t offended or anything. It was just funny.”

Mingi finally lowered his hands, though his cheeks were still tinged pink. “I just… how did I never think of that while sober? Like, now that I’m thinking about it, it’s not a bad idea…”

Y/N’s eyes widened, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Mingi, I can’t believe you’re considering this right now.”

He shrugged, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Hey, just because drunk Mingi said it doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Maybe he was onto something.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, still smiling. “Well, we can talk about it later, sober Mingi. Let’s just get some breakfast first.”

Mingi nodded, still grinning as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Sounds good. But just so you know… I’m definitely going to remember this idea.”

Y/N laughed, shaking her head as she got out of bed. “I’m sure you will, babe. I’m sure you will.”

Wooyoung

Y/N woke up to the sound of Wooyoung's soft breathing beside her. She smiled, remembering the events of the previous night. His sudden confession had caught her off guard, and she was curious to see if he remembered any of it.

As if on cue, Wooyoung stirred, blinking his eyes open. He groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "What happened last night?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

Y/N chuckled softly, rolling over to face him. "You had a good time with the boys, that's for sure. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got punched repeatedly," he admitted, wincing. "Did I do anything embarrassing?"

Y/N bit her lip to hold back a laugh. "Oh, you could say that," she replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Wooyoung's brow furrowed in confusion. "What did I do?"

"Well," Y/N began, sitting up and leaning on her elbow, "you came home pretty drunk, which is fine. But then, you started telling me all sorts of things."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Like what?"

Y/N grinned, unable to keep the laughter from her voice. "You told me I was pretty, which was sweet. But then... you asked me to tie you up."

Wooyoung froze, his eyes going wide as he processed her words. "Wait, what?" he stammered, his face flushing red. "I asked you to do what?"

"You asked me to tie you up during sex," Y/N repeated, barely holding back her laughter at his mortified expression. "You said you thought it would be fun and that you think about it all the time."

He buried his face in his hands, groaning in embarrassment. "Oh my God, I can't believe I said that. I don’t even remember! Did I really say that?"

Y/N nodded, still chuckling. "You were very serious about it too. You even made me promise not to forget."

Wooyoung peeked at her through his fingers, his face still flushed. "And... what did you say?"

"I said we’d talk about it in the morning when you were sober," she replied, smiling warmly. "So, here we are."

He flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling in disbelief. "I’m never drinking again," he muttered.

Y/N laughed and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "It’s okay, Wooyoung. We can just forget about it if you want."

Wooyoung hesitated, then looked at her thoughtfully. "I mean, maybe we don’t have to forget about it," he said slowly, surprising both himself and Y/N. "I mean, if you’re okay with it, we could… explore it. But only if you’re comfortable."

Y/N's eyes softened at his honesty. "We can talk more about it when you're feeling better," she said gently. "There’s no rush, and we don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for."

Wooyoung nodded, grateful for her understanding. "Thanks, Y/N. I’m glad you’re the one I blurted that out to."

She smiled, lying back down beside him. "I’m glad too. Now, how about we get some breakfast and forget about last night for a little while?"

He sighed in relief, snuggling closer to her. "Sounds perfect. But Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don’t tell the boys."

She burst out laughing, her laughter filling the room as Wooyoung hid his face in her shoulder, groaning in mock despair.

Jongho

The next morning, Y/N woke up to the soft rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains. She stretched lazily, feeling the empty space beside her in bed. Jongho must have gotten up early, she thought. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the events of the previous night came flooding back, making her chuckle.

She got out of bed and padded into the kitchen, where she found Jongho standing by the stove, humming softly as he cooked breakfast. He looked surprisingly refreshed despite the amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before. His hair was slightly tousled, and he was wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt and sweatpants, looking every bit the picture of domestic bliss.

“Good morning,” Y/N greeted, sliding her arms around his waist from behind and resting her head on his back.

Jongho turned his head slightly, smiling as he placed a hand over hers. “Morning, babe. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock,” she replied, her voice still tinged with amusement. “How about you? Feeling okay after last night?”

Jongho laughed, a bit sheepish. “Yeah, I’m good. I don’t usually drink that much, but the guys were in a celebratory mood, and… well, you know how it goes.”

Y/N nodded, remembering his drunken antics all too well. She decided to tease him a little, knowing he wouldn’t remember everything. “You were pretty funny last night, you know.”

“Was I?” Jongho asked, flipping a pancake onto a plate. “What did I do?”

“Oh, you know… just the usual drunken storytelling, laughing at Seonghwa trying to dance on tables, Hongjoong’s singing,” she began, her tone casual. “And then, there was that one thing you said… right before I went to the bathroom.”

Jongho furrowed his brows, turning around to face her, clearly trying to recall the moment. “What did I say?”

Y/N bit her lip, holding back a grin. “You said, very seriously, that one night, during sex, when I’m in doggy, you want to spank my ass.”

Jongho’s eyes widened in shock, his face flushing bright red. “I… I said that?”

“You did,” she confirmed, unable to contain her laughter as she watched his mortified expression. “And you were very sincere about it, too.”

Jongho groaned. “Oh my god, Y/N, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I said that out loud.”

Y/N stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm, her laughter subsiding into a warm smile. “Hey, it’s okay. It was kind of adorable, honestly.”

He peeked at her through his fingers, still embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

“You didn’t,” she assured him. “In fact, I think it’s cute that you’re comfortable enough to say stuff like that, even when you’re tipsy.”

Jongho sighed, finally lowering his hands. “Well, if I’m being honest… I do like your ass a lot,” he admitted, his voice quieter now, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

Y/N’s heart swelled at his bashful confession. She reached up to cup his cheek, pulling him down for a soft kiss. “I’m glad you like it,” she murmured against his lips.

He kissed her back, his arms encircling her waist. “I love everything about you, Y/N. Even when I’m being a drunken idiot.”

“And I love you,” she replied, her voice full of affection. “Even when you say silly things.”

Jongho chuckled, pulling her closer. “I’ll try to keep my confessions a little less… colorful next time.”

“Don’t worry,” Y/N teased, resting her head on his shoulder. “I kind of like it when you’re honest, even if it’s a little embarrassing.”

They stood there for a moment, wrapped up in each other, before Jongho finally spoke. “So, about that breakfast…”

Y/N laughed, letting him go. “Let’s eat, and maybe we can revisit that conversation later, when you’re not so mortified.”

Jongho grinned, his embarrassment fading into warmth. “Deal.”

[hmslusitania]

For the OTP prompts - TimKon #2 👀

Please enjoy some boys being very silly in a nebulous Young Justice timeline, to the prompt of "I'm dying." "You're not dying."

“I’m dying,” Kon proclaims, draping himself dramatically over the back of the couch in their headquarters, his wrist pressed to his forehead like a caricature of a Victorian maiden swooning on a fainting couch.

“You’re not dying,” Tim snaps, rolling his eyes. He’s trying to fill out reports, because that had been part of the Justice League’s terms for letting them continue to operate — paperwork. He and Cassie had rock-paper-scissored about which of them had to do said paperwork, and after losing and taking one look at the Batman-formatted report papers, she’d declared that she was making him Young Justice’s secretary, and declared it his responsibility.

“You don’t know,” Kon complains, pushing off from the ground so he rolls all the way over the back of the couch. He manages to twist while he falls so that he lands on his stomach with his arms folded around one of the throw pillows Cissie had brought in because they “brightened up the place.” “I totally could be.”

“You can’t actually die of boredom,” Tim scolds.

“I’m sure there’s gotta be a rogue somewhere who can do that,” Kon says, which is… almost certainly true and Tim kinda hates that. “For all you know, I got whammied by it, and now unless you entertain me, I’m gonna die of the stupidest bullshit ever.”

“I am the wrong Robin if you want entertainment,” Tim says. “Dick was the one who was a literal circus performer.”

“Yeah, because I’m just gonna pop over to Titans tower and ask Nightwing to do backflips for my entertainment,” Kon scoffs.

“Well, I’m not gonna do backflips for your entertainment,” Tim replies, signs the bottom of the report, and flips it into the finished stack. As he reaches for the next one, Kon scrambles down to the end of the couch closest to Tim’s table.

“Can you actually do a backflip?” he asks.

Tim sighs. “Yeah.”

“Woooow,” Kon says, dragging the syllable out. Tim makes the mistake of glancing his way and discovers Kon watching him with a challenge brightening his face. “That would be super hot, if I believed you.”

“See, I know you’re just trying to goad me, so that’s not gonna work,” Tim says, and focuses on his paperwork. The looming, omnipresent threat of Bruce’s disapproval if he doesn’t get them filled out correctly and in a timely manner is good enough incentive to keep him from being distracted by Kon’s… everything.

“Sure, okay,” Kon says, and flips over onto his back with his hands folded behind his head. Tim makes a further mistake when he looks again and gets a good eyeful of the way Kon’s biceps are straining the leather of his jacket these days.

In a kinder world, growing up surrounded by superheroes had rendered him immune to distraction by traditional superhero physique. Unfortunately, no one’s ever accused their corner of the multiverse of being a kinder world.

Well. Except Earth-3 people, but that’s a special case.

“I’ll just sit here, content in the knowledge you lied about something stupid so that you could sound cool,” Kon says.

It shouldn’t actually get to him, but it does, and Tim kind of hates himself for that a little.

Grumbling the whole time so Kon knows exactly how much of a pain in the ass he’s being, Tim stands up, checks his clearances, and does a backflip, exactly like Dick taught him.

To his surprise, Kon doesn’t verbally respond. When Tim looks over to see what’s wrong with him, or what’s distracted him, he finds Kon just… staring at him. Blinking widely. Face slightly pink.

It makes Tim blush in response as well, without meaning to, and he kind of hates that too.

“See, I was just fucking with you—”

“Yeah, I noticed, actually.”

“—but that was actually super hot.”

Tim’s blush goes from faint to on-the-verge-of-combustion, and he takes his seat back at the table to keep doing his reports, vividly aware that Kon is now staring at him from the couch with an expression on his face that’s not wholly dissimilar to one of Damian’s cats when it’s getting ready to pounce.

“Tim,” Kon says, and Tim swears to god there’s a hint of a purr in the back of his throat.

Kryptonians and Cats. There’s probably a whole research paper in there Tim could cook up if he wanted to.

“I’m trying to keep the Justice League from shutting us down,” Tim protests. “I’m not doing another backflip for you.”

Kon huffs and launches himself into the air only to hover over Tim’s head, looking down at him and looming ominously. Tim doesn’t flinch when Kon leans down to grab his face in both hands, but it’s only Batman training that saves him. Batman training, and rapidly growing annoyance when Kon squishes his cheeks together and lowers down until Kon’s upside down face is directly in front of his.

“Tim,” Kon repeats. “You’re hot.”

“Thanks,” Tim says, voice coming out weirdly squashed thanks to Kon’s compression of his face. “So are you.”

Kon beams at him and brushes the tip of his nose against Tim’s, and then drops down another few inches so he can kiss him.

It’s not their first kiss, or even their first outside of sleepover night truth or dare and spin-the-bottle games, but this whole thing developing between them is still new enough that it might be within the counting-on-his-fingers range.

Kon nibbles lightly on his bottom lip and then faster than Tim can blink, he’s flipping around in mid-air only to land in Tim’s lap, hands still squishing Tim’s cheeks together.

“And I think, you should kiss me some more before I die of boredom and you have to find a new heavy hitter for your team,” Kon says. “Think about it. Do you want to get this paperwork submitted just on time rather than obnoxiously early, or do you want to have to figure out how to fill out paperwork for ‘I accidentally let Kon-El languish away to nothing out of boredom because I wouldn’t kiss him’ paperwork?”

“I think I’d make up a different cause of death for the paperwork,” Tim replies, waits until Kon’s scrunched up his nose and his whole face in disappointment, and only then does he give up on paperwork for the time being, and kiss him.

[skywalker1dream]

Title: The Champion's Prize

note: hope you like it. hope you are having a good day or night, drink water and eat healthy...byee <3

Warnings: Alcohol use, mild language, fluff

Summary: When Charles comes home drunk and adorable, he turns into a playful WWE champion. You find yourself caught in his antics, realizing just how deeply he loves you.

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

You were sitting on the couch, lazily flipping through the channels on TV, when you heard the unmistakable sound of keys jingling at the front door. Glancing at the clock, you saw it was just past midnight. You smiled to yourself, knowing Charles must be back from his night out with the boys.

The door swung open and in stumbled Charles, a goofy grin plastered across his face. "Ma chérie!" he exclaimed, a bit too loudly, causing you to giggle.

"Hey, you," you said, standing up and walking over to him. "Have a good time?"

"The best!" he declared, throwing his arms around you in an exaggerated hug. You could smell the faint scent of alcohol on his breath, but it was mixed with the familiar cologne that you loved. He pulled back and looked at you with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Guess what?"

"What?" you asked, playing along.

"I…am the WWE champion!" he announced, striking a dramatic pose. Before you could react, he scooped you up and carried you over to the bed, gently tossing you onto it. You couldn't help but burst into laughter as he climbed up beside you.

"Oh no, not the WWE champion!" you teased, pretending to be frightened.

"Yes, the WWE champion!" he repeated, flexing his muscles and puffing out his chest. "And now, for my finishing move…" He gently grabbed a pillow and lightly bopped you on the head with it.

You laughed even harder, clutching your sides. "You're ridiculous," you said between giggles.

He leaned in closer, his face inches from yours. "Ridiculously in love with you," he said with a sweet, sincere tone that made your heart melt.

You reached up and cupped his cheek, smiling at him. "I love you too, my WWE champion."

Charles grinned and flopped down beside you, pulling you into his arms. "You know what else?" he asked, his voice already starting to get sleepy.

"What?"

"I won an award tonight," he said, closing his eyes and nuzzling into your neck.

"Oh really? And what award is that?" you asked, playing along again.

He opened one eye and looked at you, his expression completely serious. "The award for having the best girlfriend in the world."

Your heart swelled with love and you kissed his forehead. "Well, you definitely deserve that award."

He sighed contentedly and tightened his grip around you. "I'm so lucky to have you," he murmured, his voice fading as he drifted off to sleep.

You lay there for a moment, listening to his steady breathing and feeling the warmth of his body next to yours. "I'm lucky to have you too," you whispered, knowing he was already fast asleep.

As you closed your eyes, you couldn't help but smile, thinking about how even in his drunken state, Charles always knew how to make you feel loved and cherished.

The next morning, you woke up to the soft rays of sunlight streaming through the curtains. Charles was still sound asleep, his arm draped protectively over you. You smiled, remembering his antics from the night before. Gently, you disentangled yourself from his embrace, careful not to wake him, and tiptoed to the kitchen to make some coffee.

As you were brewing the coffee, you heard a faint groan from the bedroom, followed by the sound of shuffling footsteps. Charles appeared in the doorway, looking adorably disheveled with his hair sticking up in all directions.

"Good morning, WWE champion," you teased, handing him a cup of coffee.

He groaned again, this time in embarrassment, rubbing his temples. "Oh no, what did I do last night?"

You laughed and leaned against the counter, watching him take a sip of his coffee. "You were very cute. You pretended to be a WWE champion and even won an award for having the best girlfriend in the world."

A blush crept up Charles' cheeks as he looked at you with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if I was too much."

"Don't be," you said, walking over to him and wrapping your arms around his waist. "It was adorable, and it made me realize just how much you love me, even when you're drunk."

He placed his coffee cup on the counter and hugged you tightly. "I do love you, more than anything, Ma chérie" he murmured into your hair.

You pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. "I love you too, Charles. Now, how about we spend the day relaxing and maybe watch some actual WWE?"

Charles chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. "That sounds like a perfect plan."

The two of you spent the morning lounging on the couch, binge-watching WWE matches and laughing together. Charles kept making silly comments, mimicking the wrestlers' moves and expressions, making you laugh so hard your sides hurt.

At one point, he got up and struck another dramatic pose. "And now, the reigning champion, Charles Leclerc, will perform his signature move!" He gently tackled you onto the couch, both of you dissolving into fits of laughter.

After a while, you both settled down, with Charles lying on the couch and your head resting on his chest. His fingers traced soothing patterns on your arm as you both watched the TV in comfortable silence.

"Thank you for always being there for me," he said softly, breaking the silence.

You looked up at him and smiled. "Always, Charles. You're my champion, after all."

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, his eyes full of love and adoration. "And you're my prize, the best one I could ever win, Ma chérie."

You snuggled closer, feeling completely content and loved. No matter what antics he got up to, you knew that Charles would always be your champion, both in the ring of life and in your heart.

[fairykazu]

sweet to dream with kaeya prompt: red rose - falling head over heels in love petunia - realizing their feelings content: set in canon, teens, mutual pining, lazy ending :( (kaeya) ( requested by @kukikoooo ) event masterlist 𝜗𝜚 genshin masterlist

kaeya

the strongest memory that lingered in kaeya’s mind was when he caught feelings for you. though, by now everyone knows since it’s his favorite story to retell when he’s drunkenly babbling everyone in angel’s share ears off.

he was dumb and you were dumber. you protest otherwise. it’s okay to be in denial. 

in the outskirts of the city, he was knee-deep in a field of windwheel asters begrudgingly. "why did you pick the hottest day of the year to do this?" kaeya grumbled, sweat beading his forehead as he trudged through the asters’ field. 

the air was humid, carrying the faint scent of earth and the distant sweetness of blooming flowers. his boots crunched through the meadow, each step releasing a subtle scent of earthy grass. the midsummer sun blazed down upon him, turning the once vibrant greenery into a dreary sea of orange and terracotta. 

name was just right ahead of him. they were like a little rabbit, hopping throughout the fields. they were picking the "best" flowers one by one, filling up their weaved basket to the brim. while his was barely to the amount compared to theirs or at least, in his standards, he was also picking the best ones.

maybe he was the winner here because his flowers were picked with the utmost delicacy.

"well, the flowers are at their best today. besides, i heard that eula managed to get wind-caressed asters for amber! …" name replied with a bashful grin, their eyes sparkling with excitement. kaeya quirked a brow while they trailed off. "ahem, besides, I want everything to be perfect for the windblume festival."

kaeya chuckled at name's enthusiasm, a hint of mischief dancing in his own eyes. "You and your flower obsession" he teased, poking at name's arm playfully. the two of them had known each other since they were kids. they were like two peas in a pod, sticking together while their friendship had endured countless adventures in mondstadt. "but i guess, it's a good thing, it keeps you from burning down the city with your cooking."

they gasped, nearly dropping their basket on the ground. one thing about name, other than the terrible cooking skills, is that they have the flair for the dramatics. they draped one hand over their face, “but you said you loved my rendition of mint jelly and that everyone in dawn winery liked it too!” 

kaeya’s breath exhaled a laugh, trying to disguise it as cough, as he picked another aster into his basket. “ahaha… i lied.” 

“it was really hard, kaeya.” they whined in response, picking up the basket and continuing on to a different patch of asters. they rested on a nearby tree, sitting down. name pointed their finger at him, “everyone ate it too!” 

kaeya’s eyes grew wide, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. he leaned against the oak tree, trying to keep his laughter at bay. "no, they didn’t.” he put down their accusing finger down as if it was a weapon pointing at him.

the both of them sat in silence for a moment, the only sound being the gentle rustle of the leaves above them. name paused, pointing another finger at kaeya as he let out a laugh. they poked him in the shoulder, “yes, they did. even adelinde praised me!” 

“i ate them all.” 

“what?” 

kaeya went on a tangent about how even diluc didn’t like the mint jelly even though the redhead convinced you then that you were a baking prodigy. name recalled the moment when they caught kaeya stealing elzer’s jelly, insisting it was the best jelly he’d ever had. but in reality, he was just saving people’s taste buds and their pride. 

“was it really that bad?”  

“not the worst, ive tasted. it was kind of toothpasty.” 

“fine, fine. how many flowers did you collect for the festival?” they dismissed the situation, maybe to shield their own pride. kaeya tried to read their face but it’s clear name wanted to move on from this topic. the eyepatched boy handed them his basket of flowers that were supposedly in the best condition. they brought the basket to their lap, digging their face into the flowers, checking if they’re “perfect” enough. 

 “i got a couple… wait, why did you even want to do this again?” 

they repeated the same reason as before, added, “just want the perfect windblume festival with my favorite pers…”  they looked up from the basket, meeting eye contact with kaeya’s periwinkle eye. but then they paused, swallowing the words. it felt like eternity or at least, the representation of seeing a text bubble appear and disappear in person, in real life. “people. y’know, rosaria, jean, lisa and you…!” 

maybe, kaeya is naive but is he picking up what they’re putting down. “i like you…”  he watched their expression carefully.

they furrowed their brows before realizing what he just said. kaeya watched name mariante what he said on their shoulders before they freaked out a little. well, a little is a stretch. they shrieked, threw hte basket up before frantically catching the basket and landed on their side. “wait, really?” 

“yes.” 

“really?” 

“yes.” 

[oneoftheextras]

masterlist | got a request?

paring: luis serra x gn!reader

request: “less than 1,000? hmmmm….perhaps a super sweet domestic morning drabble with Luis and the reader?"

words: 994 (under 1k lets gooo)

'warnings': gender neutral reader, fluff, slight flirting

want a handwritten letter from a character?

"5 more minutes..." Luis groaned, the natural timbre of his voice deeper than usual due to the untimely disturbance of his sleep.

His arm was curled around your waist as he held you against his chest, the short coarse hair of his stubble prickling your bare shoulder.

"I can't!" you attempted to wiggle out of his grip the way you had been for at least the last 30 minutes, "I have to work," you aimed to bargain with a man who had decided your time was better spent cuddling.

When you started to slip from his grasp he held on tighter, pulling you back into him and nuzzling his face into your neck.

"Luis, please-" you whined with a lint of a giggle, "-you work from home, that means you can stay in bed with me all day." Luis' voice was slightly muffled due to his mouth being smoothed against your skin.

Your alarm sounded for a second time - your final snooze warning. "Seriously, I have to get up," you nudged him away from you and he reluctantly let go.

For as dramatic as he was being, he knew that he couldn't make you late to logging in for your shift.

You gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and slipped out of the covers, his arm that was draped over you falling softly onto the mattress that was still warm from your presence.

"It is torture to be without you, mi amor," his voice holding a lint of sarcasm as he veiled his forehead with his arm, mimicking a damsel in distress.

The eye roll you gave him was paired with a smile that only he could bring out of you, "I'm sure you'll survive," was the last comment you got in before you entered the bathroom.

Although he was out of your sight you still heard the faint call of "I'm not sure, I think it might be fatal," from the bedroom. You shook your head at his theatrics and turned the faucet of the shower towards you, and finding the perfect temperature to start your morning routine.

Despite being, quite literally, held back; you weren't running late for work which surprised you. With the scent of your body wash fresh on your skin you descended the creaky stairs of your home, now full dressed and ready for the day, with the location of the kitchen counter in your mind as your workstation.

The moment you stepped into the room; the cold of the stone flooring seeping through your socks and ambushing your feet that longed for the absent warmth of the shower again; the waft of breakfast hit your senses.

With the morning sun creeping through the large windows and creating a warm orange glow in the otherwise bright room, you saw Luis: standing over the stove in nothing but his socks and a frilly red apron you had bought him last Christmas.

"Ah there's the love of my life," he turned his head towards you slightly without taking his eyes off of what he was cooking, the cigarette that was wedged behind his ear swayed from the movement.

The surprise of seeing him out of bed had worn off and you were able to sit down at the counter and open your laptop. Unfortunately, the way your kitchen had been built meant that you had to have your back to him, but you could still hear him working away behind you.

"In the mood to break health codes today, are we?" you tease at his nakedness, "What can I say? You make me want to misbehave," he quipped, and you didn't need to be looking at him to know he was wiggling his eyebrows and giving you a cheeky grin.

It's a good thing you didn't turn to face him because suddenly his lips were against your temple and a mug of coffee was being gently placed down on the counter, next to your laptop that was slowly waking up.

As he retracted his head to continue what he was doing, you swivelled on your seat so you could watch him.

"You're in a good mood this morning," you commented, shamelessly admiring him as he worked. "Despite being so rudely awakened as well!" he opened his mouth after he spoke to give you a dramatic shocked expression.

"What did you do? What's broken?" you folded your arms across your chest and waited for the devastating news he was about to deliver that would explain his behaviour.

"Only my heart at these painful accusations", he had started to plate up what he was cooking, but still managed to split his attention evenly between that and you.

You continued to stare at him as though he would buckle under your gaze and tell you everything, but he held strong.

He set down the plate in front of you and the smell hit you even more than before as the steam rose from the dish. "My favourite!" you exclaimed and looked at him with a happy grin.

He handed you your cutlery and gestured for you to eat - "What did I do to deserve this?" you asked, cutting into your breakfast.

He slipped his arms around your waist and rested his head into the crook of your neck, giving it a small kiss, "Just continuing to be the best thing in my life-" he pulled his arms away to let you eat, but made sure to give you another kiss on the top of your head "-I wanted to remind you of how much you mean to me,".

You were about to reply when a ding came from your computer, notifying you it join your morning meeting. Clicking 'join' you quickly put your hand over your camera, remembering that Luis was still only wearing an apron, you waved for him to move out of view - and you watched the man you love leave the room with a wink you'd come to adore.

taglist (this is old so pls let me know if you want to be removed / added):

@mylife-demonstrates-murphys-law @hereticpriest @enagmaticether @anxiousgoddest @kodzu-ken @moonnei @diesinspanishbcimhispanic  @fvckmeupyoonz @homosexualjohnwayne @notplutos @moth-baybee @answer-the-sirens @ochakoakabane

[ghostchems]

More getting stoned with Terzo please

He's just so funny and it's so cozy whenever I read them.

You settle your head on Terzo’s chest, trying to get comfortable in the new position, letting your legs dangle off the side of your bed. The idea of you being this close to him would have felt like a pipe dream not long ago, but the two of you bonded quickly over a shared interest - getting high and acting dumb. A joint hangs out of his mouth as he runs his fingers lazily through your hair, his mismatched gaze miles away. His touch is intimate, making your eyelashes flutter and you struggle with your breath. Somehow he could always make you melt. There’s a faint smell of vanilla in your nostrils, the wood-wicked candle burning on your nightstand to give the illusion of helping mask the smell.

“Hey, hey — “ He uses his large hand to gently grab the top of your head and lift it up so you’re able to look at his handsome face. Terzo’s hair is perfectly disheveled, a few loose strands brushing his forehead, and he gives you a lop-sided grin, some of his paint smudged off his lips. “No wandering of the mind, tesoro. You are only allowed to focus on me, si? Isn’t that what you asked for?” His accent is much stronger while high, rolling some of his r’s and being extra dramatic about it. He’s starting trouble, just like he always does. Terzo is always one to poke fun, whether it be as Papa or in a less formal capacity, but none of the siblings ever raise hell back. Except for you but only when you’re high.

“What I asked?” You snort and lift yourself from his chest, sitting up and looking at him over your shoulder. “You came here because you specifically wanted my attention.” An elbow pokes into his ribs and he squeaks before lunging for you, his strong arms curling around you, capturing you in his grasp. You fight back valiantly and squirm in his arms until he starts to giggle and loosens his grip. He leans his body weight on you, arms draped across your shoulders and his nose pressed against your neck.

“Shhh, let me pretend.” Terzo mumbles into the crook of your neck and then blows a raspberry into it. You scream and try to fling yourself away from him only for him to come with you. He lands on top of you in a heap, his body completely dead weight which would be incredibly annoying if it were anyone else. You give a theatrical groan beneath him and manage to shove him partly off of you so that you can breathe more comfortably. “You like it, amore. I know you do. See? You are blushing, eh?” A hand snakes up to your cheek, brushing it lightly with his thumb as he lifts his head to look at you with puppy dog eyes. You sigh and then leaf your fingers through his impossibly smooth hair, brushing the loose strands out of his face.

“Maybe just a little bit.”

send me a drabble request here!

[gretavangroupie]

Vigilance (Chapter 21 Part 1)

Word count: 15.3k

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Reader, Sam x OC, Jake x OC

Warnings: Alcohol, Cursing, Dramatic Themes. Angst Including: Talks of Infidelity, Toxic Themes, Arguing, Yelling, Extreme Portrayal of Sadness, Crying, Abandonment, Heartbreak, Talks of Illness, Extreme Illness, Fainting, Hospitalization, Hospital Procedures and Protocols, Mentions of IV, Talks of Death and Dying. Fluff.

This story is a collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon.

HER POV

Why am I so hot? You awoke to the feeling of a warm arm draped over your body, a leg tangled between yours, and a sheen of sweat covering your skin. Your eyes opened and you found Jake completely wrapped around you. What’s happening?

You turn your head to see him resting on your pillow, his mouth slightly open as his eyes move back and forth beneath his lids. A soft breath left his lips, as you stared at him. The most beautiful human you’d ever seen. You weren't sure how you ended up here, wrapped up with him, but just for a moment you let yourself feel the rush of happiness flooding your brain. 

His hand rested on your shoulder, his calloused fingertips laying gently against your shirt. His shirt. The shirt he gave you years ago. You knew he remembered the other night, just by the way his eyes grew when he saw it. Was it intentional? No. But it gave you hope that somewhere deep down inside of him, there was still something there.

You let your fingers gently brush the strand of hair from across his face, tucking it behind his ear. His mouth twitched at the movement but you knew he would probably wake soon anyways. You were going to enjoy this moment, before he woke up and made you forget it ever happened.

Your hand traveled down his neck and over his torso, feeling his soft skin beneath your fingers, trying to commit the feeling to memory. You loved him. You’d never stop loving him, regardless of if he wanted that love or not. You let your hand settle on his stomach, as you rolled towards him, leaving you nose to nose. 

It took everything in you not to press your lips to his, you could almost feel them when you closed your eyes. But instead you just looked at him. Taking in the curve of his jaw, and the angle of his nose. The tiny scar on his eyebrow, and the freckle on his cheek. Little things you’d come to love, and knew held a permanent place in your memory. 

His foot brushed against yours under the blankets, and you tensed up knowing he was about to wake up. You held your breath as you watched his eyes flutter open, trying to adjust to the light in the room. His eyes opened wide as he took in his surroundings, taking note of where he was and where his hands were placed. His eyes met yours, full of emotion, as you felt his hand slide down your shoulder and over the curve of your hip.

He rolled to his back and let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling as he stretched his legs out before going limp again. Your hand fell from his stomach as he rolled to his back, his skin still warm and dewey as he lowered the sheets down to his hips.

Neither of you said a word about it, instead just laying there soaking in the blissful feeling of being together under the sheets. He turned his head to look at you, and you peered up at him through your lashes, ready for the harsh blow of regret to leave his lips, but to your surprise it never came. He turned to grab his phone from the nightstand, and began to scroll through his notifications, as if it was any old regular morning. Like he didn’t cripple your emotions last night. What happened after you fell asleep?

You laid there watching him, and after a few minutes, you felt his foot slide up the side of your leg as he pulled the sheets the rest of the way off of him and rolled out of the bed. He walked over to his suitcase and grabbed a change of clothes before turning back around and catching your gaze. 

“What?” he asks.

You can’t help the smirk that graces your lips, “Nothing, nothing…” 

You could see the evidence of his morning wood through the thin black boxers sitting low on his hip bones. You swallowed back the shock that riddled your body, wishing more than anything for him to come back into the bed. He made his way to the bathroom, and shut the door, just as you rolled onto your back. What in the world?

You pull yourself from the bed and walk over to your suitcase, fishing out the clothes you wanted to wear for the day and gathering your toiletry bag. Jake emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later, fully dressed but still very quiet. A nervous glance is exchanged between the two of you as you slide into the bathroom and start the shower. 

—

As you stood in front of the mirror brushing your teeth you heard the hotel room door shut. Opening the bathroom door the steam releases into the main room and a gush of cold air hits your wet hair. You look through the peephole, wondering where he went off to, only to be startled by the sound of his voice as he sat at the desk in the corner of the room. 

“Looking for someone?” he asks.

You throw your hand to your chest, “God! You scared me! I thought you left!” 

“I did, but I just got back.” he answers, standing and walking over to his bed. You quickly finish up brushing your teeth and hang your towel over the railing before stepping back into the room.

Sitting on his bed, you find Jake sipping from a paper coffee cup as he flips through TV channels. Oh, he went to get coffee. 

You walk to your suitcase and grab your blow dryer, ready to tame your frizz, as he speaks again.

“Yours is gonna get cold…” he says gesturing to the paper cup on the dresser.

“Oh.” you reply, completely shocked at his gesture. You toss him a confused look, because just a few short days ago he couldn’t even be bothered to leave any coffee in the pot for you.

“Don’t get excited, it was an accident. Told them no cream but they added it. Made me another. I figured you’d drink it.” he says.

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.” you say, shaking your head nervously. 

Of course it wasn’t on purpose. You were getting ahead of yourself. 

“Thanks.” you reply meekly, grabbing the accidental coffee and stepping into the bathroom. 

As the door shut behind you, you took a sip from the paper cup and smiled. This wasn’t an accident, not at all.

JAKE POV

Waking up next to her felt like a piece was finally back in its place. You knew she was confused, shit, you were too. And there was no explanation. There rarely ever was when it came to Y/N. All you knew is that the guilt was crippling you, and that holding her, just letting her know you were still in there, was enough for you. 

A headache had set in already, forcing you down to the lobby to look for coffee as she took a shower. You stepped outside into the light of the day feeling like your head was going to burst. You spotted a local coffee shop just a few doors down and waited in the line, hoping the coffee would clear you from this miserable headache. 

“Hey, can I get two coffees, one with cream, one black?” you asked, as the barista rang up your order. “Oh, can you add vanilla to the one with cream?” you asked with a smile.

You handed her your card and she handed you the two coffees with a thank you.

You quickly made your way back to the room, hoping to get back before she was done in the shower. The door shut behind you just before hearing the shower turn off. You set her coffee on the dresser, hoping she would notice, but when she finally emerged and saw you with yours her face fell. Like you could ever forget about her.

“Yours is gonna get cold…” you said, pointing to the cup on the dresser.

“Oh.” she replied, her face full of shock. 

You couldn't let her fully believe she was off the hook. She still fucked up, but maybe in some kind of weird way you had too. 

“Don’t get excited, it was an accident. Told them no cream but they added it. Made me another. I figured you’d drink it.” you lied.

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.” she agrees, and you can see the disappointment written all over her. 

Of course it was on purpose Y/N. Just drink it. You’ll see.

“Thanks.” she replied, slipping away to the bathroom with her blow drier and her coffee.

As the door shut behind her you swiped your hand over your mouth. Tell her, you coward. 

You opened your texts pulling up your thread with Elle and reading it again. How could you? Why couldn’t you remember that? 

You finished your coffee and downed a handful of Advil, praying to shake this feeling from your body. You pulled some clean clothes from your suitcase, ready to hit the shower when she was done, hoping the steam might help break up the tension in your chest. You flipped through a few TV channels, catching the news as you heard the bathroom door open again, and watched as Y/N floated out and into the room. You tried not to stare for too long, but how could you not? 

“If you’re done I’m gonna grab a shower. I think we have to leave soon.” you said.

She looked at you and nodded her head, “I’m done, and yeah I think we have about… twenty minutes.” sending you a cheeky smile and raising her eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look, I’ll be ready.” you quip.

“What look…” she said playfully, continuing to dig through her suitcase as she gave you a knowing look.

You grabbed your clothes and stood from the bed, and as you walked past her you snapped your t-shirt in her direction, grazing her ass and causing her to spin and look at you.

“Jake!” she yelped.

You paused and looked at her with a smirk, “I said, I'll be ready.”

HER POV

What is going on? Am I being Punk’d?

The confusion was rattling your brain, the up and down, back and forth, rollercoaster that Jake was taking you on. Last night when you fell asleep, Jake told you to never say ‘I love you’ ever again. Basically called you trash. Cold and harsh and bleak, just like the past couple weeks of your life had been.  

But all of a sudden, you woke up to him nestled beside you, limbs tangled while you slept. And was that coffee really an accident? And he was flirting? Not just any old flirting, the flirting that was intentional and predisposed. What the fuck? 

Not that you were complaining one bit, but his action still took you by surprise. And you still fully expected him to treat you coldly again. It wasn’t lost on you that you still deserved it, and he was most likely going to keep giving it. 

Tonight was the Saginaw show, and soundcheck was in, well now, 15 minutes. You finished getting dressed and ready for the day, checking a few emails while you waited for Jake. Finally he emerged from the bathroom, just a towel wrapped around his lower half. Fuck. Look away, Y/N, look away. You tried to distract yourself. 

If things were normal, you’d rush him along, tell him to hurry and get dressed. But things are not normal. And you wouldn’t rush him. So you sat, sipped your coffee, and waited. 

“Did they put vanilla in your coffee?” You asked him as he pulled a towel through his dripping hair. 

“Huh? No, why?” He perked up, eyes sunken. 

“You said they messed up your coffee the first time, mine tastes like they put vanilla syrup in it, too. Not just cream. They must have messed up your order all the way.” You continued scrolling your email, not looking up from your phone. “It’s just funny that that’s my normal order...” you went on, voice trailing. 

“Yeah, pretty big coincidence I guess.” He muttered, heading back into the bathroom to change. Hmm. When he emerged a few seconds later, you heard a cough so deep in his chest that it startled you. He swallowed it back, shaking his head as he took a full, deep breath. 

“Ready to go?”

—

It finally came time for the show to roll around, and you had noticed that though Richard was back on his bullshit, the crew was still warmed up to you, asking you questions and joking with you, involving you like they always had. It made you feel good, knowing they still held you to the same respect that they did before everything happened. 

Jake and the guys were starting to fiddle around, communicating and checking sound as normal. 

“Why the fuck did we decide to put Brave New World on the encore tonight? Who decided that?” Josh blabbed into the earpieces. “I can hardly even sing like that anymore.” You watched as Jake moved around silently, oblivious as ever. 

Sam moved himself to the tiny mic behind him. “Uh, you did, idiot. We took from your list tonight, remember?” 

Just recently, you’d gotten the hook up to be able to hear their chatter in your very own ear pieces. Logan had a few old cheap in-ears that he rigged up for you and a few more of the crew, just in case there was anything they’d need during a show that wasn’t extremely pressing. You truly enjoyed listening to their banter while no one else could hear it, like a private little inside listen at their antics during shows. 

“Y/N, hey!” Logan yelled from across the stage. 

“Hey!” You called back, waving him over. He jogged across the stage, bringing you in for a tight hug, his long curls falling across your face. “How’s everything going, all ready?” You asked him. 

“Yeah! Feeling more and more confident with each show. I think we’ve finally got it together. This crew kicks ass, honestly. Hey, how are your IEM’s? Everything sound good?” He asked. 

“Yes! I don’t have anything to compare it to, but they sound great to me. Thanks for letting us use them, by the way. This way we’ll never miss when Sam is out of his Topo Chico.” You rolled your eyes as he laughed. 

You glanced behind Logan to find Jake turned toward you, glaring at you from behind his sunglasses. He hit his electric hard, sending out a louder-than-necessary wave of sound across the venue. It startled everyone, sending you jumping back at the sudden jolt of sound. 

“Jesus Christ, Jake! Wake up the entire city, why don’t you?” Josh complained, throwing his arms up. You knew what he was doing, but you weren’t quite sure why. 

“Sounds great on my end, Logan!” Jake belted across the stage, sending double thumbs up to him. Interrupting your conversation. Okay, Jake. 

Logan returned the thumbs up to him. “Hell yeah! Good deal, bro!”

Logan turned back to you, placing his hand on your arm. “Hey, I gotta run but I’ll catch you after the show. Maybe we can grab some breakfast soon? Mimosas?” He asked as he walked backwards away from you. 

“Yeah! Sounds great, just text me!” You answered, sending him finger guns as he disappeared backstage. Such a good guy.

Everyone had high hopes for the show tonight, the third one always being when everybody finally got their footing. You’d popped back in to the guys’ dressing room to check on things, finding Jake seated on the couch with his acoustic, barely playing anything at all. His eyes stayed mainly closed, only popping them open every now and then to check his surroundings. 

You approached Sam and Elle, nodding your head Jake’s way. “Has he been alright? He’s hardly said anything today.”

“He perks up every now and then. Said his head is hurting really bad still.” Sam responded, sipping his drink. You were still concerned that maybe he wouldn’t be able to perform tonight, so you ran to your purse in the corner and grabbed him some headache medicine and a bottle of water. 

You walked over to where he was on the couch, extending your hand out to give him the meds. “Here. Chug. Do you need caffeine?” You asked, truly out of concern. 

He took the pills and water from your hands, swallowing them down and killing half the bottle of water. He shook his head no, standing from the couch. 

He ran his hands through his hair, and shook his limbs out. Just then, your radio buzzed with interference. “Ten minutes, ten minutes to stage.” The voice came across. 

The guys gathered in their huddle, and Josh spoke quietly as they all hugged. He popped up after a few seconds, hitting his fists on his chest. “Saginaw, baby! Sagnasty!” He was the exact and polar opposite of his twin who sulked beside him, still himself but much more reserved than normal. 

“Check me out, Y/N!” Danny said as he spun around. 

“Perfection, sir!” You responded as he opened the door and headed out. Sam and Josh were on his heels, and Jake was following behind, not seeming to be in a hurry at all. 

“You can check my suit, if you want.” He murmured, his eyes falling to the wayside as you looked to him. What? 

“Oh, yeah. Sure will.” You dusted his shoulders off and pulled on his lapels, not seeing anything out of place at all. Just standing this close to his face was enough to make your heart race. 

“Remember when you used to create little mishaps for me to fix with your outfits?” You smirked. 

He smiled, just a little bit. “I do. Just wanted to feel your hands on me.” 

His words took you by surprise. Here comes the rollercoaster again. 

“Hm. So sneaky. And why did you want that?” You pressed, unsure of how to really respond to that. 

He shrugged one shoulder. “I dunno. Made me feel good. And you always saved me for last. Gave me a few extra seconds alone with you.” His eyes were sunken back, but still blazed with the sweet caramel flecks that showed up when he grinned. 

“I’m always gonna save you for last, Jake.” You whispered, letting your hands rest on his chest, feeling it vibrate beneath your palms as he breathed. Your brow furrowed at the feeling, what was that? He started coughing a little as he separated himself from you, grabbing his water bottle and finishing off the rest. 

You instantly became more worried. You felt his chest rattle just now. “Jake, you really don’t look so good. And your chest sounds like shit…”

He cut you off by rushing to the door. “I’m fine. Gotta go.” And he was out the door before you could even finish your sentence. 

——

The show was electric, the crowd huge and loud and more excited than ever. Jake seemed to have caught his second wind, bounding around the stage like he hadn’t been acting like death keeled over the past couple of days. You hoped that whatever he was fighting off would go away soon; you made a mental note to grab him some Vitamin C and other things the next time you were able. It probably wouldn’t hurt for everyone to get their immune systems up right now. 

The end of the show was drawing near, you and Elle had been dancing the night away just like always. Things with Elle were still a bit, awkward? to say the least, but you just brushed it off as both of you being busy. Things would level out soon.

Logan joined the two of you near the end of the show, watching from side stage, a place he rarely ever got to visit. You offered him a questioning thumbs up which he returned, giving you his famous 100 watt smile. You were so happy he was here, his presence alone always made you feel like you were safe and cared for. 

The Weight of Dreams began, and suddenly, it looked as though the fog machine was turned on full blast, absolutely drowning Jake in thick fog. Even from side stage, he was completely enveloped in it. Shit. You looked to Logan who took off immediately, rushing around back stage to loop back around to the front. Why was there so much fog? You grabbed your radio as quickly as you could. “Where are the stage fans? Let’s get them on quickly please.” You demanded into the radio, watching as it clouded and billowed around him. 

Finally after what felt like an eternity you could see him through it. He never missed a beat. The very first thought in your mind- that’s going to be good for his already rattling lungs. You could see him trying to cough a little bit as the smoke cleared, turning his head around and trying to get away from it. 

The show continued on after Logan most likely told them to cut the fog machines altogether. After they played My Way, Soon, which appeared to be a surprise crowd favorite, they left and went backstage before encore. You ran back to the green room quickly to meet them, and Jake was leaned against the cool block wall with his arms covering his face. He was coughing again, the deep growl in his chest sounding worse than it did before. 

“Shit!” He yelled as he caught his breath. “What the fuck was up with that fog?!” 

“I dunno man but my throat hurts so bad I wanna scream. And I’ve already been screaming all fucking night.” Josh said, sipping the hot toddy he warmed back up in a microwave. 

You felt worried for them both. This was not the time for them to be coming down with anything. 

“Let’s just get through these last three…” Josh said, spraying his throat with some type of spray. 

“Well, we would have planned an extended encore for a night when we actually want it to fly by, huh? Lover, Leaver is gonna be stacked.” Jake said, sitting on the couch wiping off his forehead. 

Just then, Logan burst in the room. “Hey guys. I know you’re not feeling the best. I know you’re struggling out there, I can see it. But you’re kicking ass, I don’t think anyone even noticed the fog incident. We turned them off.” He said. 

“Thank god…” Jake muttered. 

“I have just the thing for you, I promise you it will make you feel better for the time being.” Logan said, bringing out a mason jar from his back jeans pocket. 

“The fuck is that?” Sam asked. 

“Holy shit…” Jake added. 

“This right here is white lightning moonshine. And the real kind, too. Not the shit you buy over in Gatlinburg. My uncle makes it. Take a few swigs, it will light you the fuck up. But it will help you get through these next few songs, I swear.” Logan went on, shaking the jar and showing off the bubbles. 

You watched as Jake and Josh exchanged looks and shrugged. “What could it hurt?” Jake said. 

The two of them found cups so as not to spread whatever the hell they had going on, poured enough for a few drinks each, and walked toward each other. 

“Cheers, I guess.” Josh said, taking a large drink. 

“Son of a bitch! Woo!” Jake yelled as the liquid traveled down his throat and into his system. 

“I want some!” Sam yelled, bringing his own cup over. 

“Let’s hope that works, I can already feel my chest loosening up, damn.” Jake said with surprise on his face. 

“Don’t drink any more alcohol on top of it. Just chase with water. I gotta go, I’ll leave it here in the fridge. Good show guys!” Logan said as he jumped back out of the room. 

“Well, let’s go see if that helped.” Jake said, throwing back the remaining whiskey in his cup. 

——

…And it did. For the time being, at least. Jake and Josh still seemed winded, but they played the encore without even a slip, full of energy and enthusiasm. 

Sam started out on the keys first off, playing a little tune you barely recognized. As it went on, the familiarity hit you in the face. Was this the song he played you at the speakeasy in Vegas? Gershwin…

Right when it hit you that that’s what it was, he glanced up to you and Elle, shooting you the tiniest of winks. Sam, good lord…don’t make my heart beat like that ever again, damnit. 

And they were right, Lover, Leaver, Taker, Believer was extended to almost twenty minutes, and Jake even threw in a little bit of Brave New World. The crowd was absolutely going insane, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t completely starstruck from hearing the old song that they never play. 

They finished out the show without any more hiccups, and after tying up a few things with the crew, you rushed backstage to meet them in the green room. 

When you got there, Jake was still dressed and leaned back on the couch, looking completely washed out. Josh was sitting on the arm of the couch next to him, already changed and ready to go. Josh looked at you, true worry painted across his face. 

“He’s usually always the one to change first.” He said, his voice scratchy and eyes glossed. 

“I know he is.” You replied, taking the seat next to him on the couch. “Hey, Jake. You wanna get out of that suit so we can go home?” You placed your hand on his leg, trying to keep up your charade as best you could. 

Suddenly Danny was grabbing his hands and picking him up off the couch, Jake fighting him to stand. “Come on, little buddy. Let’s get you up.” Danny teased. 

“Get the hell off me, asshole.” Jake said through a soft smile. “I’ve got it, I’m good.” Another deep cough caught his chest. He sulked off to the dressing room, sweat still pouring from his face. You couldn’t wait to get back to the room so he could rest, your gut telling you that something was ominous.

——

You could tell something was definitely off when the elevator ride contained no jokes, no laughter, nothing. Just silence. Jake was slumped over on the railing, with his head leaning against the metallic wall. His chest was heaving and his eyes heavy. Maybe he was actually sick. 

Josh stood across from him in a similar state, though not as pale, and still coherent enough to respond if someone did talk to him. The three of you stepped out on your floor, watching as Jake had to pull himself off of the railing. He was sweaty, his hair stuck to his neck, and you wondered if that was remnants from the show or if he was fighting off a fever. 

Josh stepped up to his door, and entered inside with a soft goodnight, leaving you and Jake a few steps away from your own door. Jake trailed behind, exuding more effort than usual just to place one foot in front of the other as his chest continued to heave. 

“Do you have the key?” you asked.

He fell into the wall, pulling his wallet from his pocket and thrusting it into your hands. What the hell? You opened his wallet, pulling the key card from one of the slots and tapping it to the door. You walked inside, hearing him come in after you, attempting to lock the door. 

He carried himself to his bed and flopped down face first into the sheets. God, what is his deal?

You kicked off your shoes and grabbed your pajamas from your suitcase, making your way to the bathroom to change. Silence. Pure silence. Your heart started to race. There is something wrong. There has to be. He’s never this quiet.

You pulled the shirt over your head and threw your hair into a bun, quickly walking back out to the room, to see Jake still laying on his stomach on his bed. He hadn’t moved an inch. His sunken eyes stared blankly at the wall, as beads of sweat collected on his forehead. 

You made your way over to him, crouching down in front of him, “Jake?” you asked, placing your hand on his sweaty face. Oh my god, he’s burning up. His eyes fluttered closed at your touch and a shaky sigh left his chest.

“Hey…Jake…you’re not looking too good. I know you aren’t feeling good. Can you talk to me?” you ask, standing up and trying to roll him to his back. With a little extra effort you are able to roll him over, and you make your way to the foot of his bed, unzipping his boots and tossing them to the floor. His chest is still rising quickly, and his skin is pale as you look at him, starting to put the pieces together. 

His headaches. His coughing. He is sick, and this isn’t a normal sickness. 

“Hey…can you talk to me? Please, say something?” you ask gently.

He just blinks, a wheeze leaving his chest with his exhale. Fuck.

“Jake, please…Look, I know you hate me right now... I just need you to tell me what's going on. You sound really really bad. You’re scaring me.” you beg.

“Don’t hate you…” he breathes, using every bit of effort he has to try and reach for you. 

“Okay, okay. Can you breathe? Is it your chest?” you ask.

“Yes…” he whispers.

“Yes you can breathe or yes it’s your chest?” you ask.

“My chest...” he answers.

You place your hand on his forehead again, feeling the heat absolutely radiating off of him. 

“I’m gonna take some of your layers off okay? You are too warm.” you say.

He nods, continuing to wheeze as his chest rises and falls. 

Fuck what do I do? What do I do?

You unbutton the rest of his shirt, trying to strip it off of him as quickly as possible, seeing the sheen of sweat covering his body. 

You watch his chest cave inward as he tries to pull a full breath into his lungs with a crackle. God Jake. 

His hair was stuck to his neck, drenched in sweat. “Can I pull your hair up?” you ask.

He nods and reaches his arm out to you to let you grab the hair tie from his wrist. You do your best to pull the sweaty hairs into a bun, and away from his face. 

“I’m gonna go get a wet rag, I’ll be right back.” you say, rushing off to the bathroom. 

You quickly wet a washcloth with cold water, wringing out the excess before returning back to him and placing it on his head. 

He swallows and looks at you, “Will you lay with me baby, please…” he breathes, eyes barely open.

“What? No, Jake you don’t mean that.” you say, knowing it’s probably just the fever getting to him. 

You stand up and walk over to his toiletry bag searching for the tylenol, hoping it will bring down his fever.

You return back to him with a bottle of water and the pills, sitting on the bed next to him. “Take these, please. It will help.” you ask.

He groans and waves you off, as you place your hand on his arm. “Please, Jake.”

He grumbles again and grabs the water from you, tossing the pills into his mouth. He drinks them down before collapsing back into the pillow as a horrible cough rips through his chest. 

“Jake, I’m really really worried. I think you have something pretty nasty.” you say, taking the water back from him and standing from the bed. His hand shakily reaches out to grab yours. 

“Please stay…” he says through another cough. “I’m so tired– don’t fight me. Just…” he trails off. 

You set the water on the nightstand and sit down on the bed next to him. His hand reaches for yours, limply holding it in his. Electricity travels up your arm as you turn to look at him, his face growing more and more pale by the second. His lips turning more blue than they have ever looked. 

He brings your hand to rest on his bare chest, and you can feel the shallowness of his breathing, not matching up with the exertion you were witnessing from him. 

“Hey, do you think you could take a shower? Maybe help break up whatever is going on in your chest? Bring down your fever? What do you think?” you ask, letting his fingers glide over the top of your hand. 

“You’ll lay with me after?” he asks.

“Sure.” you answer, knowing you’d do anything to make him feel better. 

You stand from the bed, and grab his hand, gently pulling him to his feet as he wobbles. You place your arm around his waist and bring his other arm over your shoulder as you help him towards the bathroom. You sit him on the toilet, and reach into the shower to start the water. 

What are you supposed to do in this situation? Do you leave and let him do it himself? Do you stay and help him?

“Do you…want…help? Or…” you ask, noticing the bathroom filling with steam.

“Don’t leave…please…” he says, weakly trying to unbuckle his belt. You wince watching him struggle, and you know that you need to put everything aside and step in. 

You push his hands away, unbuckling the belt and pulling it from the loops. You pull him to stand and unbutton his pants, looking away as you push them towards the ground. His eyes study you, you can feel them boring into your skin. As you turn to look at him his eyes are hazy, sunken, and scared as they search yours. 

“You’re okay Jake. You’re just fighting off something bad. It’ll be okay. Can you step in?” you ask, pulling back the shower curtain. 

He nods and steps in, letting the hot water hit his skin. The steam is filling the bathroom perfectly, and you hope that it will help him breathe easier. When he isn’t looking you slip out of the bathroom and find your phone, still buried in your purse. 

You quickly hit Josh’s contact and hold the phone to your ear as you try to find clean clothes for Jake to change into. 

“Hello?” he answers, his voice rough and scratchy.

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you, but… Jake is like, really really sick. I–”

“Yeah me fucking too. I can barely move. Feel like I got hit by a bus.” he says.

“No, Josh he is like, not breathing right. He’s coughing and wheezing and I’m scared.” you admit.

“Fuck. I noticed him coughing today…Do you think he needs to see a doctor?” he asks.

“That’s why I was calling. Do you think he should? What should I do?” you ask, nervously.

“What is he saying?” he asks.

“Josh, he is barely breathing, let alone talking. He hasn’t been able to catch his breath since we left the show.” you say.

“Take him to the hospital. Call Sam or Danny. They will know how to get him there.” he says. 

Suddenly a crashing sound comes from the bathroom, causing your head to snap in its direction. 

“Fuck I have to go.” you say ending the call. 

You throw your phone onto the bed and run back into the bathroom, and what you find nearly stops your heart. 

“Jake!” you yell, throwing the rest of the curtain back and turning off the water. 

Laying slumped against the shower wall was Jake, completely passed out. 

You climbed into the tub, pulling his face from the wall and shaking his body. “Jake! Jake! Please!” you yell, tears welling in your eyes. 

Fuck what do you do?! Is he breathing at all?

You pull from every single life safety protocol you ever learned, praying you could remember what to do.

You continue to shake him, trying to open his eyes and get him to wake up, when suddenly it hits you. Blood flow to the brain. You pull his soaking wet body towards you and try to ease him down onto his back, propping his legs up. 

“Please Jake. Please please please wake up.” you whisper, letting the tears roll down your cheeks.

Seconds later he coughs, trying to take another deep breath. His eyes shoot open and a sob rips from your chest. You did it.

“Jake oh my god!” you cry.

“Are you okay? You passed out! I’m so sorry I never should have left the bathroom, I just called Josh and–”

“Josh…Where’s Josh…” he whines.

“He’s in his room, he’s sick too. I just talked to him, he’s okay Jake.” you say.

“I need him, tell him I need him…I don’t feel good baby, something’s wrong…” he pants.

“I know. I know. I’m taking you to the hospital. I just need you to get up if you can. Have to put clothes on…” you sniffle.

You rush out of the bathroom and grab your phone, hitting Sam’s contact and putting it on speakerphone as you try to help Jake stand up from the shower. 

“Do you know what time it is?” Sam answers.

“Sam…” you plead.

“Oh fuck, what? What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Come to our room, please fucking hurry. Bring Danny, bring anyone I don’t care just help!” you beg.

“Be there in two seconds.” he says, ending the call.

You grab a towel and try to wrap it around Jake, drying his shivering body the best you can, knowing his fever is getting the best of him. 

“Come on, I got clothes out for you…” you say, pulling him to sit on the edge of his bed.

“Can you put these on?” you ask, tossing the clothes next to him.

He nods and slowly pulls the shirt over his head, still looking terribly pale and lethargic.

A knock at the door has you running to answer it, seeing Sam and Daniel waiting.

“What the fuck, whats happening?” Sam asks, bursting into the room.

“I don’t know, we came back to the room and he could barely move. He was sweating and completely out of it. He can't breathe, he just passed out in the shower! I didn’t know what to do but then I did, and he's awake now but I–I need to take him to the hospital can you please help me!” you say, breaking down again.

Daniel rushes over to Jake, squatting down in front of him, “You okay man? What’s up?” he asks seriously.

“Can’t breathe…” he answers weakly.

Daniel looks over to Sam, sending him a look. Sam pulls his phone from his pocket, scrambling trying to figure out whose car you could take.

“Hey! My parents! The–they are here for the night because of the show!” you say, grabbing your phone and hitting your dads contact. 

“Hello? Hey dad, I’m so sorry I know it's so late. I need to borrow your car. We have to take Jake to the hospital. What– Yeah, I will explain everything but we have to go right now. Can I come get your keys?” you say, rushing to get your shoes on. 

“714… Yes… I’m gonna send Sam. Be there in a sec.” he says, ending the call.

“Daniel, I’m going to get the keys, can you two get him to the lobby? I’ll pick you up.” Sam says, pointing to Danny.

“Yeah, hurry dude. He looks bad.” Danny says, only adding to your stress.

“Danny, is he going to be okay?” you cry.

“We’re gonna take him to Ascension, they will check him out. I’m sure he will be okay. Just having a rough time right now. Right Jake?” he says, hoping Jake will calm your nerves, but instead you’re both met with a horrible cough. 

You grab your purse and your phone, tossing his wallet and his phone into your bag as Danny helps him walk towards the door. 

The three of you nervously ride the elevator, your eyes never leaving Jake for a split second. The image of his passed out body in the shower making you sick. The elevator arrives at the lobby and you and Danny rush him out the front door, to wait for Sam. 

Seconds later he is pulling up, and you are helping Jake into the backseat of the car. You slide in next to him, and as the car starts to pull away you feel his body slump into your lap. 

His face is warm as you rub your hands over his forehead, winding your fingers through his hair. 

“You’ll be okay. You’ll be fine. They will know exactly what to do. You’ll feel so much better in just a few minutes. I promise.” you say, trying to help him relax. His eyes are glossed over as he stares up at you, blinking slowly. 

“Sam, call your parents!” you plead.

You bite your lips together to keep from crying. You’re not sure you’ve ever seen him like this. This vulnerable. This weak. 

You rest your left hand on his jaw, his skin burning hot against your palm. His hand comes up to grab yours pulling it to rest over his heart, knowing he just needs to feel the comfort of your touch, regardless of everything that’s happening between the two of you. 

As the car pulls into the Emergency Room drop off, you slide out of the car and help Jake get out, watching him slowly pull himself out of the car. Daniel steps in again, helping walk Jake inside of the hospital, as you rush to the desk to talk to the attendant. 

Within minutes a nurse arrives with a wheelchair instructing him to sit, as the two of you stand and watch him be admitted. Jake grabs your hand and pulls you close to him, his hands clammy and shaking.

“We can only do one rapid test. Immediate family only. The rest of you will have to wait here and take a standard test before we can let you come back.” the nurse says, starting to wheel him away.

“No...please…She– she’s family! She is my family…” Jake says, still trying to hold on to you as they move further away. You let go, and he turns back to look at you until you can’t see him anymore, your heart shattering into a million pieces.

“Fuck, I’ll call you. Cars’ in lot B.” Sam says, tossing the keys to Danny and rushing down the hall to catch up with them, leaving you and Daniel standing in the waiting room with nothing but questions.

You can’t help the tears that break free as they disappear down the hallway. Is he going to be okay? What’s wrong with him? Why now? 

Danny throws his arm over your shoulder, and brings you to sit in one of the hard hospital chairs. He sits next to you, turning towards you grabbing your hands in his. You blink back your tears as you look at him.

“Y/N, I know Jake. He’s gonna be okay. They are going to find out what’s going on, and he will be just fine. I know it sucks that you can’t go with him. It hurts to hear that you aren’t family. Trust me, I get it.” he laughs, trying to lighten the mood, “...but just know, if he could have picked any of us to go back with him, it would be you. Everytime it would be you.”

You rip your hands from his to cover your face as another sob wracks through your body. He doesn’t even know. He doesn’t even know he hates me. He doesn’t even know what I did to him.

“Why don’t I…take you back to the hotel... We can hangout and talk and wait for Sam to call us. I know they aren't going to let us back there, and I think you need to rest. I won’t leave you, I promise. Plus, we should probably talk to Josh…” he offers.

You nod and stand as he throws his arm around you, pulling you tightly into his side, and as you walk, you wonder if it’s finally time to come clean.

JAKE POV

Your finger was tapping along with the sound of something, a steady beep that repeated every second and a half or so. Your eyes were heavy and blurry, your head was still pounding, and there was a heaviness in your chest that you couldn’t shake off. But the tapping felt strange. You lifted your finger and looked at it, a large white clip thing attached and pinching your pointer finger. You studied it, twirling it around and inspecting it before reaching with your opposite hand to remove it. 

“That’s your pulse ox, Jacob. Gotta keep it on, okay? Measures your oxygen levels for me.” You heard a sweet female voice ring in your ears as you felt a pair of warm hands take yours, and replace the pinchy plastic thing. “I know it’s annoying, but it’s very important.”

You finally opened your eyes all the way, finding yourself in a bed unfamiliar, surrounded by monitors and dim fluorescent lighting. Fuck, did they really bring you to a hospital? You reached up to your face, and of course, found two little plastic prongs pushing cold air into your nostrils. You looked around the room once more, expecting to be lectured by the pretty voice again. 

“Yep, oxygen, hun.” She said. You began to sit up and readjust yourself in the bed, feeling your entire body beginning to pound like your muscles had been beaten with a meat tenderizer. You felt the tiniest bit of panic beginning to set in as your disorientation started to slip away, knowing that you wouldn’t be in here if something weren’t seriously wrong. 

“Just relax, Jake. You don’t need to overexert yourself. Just stay laid back, you’re in good hands.” She said again, bringing herself beside your bed to readjust your pillows. “They’re about to come and get you for radiographs, we need to take a few X-rays of your chest to figure out what’s going on, okay? Those will tell us a bit more about how exactly to move forward with your treatment. But you just stay relaxed, we’ll be back in a few to get you for tests.” The sweet voice continued. It sounded… oddly familiar? Your eyes were too blurry to make out a face, but you knew she was a young nurse. And all you wanted to do was ask questions. And find Y/N. 

The nurse was gone from the room a few seconds later, and instantly, another body was beside your bed. A familiar one. 

“Hey brother, you doing okay?” Sam. Fuckin Sam. 

You groaned, wanting to roll to your side but the monitors connected to your chest and arms holding you back. 

“No, not really. Why did you bring me here? Can we leave? Where’s Y/N?” You went on, perturbed that Sam was the only other one in the room with you. 

“No, we can’t leave. You’re not in good shape, Jake. Y/N is with Danny.” He answered. 

“I’m fine. Just a little cold. I can fight it off myself. Tell them to give me some meds and let’s get out of here. We have shows to play.” You growled. 

You heard Sam sigh hard. “Jake, listen to me. Do you remember anything after the show? The shower, anything?” He asked. You began to feel disoriented and dizzy again, like no amount of oxygen could bring you back to coherency. 

“No. Well, a little bit. I remember Y/N taking my clothes off in the bathroom at the hotel.” You went on as you sat up again. You gave Sam the most detrimental look you could muster, biting your tongue hard as you stared daggers through his skull. “Probably wasn’t as good as her taking my clothes off in a hotel stairwell, though. Huh Sam?”

You felt his body language tense as he went completely silent. Even from behind his face mask, you could tell he wasn’t breathing. He stood stoic, still as a statue beside your bed. 

Yeah, that’s right asshole. I know all about it. 

“Where even is she, anyway? Where’s mom?” You muttered out, having absolutely no energy to talk about that with Sam at this point. When you got your energy back, though…

He cleared his throat. “Uh, they wouldn’t let her back because she’s not family. Said maybe after she tests negative for COVID…same with mom. They can test tonight and have results back tomorrow, so.” 

“Do they think that’s what I have? What did the doctors say?” You asked him, the dizziness setting back in. 

“They don’t know, Jake. They tested you for it as soon as we got here, while you were still out of it. Do you remember passing out in the shower? Y/N said you quit breathing for a little bit…then she called me and Daniel.”

You shook your head. “No, not really. Guess I blacked out. Maybe that’s why my body hurts so bad. And I probably went too hard at the show. Shit, where’s Josh?” You said, feeling another cough threatening your chest. 

You felt Sam sit beside you on the bed while you worked through the coughing fit. “He’s at the hotel, he’s sick too. They’re coming to do the chest X-ray and blood work, Carson said. If it isn’t COVID, then they said it could be pneumonia, Jake. Like the bad kind.” 

You sighed, exhausted after feeling your lungs tighten in on themselves. “Fuck. Awesome. On the third fucking show…” you shook your head, pissed off. “Wait, who's Carson?”

“Your nurse. Carson Neely, remember her from high school? I think you graduated with her. ” Sam said. 

Oh yeah. You wondered why her voice hit a familiar nerve. Wow, it had been years since you heard that name. You played soccer together growing up, and all the way through high school. She was an absolute beast of an athlete, playing more sports than any guy you knew. And she kicked your ass as a forward. Always really easy to get along with…you remembered having a few classes with her, too. She was always so nice and pretty, kind of off-putting but in an attractive way, like she never let you have the upper hand. You always figured it was just her competitive nature. 

“Shit, that’s her? I haven’t heard that name in years…small world.” You told Sam. 

“Yep, she’s been in here since we got here. Got you all hooked up and asked me all kinds of questions. I never saw her ending up as a nurse, but. Anyway, I’m gonna go call everybody and update them. Mom and Dad should be here soon. They can’t come up, but. They only allow one rapid test, and you get me…” Sam’s voice trailed off as he exited the door, pulling his phone from his pocket. 

“Sam…” you called back to him before he closed the door. He turned back to look at you. “Is Josh okay?”

“Not really, no. He’s gonna go to the doctor tomorrow.” And he let the door shut behind him. Fuck. What is going on? Another deep cough rattled through your chest, this time hurting so badly you could hardly catch your breath. Carson burst through your door, straight to the monitor that read your vitals. 

“It’s okay, Jake. Just breathe through it. Stay relaxed, you’re just fine.” You felt the air in your nostrils blow harder. You calmed down a bit, able to pull air in through your nose a bit better. “See? All better…”

“Carson, how are you?” You asked, your eyes fluttering open and shut from exhaustion. 

She laughed nervously. “Ha ha, I’m good, Jake. I’d ask you the same, but…”

You managed a laugh. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. It’s strange seeing you here and not kicking my ass in the soccer field.” 

She laughed again, pushing you to rest back on your pillows. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Times sure have changed since high school.” Her voice was so sweet, and you guaranteed she was just as pretty as she used to be, but your eyesight was failing you. 

“It has been a long time. How long have you been a nurse?” You asked her. 

“Right out of high school. I started taking classes senior year and got my RN the next year.” She said proudly. 

“Wow, that’s awesome. I never thought you’d be doing something like this. Always thought you’d end up on the Women’s National team.” You grinned as she adjusted your monitor and took notes on her laptop. 

“Ah, nah. I still play a little bit, but this was my calling.” She went on. “Don’t you remember us talking about going into the healthcare field during that one project we did for Mr. Jackson’s class?”

“Oh, shit yeah. I kinda do…the human body project.” You replied, remembering your anatomy and physiology class. 

“Mmhm. If I remember right, that’s what you wanted to do, too?” She asked, bringing her face a little closer to you as she spoke. 

You pondered on the question, pulling from fibers way in the back of your brain. “Yeah, I always kinda did. Wanted to be able to help people, ya know? Any way that I could… never really happened though.”

She scoffed. “Are you kidding me, Jake? Have you not noticed that you literally help thousands of people every single night you have a show?” 

Wait, what?

“Maybe not in the health care way you wanted to, but. Your music. It helps people.” She said, continuing her notes. 

“What do you mean?” You kind of understood, but you wanted her to elaborate. You wanted to keep listening to her talk, keep listening to her voice…

She huffed, closing her laptop. “I was at the Grand Rapids show. Got to stand in the pit surrounded by hundreds of your fans. I watched people cry, scream, dance, and hug each other. Pure joy, Jake. Everywhere. Excitement. You and your brothers, you all have got that something.” She began to wheel her laptop cart away from your bedside. 

“I’ve worked in this field for a long time, but I’m telling you, especially in the fucked up world we’re living in right now, you guys supply the best medicine anyone could ever take.” She said, giving you a wink over her mask. You felt your insides get warm. You’d never heard anyone put it like that before. 

You choked back what felt like a cross between a sob and a cough. “Thank you, Carson. That’s…that’s really nice of you to say…”

“Anytime. I’ll be back here in a little while, gonna start you an IV for fluids. You’re severely dehydrated, hun. Try to rest.” She said, slipping through the door as Sam came back inside. 

You glared at him again, his presence bringing you a mix of emotions. Thankful that he was here, but miserable because you knew what he did. 

“I talked to Mom, she and dad got a room in the same hotel as us. They’re coming to get tested so they can visit you tomorrow. She’s going to take Josh to the doctor early, too. He’s not as bad as you, but he’s damn close. What the hell did you guys get into?” He asked. 

“I have no idea. I would say it was the fog machine blast to the face tonight, but I’ve been sick for days. I shouldn’t have ignored it.” You said, feeling regretful. 

“I talked to Daniel, too. He’s taking Y/N back to the hotel since they won’t let them up, either. Said she was a complete mess, worried sick for you.” Sam said, taking his seat again. 

You sighed. Things were so fucked up. You missed her, you were mad at her. You loved her, wanted nothing more than to be near her. But also still felt so betrayed that you wanted to leave her in the dust, until you remembered your conversation with Elle. Your intentions to be with her…

“Well, she found me passed out naked in the shower, so. I guess she is a little fucked up. Probably feels a little guilty she didn’t bring me here sooner, didn’t go behind your backs and just bring me immediately…” You said, trying your damnedest to insinuate without exerting too much energy. “Probably would have been a whole lot better if she would have just listened to her gut instead of making the wrong decision, hm?” 

“Jake. Stop. Not now. Fuck…” Sam said, burying his face in his hands. “Please, just…” 

You laughed as deviously as you could. “Why not, Sam? What better time than the present? Hell, I might die in here tonight. Let’s talk now, yeah? Don’t be shy, I can’t get up and fight you, as badly as I wish I could.” A cough wracked through you again. 

“Tell me about it, Sam. Tell me all about your night in the hotel stairwell with my girlfriend. The love of my life. Yeah? You know her? I wanna know about it all.” You went on after catching your breath. 

“Jake, stop it.” He said sternly. 

“I know what you did, Sam. I know all about it. It’s funny, you didn’t even think to come to me and tell me what you did. And you call yourself my fucking brother?!” Your mind began spinning. 

“Shut the fuck up, Jake. I’m telling you.” 

“Always after what you can’t have, taking what isn’t yours…” you muttered. 

Just then Sam stood up, rushing over to your bed, hovering over you. 

“I said this isn’t the time and place Jake. And if it was, I’d remind you that she was mine for a very long time, and she followed me into the stairwell that night.” He stepped back a little bit, gathering himself. 

“And hell, if I remember correctly, it looked a lot like you wanted to take Elle back to your room that night if Josh wouldn’t have called. Hmm? I bet you had plans to, didn’t you? I saw you two whispering, you were into it. You wanted to take Elle back, not Y/N. Stop lying to yourself, Jake.” 

You felt the blood drain even more from your body, the strange guilt creeping back in. You shook your head and covered your eyes with the heels of your hands. 

“God, Sam. Are we ever going to stop chasing after the same woman?” You asked. The emotions were filling you to the brim, confusion setting in your already clouded mind. You didn’t know what else to do, so you laughed, which brought on another hard coughing fit. 

“Wait, what do you mean chasing?” Sam asked as another deep cough shook your entire body. Your monitors were going nuts, and Carson burst back into the room. 

“Jake!” Sam yelled back at you as you struggled for your breath, two more medical personnel coming into the room. 

“Sir, please step back.” One of them said. 

“Should we prep a vent? O2 sat is dropping quickly…” The other suggested as you listened to the beeping slow down, your vision blacking out by the second. Your eyes searched for Sam through the crowd of people, looking for him to tell you it’s okay. But it wasn’t. You knew that.

“No, I haven’t gotten the orders back yet. Have respiratory on standby. Crank O2 to 100%. Let’s go ahead and get him to X-ray. I’ll get the IV on the way.” Carson said as they rushed out the door. 

“Sammy…” you managed, gravely and hoarse.

You looked to Sam as they wheeled you away, panic setting in as fear filled your body. Struggling to breathe, struggling to think straight. All you could see were the terrified eyes of your baby brother, standing helplessly behind in the room. 

“I’ll be right here when you get back, you’ll be just fine. I’m not leaving you!” 

As your vision went black you saw her face. Your girl. Your forever girl. 

HER POV

You pushed the door of the car open, the rush of cold March Michigan air actually feeling nice on your hot skin. You’d fought back terrified tears the whole ride back to the hotel, Danny trying his best to console you. The two of you walked through the hotel lobby, and up to the room. 

“I’m gonna go to my room and change really quickly and I’ll be right back, ok?” He said.

“Okay, Danny. Thanks.” You didn’t want to impose, but you knew you needed some company right now. And honestly, he probably didn’t want to be alone either. 

Just as you entered the room and pulled the doorstop to hold the door for Danny, your phone buzzed in your hand. 

Karen K

1:54am: Hey honey! We just got into the hotel room. We’re right by Josh, he’s doing okay and I’m going to keep checking on him all night. I’ll take him to the doctor in the morning. Is there anything you need? Have you talked to Jake? 

You sighed, exhausted from this damn charade. 

You

1:56am: Hi! Glad you got in safely. Glad Josh is in good hands with you. No, I’m okay. Danny is staying close by tonight, we’re going to keep each other company. Elle too. Yes, Danny talked to Sam. I’m so scared, I know you are too.

Karen K

2:02am: I am scared, honey. But he’s in the best place he can be. Hopefully we can get in to visit tomorrow and get some answers. Love you, call if you need anything! 

You

2:04am: Love you! 

Danny came back into the room shortly thereafter after you had changed clothes. He was carrying two to-go boxes in his right hand, and two Gatorades in the other. 

“I have leftover pizza and a piece of cherry pie. It’s not much, but. I know neither of us have eaten.” He said, sitting everything down on the bed. 

Your heart swelled. “Danny, you’re so sweet. Thank you. I guess we should eat, if we’re gonna be everyone’s caretakers, huh?” You tried to make light of the conversation. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Speaking of, Elle just texted and said she had a pretty bad headache coming on, too. She’s going to go to sleep. Said to send you her love.” Danny went on. 

“Shit, maybe we should put ourselves in a bubble, huh?” You joked, but half serious. 

He nodded in agreement. You shared the cold pizza and pie, and downed the blue Gatorade while you sat and chatted with Danny. You were fighting the urge to cry the whole time, the fear and the nerves and the guilt rushing back each time Danny would reassure you that Jake was going to be okay. 

“Plus, he has you in his corner. He’s always been a fighter, but now he’s got something worth fighting for. He will be okay, Y/N. I promise.” He went on, trying his best to keep your spirits up when you knew his were faltering, too. 

Danny’s phone alerted him of a text. He read it aloud. 

The Great Sambino 🎹 

2:37am: Jake’s still coughing really bad, keeps going in and out of it. Just heard them ask if they needed to prep a ventilator. Taking him to get X-rays and bloodwork now.

“A ventilator? Fuck, Danny…that means, no…” you began stammering, knowing that being on a ventilator is most definitely not a good thing. 

“It’s ok, Y/N. He said they took him for tests, which means he’s not on it. It’s alright…” Danny said, joining you on your bed as you fought sobs. 

“That’s not good, Danny. He could be getting worse. And he hates me, he doesn’t even know what’s happening…I can’t be there with him to remind him…” you were talking in incomplete sentences, incomplete thoughts…

“What do you mean, he hates you? Are you crazy? What are you talking about, Y/N?” His face falls as he looks to yours, seeing your tears falling even harder now. “Y/N what did you do…”

You took a deep, choppy breath, tears flowing so hard from your eyes you could barely see. 

“Are you sure you wanna know?” You asked him. 

“Well yeah, I’m this far invested now…lay it on me.” He said. 

You took a breath. “I slept with Sam again…” you whispered, feeling the strangest sense of even worse guilt hearing it be confessed out loud. “In Vegas. The night we…all went back to their room. We all started, fooling around. Things got a little bit wild, I guess…we were all so drunk…I was making out with Sam and Jake was with Elle, hell even Elle and I were messing around. It was just...” You took a breath again as you saw Danny’s utterly confused but intrigued expression. 

“It was a cluster, Danny. Just. I don’t even know how to explain it. We were just having fun. But it brought up so many unresolved things with Sam, ya know. We never fully got to finish each other out. I know you know that he still loves me. He told me you know.” Danny nodded, showing you he remembered the conversation they had while sledding last Christmas. 

“I don’t know if he told you, but I still have some of those feelings, too, Danny and I don’t know what to do with them. I didn’t know. They were just, eating me alive. I felt so guilty…even thinking for one second I could hurt Jake. Then that night rolled around, and we just…” you threw your arms up. 

“It just happened. When Jake left to go find you and Josh. But he and Elle were really getting into each other, I could tell, Sam could tell. I talked to Jake about it. I told him to go ahead with Elle, if that was what he wanted to do. We never got to finish the conversation. Then, Elle passed out, Jake left, and I went to smoke with Sam…” you trailed off, too embarrassed to even look at Danny. 

“Fuck.” Was all he said. “So you did sleep with Sam. And Jake knows? And that’s why he hates you?” 

You nodded. “Yeah, he ended things on the spot that night. It’s been horrible. I have apologized a million times, and I know it will never be enough. Just these last couple of days he started coming around a little, letting me talk. It’s so fucked up, Danny.”

He let you talk a little bit more, and to your surprise, he didn’t yell at you or scold you like you expected, like you deserved, but instead he just listened. Stayed neutral. You could tell he was very, very upset with you, so you let him be. 

After a while, and after the conversation had set in, you told Danny to sit on your bed and process for a minute. You went into the closet, pulling a fresh set of sheets and pillows from the shelf, stripping off Jake’s bed and replacing all the sheets. You patted the bed and motioned for Danny to go back. 

“There. Nice and clean and not covered in Jake’s sickness. You don’t have to stay here, just thought we both could use some company while we slept.” You told him. 

He nodded, slithering his way back over to the other bed. He sighed deeply as he got underneath the heavy white comforter. “Y/N, I don’t know what to say. I know you’re in the shit right now. And I am upset with you. Disappointed in you and Sam both. But I think we should focus on Jake and Josh’s health right now. And figure the rest out later. Either way, I’m still gonna be here for you. I know you’re sorry.”

“Thank you, Danny.” You whispered as you got in bed, too, the sleepiness setting in. “Don’t deserve a friend like you.” 

Before you fell all the way asleep, you grabbed your phone, sending Jake a text you never thought you’d have to send. 

You

3:19am: You’re going to be okay, babe. I love you endlessly, with everything in me, till I can’t anymore. I promise you that. Never going to stop telling you. I’ll see you tomorrow, stay strong. Thank you for calling me your family. ♥️

——

The next morning you woke up to the bright sunlight coming through the windows of the hotel room. The immediate stomach ache from yesterday’s stresses came circling back as your brain reminded itself. You glanced over to Danny, silently scrolling on his phone. 

“Morning.” You mumbled, rubbing your eyes. 

“Good morning. How’d you sleep?” He asked. 

“To be completely honest, a lot better than I thought I would. I think I was exhausted.” you said. “You?”

“Not too bad, actually. Surprisingly.” He said, stretching out. 

You sat up on the edge of the bed, checking the time. 8:22. A little over six hours of sleep, you could live with that. 

“Hear anything from Sam?” You asked Danny. 

“Yeah, he texted me a little while ago. Said his night was pretty smooth, thankfully. The doctor came in and gave him his test results just a few minutes ago actually.” He continued reading his text. 

“Said it is bacterial pneumonia, which comes from having a cold beforehand and bacteria entering the lungs. Said it’s the more severe form, and he will need to stay in the hospital a few more days. He will have to have oxygen on at all times, breathing treatments, and a hard dose of antibiotics and fluids. Was severely dehydrated and lethargic… Other than that, that’s all they can do. Said he’s still coughing pretty badly and is out of it, mostly, but he’s resting now, and their mom was going to go see him after she took Josh to the doctor.”

You sighed a huff of relief. “Well, that’s better news than I expected to wake up to.” 

“Yeah, same. At least it’s treatable. I was really scared there for a minute, seeing his lips that color…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “Fuckin’ scary.”

“Danny, thank you, for staying with me. I don’t think you know how much I appreciate it. I was scared to death last night, too.” You relented. “Can’t believe I got any sleep, honestly.” You chuckled. 

“You’re welcome, Y/N. You wanna go see Josh with me real quick? He’s awake.” He asked. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” You agreed to meet back at Danny’s room in a few minutes after doing your morning necessities. 

You pulled your phone from the charger, noticing a text notification. 

Oh my god, it’s from Jake. 

Your finger couldn’t open the notification quickly enough. 

Jake

8:09am: You’ll always be my family.

You felt like your heart could have burst into flames, lighting a fire in your soul that made you want to float away. Just from a simple text. Maybe there was still a chance he didn’t hate you entirely. 

A few minutes later, you and Danny were knocking on Josh’s door, and Karen met you with a genuine but tired smile. “Hi, my babies. How are you?” She brought you both into the room and gave you big welcoming hugs. 

“We’re alright, how are you?” Danny responded. 

“Oh, I’m okay,  just trying to be sure all my kiddos stay in one piece.” She glanced over to Josh lying on the bed, scrolling his phone. He raised one arm in the air, waving at you. 

“Hey, guys! Stay far, far away. Don’t want you catching this shit.” He smiled as best he could as he waved. 

“We just wanted to come say hi, Joshy. You guys heading to the doctor?” You asked them both. 

“Yes, gonna get him out the door now. Our COVID tests should be back soon. Said they’ll call us when they are. Then we can go to the hospital.” Karen answered. 

“Good, I was just going to switch out Sam when we get there, I’m sure he’s exhausted and needs a coffee or six.” Danny said. 

“Oh no honey, don’t worry. I’ll stay with him tonight. You need to be here, with everyone else. Take care of everyone…” Karen gave Danny a quick wink, knowing that his calm and level headed demeanor would be needed for making decisions for the band. 

“Okay, yeah you’re probably right.” He giggled. 

“Josh honey let’s go, let’s get you in the car.” Karen signaled. “Your dad’s probably pulling up now.” 

Josh looked horrible, too. Weak and frail and exhausted, a cough and raspy voice aggravating him. But he had a bit more energy than Jake did, able to pick himself up off the bed and walk on his own. He slipped his coat on and zipped it all the way up, obviously in the middle of the freezing part of his fever. 

“Fingas crossed it’s just the flu and not the ‘puh-nuh-monya’!” Josh joked in his brand new accent he’d just recently come up with, closely resembling how Elle sometimes would speak when she was in a goofy mood after drinking too much. 

“Whoa Josh, why did you just sound exactly like Elle when you said that?” You asked as you felt a real smile cross your face for the first time in days. 

“Don’t worry about it, dahling, I’ll see you in a bit. Go take care of my brotha.” He waved you both off as he stepped through the door after Karen. You giggled under your breath, happy to see him still in good spirits even being so sick. You and Danny shrugged to one another. 

“Guess that’s one of his new characters we’re gonna have to get used to.” Danny laughed, “Let’s go get Sam breakfast.”

——

After grabbing something that Sam would actually eat for breakfast, you and Danny made your way to the hospital. Luckily, their parents had driven separately, leaving you an extra car to use. When you arrived, you found that your COVID test wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours, due to the hospital being so busy and short staffed, and you being the last one out of everyone to test. They assured you it shouldn’t be too much longer, and they took your phone number to call you directly. 

Karen, Kelly, and Elle were gathered in the waiting room, on the off chance that their tests would come back sooner than expected. 

“I took Josh back to the hotel, he’s resting again. Got him his medicine and he said he was going to sleep the day away, thankfully it's just a chest cold for him. My poor babies.” Karen told the group. 

The elevator doors opened, revealing a very tired and very hungry Sam. He nodded his head to everyone, going straight for the coffee in Danny’s hands. “God bless your sweet soul, Daniel Robert.” He said, tilting the large white cup back like his life depended on it. Elle stood and greeted him with a hug. 

“Hey babe, you feeling okay? Your headache gone?” He asked her. 

“Yeah, I’m good now. Think it was a fluke. You make it through the night?” She asked him. 

Sam’s eyes cut to you. “Barely…” he said quietly. Shit. There was his warning look. That’s not good. 

Sam greeted his parents with hugs and reiteration of Jake’s most current status, which hadn’t changed much since the last news. 

“I need a shower…” Sam finally sulked as everyone broke off into separate conversations. 

“I can drive you, if you want. They said my COVID test wouldn’t be back until after everyone else’s. Plus I need to find Richard and tell him everything that’s going on.” You said. 

“Sounds good, let’s get on the road.” Sam said. You shot Danny a look that said ‘it’s ok, he and I need to talk.’

Sam kissed Elle on the forehead, telling her he’d be back in a bit, and the two of you left the hospital. When you got in the still-warm car, you and Sam stayed silent for almost the entire drive. You tapped your fingers lightly on the steering wheel as you let whatever station Kelly had playing on the radio sound out quietly into the car. 

“Next up this morning on WILZ 104.5 we’ve got none other than some Clapton for your mid-morning blues…stay tuned and keep that coffee flowing, keep your Monday going!” The radio DJ said in an all-too enthusiastic voice. The song that played next couldn’t have come at a more horrific time. 

Of course. 

‘Wonderful Tonight’ began playing quietly through the speakers. Sam scoffed, shaking his head. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He said, reaching over to push the button to silence the radio altogether. He shook his head as you took off from the stoplight, bringing his hand to his face as he gazed out the window. He took a deep huff of a breath. You didn’t even know what to say. He was being way too silent. 

When you finally pulled into the hotel, Sam told you he was going to take a shower while you talked to Richard, and to call him when you were finished and he’d meet you back at your room. You agreed, taking off across the parking lot to make a phone call you really wanted to ignore. 

——

Knock, knock. 

Sam had made it back to your room after an hour or so, and you’d mentally prepared yourself for what he was about to see. 

You opened the door, letting him into the room. “Hey, how was the call with Dick?”

“Not bad, actually. He understands the severity of Jake’s illness and is making all the necessary moves for the next few shows. Said he needed to talk to you, Danny, and Josh asap, um. I think he knows that…Jake’s gonna need some time…” you said, sitting on the edge of your bed. 

“Yeah I uh, I was thinking that too. Pneumonia recovery isn’t just a few days.” Sam said, pulling his still-damp hair behind his ear. “He’s gonna…he’s gonna be a while, isn’t he?”

You nodded reluctantly, the realization of what might need to happen with tour settling in. “Yeah, Sammy. He will.” 

“Fuck.” He sighed as he looked around the room. Here it comes... 

“Hey wait, why are there two beds in here?” He brought his questioning eyes to yours. You stayed silent. 

“Y/N, why are there…” he glanced around again, noticing that it appeared that the two of you were living on opposite sides of the room. 

He looked at you again, completely confused. Quickly his expression turned from puzzled to knowing. “Shit, Y/N…don’t tell me…”

He ran his fingers through his hair and leaned down, putting his face in his hands. “He told me he knows. He knows what happened. Last night…he tried to make me tell him…”

“Yes, Sammy. He knows. He’s known for a long time.” You said under your breath, ready for the blowback. 

“What?! What do you mean he’s known for a long time?!” He yelled. “Since when?”

You took a deep breath. “Since the night it happened.”

“WHAT? Y/N, you’re joking right? He’s known all this time? And he hasn’t said anything? Why?” He was frazzled. 

“I didn’t make it back to the room in time to shower. He was already there. He just, knew, Sam. He could tell. He made me tell him what happened. So I did…” you felt the panic creeping into your chest. 

“God, shit…” Sam stood up, and began pacing around. Finally he motioned to the beds. “So, are you…?”

You nodded again, trying to stay calm. “Yeah, we aren’t together anymore. Haven’t been since that night. He broke it off. We’ve been pretending ever since, to keep up appearances.” It pained you to hear yourself say you were actually broken up. “We didn’t want to cause a big scene right before we left for tour, so. We kept it to ourselves. It’s been awful, Sam.”

Sam stayed silent as he let it sink in. “No, no you can’t break up again. Things were just…you two were finally...I can’t let that happen, Y/N. No way…” he spat. “It’s my fault, too, not just yours. He didn’t tell me last night that you were broken up…”

You grabbed his flailing arms, bringing them back down to his sides. “Sam, listen. It’s okay. We are in a very weird place right now. And it happened at the absolute worst time possible, and now he’s sick…we actually just got back on semi-good speaking terms yesterday. We’re working through it, I think. Trying to give ourselves time.” 

Sam was letting tears fall from his eyes, now. “No, Sammy, stop crying, what’s wrong?” You brought your hands to his face, patting down his wild hair as you sat him back on the bed. 

He swallowed hard. “Last night at like 3 am, Jake went into some type of respiratory emergency, there were doctors everywhere suddenly, nurses crowding him, I–I’m probably naive but it seemed really, really serious. I was terrified, I couldn’t do anything to help him, he kept looking at me like ‘what’s happening, Sam? What’s going on?’” He swallowed hard again. 

“His eyes were so terrified, Y/N. I’ve never seen him that vulnerable. He was gasping for air, it was the most terrifying- I didn’t know if he was ever gonna catch his breath. It lasted forever…” he took another deep breath. “I didn’t tell mom or anybody about that. They don’t need to know. Just you. I didn’t know if he was gonna make it, Y/N. His lips were blue, his face was blue…” 

Sam’s tears were falling hard again. “I’m sorry, maybe I should’ve kept that part to myself.” 

“No, no Sammy. I’m glad you told me. It’s okay…I know that must have been so scary for you...” You answered, trying to console him. 

Finally he got enough gumption to speak again. “Long story short, Y/N, I truly thought my brother wasn’t going to be coming home with us there for a second. And I had just slept with his girlfriend. Cheated on mine. Lied to everyone about it.” He looked to you. “We were being selfish, Y/N.”

You nodded, his face inches from yours. “Yeah, we were Sam.”

“And look what it got us, in this fucked up predicament. My most favorite couple in the world, separated, because of me. I feel like absolute shit, Y/N. And I haven’t even told Elle, yet.” 

“Don’t blame it all on yourself, Sam. I followed you into the stairwell that night. I made that decision just as much as you did.” You licked your lips as he nodded. “But, I think you do need to tell Elle. But maybe not now. The timing is just…not the best.”

“I know. I will. I am. I promise, I am.” He said, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump that on you.” He laughed. 

“Sam, stop. You’re still my best friend, you know you can vent to me anytime. Always. Okay?” You conceded. 

He leaned his head on your shoulder as you both looked out the window into the foggy air. “I’m really sorry, Y/N. For everything. You don’t deserve any of this. Neither does Jake. I knew better than to press the issue that night.”

“I’m sorry too, Sammy. And I hope that when you tell Elle, she can somehow forgive us both. This is gonna be a long road for all of us.” You said. 

“Yeah, it is.” He said blankly. He raised his head up, looking directly into your eyes. He held his pinky out, biting his lower lip. “Never again…”

You sighed, grabbing his pinky with yours, just like you and Jake used to do when telling each other secrets.

“…Never again.”

——

The topic changed four times after your chat with Sam, and as the hours ticked by you could see the tiredness in his face and in his posture.

“Would you hate me terribly if I went and took a nap?” he asked nervously.

“No! Not at all! I’m shocked you made it this long to be honest.” you smiled.

“I–I hope your test comes back soon. Jake wants to see you. He asked for you all night.” he said, feeling your heart drop into your stomach.

“As soon as they call, I’m gone.” you say. 

“Good. I know you two aren’t on the best terms but there is no doubt in my mind, after everything I saw last night, that he still loves you. A lot.” he says, walking towards the door.

“I hope you’re right Sammy.” you reply, shutting the door as he slips out. 

The room falls silent. You look around seeing your things and his scattered around the hotel room, a pang shooting through your chest that he’s not here with you. Your phone buzzes in your pocket as you sit down on his bed. 

Elle

4:57pm: Hey babe, checking in…still bleak here. They are saying he’s doing a little better though. Still waiting on our tests. It’s ridiculous.

You

4:59pm: Hey, thanks for the update…I am anxious to see him. I’ll be there as soon as I get the call. Love you.

Elle

5:00pm: Love you too

After a few minutes of attempting to clean up the room, you decided on a shower, gathering your things and making your way to the bathroom. Stepping inside made your heart sink. Remembering the image of Jake laying in the tub calling for Josh. You swallowed back the tears and turned on the water, hoping one day you could forget that image all together. 

As you’re rinsing the soap off of your body you hear your phone ringing in the room. You quickly shut off the shower and wrap a towel around your dripping body as you sprint to your phone and answer. 

“Hello?” you pant.

“Hi, this is Ascension St. Mary’s, just wanted to let you know we received the results of your test and you are cleared to visit.” the lady said.

“Oh my god thank you!” you say, hanging up the phone.

You try to dry off the best you can, pulling your clothes on and running into the bathroom to dry your hair and do the most minimal amount of makeup. As you open your makeup bag you see your necklace sitting at the bottom, still mended together, and decide if there is any time to wear it, it has to be now. 

Five minutes later your phone is ringing again, Karen’s name on the screen.

“Hey!” you answer.

“Hey honey. We just got our results back. We are walking up to see Jake right now. Can you come up here?” she asks.

“Yes! I am leaving here in a few minutes.” you reply.

“Could you bring him a change of clothes for when they discharge him?” she asks.

“Yes! I’ll grab them now. I’ll see you soon.”

You run your fingers through your mostly dry hair and hit the lights on your way back into the bedroom. You walk over to Jake’s suitcase, opening it up and being completely enveloped in his smell. You close your eyes just for a second, letting yourself just feel for a few moments before opening them again and trying to find warm clothes for him to wear. 

You find his jeans, his socks, his boxers, but you’ve yet to find a clean shirt. Digging around in the bottom of the suitcase your eye is caught by a small white bag, old and tattered with the initials ‘AJK’.

What in the world is this?

You set down the clothes in your hands and grab the bag, sitting down on the edge of his bed. You pull the delicate strings and tip the bag out into your palm. 

A gasp leaves your chest as the gold ring tumbles to a stop in your hand. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest so hard you feel like it could cause an earthquake. 

A ring? An engagement ring? Was…was he?

A sob rips from your chest as you look at it, admiring the simple gold band and the small diamond fixed upon the center. It’s old, and cherished and beautiful and he wanted to give it to you. He wanted to ask you. But you ruined it. Everything was ruined. How long had he had it? When did he decide this? Why was it so perfect?

You throw yourself back onto the bed, letting the tears flow as you hold the ring in your fist. 

“I’m sorry Jake! I’m so, so sorry!” you cry into the empty room.

Your eyes are blurry through the tears as you try to focus on the ring again, watching the small diamond sparkle in the setting sun coming in through the hotel window. 

You did this. You deserve this hurt. You don’t deserve to marry him. He deserves someone better. Someone who would never, ever make him feel the way he feels right now. You did this.

You wipe your tears on your arm and sit up, placing the perfect ring back into its little pouch. You pull the strings tight and place it back in his suitcase, knowing that was probably the first and last time you’d ever see it. 

Continuing to sniffle, you try to resume your task of finding a shirt for him, seeing a black t-shirt still folded at the bottom, along with a folded flannel. Your flannel. His flannel. In a split second decision, you grab it and the t-shirt and add it to the pile of clean clothes you place into your bag. 

You close up his suitcase and grab your phone from the charger, making your way to the hotel room door, and down to the parking lot. Your parents had graciously allowed you to keep their car until you were ready to leave, and currently you had no idea when that would be. 

It was a short drive to the hospital, and as you stepped into the waiting room you saw Kelly, Daniel and Elle all sitting talking. 

“Oh my god you’re here!” Elle said, standing to hug you.

“They called me a little while ago, said I was good to see him now.” you reply.

“Honey, your eyes are so red, are you okay?” she asks, cupping your face.

“Yes, just scared about Jake is all.” you answer. Not fully a lie.

“Well Karen is up there right now, you just go on up and see him. He has been asking for you all day.” she smiles.

“Okay.” you say, nodding your head towards Danny. 

“He’s on floor four, room 403.” Kelly says with a soft smile.

You swallow nervously, making your way to the elevator and up to the correct floor, shaking with nerves. He looked bad the last time you saw him, but even then, he was still your Jake. He always would be, no matter what.

Shaking your clammy hands out, you lift your right hand and let your knuckles gently rap on the wooden door. Your heart is pounding out of your chest as you wait for it to open, and as the handle twists, all the breath is stolen from your lungs.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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[gilly-moon]

Happy Halloween! 🎃 And trick or treat 👻 🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤

Happy Halloween! Have some candy (aka a WIP of some Vampire/Hunter AU pompep):

"Has the little dhampir learned to behave?"

Vlad rounded on the bed slowly, stroking a claw across the sheets. Danny glanced up long enough to see that he'd changed into another stupid blouse, just as puffy-sleeved and low-necked as the last. He rolled to face the other side of the bed, the chain clinking as he moved

"Have you decided to let me go?" he asked, feeling the bed shift behind him when Vlad sat down.

Claws dragged up the back of his neck, sending shivers down the center of his spine. Dangerous points found his artery, and Danny tried not to swallow or even breathe. He had to remind himself that he wasn't here to be Vlad's meal - there were still two faint puncture wounds on his wrist from the one time Vlad had bitten him. That time, his blood had been spit out like it was sour milk, and he hadn't felt the sting of those fangs since. Apparently, being only half human wasn't enough to make him tasty.

"I'll take that as a no," Vlad said. His fingers moved, wrapping around the back of Danny's neck like a vice and pressing him face down into a pillow.

Grunting and thrashing his shoulders, Danny only managed to get himself pressed down more firmly, weight laying across the backs of his thighs. He was completely prone on the bed, arms and legs incapacitated. The best he could manage was to turn his head to the side, huffing out a breath across the silk.

"It's like you want to be disciplined, Daniel." Cold lips touched his cheek, a smirk pressed into his skin. "Do you want me to discipline you?"

"Are you always this dramatic, or is the show just for me?"

"My, aren't you feeling feisty today?" Vlad chuckled, fingers flexing.

"If you wanna see feisty, then undo the ropes," Danny said, testing the pressure on his legs again. "Or are you afraid I'll ruin another one of your stupid shirts?"

With a growl, Vlad grabbed the ropes and dragged him across the bed, hauling him up so quickly and easily that Danny couldn't prevent the yelp that was jerked out of him. He was positioned in Vlad's lap, draped over his thighs face-down with legs dangling toward the floor.

"That was my favorite shirt, you intolerable fool."

[astarionsilverbough]

Prompt: Halstarion making up after a fight? 👉👈🥺

OH Y E S OH YES YES YES this even fits with the last chapter of tlogm omg

It's a stolen scene; something glancing and far less dramatic than anyone might expect of Astarion Ancunin.

Because after they've taken out Nere and Astarion's recovered from Gale's latest close call, Halsin is catching Astarion's arm as the others move to make camp in a ruined wing of the forge they've found themselves in.

The vampire halts and shoots Halsin a look he's not yet used to. He releases Astarion's arm immediately - he'll not be another monster that bruises him, never, he'd die first - but steps closer and is relieved when Astarion doesn't step back or growl.

"I wanted to apologize."

Astarion blinks. "For... what? Gale? He did that to me, not you."

"No - for the... our disagreement prior to heading this way," Halsin says. Astarion's narrowed eyes blow wide open.

"The -" he glances around; finding that they're finally alone, Astarion steps close and splays his hands over Halsin's belly. "Darling. Please. That was - that was nothing. A trifle."

But it's all bluster and charade; he's always been a natural at it, a charlatan charmer like no other Halsin had ever encountered. Beneath Astarion's flippant tone and easy expression is the energy of an animal about to bite and run.

Slowly, carefully, like he's approaching an animal about to bite and run, Halsin frames Astarion's waist in big hands and murmurs, "I know you, Astarion - and I do not fear you. Nor do I look at you and see anything but the man I've always known."

Astarion's sunset eyes search his own. Halsin gazes right back into those burning irises and prays he finds the truth he's looking for.

"I was incredibly selfish, disagreeing with you about this little rescue," Astarion states.

"Selfish? You didn't ask to be dragged into every interpersonal conflict in Faerun," Halsin chuckles. "You've got a tadpole in your head and we're planning to hurtle headlong into the Shadow-Cursed lands. A detour was... risky. And entirely my impulse to fix every problem I come across."

Astarion steps back - but not out of any want to escape. He steps back and stares shrewdly up at Halsin, eyes narrowed and brow knit tight.

"You're disturbingly self-aware," the vampire says wryly. "You always have been."

"A hard-won trophy, earned only through the slow learning of difficult lessons," Halsin states.

Astarion folds his arms over his chest. "I don't care about the slaves," he says next.

"I never asked you to, love."

"You're not... upset? Disappointed?"

Halsin shrugs. "You've never been one for charity," he says earnestly. "You're a man driven by vengeance, passion. Not heroism. Now, should the slaves have perished, I know you'd be first in line to avenge them. I'm... just the one who prevents the need."

And now, he's done it: rendered Astarion speechless. The vampire gapes at him for a beat, then splutters a faint "well," before he purses his lips, ears growing pink as his words fail him entirely.

Halsin bows to kiss his brow. Slowly, inch by inch, Astarion's shoulders climb down from his jaw. He relaxes first in Halsin's presence and then his arms, body draped against the sturdy plain of the druid's own.

"You've a beautiful heart, Astarion," Halsin says against his ear. "I've always known it. Vengeance is necessary in this world, and you carry it like you were born to it."

"Oh, well," Astarion manages, "now you're just flattering me."

Halsin can't help the grin that spreads over his face as Astarion fiddles with the lacing of his leather jerkin, fingers flying over the broad expanse of Halsin's chest. He's blushing properly now and all Halsin can do is smile.

Clearing his throat, Astarion straightens up and primly says, "your apology is accepted, then. Now - would you - ah. Would you perhaps like to join me in my tent? Not for anything untoward, mind. I... Find myself struggling with the concept of being very far from you at the present moment, and -"

Halsin cuts him off with a kiss. Astarion melts in his arms and stays there.

All told, it's far gentler a mending than anyone might've thought possible of Astarion Ancunin.

But then, very few knew him as well as Halsin.

[byhees]

you fangirling over them.

엔하이픈 ・ female reader + word count 500 genre fluff established relationship idol au warnings not proof-read skinship light profanity — more

a/n. requested!

heeseung would be so incredibly smiley; he hadn’t expected for you to show this much adoration towards their new concept pictures, let alone squeal this much over their comeback teasers; listens to your rambles on how “insanely attractive he looks whilst doing even the most minimal of things” and on how “flawlessly pretty his skin looks”, with the most tender of smiles…

jay would honestly be a little embarrassed— i mean, you’re actively going on a passionate spiel about how his visuals are breathtaking and simply out-of-this-world, so how can he not? would raise his hands to shield his reddened cheeks from you, not wanting you to spot his obvious fluster; “oh my god, babe… it’s not that—“ and he’s instantly cut-off with a disbelieving “what??”; would genuinely feel so loved, because here you are, complimenting him and whisking his doubts away…

jake would flash the biggest, most charming, smirk; would drape an arm around your shoulders, tugging you close to his side— hums a little “oh really?” in response to your endearing fangirling, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips; occasionally bites his bottom lip to hold back a little giggle, finding your exaggerated hand gestures and dramatic explanations, extremely adorable…

sunghoon would be flattered beyond the capability of words; would probably be really bashful, the swell of his cheeks tinted a pretty pink shade; has to pull you close, and bury his face in the crook of your neck, for most parts, finding your compliments really, really flustering. “oh my god?? you look so incredible.. and so ethereal… and so beautiful”, and he’d be left blushing, the tips of his ears warming up…

sunoo would probably giggle upon hearing your rambles; honestly gets pretty shy at your use of vocabulary— surreal, handsome, elegant? they all have him melting; would probably tease you for your reactions, finger raising to boop you on the nose; has to hold back a chuckle when he finds out that you’ve set one of his pictures as your lockscreen…

jungwon would be so, so shy; gets all flustered when you bombard him with heaps of compliments, his dimples making a faint appearance in the midst of your fangirling; eyes shifting to land on nearly every object in the room— cheeks dusted with a pretty red hue when you tip his chin up, locking gazes with him; is really touched when you continually rewatch the comeback trailer, eyes twinkling with unwavering admiration and pride…

riki would feel so proud; listens to your rants on how “stunningly pretty he looks”, and about how “superb he is at acting, especially in their recent trailers”, with a little grin; “oh, really?” he’d hum, the widest of smiles etched on his features— and when you send an aggressive nod his way, he only bursts out into a cacophonous guffaw; finds you so adorable— can’t help but to ruffle the top of your head, a sweet smile glued onto his lips…

taglist open! @halcyoni-ki @wondipity @yjjungwon @shysakuno @niktwazny303 @vnsux @minhosify @haechansbbg @yeomha @stepout-09-15 @chansburgah @sona-verse01 @lilly-bubblelops @smouches @mrchweeee @luvistqrzzz @nwjws @ibsysbsfsunsbs @rikisly @amyysfics @mixtape-racha @berry-and-kkami @rikislady @gweoriz networks! @kflixnet @enhanet @k-labels

[gladdyator18]

You’ve Activated My Trap Hug - TickleTober2024 Day 11 (Hug)

Tailored to the fabulous @giggly-squiggily! Hope you enjoy!

Summary: When Ashton is visiting the Rosalina, he starts acting like a little brat, which isn't too uncommon. Luckily, Rosalina knows how to deal with brats like her boyfriend.

Word Count: 1417

It's no secret the Princess of Xiruthia and the heir to House Galileus are an item. It was quite a surprise when Ashton proclaimed his feelings towards Rosalina, but it all worked out when she did the same. The two love spending time together, messing with each other, and just being in the other's company. At times, Ashton is a bit of a brat and likes to annoy Rosalina whenever the urge strikes. Luckily, the princess knows how to deal with her bratty boyfriend.

It was a warm afternoon, and Ashton decided to visit his girlfriend at the palace. When he arrived, the guards and castle staff greeted him and directed the nobleman to where the princess was. In the palace's library, Rosalina had her nose stuck in a book, reading about how a siren fell in love with a knight. She sat in a small bay window overlooking the castle gardens and some of the kingdom below. When one of the guards opened the library doors, he cleared his throat to get the princess's attention.

"Pardon me, Your Highness," the guard said, "Lord Ashton is here to see you."

"Send him in." Rosalina said, not looking up from her book.

The guard bowed before stepping to the side to let the heir of House Galileus in. When Ashton saw his girlfriend reading, he chuckled as he approached her.

"Hey, Rosebud," Ashton said, "How've you been?"

"I've been well, Ash," Rosalina said, not looking up, "What about you?"

Ashton quirked a brow as he watched the princess read, not giving him any attention. The nobleman scoffed as he casually plucked the book from his girlfriend's hands.

"Wha-? Ashton, hey!" Rosalina exclaimed, reaching for the book, "I was reading that!"

"So you'd rather devote all of your attention to this book than your own boyfriend?" Ashton teased, "I must say, Your Highness, I'm wounded."

Ashton sighed dramatically as he did his best damsel in distress.

"What were you even reading anyway?" Ashton questioned, looking at the cover, "Making Waves and Changing Tides. Is this another romance story about knights and mermaids again?"

"N-No, it's not." Rosalina retorted, a faint blushing appearing on her cheeks.

Ashton chuckled as he set the book down and sat down next to the princess.

"Come on, Rosebud, it can't be that embarrassing," Ashton said, "I already know you like that stuff; why try to lie about it to me now?"

"S-Shut up!" Rosalina exclaimed, trying to hide her blush.

Ashton laughed and draped an arm over the princess's shoulder.

"Ahh, you love me Rosie Posie," Ashton teased, "And there ain't nothing you can do about it,"

"Ugh, you are so annoying." Rosalina said, feeling a smile creep on her face.

"Me? Annoying? Never."

Rosalina glared playfully at the nobleman and poked his cheek.

"Yes, you are." she said.

"You love me so much it makes you look stupid, but it also makes you look adorable." Ashton teased, poking Rosalina's nose.

Rosalina blushed when the nobleman called her adorable.

"Q-Quiet you..." she said sheepishly.

"Why don't you make me, Your Highness~" Ashton challenged with a chuckle.

As Rosalina glanced at her boyfriend with puffed-up cheeks, an idea came to mind, and a smile formed. Rosalina straightened her posture before standing up and sitting behind the nobleman. Then, she wrapped Ashton in a tight embrace. Ashton chuckled as he placed his hands over hers.

"Is this your way of getting me to shut up, Rosie Posie?" Ashton asked, chuckling.

"No," Rosalina began, positioning her hands, "But this is!"

Without warning, Rosalina started digging into the nobleman's sides, causing Ashton to flinch and chortle.

"Hehehehey! Rosahahaha!" Ashton giggled, "Cut it ohohohout! Hahahahahaa!"

"Nu-uh! You've been a mean little brat this whole time," Rosalina retorted, "And brats like you need to be taught a lesson."

Ashton tried to twist out of the princess's embrace, but he couldn't move; he was trapped.

"Hohohow are yohohohou this strohohohong?" Ashton questioned.

"How are you this weak?" Rosalina retorted.

Ashton tried to swat away his girlfriend's hands, but she easily dodged his hands and continued to tickle the nobleman senseless.

"Rosalinahahahahaha! Hehehehahaha!" Ashton giggled, "Come ohohohohon! Stahahahahap!"

"Are you gonna stop being a brat?" Rosalina asked.

"What dohohohoho you thihihihink?"

Rosalina sighed and rolled her eyes. With a swift movement, she kept one arm wrapped around the nobleman while using her other hand to tickle his armpit. Ashton squealed as he rocked back and forth in the princess's grasp, trying to escape, but he still marveled that his girlfriend was so strong.

"Aaahahahahaa! Rosahahahaha!" Ashton half-whined, "Plehehehehease! Knock it ohohohoff!"

"Y'know, I have to deal with bratty kids all the time, and this is how I keep them in check," Rosalina said, "I guess I need to try harder for you if I want to get my point across."

Ashton tried to dislodge his girlfriend's arm from around his middle, but it was barely budging.

"Rosebuhuhuhuhuhud! Get your hahahahand ohohohout!" Ashton giggled.

"Hmmm... nope," Rosalina said, "It's staying there until you've learned your lesson."

Ashton giggled as he tried to escape the princess's tickle hug.

"Aahahahahaha! Rosahahahaha!" Ashton cried, "Come ohohohon!"

"Are you gonna stop being a brat?" Rosalina asked again.

"Maybehehehehe! If you stohohohop, I'll thihihihihink about ihihihihit!"

Rosalina was surprised that the nobleman could still act like a brat. Rosalina sighed as she pulled her hand out from his armpit and wrapped her other arm around him, embracing him tighter.

"Sehehee? That wahahasn't so hahard, rihihihight?" Ashton questioned with a giggle.

"Who said I was done?" Rosalina asked.

A chill ran down the nobleman's spine. Rosalina then shifted her arms to hug Ashton by his shoulders. Then, Ashton yelped and started laughing. Rosalina giggled as she dug her nails into her boyfriend's shoulder blades, swaying with Ashton's attempts to escape.

"AAAAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEE! ROSAHAHAHAHAA!" Ashton laughed, "NOT THEHEHEHEHERE!"

"Why? Does it tickle, Ashy?" Rosalina questioned, "Does it tickle?"

"WHAHAHAHAT DO YOU THIHIHIHIHINK?!"

"I don't know; you tell me. Tell me, Ashton, does it tickle if I do... this?"

By "this," Rosalina slipped her fingers past the nobleman's collar and started skittering his nails on his shoulder blades and neck, causing Ashton to squeal and reach up to try and pry away his girlfriend's arms and hands.

"YEHEHEHEHES!" Ashton laughed, "YES, IT TIHIHHIHIHICKLE! AAAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Good," Rosalina said, "Maybe this will teach you not to be a brat."

Ashton felt himself grow weaker as he laughed and squirmed in the princess's grip.

"ROSALINAHAHAHAHA! I GIHIHIHIHIVE UHUHUHUHUP!" Ashton laughed, "PLEHEHEHEASE! HEHEHEHAHAHAHA!"

"Are you gonna stop being bratty?" Rosalina asked.

When Ashton didn't answer, Rosalina brought out one of her hands, slipped it under the nobleman's shirt, and spidered her nails all over his side, making Ashton double over and lean back into his girlfriend's lap with a loud laugh.

"YEEHAHAHAHAHA! YEHEHEHEHES!" Ashton cried, "IT TIHIHIHICKLES SO BAHAHAHAD!"

Rosalina giggled as she stared at her boyfriend's happy face with loving eyes. His rosy cheeks, white smile, and adorable laughter made her swoon. When Rosalina stopped the tickling, she kissed the nobleman's lips. Ashton was shocked at first but pulled his girlfriend in closer. When they parted, Ashton sat up and pulled Rosalina into another kiss, which the princess gladly accepted. After they parted, Ashton took a deep breath before leaning back into the princess's lap.

"So, are you gonna promise not to be bratty?" Rosalina asked, playing with the nobleman's hair.

When Ashton hummed in thought, the princess tweaked his side, causing the nobleman to flinch away and chortle.

"Okay, okahahay!" Ashton giggled, "I'll try, but come on, Rosa; you love me when I'm bratty."

"So what if I do?" Rosalina questioned, "Gives me an excuse to tickle you."

The nobleman quirked a brow and sat up, glancing at the princess.

"What did you just say?" Ashton asked, feeling a smirk form.

The princess's eyes widened when she realized what she said.

"O-Oh, uh... nothing." Rosalina said.

"Did you just say it gives you an excuse to tickle me?" Ashton asked.

Rosalina blushed and turned away from her boyfriend's gaze with a nervous giggle. Then, Ashton wrapped his arms tightly around his girlfriend and pulled her into his chest. He chuckled as he leaned closer to her ear.

"You may have restrained me with your magic, but I don't need magic to keep you locked in place, Rosebud." Ashton teased.

Before Rosalina could protest, she squealed and produced bell-like laughter as the nobleman tickled her in retaliation. Tickle hugs sure are deadly, wouldn't you agree?

[psalacanthea]

WiP Whenever

it's not wednesday but I have time for once, and I know it's been a while since I updated anything. So here's a little from the Hawke x Varric fic (post-canon, post Hawke escaping from the fade) for my tumblr buddies.

Hawke meets a new friend that happens to be related to someone she met in the Fade.

...

“What are you doing?” the worst four year old in Thedas asked for the fifth time.

“Having a headache,” Hawke replied, a hand draped over her face.  “I’ve had a very hard day, you know.”

“Uncle Varric was mad.”

Yep, he sure was.  Still mad, actually.  If Naomi didn’t feel like she’d been thrown down the harbor road in a barrel, she’d probably be hovering over him.  But instead she was stuck being Thedas’ worst babysitter.

She shifted, moving from hand over the face to arm over the face.  Still blocked out the light, but more dramatically.  “Only a little at me, mostly at other people.  Where’s your mom?”

Her response was in Dalish.  Elven.  Whatever they called it, Naomi didn’t speak it.

“Okay,” she said, rather than ask for clarification.

It gained her no reprieve.  The small creature continued prattling.  “Uncle Varric said you from F’relden.  Where’s you dog?”

“My friend Fenris stole him.  They stole each other, I guess.”  At the fretful little tug on her arm, Hawke lifted it above her eyes.  Her head swam a little as her vision focused, in a way that made her finally admit Varric was right and she shouldn’t sleep until her brains un-scrambled, or he found a mage.

Disturbingly close to hers, a round-cheeked, but pointy face framed by wavy mahogany hair cut too close loomed, eyes fixed intently on her face.  Weird eyes, actually.  Not a color she’d ever seen before, even in other elves.  They weren’t gray like she’d thought.

“Your eyes are purple.”

“Yours eyes are blue.”

“Kid…”

“Aslin,” the little interloper corrected her.

“Aslin, I have a headache.  Because someone kicked me in the head.  Several times. And that's after a long lifetime of people kicking me in the head, so it hurts a lot.”

“D’you need a medicine?”

Not even bothering to question if it was a good idea or not, Hawke dropped her arm back over her face.  “Yeah.  The bottle on the table is my medicine, can you pour me a glass?”

The weight on her knees disappeared, and Naomi slumped deeper into her chair.  Maker.  Where was Anders when you needed him?  Wasn’t Varric’s stupid paragon a mage?  Or had the magic left her when her ex chopped off her arm?

“Hey, is your mom a mage?”

“No.  Is you a mage?”  There was a disturbingly loud clink, a splash, and then a very faint ‘oops’.

Naomi didn’t open her eyes.  “No.  Is anything broken?”

“No, its yours turn.  You say ‘is Asalin a mage?’ and ven I say yes.”

Naomi honestly wasn’t really listening. “Seems like you have it handled.  Is anything broken?”

“No.”

“Then keep going,” she invited.

There was some excessive glugging, some more splashing and some more ‘oops’es, but eventually Hawke’s dangling hand had something cold and very damp shoved at it.  Gratefully she fumbled her way into grabbing the glass by the bowl, letting the drenched base drip onto the floor.  “Thanks, kiddo.”

“I spilled.”

“Yeah.  On the table or yourself?”

“Yes.”

Naomi was smart enough to know that a small child covered in wine would get her into trouble.  She remained in the darkness behind her eyeballs though, because seeing things made them real and she didn’t feel like dealing with it.  “Shit happens.  You can take anything you want out of the big wardrobe in the bedroom.”

As little bare feet pattered noisily away on the stone floor, Hawke took a sip of her wine, feeling the drops pattering against her thigh.  And chest, as she lifted the dry red to her lips.  “This is why I don’t wear white,” she muttered.

It didn’t take long for the little beast to do whatever destruction she was doing in the other room, and there were no crashes or screams.  No sobbing.  See?  Four year olds didn’t need that much oversight– she was perfectly capable.

“Asalin?  Aslin!”

The voice echoed up the hall, too distant to be unpleasant, but still rousing a wrinkle of Naomi’s forehead.  Which hurt, so she stopped.  Being kicked in the head was unpleasant.  So was the rest of it, of course, but right now the headache was so insistent that she couldn’t think about anything else.

The pain was in her teeth.

Like a duckling, she heard the pitter-patter of little elven feet again.  “I have to go mamae.”

“Good luck.  Remember, you should ask Uncle Varric where his beard went.”

“Okay.  Daref shiral.”

“Dareth shiral,” Naomi replied, because she knew that one.  Didn’t know what it meant, but she knew what it was.  Merrill said it sometimes.

“I’m close a’door.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Another little pitter-pat, and then some huffing and puffing and very serious child grunting.  “Why can’t somefing just work?!” the little voice declared with a very adult cadence and exasperation, but hilariously childlike pronunciation.

“It’s a heavy door and you’re a small bean.  It’s fine.  Leave it.”

Unfortunately that required another round of farewells, which meant the kid’s mom got close enough that Hawke could hear when her crimes were uncovered.  First it was fussing over what she was wearing (one of Varric’s shirts, apparently, which meant it was a wonder the kid was covered at all and not just tripping on his neckline) and then it was asking why she smelled like wine in a much higher and more strained pitch.  Oh yeah.  That probably would be noticeable, wouldn’t it be?

But the moment Hawke knew she was in real trouble when a small, serious voice piped up from the hallway.

“Shit happens, mamae."