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netherzon · 2 months ago

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Hetaween Fic - Haunted House Prompt

@hetaween-event

Summary: Alfred and Ludwig are youtube ghost hunters together, but they aren't being fully honest with each other

Characters: America, Germany, minor ghost OCs

Pairings: America/Germany but they're not together

Warnings: One of the main characters is a ghost so he's dead but still around, descriptions of ghosts and injuries, blood, concussions

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 5612

“What is UP everybody?!” Alfred half yells cheerfully. The dark forest around them remains as quiet as it has been since they hiked out here, “Welcome to our first ever 3am challenge!”

“We agreed we weren’t doing that,” Ludwig deadpans behind him. Alfred shushes him and twists away with the camera so Ludwig isn’t in view anymore.

“Like I said,” Alfred holds the camera close like he’s sharing a secret, “this is our 3am challenge. My name is Alfred, the party pooper is Ludwig” — said party pooper sticks his tongue out at him from behind the camera, making Alfred laugh — “and welcome to part thirty two of our International Ghost Hunt!”

They’d never actually been outside the U.S., or even outside of Maine, but that didn’t matter. Alfred had decided the name for their channel because Ludwig was German, which obviously made them International Ghost Hunting Buddies!

He’d still promised one day they’d head up to Canada together, just to make it twice as official. That was gonna be one of their big subscriber milestones, though. One million subscribers maybe, but even that felt a bit low to Alfred.

“Where are we today, my esteemed co-host?” Alfred holds the camera up so the audience can see Ludwig over his head again.

Ludwig doesn’t miss a beat, “A rotting house you found in the woods?”

Wry, dry, quizzical, amused, sarcastic, mean: there were a million words you could use to describe Ludwig’s delivery. Alfred had seen them all in the comments, along with every kind and unkind thing said about himself. It didn’t really matter at the end of the day. Ludwig was a master at understated, and Alfred had a talent for exaggeration. It was a winning formula.

“Correct-i-mundo,” Alfred pronounces it just a little bit wrong, “this is a definitely, totally, one hundo percent NOT haunted house I found in the woods! Here’s our 3am challenge to prove it!”

“We’re not doing a 3am challenge,” Ludwig repeats again, “especially not that one.”

“Aww, why not?” Alfred whines.

“This house is definitely haunted. You’ll fail.”

“I never fail! And even if I do, I’d rather fail than quit!”

Alfred’s expecting something like ‘Those are basically the same’ or ‘Famous last words’.

What he gets instead is an earnest, just-loud-enough-for-the-camera-to-pickup, “You always get sad when you’re proven wrong, and I don’t like seeing you so sad.”

This stops Alfred dead in his tracks. Ludwig has this concerned little furrow between his eyebrows, and what Alfred really wants to do is hug him and kiss his cheek and tell him how gosh darn sweet he is, but they’re just friends, and this is basically their job, and he’s not sure what Ludwig really means. If he has feelings like that for him. He doesn’t want to come on too strong either.

He’s probably just saying that cause he’s tired of you fear-eating all the ice cream after every ghost hunt.

“I—“ Alfred starts and stops, feeling his chest tighten. The furrow between Ludwig’s eyebrows gets deeper. Alfred tries again, “thanks for looking out for me Lutz, but that’s kinda personal to put on camera don’t you think? This is gonna go in the video.”

Ludwig was a pretty private guy. Alfred never had to try hard to convince him to change a line here or there.

Ludwig’s face smooths back out, “We can start over.”

“I won’t go all the way back, just a different line and then we’ll cut to inside the house.”

Alfred repeats, “I never fail! And even if I do, I’d rather fail than quit!”

This time he grins cartoonishly and tilts the camera back towards Ludwig.

“That sounds like a line from blockbuster hit Megamind 2: Megamind versus the Doom Syndicate,” is Ludwig’s ridiculous response. Standing there in his fancy old fashioned clothing, hair slicked back all formal like, making an incoherent reference to a movie almost nobody has watched. That’s not even an actual line from the movie.

It’s a bit too much of an inside joke, but Alfred isn’t patient enough to tell him they need to redo it again.

The last thing Alfred lets the camera hear before they head inside is his own reaction, “I will never regret making you watch the direct to dvd sequels without watching the first movies.”

If you can’t make the audience laugh, outrage is a good second option. It is also the truth. Ludwig had not seen pretty much any modern movies before they met, and Alfred had taken full advantage of this for his own amusement. It was too bad he hadn’t seen the popularity of movie reaction videos coming. Ludwig’s reactions were a gold mine. He had been too dazzled by the animations and Alfred’s surround sound speakers to complain that the movies were bad or confusing or low quality when they objectively were. This was even funnier to Alfred.

He also wasn’t patient enough to think about how strange his friend was, or why.

Ludwig hadn’t ever really said where he’d come from, but Alfred was pretty sure he knew.

Hot, single, old fashioned German guy his age appears out of nowhere, without any modern tech or pop culture knowledge? Definitely Amish.

~~~~~~~~

Alfred stops at the bottom of the porch steps. The rotting wood has spots of faded blue gray paint on it. There’s half a handrail to one side. He gingerly tests the stairs once, then he jumps on them. Ludwig watches patiently until Alfred is satisfied they won’t collapse under their weight. Next, they set up the camera to get B-roll of them walking up the stairs and into the house.

It was Ludwig’s suggestion that they do all the video production stuff first. Once Alfred ran out of a house screaming he wouldn’t go near it again, and Ludwig couldn’t do it alone. Wouldn’t do it alone. Ludwig’s fans complained that Alfred hogged the camera too much, but Alfred had offered to let him take the lead a couple times. He just didn’t like being on camera.

“Especially not that camera,” he’d say, “it’s haunted.”

“That’s what I paid for!” Alfred would wink back.

This B-roll doesn’t go as smoothly as usual. Alfred twists the knob, shoves, and the door falls right off its hinges. It crashes against the wooden floor boards, the sound ricocheting through the house. Dust billows up from the floor, blocking their view inside. For one horrifying second they wait for something within the house to respond, to react to the intruders that so rudely announced themselves.

Nothing happens.

The dust settles again.

“Well,” Alfred jokes into the quiet, “at least we don’t have to worry about it slamming shut and locking behind us!”

This is a joke he’s made many times, because it is an actual fear of his every time they do this.

“You worry about that. I don’t worry about that.”

Alfred turns back to the camera mouthing “Sorry”, then again shrugging, then again acting sheepish, then another looking terrified. This has never happened before, so he’s not sure what reaction will be funniest. Best to get them all at once and decide later which one to use.

“I don’t know how you can believe in ghosts but not worry they’re gonna get you. I don’t actually worry, by the way. I know ghosts aren’t real, so it can’t happen. Duh.”

Despite appearances, and also character, it is Ludwig who is the ghost truther in their pair, and Alfred who is the unbeliever.

“Ghosts are real. There are ghosts in this house. They know you’re here,” Ludwig says in an ominous tone. Alfred briefly holds the flashlight under Ludwig’s chin for effect, cause that’s what the video needs. The words still make him shudder.

“Why do you always gotta say it in the worst way possible,” Alfred whines again, more quietly.

If his heart is starting to beat faster, it’s only because he’s that good an actor. If he’s considering asking Ludwig to hold his hand, well, that’s not for comfort. He just wants to hold Ludwig’s hand and has been trying to get Ludwig to hold his hand for the past seven ghost hunting trips they’ve been on. The comfort would just be a bonus.

Alfred F Jones is not seriously scared of ghosts. Really. He never has been. Not even once. Ghosts aren’t real, and you can’t be afraid of something that’s not real.

“Do you want to know the names of the ghosts in this house and how they died?” Ludwig asks, more chipper than usual, almost eager to help.

Alfred shudders hard enough that it comes through on camera. “Maybe later,” the flashlight shakes a little, “after we explore a bit.”

“If you say so, though, Valerie doesn’t like to be ignored.”

“You’re so fucking creepy man, cut it out!”

“You cut it. You’re the editor.”

Alfred leaves that line in out of spite.

~~~~~~~~~~~

They explore the first floor together. At each room they come up with competing ideas of what it was used for. Ludwig sticks to the sensible answers: Mudroom, lounge, dining room, bathroom 1. Alfred likes to get more creative: lava lamp storage, dressing room, flee circus training facility—

Ludwig decides now is the time to start being ominous again, “Are you suggesting Valerie has flees? She’s not going to like that.”

Alfred audibly gulps, but presses forward anyway, “Uh, yeah? First, Recreational Flees don’t count, but I wouldn’t put it past them to have regular flees too! Did you see their bathroom?”

Ludwig merely hums, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Dude you are such a fence sitter! Do you think Valerie had flees too or not?!” Alfred forgets his inside voice, as he usually does. Desperate to get Ludwig on the hook with Valerie, just in case she is real, even though she’s definitely not.

The whole house seems to creak all at once. Alfred jumps as a branch knocks against the window next to him. Clutching his chest. Breathing heavy. His heart is racing.

The camera is pointed at the floor for almost ten seconds.

Ludwig waits until Alfred turns the camera on him to respond. Both his eyebrows are raised in mild surprise, but he looks composed and extremely smug next to Alfred.

“No, I do not believe Valerie has flees.” There’s a moment of silence, and then Ludwig adds, “I tried to warn you.”

There’s another moment of silence. Ludwig looks like he’s trying very hard not to laugh. Alfred continues to glare at him from behind the camera.

“One of these days I’m gonna hit you,” Alfred threatens. It’s an empty threat and they both know it. He’s made others like it in their videos and Ludwig has always refuted him. Always, because Ludwig is right, Alfred isn’t going to punch him, or kick him, or tickle him (unless Ludwig wanted him to), or slap him (unless Ludwig wanted him to do that too).

Yet they continue to go off script this night. Alfred regrets saying it immediately because Ludwig suddenly looks miserable. He stares into the distance over Alfred’s shoulder, his eyes shining like he’s about to cry.

“Hey, are you okay?” Alfred asks in a panic. He points the camera back towards a random wall. It’s not real privacy, but it feels more comfortable that way. “I’m sorry I said I’d hit you, I wouldn’t really do that, not over a joke anyway! I thought you knew that, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” The apologies pour out of his mouth uncontrollably.

He walks towards Ludwig, but Ludwig steps back so quickly he almost hits the wall. He won’t look at Alfred.

Alfred stops too, a little hurt himself, but most of all guilty. He’s still blathering, “I’ve never seen you look so sad before! I really am sorry, please talk to me, Ludwig!”

Hearing his name seems to snap him out of it. Ludwig turns back to Alfred, headless of the tears that are streaming down his cheeks, “I’m fine.”

“But you’re—“

Ludwig hurriedly interrupts, “Speaking of bathrooms, I need one. Excuse me.” With that, he turns to leave.

“Wait!” Alfred moves to follow him, confused and scared that Ludwig might leave entirely.

That’s when Ludwig turns to face him head on and yells, “Do NOT move, Alfred!”

Alfred pauses for a second before walking towards his friend again, “You’re not making any sense—“

Just to get Alfred to stop Ludwig crosses the space between them. “Do not move from this spot, Alfred,” he repeats firmly.

“Why?” Alfred demands, angrier now. If Ludwig wanted to abandon him here, he should just say it. He’d rather hear it directly.

Perhaps Ludwig could sense Alfred’s fear, because his face softens. His hands come up in a gesture of peace, though an edge remains in the sound of his voice, “I’m going to go outside to use the restroom, Alfred, that’s all, and I don’t want you exploring the house without me. What if something happened and I couldn’t find you?”

Mollified by his concern, Alfred softens too, “Well, I guess. I’m not interested in watching you pee, so…”

Ludwig snorts, “So you’ll wait here for me?”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Alfred reassures him.

Ludwig gives a quick ‘Good’ and then quickly disappears down the dark hallway.

“You heard me when I said I was sorry, right?” Alfred calls after him.

There is no response.

“He must’ve really had to go,” Alfred mutters to the camera.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first five minutes he picks at his fingernails. Zips and unzips and zips his hoodie. Fiddles with the brightness on their camera.

At ten minutes he’s staring intently at the faded pattern on the wallpaper. Tries to recreate it on his jeans with an old highlighter he had in his fanny pack. Cleans the lens of their camera.

At fifteen minutes he’s trying to pronounce the German brand name on the camera with the worst American accent he can. Ludwig had read it to him once or twice, so he had a vague idea of the correct way. Now he just had to do it as badly as possible. Maybe then Ludwig will think twice about leaving Alfred alone in the future.

Twenty minutes, and he’s listening to the video he has of Ludwig saying ‘I don’t like seeing you so sad’ for reassurance. To keep himself in place he imagines he goes looking for Ludwig, and it turns out he didn’t leave him behind, but his friend feels so betrayed that Alfred didn’t trust him that he leaves because of it.

Twenty five minutes, and Alfred imagines Ludwig has hurt himself.

He goes looking for him.

It’s slow going because he’s lost his mental map of the house now. He thinks he’ll find the kitchen and finds a closet. Where he remembers the living room, there’s the kitchen. Where he thought the bathroom was, now it’s the living room. At the center of the house he finds the mudroom, which just doesn’t seem right at all.

“What is even the point of having this here?” He asks the screen door leading into it.

A horrendous screeching noise fills the hallway. Alfred jumps back as a gash rips the screen from the ceiling to the floor like somebody cut through it with a knife.

His glasses are peppered with flakes of rusted metal, along with his shirt, pants, shoes, and his camera lens. “Rusted old piece of junk,” Alfred says angrily as he takes off his hoodie to use the clean back as a rag, “Are you trying to give me tetanus?!”

Despite being inside, pine scented wind waves the ruined screen around. More bits of rust land on Alfred’s shoes, and he quickly moves on.

After trying to find the front door for what felt like an hour, he finally finds something. He turns a corner and sees somebody at the end of the hall.

It’s not Ludwig.

He makes sure to keep the camera pointed forward as he calls out, “Hello? It’s nice to meet you! My name’s Alfred. What’s yours?”

It looks to be a girl in her early teens. She has on a long skirt, and long braided hair. The house creaks around them, but the girl only stares silently from the end of the hall.

“Oookay,” Alfred says, “That’s fine, you don’t have to tell me your name! You’re probably scared, huh? Are you lost? Where’s your family?”

Alfred begins walking towards her slowly, the way you would a cornered animal. She stares with wide unblinking eyes.

He gets maybe halfway down the hallway. Close enough to notice she’s dressed up to look like her head is on backwards.

“Oh cool! Is that your Halloween costume? That’s really good! Are you that robot mom from Umbrella Academy? Jeez, what was her na—“

Alfred is cut off by a piercing scream. An invisible force slams into him, sending him flying down the hall. Instinctively he wraps his arms around the camera, leaving his head unprotected. He smashes into the floor, rolls, hitting doors, a small table, only stopping when he hits the back wall. The scream continues. All the doors along the hall slam open and closed, open and closed.

At some point it stops. He’s not sure when or why or what actually happened anyway. The ringing in his ears continues, so it’s doesn’t make much of a difference to Alfred.

Dazed, he starts to uncurl, checking the camera. It looks fine, thank god, except for where there’s blood smeared across it. Using his sleeves to try and wipe it off only makes the mess worse. The blood is coming from his hands.

He can see the cuts, can see the dull red of the blood soaking into his blue hoodie. He can’t feel it though. Yet?

Something is seriously wrong with him.

Thinking about it makes his head hurt. The sudden wave of nausea has him curling back in on himself. He leans as far from the camera as he can and coughs up bile.

The screaming starts again. This time it is agony. His hands come up to cover his ears automatically, black spots filling his vision. He almost can’t see the man standing in front of him. He doesn’t see the girl advancing down the hallway at all.

“Ludwig?” He asks. His voice is pitiful and weak, but he’d recognize that slicked blond head anywhere and anyway this is important. “Ludwig, I think I have a concussion,” he groans.

Ludwig is facing away from him, but he inclines his head a little in acknowledgment. He is not much help though. “I do not know what that means,” he says after a moment.

“A concussion? Means I have a brain bruise. A bruised brain. My brain is now a bruis-ed,” Alfred explains to the best of his ability, "I had a concussion once when I was a kid. From skateboarding. ‘S not fun."

"Yet you lived?" It's hard to tell when he's still looking away, but Ludwig sounds weirdly hopeful.

"uhh…" Alfred doesn't get a chance to think of a response because the screaming restarts. It sends Alfred back to his ball form, doubling over again. Feet pound on the floor towards them, there’s a smack, a flash of heat. And then…

Silence.

“Alfred,” he hears Ludwig say quietly. He’s unusually quiet. Alfred assumes it’s a kindness to him in his concussed state, “Alfred we should leave.”

“Wh—“ Alfred uncurls a little too quickly and makes himself dizzy. He braces himself against the floor on hands and knees. Deep breaths. His eyes are on the camera, “We haven’t even gone to the second floor yet! Or the basement!”

Ludwig pauses. He also looks at the camera, and that’s when he notices the alarming amount of blood covering it.

“What—“ he starts, looking at Alfred’s hands, Alfred’s head, “is that a concussion?! Your face is bleeding!” He asks with alarm.

Alfred pushes the camera towards him gently, “Can you clean this? We need to check out the other floor.”

Ludwig physically recoils. Alfred’s never seen Ludwig puke before, but now he really looks like he might. Instead of taking the camera, he tries to get Alfred onto his feet, “We need to leave now!”

“Wait, wait!” Alfred grabs the camera before he can be pulled too far. All the quick motions make him dizzy, and he has to lean against the wall to catch his breath and calm down his guts.

Ludwig paces while he waits, tugging at his cufflinks with agitation. Alfred spends thirty seconds against the wall. It quickly eats away at his friend’s patience, “Alfred what if you are bleeding to death?”

Well now, that Alfred cannot accept, “Bold words from someone who doesn’t know what a concussion is.”

Blood drips down the side of his face and onto the floor. He hadn’t noticed his head wound before, but it’s not a big deal. He had been an adventurous child, “Like I said I’ve had plenty of head wounds,” Alfred says confidently, despite how he feels like shit, “this isn’t gonna kill me.”

Ludwig goes back to tugging at his cufflinks.

“Hey wait,” Alfred says once he’s capable of more coherent thought, “what happened to that girl?”

The hallway that Alfred flew down looks an absolute mess, but there are no signs of the girl anywhere. A pit of worry starts to grow in Alfred’s stomach. What if she really was bleeding to death somewhere?

Ludwig stops pacing and just stares at him, eyes a mix of exasperation and admiration. “Never change, Alfred,” he says quietly. Sweetly. Then he grabs Alfred’s hand and starts to haul him down the other hallway, “If you’re well enough to worry about others, you’re well enough to move yourself! I know where the exit is, but they don’t want us to leave.”

“What? Who is they? What’re you talking about?”

“The ghosts in this house,” Ludwig is a man on a mission. The grim determination on his face now is frightening, “they mixed the whole house up to try and confuse us, and they hurt you. Badly. Just don’t let go of the camera, okay?”

He didn’t need to worry about that. Alfred was continuously filming. It was an unconscious action by now. The same as breathing, or blinking, or his heart beating. Nothing that couldn’t rip his heart straight out of his chest stood a chance at prying that camera away from him.

He gives Ludwig a thumbs up, “yeah, you’re right. I still don’t believe in ghosts, or that the house is changing, or whatever else you said, but I’m ready to go now.”

Ludwig sighs deeply, but keeps moving without a word. Alfred gets the feeling he’s stressed about being lost. Definitely has nothing to do with Alfred.

They wander for a while. Ludwig leads them confidently through the twisting corridors, reaching out to grab Alfred’s wrist when he starts to fall behind. It doesn’t take long for Alfred to lose track of time and their direction, and he lets it all go, his focus directed towards the comforting feeling of Ludwig’s hand holding onto him instead.

Until they reach the front door again.

The room they had first seen has completely changed. It looks like a mansion now. The front door is a set of double doors now, and there are grand staircases and chandeliers with lit candles to match. However, they don’t seem to offer much light. The room has expanded beyond their reach. It wasn’t designed like this.

It also means the front doors are back on their hinges. Probably locked.

There’s a young woman between them and the door. She looks older than the last mystery girl, with a much less elaborate costume. She just looks like an old timey axe murder victim; an old looking dress stained with fake blood that drips down from her face and hair. It looks more realistic than the red food coloring mix Alfred has used for his own film projects.

“Wonder if she’ll give me the recipe,” he mutters to no one.

“Valerie,” Ludwig tries to project calm, “let us leave.”

The woman, Valerie, smiles. She spreads her arms, and Alfred is impressed how her left side seems to gush with a new flow of blood. Visually, her shoulder doesn’t seem attached to her body. “Can’t you see my vision for this house?” She asks, “It could have been something wonderful. It could be something wonderful if you gave it a chance.��

There’s a strange echo in her voice. A pitch that’s not quite right. Alfred cringes when he hears it. Immediately he starts glancing around to see if he can spot the speakers they must be using to project her altered voice into the room. She must be hiding a mic somewhere.

“I know, Valerie, I know you wanted more than what you got. Believe me, I did too. But we can’t stay here,” Ludwig’s voice is sad and surprisingly soft for such a serious guy. Alfred is always impressed by Ludwig’s compassion for all the strangers they meet doing this. To Alfred, they usually seemed like real weirdos. He tries his best to be friendly, but he never really figured out how to talk to them.

“I’m not leaving!” Valerie suddenly screams with a force that shakes the floor beneath them, “I’m not leaving! I don’t care if the walls rot away around me, I’m not leaving!” She continues to wail, her body bending and shuddering and folding at impossible angles. Drops of blood float around her in ways Alfred didn’t even think were possible. He flinches at the sound, but the display fills him with envy.

I want visual effects like that!

Ludwig holds his hands out in a placating gesture, “You can stay! If you’re not ready to go then I’m not here to force you. I just need you to let me and my friend leave now. He needs medical attention.”

Valerie suddenly stops, hands still with a death grip on her hair, and now as she turns Alfred gets a glimpse of the (makeup) wound at the back of her head. The sight alone makes him sick to his stomach. He’s never seen anything like it before.

“Ludwig, what’s going on?”

“Shush, Alfred!” Ludwig throws over his shoulder, eyes firmly fixed on Valerie.

Valerie is staring at Alfred now. Her eyes are dark, glazed over but somehow sharp. The effect is one of oppressive exposure. He is seen in every way by something intangible. Nothing so insignificant as a mere human’s eyes. The presence surrounds him from every angle, slips through his hair, under his clothes into his ears eyes nose mouth it fills his lungs floods his blood stream it—

“Valerie,” Ludwig calls her name again, trying to bring the woman’s attention back to him.

Alfred is standing slightly behind him, in the same mansion as before. Nothing has changed, except when the thing lets go he falls to his knees, dry heaving. There’s nothing left in his stomach from earlier, but that can’t stop the painful convulsions. His head hurts like hell. Tears stream down his face.

He’s not sure how long it is before the pain is faded enough to hear the ongoing conversation.

“I promise we’ll come back,” is the first thing he understands fully.

“What?” Alfred begins to protest, but his voice is too hoarse to be heard across the room. Ludwig has moved closer to Valerie, and now he waves a hand at Al behind his back in a “Shut up I’m trying to save your life” gesture.

“Believe me, I know how lonely it is. You know that I understand that. But killing my friend won’t help. You have my word, if you let me get him medical attention, we will come back to see you.”

Valerie tilts her head curiously. “Friend? You consider him a friend?”

“Of course.”

“But he still lives.”

“Yes.”

“You want him to keep living?”

“Yes, I do.”

Valerie seems confused, but convinced Ludwig is being truthful, so she turns her attention back to Alfred. He tenses up under her gaze, expecting the choking to begin again.

It never comes. Instead she just squints suspiciously at him, “Do you consider him a friend?”

Alfred looks at Ludwig, deliberately ignoring Valerie, “What’s this Power of Friendship thing that’s happening right now? Are we on an MLP themed episode of Punk’d or something?”

Ludwig doesn’t get to answer before the floor begins to shake again. It feels like he’s made the house angry.

Damn, they really did the most with the robotics here!

“Please just answer the question, Alfred!”

“Okay, yeah, I consider Ludwig a friend! One of my best friends even!” And maybe something more sometime, maybe, his brain finishes. He keeps that part to himself.

The shaking stops. The intense look of concentration on Valerie’s face does not.

“I don’t trust you—,” she says after a moment.

“That makes two,” Alfred shoots back, earning him an exasperated look from Ludwig.

“—how can spirits and the living truly be friends?” Valerie continues.

Alfred groans again, “What are you even talking about? I’m concussed, I can’t answer riddles right now.”

“So you believe me when I say we are friends?”

Valerie’s eyes flick back towards Ludwig. “I believe you believe you’re friends. It is foolish though.”

Ludwig inches his way between Valerie and Alfred again, shielding him from view. “What does that mean?”

It’s Valerie’s turn to look sad, “Would you swear on your life that you’ll come back?”

“That’s—” Ludwig falters, “that’s a bit hard for me to do…. That would be a question for Alfred.”

“I will not accept your friend’s word. You shouldn’t either.”

Ludwig looks back at Alfred then, clearly distressed. Alfred feels a bit guilty. He’s understood less and less of the conversation as it's gone on, and he’s not sure what to do. He shrugs helplessly, shaking his head a little.

He must be bleeding a lot, because Ludwig quickly agrees to whatever Valerie was talking about. He turns back to her and says, “On my soul, I swear.”

Valerie sighs, shaking her head. “I don’t understand,” she murmurs.

“Well,” Ludwig shrugs a little too, “I’m already dead, I don’t have much to lose anymore.”

“No, only the very last shreds of yourself, your life, your memory,” Valerie begins backing away. The room around them begins to crumble with her. The candles flicker out. Windows that had been fixed in the illusion now break inwards again. In a few seconds the room is remade into the room they first saw. The door, too, crashes again, revealing the dark forest beyond it. The exit

“That’s not worth anything to me personally. There’s only one person now who might care about something like that, and he needs my help right now.”

Ludwig walks back towards Alfred, helping him to his feet. Alfred wraps an arm around Ludwig’s shoulders and Ludwig wraps an arm around his waist. The camera remains in a firm grip in Alfred’s hand. Still recording. Capturing everything.

They limp towards the door together. The last word goes to Valerie:

“We’ll see.”

#gerame #hws germany #hws america #hetaween 2024 #its not actually Haunted House Prompt day I am very sorry #I'll think of a good title for this when I post it on ao3 #i hope this works okay as a standalone #its not my best work but I had fun #cw: blood #cw: wounds #cw: head injuries

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splish--splash--minecraft · 1 year ago

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Scarian snippet - Pizza AU

I wasn't expecting to get that much attention on the scarian bit I wrote earlier, so I've decided to post some more writing! This one is for an au I've been working on recently that I have dubbed the pizza AU. That'll make sense in a moment.

It's a college/university AU, though that doesn't come into play all that much until later. It's also an AU in which Grian works at a pizza place and Scar comes in every week with the most ridiculous and outlandish orders. Hence the AU name.

I've no clue when it'll be finished as I can be a slow writer at the best of times (and seeing as I did recently get a job - at a pizza place! - this is not the best of times as it's taking up a lot of my free time) and since this will also be a one-shot (I rarely trust myself with multichap fics), it might be a while. I'll try to keep y'all updated though. So, y'know, if you're interested...maybe drop a follow? Thanks <3

Anyway, without further ado...the snippet. That is almost 1k words. Oops?

Grian sighed when the phone rang. He knew, without looking, that it was 1AM.

It only rang for a moment before Grian picked it up, just to get this over with. “Hello, this is Pizza Paraslice, what can I get for you?”

“Hi! Okay, can I get a large with parmesan garlic sauce, mozzarella and asiago cheese, jalapenos and diced boneless chicken, with a ranch drizzle? Thanks!”

Grian’s eyes closed as he let out a sigh as he took in the order. “Mmhm. Name for your order?”

“Scar!”

“And would you like pickup or delivery?

“Pickup, please!”

Grian didn’t know why he had to bother with asking Scar all that, since It was the same every time. Only the order was different. His boss had insisted though, so.

“Alright, that’ll be $21.59. How would you -”

“I’ll pay with cash there.”

“Okay, it’ll be ready in about 15 minutes.”

“See you then!”

The line clicked and Grian allowed himself to take a deep breath before looking down at the order he had entered into the POS system. Great. Another weird order from Scar.

He glanced at the one other person working at this time, rolling his eyes as they continued to stare at their phone even as the order counter dinged by the makeline, telling them they had an order. He dragged himself over to it and set about making the order.

Honestly, it wasn’t as weird as some of his other orders. The sauce was a little odd, sure, as was the ranch drizzle at the end, but he’d seen far weirder combinations, all courtesy of Scar.

He let out a breath of relief once the pizza was in the oven and he could wash the jalapenos juices from his hands. He relaxed for a second, eyeing the board to make sure no more orders had come in. Honestly, Grian had no idea why Scar bothered calling every time. Most orders they got came in online, or a few people would even order there. But Scar always called for whatever reason. Grian never asked.

The door opened right as Grian got the pizza out of the oven to cut it. He didn’t have to look to know it was Scar. They didn’t have any other orders available for pickup, and very few people came in to order at this time of night. Plus, the sound of his cane against the tiled floors was sign enough that it was him.

Still, he peeked around the cutting table to see Scar looking around before smiling at him. “There’s my favorite person!”

Grian rolled his eyes with a huff. He always said that every time he came in. “I’m almost done with your pizza, give me a sec.”

“No worries, take your time. It’ll be amayzin anyway.”

Grian snorted. He wasn’t so sure about that, but he didn’t say anything, just dutifully cut the pizza and added the ranch drizzle. He closed the pizza box and walked around the cut table to where Scar stood behind the counter, cash in hand and wide grin directed his way.

Grian did his best to ignore him as he rang Scar up, taking the cash - in perfect amount, so he didn’t even need to get any change. With that done, he handed the pizza to Scar. “Anything else I can get you?”

“Your number?” Scar asked, hopeful.

Grian rolled his eyes again, though he couldn’t stop the slight flush from creeping up his cheeks and the barest hint of a smile that tugged at his lips.

“Maybe next time,” he said, just as he did every time.

Scar clicked his tongue. “I thought for sure this would be the week. Oh well. See you next week!”

He turned around and left, holding the pizza with one hand and his cane in the other as he backed out of the door, waving the end of his cane at Grian briefly before he disappeared out of sight.

“Please just ask him out already. Or give him your number, at least.”

Grian jumped as his co-worker appeared behind him. He pressed his hand to his chest and let out a breath. “God, don’t scare me like that!”

“Ask the poor guy out then!”

“And why would I do that?” Grian asked, raising his eyebrow.

His co-worker groaned. “Dude, anyone can tell you’ve got a crush on him. And he has one on you! Every week he orders a pizza and then asks for your number. Are you ever actually going to give him it?”

“I definitely do not have a crush on him. He makes my Wednesdays miserable. You think I like making his stupid pizzas? And of course, you never help.”

“Eh, you got it. You do just fine with making pizzas for your not-crush.”

Grian groaned, thankful when they got some orders and he could go and make them instead of continuing this conversation he wanted nothing to do with.

He absolutely did not have a crush on Scar. In fact, he could barely stand the guy. He ordered the weirdest pizzas, and some of them were incredibly complicated. He made Grian dread the Wednesday shifts and had tried multiple times to get out of them, but they didn't have enough people that could work at that time so he was stuck with the shift.

And, sure, his face always heated up when Scar smiled at him and flirted with him, and he often couldn't prevent a small smile at it, but that didn't mean anything. Each time, he told himself it would finally be the time he told Scar to stop.

He still hadn't, but it still didn't mean anything! He just…liked the attention, that's all. And sure, he flirted back a bit, but it was basically routine by this point.

He did not have a crush on Scar.

He didn't.

#scarian #trafficshipping #my writing #it's fun writing grian being in denial #pizza au

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morsmortish · 7 months ago

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HI. do u have any rosekiller fics you’d recommend ?? for research<3 (research being giggling manically at two gay psychos in love)

hmmmmm

i would say that possibly my fav rosekiller dynamics are in the one shots by roadsidehorror on ao3, they're so chaotic and yet also so endearing there, without losing too much of the 'psycho' that i sometimes find lacking in fics.

for longer fics, i highly recommend "i would say i love you (but it's so hard, i won't say it at all)" by graveryavery, which is a lovely little friends-to-lovers roadtrip au that i ADORE, or "starvin' darlin'" by showinalittlelife, where barty is a cannibal and evan is terminally ill, or "show me those pretty white jaws" by 214liacsky, which i found on here when i was exploring the idea of catholic guilt and bcj, and it captures it perfectly!

i think i've only ever read one fic where evan is characterised in the way i see him, as that off-putting, weird little freak that stands in the corner of the room and stares unblinkingly at you, whilst barty is some sort of racoon-hyena hybrid that bounces off the walls and makes it his life's mission to win over evan, and that's "pickup or delivery" by lifeisabitch, and i LOVE it for those reasons and more.

(special shoutout to messermoon's protrayal of rosekiller, esp in of his bones, which is my all time favourite fanfiction ever)

#a #rosekiller #they're just freaks tbh #i'm so glad we live in a world where there is sm rosekiller now available #i remember the days when they were a rarepair...#now we're spoiled for choice!#i hope you enjoy!!!!!

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a-gaime · 2 years ago

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Written in the stars

Flynn and Veli are two pilots making delivery trips for The Loop space station, in one trip they meet a bump in the road that ends up having far bigger consequences than they expected

Chapter one (probably incomplete and will stay that way)

______

Their hands lightly brushed the surface of the control panel, gently going over the buttons. Flynn loved this ship and all the memories it held.

"hey you almost done in there?" a voice called from outside the Kridona, knocking Flynn out of their daze. "Yeah coming" he replied, quickly gathering their bags. "Hurry up then we need to go." walking out of the ship 'their ship, the ship that they share and is a reminder of all their best memories' he sees the owner of the voice; Veli, his partner and the only person they could ever imagine flying with.

"you ready to go? We have a lot of pickups to do" Veli spoke looking down at Flynn, white pupils wide in their purple eyes with love. "Of course, where first?" They replied

______

"wow this place is busy." Veli whispered, leaning down slightly so Flynn could hear them better. Flynn sighed trying to squeeze his way through the crowd "the market is popular on this day, that must be why no-one else was thrilled with the thought of this mission." they explained clearly exasperated with the sea of people making it harder to find the stall they were looking for. Veli stood back up to their full endirian height, towering over most of the crowd. "Oh! I think that's it" they chirped, ears perking up. Veli took Flynn by the hand and guided them through the crowd, weaving in and out of rows of people

______

"Sorry guys I can't supply you right now," the ghast running the stall explained "my shipment of netherite hasn't arrived yet". Veli and Flynn stared at the ghast, they were tall with four of their nine tentacles resting on the table in front of them so they could tell what was on it; their arms were resting crossed on said table to keep them balanced as they leaned forward. "I can however supply you with some mushrooms, glow stone and even some-" Veli cut them off quickly shaking their head "no we don't any of that we just want the netherite."

The ghast rolled their eyes behind their sunglasses "if you're that desperate to get it I can give you the drop off point and you can get some from there," they sighed "I'd need you to bring back the netherite of course but if you can do that trip for me I'll give you the supplies you need without charging."

Veli and Flynn looked at each other in agreement, though they weren't particularly enthusiastic about the thought of going somewhere that was clearly a chore to get through they needed the netherite and the sooner they could get it over with and get out of the cramped streets the better.

"Alright," Flynn asked "where do we find it?". The ghast smiled and using a pen and small note pad they tore a page out of, they wrote down the coordinates and a simple set of instructions on how to handle obtaining it as well as signing the note so whoever their supplier was would know what was going on.

"Have fun." They said, handing Flynn the note. Flynn looked down at the note and then checked their current position, the trip seemed like it would take an hour at least and would probably set them back. That wasn't even including the fact they and Veli would have to drop back by the stall and hand off the rest of the netherite.

This was going to be a long trip.

______

Yeah this is a super old fic that I added a little more to now but I can't see myself finishing it because of lsmp lore but eh it's late rn for me and I found this in my drafts and wanted to do some writing

#lsmp #lsmp Flynn #loop smp #lsmp space au #space au #lsmp Veli

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a-chip-in-inosukes-nichirin · 11 months ago

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Pizza and Coffee

Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen

Genre: Fluff

Pairing: Pidge/Lance

Tags: Fluff, Pizza Delivery AU, Coffee Shop AU, short fic, Lance is smitten, Bisexual Lance, don't judge me for the crap quality- I wrote this like 4 years ago

Wordcount: 1.1k

"Send your cutest delivery driver."

And it wasn't even Lance that asked.

Hunk did it for him.

Cross-posted from my Ao3 account.

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

On a busy street in Chicago, Lance entered the second most popular Starbucks in the city. Throwing his apron on and washing his hands, he spotted his coworker Hunk.

“Morning,” Lance smiled.

“Morning, Lance,” Hunk replied, “Ready for work?”

“Always,” Lance laughed and dried his hands. “Just let me punch in.”

“You mean you don’t want to work for free?” Hunk joked.

“Nope.”

Lance punched in his code and set to work. He spun around and grabbed the cup, glancing down at the name.

“Flat white for Jared,” he called and put the cup on the pickup counter.

A guy snagged it within seconds and was out the door. It was a busy Monday Lance spun back and forth, grabbing drinks and ringing people up. He enjoyed his job here at Starbucks.

“Vanilla bean Crème with strawberry puree for… Pidge?” he called, pausing to be sure he got the name right.

It seemed to be right, because a honey-haired boy approached the counter and gingerly picked it up.

“Thanks,” he said and offered a small smile.

How cute, Lance thought.

“Enjoy!” Lance called. That drink looks good. I’ll have to get it sometime.

“Thanks,” he waved on his way out.

Hunk gave him a pointed look.

“What?”

“He was cute,” he poked Lance.

“Yeah, I know,” Lance waved him away and grabbed an empty cup to start on its order.

“And?”

“And he probably won’t be back. You can’t just try to hook me up with every cute customer that comes in.”

“I can try,” Hunk shrugged, “You’re due for a boyfriend at some point. Or girlfriend.”

“After my last girlfriend, I think I’ll pass,” Lance shrugged.

“Yeah, Nyma was pretty rough,” Hunk nodded. “That’s what you get when you date a model though.”

Lance thought back to his last relationship. Nyma had been controlling and harsh. He would have left her except that he thought she actually cared about him. Now he saw that she was just using him for cash. He’d been a very giving boyfriend; always buying her whatever she wanted.

“Ooh, hey Lance!” Hunk elbowed his friend. “Check out that guy!”

Lance glanced up to see a tall, thick-haired man. He ordered a black coffee.

“Ew, no,” Lance whispered, “He drinks his coffee black.”

“You can’t judge people based on their drinks,” Hunk said, exasperated.

“I can and I will,” Lance said filling the cup with plain coffee.

“Your loss,” Hunk shrugged.

Lance’s eight-hour shift came to an end at four.

“You still planning on coming over tonight?” Lance asked Hunk.

“Yeah, Shiro and the others are coming still, right?”

“Yep,” Lance confirmed, “The gang will be there. We’re ordering pizza.”

“I can bring soda if you want,” Hunk offered.

“That would be great,” Lance said. “I’ll see you at six then.”

“See you then!”

Two hours later Lance was welcoming his friend into his apartment.

“The others just got here, so we can order the pizza now,” he said.

“Great. I vote pineapple,” Hunk said.

“That’s my man!” Lance slapped his back and grinned. “What do you guys want?”

Allura, Shiro, and Keith sat in the living room.

“I want pepperoni," Keith said.

“Any other preferences?” Lance asked.

“I’m good with pepperoni,” Shiro nodded.

“If you don’t mind I’d like sausage,” Allura piped up.

“So a large half sausage, half pineapple and ham, and a large pepperoni. Gotcha,” Lance whipped out his phone, “Be quiet while I order.”

“Really?” Keith frowned, “You’re the loud one.”

“Listen here mullet,” Lance pulled the phone away from his ear, “The only reason you’re here is because of Shiro.”

“Hey guys, c’mon, don’t fight,” Shiro held his hands up, “This is supposed to be a fun game night.”

“It would be fun if it wasn’t for Lance being so annoying,” Keith muttered.

Lance stuck his tongue out, and brushed it off.

Everyone was quiet while he ordered the food.

“Is that all for tonight?” the voice asked.

Hunk grabbed the phone out of Lance’s hands.

“And send your cutest delivery driver,” he instructed.

Lance reached out to snatch the phone back, but Hunk finished the call.

“Really Hunk?” Lance crossed his arms and sighed.

“I think its funny,” Keith shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips.

Lance huffed as everyone began to talk. Shiro and Allura discussed business (they ran a company which produced whole foods), and Hunk and Lance swapped work stories and Keith commentated. A little over an hour later the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Lance stood and reached in his pocket for the wad of cash he had.

Keith and Hunk snickered as Lance opened the front door.

Standing out front, a whole head shorter than Lance, was the boy from earlier. He just stood and stared as the boy pulled pizzas out of the warming bag. He was clothed in a baggy sweatshirt, but Lance could tell he was slender. His skin was several shades lighter than Lance’s, and his eyes were a caramel to match his hair. Lance wanted to touch it and see how soft it was.

“I’ve got a half sausage, half ham and pineapple, and a pepperoni for a Lance?”

He looked up, balancing both pizzas on one arm and held them out. Lance snapped out of his daze.

“Y-yeah,” he fumbled with the cash.

Hunk came up behind him and peered over his shoulder.

“Wait, isn’t that the guy from earlier?” he said loud enough for the boy to hear.

Lance shoved his elbow into Hunk’s ribcage as he took the pizzas and handed them back.

“Were you at Starbucks earlier today?” Hunk continued, not letting up.

“Um… yeah.”

“Grande vanilla bean crème with strawberry puree,” Lance said without thinking, and then flushed. “Sorry, it’s a habit.”

“That… that’s okay,” he replied. “Um, your total is twenty-eight fifty-seven.”

Lance handed the whole wad of cash to the boy. He glanced at it a moment.

“Do you need change?”

“N-no, you can have it all as a tip,” Lance stammered.

“After all, they did send their cutest delivery boy,” Hunk laughed and nudged Lance.

Lance flushed. The boy looked confused.

“Wait,” he looked down at the receipt. “Those assholes… that’s why they wanted me to take this one.”

“You mean you didn’t know?” Hunk asked, surprised.

“No,” he shifted uncomfortably.

“Well, you’re definitely cute, isn’t he, Lance?” Hunk looked pointedly at his friend.

“Y-yeah, definitely super h-I mean cute,” Lance rubbed the back of his neck.

“Th-thanks,” he shoved the cash into his pocket and held the delivery bag in front of him.

“Pidge, right?” Lance asked, hoping to continue the conversation.

“Yeah…”

“Um… can I…” Lance fiddled with the receipt he’d been given. He grabbed a pen from the table next to the door and scribbled something on it. “I hope you don’t mind…”

The boy took the piece of paper and looked at it.

“Uh, I’m flattered, but~”

Lance deflated.

“I’m a girl.”

#voltron #pidge gunderson #lance mcclain #fluff #fluff fic #one shot

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cjwolfwrites · 2 years ago

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Made for eachother

Juice Ortiz X Damien “wolf/Lobo” Martinez (oc ) ft. Father figure Chibs

Premise - A day in the life of Damien “Lobo” Martinez

Just a fluffy self-indulgent mlm fanfic setting up some backstory and character relationships

This is probably going to turn into a multific and its my first tumblr fic so please be gentle

Damien rolls himself out from underneath a worn down raggedy old pickup truck with a sigh before pulling a bandanna from his back pocket and wiping the sweat from his forehead. It’s a quiet day at Teller Morrow as Damien finishes his workload for today he tells the club prospect to take the truck he finished and put it outside for pickup. When he is done with everything he puts his tools in their right places and heads to his boyfriend's workspace. “Hey, J whatcha working on?” Damien asks with a smile. Juice jumps at the other man’s sudden appearance. “Jesus Damien you scared the shit out of me love”. Damien laughs at the other man’s reaction “I’m sorry honey I don’t mean to sneak up on you it just kinda happens”. Juice laughs as he says “man I really need to put one of those cat collars with a bell on it on you so I hear you walking” Damien laughs as Clay walks into the shop to gather the guys “Juice,Lobo grab your cuts and meet us in the church now” clay barks at the two men “ you heard the boss man we need to go get changed let’s go hun” Damien smiles holding the other man’s hand as they walk towards the clubhouse dorms. Damien goes into his and juices shared room and quickly changes into a plain white sleeveless shirt and black denim jeans before slipping into his nice leather boots and cut before discarding all his work clothes in the duffle at the foot of their shared bed and tucking his work boots in their place beside the desk. Damien walks over to juice who is waiting for him at the door “let’s go get this meeting over with “ Damien sighs wanting. Nothing more than to take a nap and go home both men enter the church quickly and quietly sit in their respective seats as they are waiting for the rest of the guys to show up Damien quietly pulls a field sketchbook out of his pocket and starts mindlessly doodling to pass the time Jax is the last one to enter the meeting room. Before the meeting starts Chibs looks over at Damien and asks. “Aye lad your always drawing in that book during meetings what are you drawing in their kid ”. He smiles as Damien is seemingly snapped from a daze “oh I just draw stuff from around the room usually. It helps me with my focus you can look through it if you want Chibs “ Damien smiles handing off the sketchbook to his sponsor and the closest person he’s ever had to a father figure. As Chibs flips through the book he sees various drawings of the club's logo, the table, different pieces of decor and memorabilia that lined the walls, and even detailed drawings of different club members. Chibs stops on the page Damien was working on 5 minutes prior it was a rough sketch of Damien and Juice from when they both got patched in with a list of materials needed To make an oil painting for the other man and with a smile he says “damn lad you are a talented bugger aren’t you”. Damien smiles looking at the page Chibs had in between his thumb and forefinger “heh yeah I guess”. Clay suddenly clears his throat and everyone’s attention snaps to him “ today is the day we’re going to go on our monthly gun run and delivery. I want Jax, Chibs,Lobo, juice, Tig, and the prospect to come with me for this. it should be a quick in and out but in case things go south i’d like to have some extra manpower. If no one has any concerns then this meeting is adjourned and if I mentioned your names go grab your things and meet me in the parking lot in ten and oh one last thing Tig, Juice, and half sac you’re in the van and lobo you are escorting with Chibs. Jax and I will lead ” clay bangs the gavel against the table adjourning the meeting. Damien grabs Juice's hand as they walk back to their room to grab their guns. Damien slips his shoulder holster around him before speaking. “It sucks we couldn’t escort together love” “yeah but at least we’re both going this time and I'm not stuck here”. Juice sighs. They walk to the parking lot join the others as clay says one last thing before they are dismissed to go to their respective vehicles. Before Damien walks away he gives juice a passionate kiss. “To remember me by pretty boy”. He grins like an idiot walking away and mounting his bike Juice stands there while he blushes like a mad man before snapping out of it and hopping in the back of the van. Jax and clay hop on their bikes and signal for everyone to go. When he got on the open road his mind started to drift back to when him and juice first met.

*flashback*

It was a cold night in queens New York and they were both 17. Damien had just gotten kicked out of his house for being gay. With nowhere to go he hopped into his old beat up 1969 mustang mache one fastback. That he had bought off an elderly man for dirt cheap after scraping together all of his savings driving to nowhere in particular when he saw a boy his age running down the street with several bags hung off his person. Against his better judgement Damien stopped his car and leaned over the other side to rolling down the window .”hey are you okay dude it’s not safe to be walking to alone around here at night. Do you want a ride? ” Damien smiles lopsidedly wincing in pain from the bruise blossoming across the right side of his face. Juice looks back the man taking in his battered features .The man sitting in the car in front of him looked vaguely familiar and he was trying to figure out why briefly before deciding to say fuck it and except the man’s help. Damien gets out with a limp to help Juice put his bags in the car juice stands there shocked that there was already duffle bags in the car. Juice laughs dryly “heh i guess we both had the same idea “ “you get kicked out of your home too”. Damien smiles solemnly “yeah more or less” Juice says with a sad smile the other man speaks up “The name is Damien by the way “…. He pauses for a minute before continuing “Your Juan Carlos right…we had science and trig together” . “Yeah Damien I remember you “ juice smiles and Damien takes in the other mans features as he moves back to the drivers seat and motions juice inside. “So Juan Carlos where to” “I don’t care as long as its somewhere far away from New York”

*flashback ends*

Chibs motions up ahead and breaks Damien out of his thoughts “Aye Lobo we’re here lad”. Damien slows down to a stop behind the van hopping off his bike and waiting for clays command before starting to unload the guns and hand them off to the niners . The gun run went off without a hitch and soon everyone was back at clubhouse drinking and having a good time. Damien was sitting at the bar waiting for Juice to finish talking to Clay and Jax about some dirt digging that needed to be done and ignoring the croweater who was trying to get handsy with him as he was nursing his third cheap beer of the night “please leave me alone Leah you know I’m not interested why are you doing this”. Leah smirks “come on baby please let me show you what you’re missing”.she reaches for the button on his jeans before getting pulled back by Chibs. “Leah darling the kid isn’t interested now go find someone else to bother for the night” Leah scoffs and walks away and chibs sits to the right of Damien waving over the prospect to give them both another beer “thank you Chibs I appreciate it she just wouldn’t take the hint”. “Aye, it’s nothing kid I don’t like to see my family being harassed and you’re like a son to me”. At that the two men drink in silence . Ten minutes pass before Juice is finally able to slip away from Clay and Jax and walk up to his partner at the bar. “Hey love you okay?”He asked concerned “yeah it’s just Leah again . She refuses to take a hint that I’m not interested”. Damien sighs. “God I’m sorry you had to deal with her again babe”. Juice says apologetically “It’s fine”. Damien says burying his face into Juices chest. “Let us go enjoy our night together okay” Juice smiles while holding the other man tightly.

#sons of anarchy fanfiction #juice ortiz #juan carlos ortiz #juice ortiz fanfiction #juice x oc #Damien lobo Martinez #slight father figure chibs #mlm

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lifeisabitch-butimcute · 2 months ago

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so help me god i will have this chapter out by halloween

#yea i put them in a store again #i can't help myself #i like them there #and evan needed to experience the glory of spirit halloween #so says i #rosekiller #fic: pickup or delivery

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eddieloverr · 2 years ago

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Forbidden Love ( Eddie Munson x Female Reader)

Series summary; You need to prove you can dump a guy in 10 days, Eddie needs to prove he can make a girl fall in love with him in 10 days. The clock is ticking, what could possibly go wrong?

Authors note; This is my first fan-fic series so I'm pretty excited to publish this & please ignore any errors if you spot any, I've tried my best to revise and edit any errors I saw. If you couldn't tell by the summary, this series is heavily inspired/based off the movie 'How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days'. I will be adding my own scenes and this will have smut in the later chapters so please, 18+ only. I really do enjoy feedback so if you'd like to say something, please do! :) On that note, enjoy this little series! - Jess <3

Chapter word count; 6.2k

Chapter warnings; Mentions of sex, mentions of death ( believe that's all, only read if you're 18+)

Comments, feedback, and reblogs are very appreciated!

"God, Nancy, I busted my ass in grad school to be this magazines "How to" girl and write articles like, 'How to know what color looks best on you' or 'How to use the best pickup lines.'"

"I want to write about things that actually matter, like politics and the environment, the earth - things I'm interested in, things I want to write."

It's true, you worked hard to get into a magazine like this. More to get a name for yourself, to get more offers and opportunities for your writing career. You wanted to write about stuff that mattered, stuff that you cared about, not about shoes or clothes.

"Keep busting your ass, you'll get there." Nancy replied as she gave you a tight lip smile. "Hey, I've got something to help cheer you up.. you know that guy from sports illustrated that you've been recklessly flirting with on the phone for like whooo, a month now? He made a very special delivery this morning." She said, holding up and waving what seemed to be a piece of paper while smirking at you.

"Oh, ha ha, let me see." You then replied, trying to snatch whatever she was waving in the air.

"Don't- no!" She practically yelled, attempting to hide the piece of paper in her hand.

"Hey!" You eventually got it and looked at your now tickets for a basketball game you always end up watching on tv. "Whoooo! Tomorrow night" This was exciting. Guess your 'reckless flirting' paid off.

"What happens tomorrow night?" Nancy said while smirking even more now.

"Only the most exhilarating and artistic display of athletic competition known to mankind."

"The lce Capades are in town?" She questioned.

"No, the NBA Finals are in town, and l got tickets!" You said loudly for your other coworkers to hear. "Nance, come with me?"

"All right, i'll go. But l am not putting out." She said, eying you up and down.

"Oh, please nance two stale jumbo dogs and a couple of beers, you'll be whistling a different tune." You said seductively while walking to your office right next to hers. Only a couple of little grey walls separating your small workplaces apart.

"You know what l like." she smiled.

"Ohhh mmmmwah" you sent a kiss her way.

"Good morning, ladies. Don't forget, staff meeting in 30 minutes." Your very nosy and slightly annoying coworker, Michelle, says as she walks by. Only a couple offices down and you can still hear her loud gossiping.

You and Nancy exchange a look as she walks away. Yep, Michelle was definitely made for this business.

"Robin, I haven't seen her all morning. Have you?" you asked. Robin, your best friend, going all the way back to college. She was your assigned roommate, who knew all it took was for her to spill soda all over your white rug and start rapidly apologizing to form an unbreakable friendship. Ever since then you'd bonded, especially since you both had a passion for writing and were pursuing a degree in that field. Obviously a magazine wasn't a first choice - hell not even a choice at all but this would open many opportunities for you and Robin and you both just couldn't pass up on it.

"Ten to one she's wallowing."

"l'll get her, you get the coffee and meet me in the corner in 20." You said rushing towards the door.

"Wait, Wait, Wait." Nancy shouted as she reached below her desk and pulled out a black bag and stuffed it with samples scattered all over her space.

"Take some samples." She said as she handed them to you.

"Samples! Great idea." You smiled at her, rushing out of there.

"Oh boy. Drama, drama, drama." Nancy said to herself as she stood up, grabbed her purse and also made her way out of the office area.

You rushed down the stairs, grabbed a shirt off a clothing rack that Robin would definitely like and made your way out towards the apartment you shared with Robin.

─────────────────────────

Arriving at his designated workplace. Of course this wasn't even a choice for him, if you asked the old Eddie where he'd see himself in a couple years he'd most likely reply with "Traveling the world with my band" or "Living out the rockstar dream". He'd never thought he'd be an advertising executive. It was either this in the big city of Indianapolis or a cashier at a local gas station back in Hawkins.

How could he turn down this job though? Steve, his best friend, who also happens to be one of his coworkers, talked to his dad, basically begging to let Eddie have a job given Steve's dad owns the business.

Luckily, although it took a lot of convincing, Steve's dad finally gave in and offered Eddie a job to work alongside Steve.

Eddie's grateful towards Steve for the opportunity, it helped him get enough cash to stop dealing, move out of his uncle's trailer, and move to Indianapolis to his own apartment.

Life was great for Eddie, he has a decent job, great friends, he even traded his rusty old van for a much better motorcycle. Everything was going well but yet he longed for something more.

"Hello Eddie." Chrissy, Eddie's coworker said as she walked past him parking his motorcycle not even sparing him a second glance

"Hey, hey, good morning, Cunningham" Eddie replied, now getting off his motorcycle and walking towards Chrissy. Who's now reading a magazine.

"What are you reading, girl? You catching up on your current events? ''Turn-On Tricks: How to Make Him Hot.'' You know, if you want to try those out sometime, we should get together." he said jokingly.

"Victoria and l have an appointment at Composure, the fastest growing magazine in the country, and seeing as how our clients run a lot of our campaigns in their nationally-syndicated little girlie magazine, it wouldn't hurt you to do a little reading."

As if on cue, "Hey Eddie" Victoria said as she walked out the building towards Chrissy and himself.

"Good morning, Victoria"

"You finally decided to show up today?" She asked.

"Yes I did."

"You ready?" Victoria asked Chrissy.

"Ready. Later Eddie." Chrissy said as both of Eddie's coworkers walked towards a taxi.

"Have a nice day, ladies." He said walking into the building.

─────────────────────────

You knocked on your apartment door, since you knew Robin was home there was no need to search for your key.

"Hi!" Robin said, laughing nervously as she opened the door. You could tell Robin was holding back her tears. You knew her better than yourself and it hurt seeing her like this.

"Oh.." She said as she started sobbing the closer you walked in.

"Good morning, sunshine. Don't cry, go get dressed. Staff meeting, 15 minutes. Let's go" You said as you walked by her to open the living room curtains. As much as you wanted to comfort her you knew she would turn into a sobbing mess if you started asking questions. You only had 15 minutes and getting her ready for her job seemed better than for her to be heartbroken and jobless.

"l'm going back to bed. l have no reason to live." Robin said as she jumped on her bed pulling the covers up.

"Sun's out. Oh..." You said as you walked towards the table and grabbed the little black bag that Nancy handed you.

"Okay, just..." She stopped talking as she harshly blew on her nose with a handkerchief.

"Okay, now..." you said as you sat down on her bed and tossed her the shirt you grabbed on your way home.

"Cashmere?" She asked with a slight smile on her face. You knew she'd like it.

"Put it on. It'll make your eyes look fiercely blue." You smiled at her.

"Oh!" She said as she clutched the shirt tighter to her chest.

"Get up Robin. l'm not going to let you lose your job on top of everything else."

"Oh." she said as if she was on the verge of tears.

"Come here." you extended your arms to pull her in for a hug.

"Oh, Y/N." she got up and pulled you into a tight hug.

"Okay." you said.

"Okay." she replied.

"You only dated the girl for a week."

"It was the best week of my life." She said as she bursted into tears.

"Sweetheart." you squeezed her tighter.

─────────────────────────

"Good morning, Ladies! What's up, Jonathan." Eddie greeted as he walked by his coworkers' offices, making his way towards his own office he shared with Steve.

"What's up, kitty cat?" Eddie said to Steve as he walked into their shared office, towards his side of the room.

"What's up, daddy? Big night?" Steve asked as he removed his headphones.

"Not bad." Eddie said as he placed down his helmet on the side of his desk.

"Orgy?" Steve asked.

"Where were you man?" Eddie snorted.

"Not at an orgy." Steve said as he walked to Eddie's desk.

"Did you hear?" Jonathan asked as he suddenly walked into the room.

"What, that my Knickerbockers are now in the championship series and Jonny 'the bone' here owes me 20 bucks?" Eddie said as he removed his leather jacket.

"Pay him." Steve said to Jonathan.

"Oh, man. Well, you were right. DeLauer Diamonds is looking for a new ad agency. Mr. Harrington wants to move on it aggressively." Jonathan said as he pulled out a 20 and gave it to Eddie.

"Yes! Oh, this is a good day. This is a good day! Guys, did you know that diamonds are about as common as taxis on Fifth avenue?" Eddie said as he pulled off his black Metallica shirt to put on a more work appropriate shirt. He felt eyes on him outside his office, probably his other female coworkers he always catches staring at him. It still surprises him that he somehow turned his title from "Freak" to "Ladies man."

"The value is entirely sentimental, maintained by a supply, demand and advertising." Eddie said as Jonathan showed him two shirts to choose from.

"Stripes." Eddie said, pointing to a striped shirt and catching it as Jonathan threw it at him.

"Now, DeLauer dominates the world diamond market. Meaning if l represent them, l basically represent the entire industry." Eddie said as he flicked a little ad of Mrs. DeLauer.

Steve and Jonathan then gave each other a look and muttered something only for them to hear.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"My dad gave it to the judys." Steve said.

"Chrissy and Victoria, they're already on it." Jonathan added.

"No way!" Eddie said disappointed.

"Yeah, well, you know, Mr. Harrington is kind of partial to hot leggy chicks, for some reason." Jonathan said as he looked towards Eddie who was now looking out the glass window at the three girls who were staring this whole time. They quickly looked away as Eddie gave them a glance.

"Yeah, we're the, you know, the sneakers and beer division. Precious gems aren't exactly our forte." Jonathan added.

Eddie, who was now fully clothed, pointed to the window as he made his way towards the door "Lips and Hips are over at a chick's magazine right now. I gotta get to Mr. Harrington before they sink-"

Jonathan got in the way of the door before Eddie could walk out "You can't. You can't. He's on a plane."

"Easy pal, my dads at a Chicago meeting." Steve said as he patted Eddie's shoulder and slightly pushed him back.

"And it's too late anyway 'cause Mr. Harrington's meeting them for drinks at Mullin's tonight to discuss their idea-"

"This isn't happening. You know why?" Eddie said, interrupting Jonathan.

"This was my tip. It's gonna be my pitch, my account, my campaign. This is my baby." Eddie said with determination.

"That's what I'm talking about." Said Steve.

"They will not ace me outta this." Eddie said as he fist pumped Steve and Jonathan.

"I heard that!" Jonathan added.

"Okay.. Mullins tonight." Eddie confirmed as he walked back towards his desk.

"I heard that!!" Steve mocked Jonathan.

─────────────────────────

You walked out the taxi and walked towards the other side to Robin blowing her nose and Nancy running towards you both with coffees in her hand.

"Hi!" Nancy greeted Robin as she handed her a coffee.

"Hi. I don't really wanna talk about it okay?" Robin replied as she discarded the handkerchief in her purse and closed the taxi door.

"Okay." Nancy replied, handing you your coffee.

"Okay." Robin replied as you three walked towards the entrance of your work before stopping abruptly.

"Why does this always happen to me?" Robin said as she started tearing up again. "Things are going great for like a week and a half, and then all of a sudden it's over and I am mystified. Seriously, I am mystified because it always starts out so well." She rambled as she walked away from you both and towards the entrance.

"Poor baby." Nancy said as you both tried to catch up with Robin.

"Let's just roll with this" You said.

"Vickie and I had such a connection." Robin said as she stopped again in front of the entrance and turned to face you both.

"The first time that we had sex... it was so beautiful, I cried." She smiled and walked away into the building.

"You cried?" Nancy asked as you both tried to catch up with her again.

"Yeah."

"You mean like one glistening year on your cheek, right?" You asked now side by side with your best friend walking towards an elevator.

"No, I was really emotional. I even told her that I loved her." She said.

"After how many days?" You asked.

"Five.. Two. It was how I felt. I just wanted to express myself. You know how my brain and mouth work."

"Okay. Well, what did she say?" You asked.

"Oh, Vickie didn't have to say anything. I know that she felt the same. But then she started getting really busy and I didn't know where she was. I kept calling her, and calling her but she was never home."

"You kept calling her?" You asked looking into her eyes with a "Really robin?" look.

"I didn't leave a message. She didn't know it was me.. my numbers blocked."

The elevator dinged and you all walked toward the opening doors.

"Oh. I'm.. I'm sure she thought it was one of her friends." Nancy said as you all walked into the elevator.

"Anyway I know why she dumped me. I'm too fat."

"You're not fat!"

"You're not fat!" You and Nancy said in sync as the elevator doors closed.

─────────────────────────

Arriving at your floor, the three of you walked into the doors and towards the staff meeting in your bosses office.

"Robin, if the most beautiful woman in the world acted the way you did, any normal partner would still go running in the other direction." You said.

"Oh, no. Nobody would go running from you, Y/N. You could barf all over them and they would say 'Do it again.'" Robin replied.

"That is both incredibly disgusting and categorically untrue. If I did the things you did, I'd get dumped too." You said as you three entered your bosses office and sat in the main area's couch, joining all your other coworkers.

"Okay, family, shoes off..." Your boss Linda entered the room and sat in a chair that faced everybody. Your coworkers, including yourself, proceeded to remove their shoes. "And breathe." She said as everybody inhaled.

"And out." Everybody exhaled.

"Okay Michelle let's start with you." Linda said.

"Well, the "Botox For Beginners" piece is done. Now, it's a little scary, but mostly upbeat. Now I'm on "What your Gyno Won't Tell You," which is also pretty scary but you know, upbeat. I finished my research on "deadly pedicures," about the woman who contracted that fungus from the unsterilized tools. It's a terrible story.. although surprisingly..." Michelle looked towards her boss and noticed her "terrible story" mistake.

"Upbeat." Nancy finished.

"Marvelous. What's next for "How-To with Y/N?" Linda asked. Now all eyes were on you.

"Well, I've been working on something that's kind of different." You said as your boss nodded confused.

"It's.. it's a political piece and it's-"

"No. Y/N. you work at Composure magazine. We are fashion, trends, diets, cosmetic surgeries, salacious gossip, that's Composure." Linda said.

"Okay, but-"

"Look, Y/N, okay. The column is new for you. When you turn it into a must read then you can write about whatever you want. Until then you can write about what I want. Understood?"

"Yeah." You said dissatisfied. You saw this coming. Your boss wouldn't let you write about what you wanted but hearing that once your column gets popular she'd let you write about whatever you wanted certainly catches your attention.

"Robin, what have you got?"

Nancy turned to Robin and gave her an encouraging nod. But there was an awkward silence waiting for Robin to answer.

"Um. I'm sorry, Linda. I wasn't feeling very well" Robin said as she looked at the ground not wanting to see the looks shared amongst others and the disappointed look on Linda's face.

"She got dumped." Nancy quickly added.

"Oh, no, Robin. What a hellish ordeal for you. But I gotta say, you are looking fabulous. Are we loving the way she looks?" Linda said, turning to the others trying to lift up the mood.

"We love the way she looks."

"Oh, you are so right."

"She looks great."

"She looks so great!"

Everyone said as they talked over one another.

"I haven't eaten since the split." Robin said.

"Good for you! Write about it."

You looked at your boss very judgmental. Obviously Robin feels uncomfortable throughout this entire conversation.

"I can't use my personal life for a story." Robin said as she lifted her head and was now looking at Linda.

"I understand completely... who will use Robin's personal life for a story?" Linda ignored Robin's protest and looked at the other workers.

"Oh I will." Michelle said proudly as she raised her hand.

"No, no, no! Linda, with all due respect, Michelle has no business mucking around in my personal life, and I can't... I can't let her. I'm-"

"I'll do it." You suddenly interrupted a rambling, distressed Robin. Of course you wouldn't actually put the heartbreak of your best friend's life in a magazine for the whole world to see but knowing Michelle and Linda, they obviously won't respect Robin's boundaries anytime soon.

Nancy and Robin both turned to you. "What?" Robin blurted out.

"I'll... I will sort of do it. It's- You will be my inspiration." You said looking at Robin.

"For?" Linda asked.

"Look at robin. She's a great girl, right?" You pointed towards Robin looking straight at your boss.

"Yes." Linda replied.

"An amazing woman." You said now looking at Robin. "But.. she has a problem hanging onto relationships and she doesn't really know what she's doing wrong, which is a lot like our readers."

"Uh-huh" Linda nodded for you to proceed.

"So, I was thinking that.. I could start dating a guy, and then drive him away, but only using the classic mistakes most women, like Robin.." You gave her a sincere look and turned back to your boss "make.. all the time. I'll keep a diary of it and.. it will be sort of a dating how-to in reverse." You said looking at Robin and Nancy who were now chuckling.

"What not to do." Your boss says smiling.

"Yeah." You smiled back.

"How to lose a guy in Ten Days." Linda said, looking at the wall, probably envisioning it in her head. "Yes. Go. Alice, what's new in the shoe?"

"Wait, wait, Linda. I'm sorry. Why ten days?" You asked.

"Five days is too short and we go to press at 11. Yes?" Linda turned her attention to Alice.

"Ten." You whispered to yourself. It's a lot longer than what you had hoped for given you only did this to save Robin from humiliation and to stop her from actually hiding under her covers for the rest of her life but then you remembered what Linda had said about you being able to write about whatever you wanted if your column made it big. Could this possibly be a ticket there?

You looked back at Robin and Nancy who nodded in approval and Robin mouthed the words "Thank you". You smiled at them with the big question flying around in your head. You were in for a long ride.

─────────────────────────

"Maybe toss in something spiritual as well." Linda said to Nancy walking towards the lobby with you and Robin right behind them.

"Ah, here's my ten o' clock. Welcome." Linda said as you all followed her as she walked towards a blonde and a brunette who seemed to be waiting for her.

"Hi." The blonde said with a smile.

"Ladies, Chrissy Cunningham and Victoria Green from Warren Advertising. We're going to cook up some fabulous tie-ins for the fall." Linda said, turning to you, Nancy, and Robin.

"Nancy Wheeler, Fashion and Trends. Robin Buckley, Fitness and Health." She said as Robin loudly blew her nose.

"Excuse me. Hi." Robin interrupted.

"And Y/N L/N our resident How-To girl." Linda continued.

"Oh, I've seen your column, Y/N. What are you working on now?" Chrissy said as she pointed at you.

"Oh-" You began but you were quickly interrupted by Linda.

"How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. She's actually going to start dating a guy and then drive him away in a week and a half." Linda said proudly as her, Chrissy, and Victoria started laughing.

"Sounds needlessly vicious." Victoria added.

"It's going to be fabulous. Now all she has to do is run along and find the lucky guy." She said turning to you. "Go, go, go." She pointed towards the exit and turned back to the two girls.

You, Nancy, and Robin both started walking towards the exit.

"Nice to meet you." You said to the two girls.

"Ladies come." Linda said as all three of their footsteps started to reside.

You grabbed Robin's shoulder from behind. "Find the guy. Find the guy." You said distressed.

"Okay." you whispered to yourself.

─────────────────────────

"Oh you are never going to pull this off." Robin said as you, Nancy, and Robin walked across the street towards a bar, arms linked with Robin. Moonlight reflecting on your dresses and Robin’s suit.

You put on a cute grey dress with enough cleavage to be shown but to still keep the guys wondering what you looked like with your top off. Matched with high heels and a cute purse. Normally you wouldn't wear this out especially to a bar but tonight, you were on a man hunt.

"Watch me. Tonight I'll hook a guy. Tomorrow, pull the switch. Before the ten days are up, I'm gonna have this guy running for his life." You replied as all three of you laughed.

"You're not gonna burn his apartment down or bite him or anything, are you?" Nancy asked.

"No. I'm gonna limit myself to doing everything girls do wrong in relationships. Basically, everything we know guys hate. I'll be clingy, needy."

"Be touchy-feely." Nancy added.

"Yeah." You said walking towards the bar's entrance.

"Ooh. Call him in the middle of the night and tell him everything you had to eat that day." Nancy said as you both chuckled.

"What's wrong with that?" Robin asked, looking at you both. You both looked at her with concern.

"I'm.. kidding" She then said.

─────────────────────────

A waitress escorted Chrissy, Victoria, and Mr. Harrington towards a table.

"There we are. He's waiting." The kind waitress pointed at Eddie waiting for them at a table.

"Hello, Eddie. What are you doing here" Mr. Harrington asked.

"Tom, I'm here for the meeting. Ladies." Eddie replied as stood up, shaking Tom's hand and nodded towards the girls.

"But you weren't invited." Victoria said.

"Yeah, but I should have been. I mean, It was my tip that DeLauer was shopping for a new firm." Eddie said as he passed by Chrissy standing in front of Tom.

"Yes, it was, but I have to think in terms of who's best suited within the company." Tom said, looking at both Chrissy and Victoria.

"Yes, sir, and that's me. I wanna handle this pitch." Eddie replied as Chrissy chuckled.

"Eddie, you sell Joe Blow better than anyone else in my shop, including Steve, but these girls sell luxury better than anyone else in the business." Tom said proudly as he gestured towards both the girls.

All four of them sat down as Tom proceeded.

"We have to put our best foot forward on this pitch. DeLauer would be our biggest account."

"Yes, sir, they would. Annual advertising billings of 50 to 60 million dollars. And I am the man that's gonna bring this home for you, Tom." Eddie said as he poured himself a glass of champagne.

─────────────────────────

"Why this place?" Robin asked as you three entered the bar.

"Because it's perfect." You said grabbing onto Robin's shoulders and giving her a squeeze and walking further into the bar.

"Mullins is the apres-work watering hole for the upwardly mobile." Nancy added with her smart ass vocabulary.

─────────────────────────

"Now, to date, the diamond industry has always targeted men..." Eddie said as he poured champagne for Chrissy, Victoria, and Tom as he continued. "Sending the message that the woman needs the man to buy her the rock. All right, they say 'A diamond is forever.' We say, 'A diamond is for everyone.'"

"I like that." Tom said grinning towards Eddie.

"Yes." Eddie says confidently.

"Uh. We don't." Chrissy said laughingly. "'A diamond is for everyone?' It sends the message that diamonds are everywhere. Which means that they're not rare, and if they're not rare, they lose their status." Chrissy said while looking directly at Eddie.

Eddie rolled his eyes as Chrissy continued. "Status is the reason to buy them in the first place, which Edward would know if he understood women, which you don't." Chrissy finished as they all laughed at Eddie, including himself. Not because of what she said, but the fact that she's so confident with her words.

"You can't feel bad about that, Eddie. No man does." Tom said grinning.

─────────────────────────

"Here. Here." Robin said as she handed both you and Nancy a Martini.

"Dum, dum, dum, dum." Nancy mimicked a clock ticking while looking around the bar. You honestly forgot the real reason you were here for a second.

"Don't pressure her. She's perusing." Robin said, looking directly at Nancy.

"Yes, exactly." You said as all three of you scanned the room.

─────────────────────────

"Selling a diamond to a woman is like making her fall in love." Victoria said to Tom while dragging her fingers along her long diamond necklace starting from her neck to her cleavage.

Eddie scoffed but smiled at this knowing exactly what game Victoria was trying to play at.

"She has to feel giddy, desirous, adventurous and desperate." Victoria continued.

"Take a look around this room Tom. Most women in this bar are looking for just that." Chrissy added.

"Exactly. The skills required to market diamonds are the same as those needed to make a woman fall in love, yes." Eddie said, interrupting Chrissy.

"I'm not talking about lust Eddie. A woman in lust just wants chocolate. A woman in love wants diamonds."

"Yeah, I'm not talking about lust either, ladies. I'm talking about deep.. meaningful, head-over-heels, his-and-her towels, let's grow old together L-O-V-E. Look, I love women. I do. Whether they're four or 40."

Chrissy sighed at his little speech. Looking around the room she spots you.

"I respect women. All right. And I also listen to women." Eddie continued.

Chrissy's still staring at you. You're laughing at something your short hair friend said and she slowly gets an idea.

"And that's why I can sell myself to any woman.. anywhere, anytime." Eddie finished.

"Make a woman fall in love with diamonds, Edward.. or with you?" Chrissy asked, moving her attention from you to Eddie.

"Uh. Either one." Eddie replied slightly hesitating looking at Tom.

"That's cocky, Eddie." Tom said while drinking his champagne.

"No, not cocky. Confident."

Chrissy laughs at this. "I'd like to see you prove that." Chrissy said, raising her eyebrows at him.

"You would?" Eddie questioned looking at Chrissy then at Tom.

"The agency's co hosting a party for the DeLauers at the Astro museum. The party's a week from Sunday. Do you think you can make a woman fall in love with you by then?" Chrissy challenged Eddie.

"Ten days?" Eddie asked.

"Any woman, anywhere, anytime?" Victoria added mocking him from before.

"Any single, available, straight woman, yes." Eddie said.

"Yes. I'm not trying to trick you, Eddie. In fact, we'll choose a woman right here, right now in this bar. And then you'll decide." Chrissy said as Her, Victoria, and Tom laughed.

"So who's the lucky girl?" Eddie said as he adjusted himself in his seat to face the rest of the bar.

"Okay. Let's see here." Victoria began. "Ooh there's that blonde babe in the leopard print." Victoria said as she laughed and pointed to a woman with a messy pointy tail in a leopard dress that was worn out and way too tight on her.

Tom and Chrissy joined in on her laughter. "She looks like fun." Victoria added.

"Be nice, ladies." Eddie said as a little chuckle escaped his lips.

"Or, well, Miss Babylon 5. Now she's on the prowl." Victoria said talking about a curl headed curl with colored hair and mean stare.

"No. Her." Chrissy said.

"Her who?" Eddie asked as he turned to look at Chrissy.

"Her in the grey dress, cute hair, pretty smile." Chrissy added.

Eddie turned away from her looking around the bar for Chrissy's description, then he saw you. Laughing at something a curly headed girl next to you said. Eddie smiled as he saw you laughing.

"Her?" Victoria asked as she removed her gaze from you to Chrissy. Chrissy only held a finger to her mouth not sparing her a word.

Eddie was still staring at you, you're now laughing at something else another short haired girl says.

"Done." Eddie says not removing his gaze from you.

"What?" Chrissy asked.

"Done." He confirmed again, finally looking away from you and now looking at Tom.

"Done." Tom said as he nodded.

─────────────────────────

"See the guy next to the horrible guy in the green shirt that I would never even consider?" You said pointing at a guy with short curly hair, wearing a blue button up shirt with a black blazer over it.

"Very cute." Nancy said.

"Right? Good." You chuckled and squealed, making you way over to the cute stranger leaving Robin and Nancy together.

"Oh." Robin said as her and Nancy chuckled at your cute excitement.

─────────────────────────

"Okay, you're on. But here are the stakes. After I win this bet, this pitch is mine." Eddie said, looking at all three of them.

"Agreed." Chrissy added.

"Tom?" Questioned Eddie.

"Agreed." Tom said as he nodded. "You come to that party with a girl that's really in love with you, Eddie, you can make the pitch to the DeLauers."

"But, Tom, you can't-" Victoria was cut off by Tom.

"Nope. I've made up my mind." Tom said, raising his glass. "To the DeLauers."

"To the DeLauers." Eddie said, clinking his beer bottle to Tom's glass.

"Cheers" Chrissy and Victoria said, raising their own glasses towards Eddie's bottle and Tom's glass.

─────────────────────────

Nancy and Robin are laughing at how adorable you look laughing at whatever bad joke the guy next to you said.

"I was just wondering if you found..." You said talking to the cute stranger next to you making eye contact with your friends.

"She doesn't seem that interested." Robin said to Nancy who only hummed in reply.

"Exciting." You said looking at the guy in front of you.

"Yes. My wife and I love Indianapolis, especially this time of year." Oh shit, he has a wife. How did you not notice the ring on his finger? What do you do? What do you do?

"She'd been here before and I-" He'd been cut-off by a brunette wearing a pink and white dress grabbing onto his shoulder giving you the smile.

"Hi. Hi." She said, now showing her pearly whites.

You felt so awkward and wanted to leave.

"This is Y/N" The guy introduced you to his wife.

"Hi. Um." You said standing up while grabbing your martini. While his wife took the spot you were just leaning on. "You guys enjoy Indianapolis." You said slowly backing away.

"Okay." The guy said chuckling

"Thanks" The wife said straightforwardly.

"Nice meeting you." The guy said as you walked away, not even passing them a second glance.

Walking away, you glanced at your friends who were already staring at you, presumably the entire time, you mouthed "he's married" holding up your hand.

─────────────────────────

"Good luck." Tom said, patting Eddie's shoulder as he walked by him.

"Thank you, Tom." Eddie said as he left, leaving him with Chrissy and Victoria. Eddie took out a 50 and put it on the table paying for their drinks. "Now if you'll excuse me, ladies.. I have a bet to win." Eddie said, turning around and immediately looking for you.

"Ta-ta" Chrissy said as Eddie walked away.

"Now do you wanna tell me what's going on?" Victoria asked Chrissy.

"You don't recognize her?" Chrissy asked as they both stared at you.

─────────────────────────

Eddie pushed himself through the sea filled with people and began walking towards you. He smiled when he could finally reach you.

─────────────────────────

"Hi!" A man with long black curly hair walked up to you, stopping you in your tracks. He had bangs that framed his face perfectly and was wearing black jeans with a black blazer to pair it.

"Hi." You replied back with a slight smile.

"Hi." He said looking at the top of your head to your eyes. He had the biggest pair of brown eyes you'd ever seen.

You chuckled and waited for him to say something but he only chuckled back. He was obviously nervous so you tried to make it less awkward. You extended your hand with the little space that was between you both.

"Y/N L/N"

"Eddie Munson" He said as he gently took his hand in yours and shook it.

"Cute."

"Thank you." Eddie replied.

"Mm I meant your name." You said, offering him a closed smile. He looked away and smiled when he looked at you again.

"Thank you two times."

"Unattached?" You asked.

"Currently." He answered.

"Likewise."

"Surprising."

"Psycho?" You questioned.

"Rarely."

"Hmm."

"Interested?" Eddie asked.

"Perhaps." You looked away but then looked back at him.

"Hungry?"

"Starving." You said looking deep in his chocolate eyes.

"Leaving?"

"Now?" You asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay."

"Okay." He replied.

"One second." You said pointing a finger and walked past him.

"I'll meet you at the door." He said loudly.

─────────────────────────

"Hey, guys." You said now standing in front of Nancy and Robin

"I think I got one."

"He was married!" Robin said.

"No, not him. It's the guy by the door. But don't look!" It was already too late, their eyes were scanning the door. "No, guys!"

Eddie smiled at your friends who were both staring right at him.

"He is really cute." Nancy said as they both looked at you again.

"I'm gonna check this one out and see if he's the keeper." You said as you handed Nancy your martini.

"Okay." Nancy replied.

"And if he is?" Robin questioned.

"Tomorrow night I'll.."

"Flip the switch" Nancy finished your sentence as she took a sip of your martini.

"I'm doing this for you." You said directly to Robin handing her your apartment keys

"Well, good luck. Be safe. Call me!" Robin said as you walked towards Eddie.

"Mm. Drama, drama, drama." Nancy said as her and Robin watched Eddie gently hold you by the waist and open the door for you.

Chrissy and Victoria, on the other side of the bar, were also watching the entire interaction and smirking at one another, clinking their glasses together knowing that you and Eddie were both secretly playing each other and how badly this was bound to end.

Authors note; If you enjoyed this please leave some feedback and consider reblogging! It would meant a lot. Thank you so much for reading! <3

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honeybunchesofangst · 3 years ago

Text

KiriBaku Fic Rec List #2

(Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder) FALSE Rated: Teen & Up

-When Bakugo and Kirishima get hit by a quirk that forces them to literally stick together or face the less then desirable consequences, how the fuck is Bakugo supposed to keep his crush hidden?!

Well, turns out he never needed to.--

“Well, this fucking sucks, how are we supposed to train?!”

"Really closely?"

ChitChat and Pencil Pushers Rated: Explicit

-Kirishima did not believe in love at first sight.

Absolutely not. It was a ridiculous notion.

He did, however, believe in holy shit, he’s hot at first sight.-Kirishima starts a new office job and unfortunately discovers that he may just have a big crush on the worst person possible

Gym Rats Rated: Explicit

-Bakugou's bad attitude tends to scare away unwanted attention.Kirishima seems to be the exception.Kirishima is bright, peppy, and borderline annoying; at least, until Bakugou sees him bench press twice his body weight without breaking a sweat.Bakugou is suddenly more interested than annoyed, and when Kirishima extends an invitation to his apartment, it's an offer Bakugou can't refuse.

Tonight We’re The Sea Rated: Mature (Cursing thank u Bakugo)

- Kirishima goes to a quiet seaside town to take care of his grandmother after she has a bad fall. There he meets Bakugou Katsuki and falls in love.

Engraved in your Mind Rated: Teen & Up ONGOING by @albino-pony

-Kacchan is still a stubborn prick while suffering from face blindness. Also, quirk discrimination is a thing.

(this one is like rewritten canon to explain why bakugo doesn't recognize his classmates very well, but it diverges away from canon later)

5 + 1 Rated: Explicit

- The five times Kirishima made the first move + the one time Bakugou blew his mind.

Pass it On Rated: Explicit

-RED ALERT: Bakugou can't jerk off because he'll explode his own dick off. Pass it on.Mina spreads a rumor around Class 1A about a certain Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima is tasked with taking his own life and dignity in his hands and finding out of it's true. Party hijinks ensue.(Spoiler alert: dignity and his life aren't the only things Kirishima takes in his hands)

Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms Rated: Teen & Up

-In order to avoid a Quirk Marriage, Bakugou goes to Kirishima for help.

(a fake dating fic)

come home to me Rated: Teen & Up

-“I shouldn’t have moved out of the way,” Katsuki sighs. “I should have let that fucking asshole hit us, honestly, a broken back would be better than this.”

Masochist, Eijirou thinks and, in the second right before Katsuki chokes and focuses intensely on salvaging what's left of their midnight haul, he realizes that this might be a problem.Bakugou and Kirishima get hit by a quirk that lets them hear each others' thoughts. It goes much better (and much worse) than either of them expect.

(help these poor sappy teens)

Pickup Lines an Valentines Rated: Teen & Up

-“Hey, isn’t that Kirishima’s hoodie?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you wearing Kirishima’s hoodie?”

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Ochako grins, ruffling his hair. “You’re so cute, Katsuki, honestly. Like, you’re the only person who thinks that pretending to date Kirishima is somehow less embarrassing than just admitting you’re cold.”Bakugou and Kirishima find out that they're soulmates after two years of dating. Their friends are more than a little out of the loop.

Punk’s Not Dead Rated: Teen & Up

-“So you want to use me to piss off your mom?” Kirishima summarized, raising one pierced eyebrow at Katsuki.“Look, if you want to be all fucking judgy about it, I take cash,” Katsuki said, dropping his hand palm up on the table.“Hey now,” Kirishima said, raising his hands in surrender, “I didn’t say I wasn’t doing it. I’m always down for a little chaos.” He flashed a grin, showing off his ridiculous shark teeth.“Good,” Katsuki said. “We start tomorrow."

ghosts beneath ink wash stars Rated: Teen & Up

- Eijirou's evolution from Bakugou's delivery boy to kind of, possibly, someone to come home to.

(Bakugo is an ink wash artist)

sugar cookies Rated: Teen & Up

- Bakugou and Kirishima accidentally get married in Vegas. They don't annul it.

#kiribaku #kirishimaxbakugo #kiribaku fic rec #fic rec list #fic rec #mha fic rec list #mha fic rec #bakushima #bakushima fic rec #my hero academia #boku no hero academia

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jrob64 · 2 years ago

Text

It’s the 1st anniversary of ‘Lonely No More’ - A Modern CS AU Based on “The Words” Music Video

Today is the wonderful and wacky @xsajx ‘s birthday, which means it’s the first anniversary of the story I wrote for her last year! I hope you have a wonderful day, my friend!

Special thanks to @spartanguard who did the manip of Emma as a FedEx driver. Even after a year, it still blows me away!

Summary: Killian Jones lives alone in his secluded little house in the country, and that’s just the way he likes it. When he discovers he can have even less contact with people by ordering supplies online, he jumps at the chance; but the fiery blonde FedEx driver who delivers them might make him rethink his lonely existence. A CS fic based on the music video for “The Words” by Christina Perri.

Rating: M

Words: 11,744

Also on Ao3 & ffn

*********

Lonely No More

It was a lonely existence, but one he had voluntarily chosen for himself. Killian Jones knew about loneliness, after all; had lived it most of his life. His childhood was spent living in a crowded, dirty city in England, yet even among all those people, he sought solitude. He had his brother and his ailing mother, and didn’t need or want anyone else, including his mostly absentee father, who abandoned his sons for good once his wife died.

Now, he lived in Maine with lots of open space around him. His little house wasn’t anything fancy, but it had everything he needed. He spent his days chopping wood, taking care of his garden, and nurturing the orchids he grew for the flower shop located in a nearby city. The trips he made to deliver them and to purchase necessary supplies, provided the only interaction he desired with other people.

Books were his friends. Books held no expectations and didn’t make him feel self-conscious or uncomfortable. He could lose himself in sea adventures, jungle safaris, and space travel, or learn about horticulture, cooking and shipbuilding.

Recently, he splurged and purchased internet service. The florist had suggested it as a way for him to order his supplies online, instead of having to make an extra trip into the city to buy them. He also set up an email account, so she could let him know ahead of time how many plants she required.

Today he was awaiting his first delivery of floral supplies, along with two new books he was excited to read. He had to admit that having everything coming to him was going to be much more convenient.

As he was tying up the stems on an orchid plant he would be taking to the shop the next day, he looked out the sunroom window and noticed a cloud of dust being kicked up along his lane. He quickly snipped the ends of the thin strings and moved through his house to emerge onto his back steps.

The white FedEx truck was stopped beside his old pickup and Killian descended the stairs to meet the driver. He could hear noises coming from inside the vehicle and figured the delivery man was searching for his packages in the back. While he waited, he leaned on his truck’s tailgate and dug some potting soil from beneath his fingernails, so he was startled when he heard a woman’s voice say, “Do you know how freaking hard it is to find your house?”

His eyes shot up to take in the scowling blonde who was jumping out of the truck to the ground, balancing two packages in her hands.

“Excuse me?” he asked, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.

She rolled her eyes. “I said, your house is almost impossible to find! I’ve been driving around for fifteen minutes and now I’m behind getting these deliveries made. Why don’t you have your house number on your mailbox or something?”

“I…I guess I’ve never thought of doing that.”

Her green eyes flashed. “Well, you should think about it! If you’re gonna live out here in the boonies, you could at least make it easier on delivery drivers!”

“I’ll take that into consideration.”

She nodded her head in satisfaction, then looked at the label on the top package. “You are Killian Jones, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She glared at him. “Seriously? I’m more than likely younger than you and you’re calling me ma’am?”

“Umm…”

“Emma.”

“Pardon me?”

“Whenever you order anything, I’ll probably be the one making the delivery, so you might as well know my name; it’s Emma Swan.”

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Emma Swan, and I’m very sorry that my house was difficult for you to find. I also apologize for causing you to be delayed.”

A smile crossed her face and Killian felt like the sun had suddenly broken through the clouds. “Thanks. I only have four more deliveries to make anyway, so it’s not that bad.”

Killian realized she was still holding his boxes. “Here, let me take those. I’m sure you need to be going.”

She handed the packages to him and gave him another smile. “Yeah, I do. Now that I know where you live, I won’t need to yell at you next time, okay?”

“I would appreciate that, lass, er um, Emma.”

“I can live with ‘lass’,” she laughed, turning to head back to the truck.

Killian stood slack jawed, wondering why her laugh had such an effect on him.

She climbed onto her seat, started the engine, and called out to him, “Will I see you soon, Killian Jones?”

“Oh, uh, y-yes. I’ll probably be ordering supplies on a regular basis.”

“Okay. Until next time!”

He shifted the packages so he could raise his arm to wave, then watched the white vehicle disappear down the long lane.

*********

Killian laid on his side in bed, staring at the book in front of him, but unable to concentrate on the words. He flopped onto his back and ran his hand over his face and through his hair. Images of flashing green eyes and blonde tresses preoccupied his thoughts and he couldn’t seem to shake them.

Perhaps it was because he had so little interaction with other people, but he never reacted to the few he did meet the way he had with Emma Swan. He knew it was absurd to be so affected by someone he met for such a brief time, but there was just something about her that captured his attention.

He folded his arms behind his head, his white T-shirt stretching across his chest as he sighed. He could still hear the pleasant sound of her laughter, as well as her melodic voice - when she wasn’t yelling at him.

Giving up on doing any reading, he closed the book and placed it on the nightstand, then switched off the lamp. When he finally managed to drift off to sleep, his dreams were filled with flowing golden hair and sparkling emerald eyes.

*********

Grocery shopping was one thing Killian despised and would put off until there was barely any food left in the house. The day he realized he could buy most of his groceries online was a happy one for him.

As he checked the cupboards and made a list of items he needed, he couldn’t help but look forward to the next day delivery guaranteed by his upgraded membership. Since FedEx was named as the preferred delivery method, he knew his excitement stemmed from more than just having his food supply replenished.

The next morning, he felt the unprecedented need to dress in his best blue checkered flannel shirt with a gray henley underneath. He set out for the back of his property to chop a bundle of firewood, stopping often to survey the vehicles passing by on the highway in the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the white truck with the distinctive orange and dark purple logo on the side.

After carrying the wood to his house and stacking it on the porch, Killian puttered around inside; oiling a squeaky hinge, fixing the leaky bathroom faucet, and nailing down a loose floorboard in his bedroom. In between jobs, he looked out the window, checking the lane for any approaching delivery trucks.

He heated up leftover beef stew for lunch, dipping pieces of soft, white bread into the rich broth. As he ate, he flipped through a magazine, trying to find an article of interest to help distract him from thinking about her.

By mid-afternoon, he was beginning to wonder if the delivery tracking app was wrong when it showed that his packages were supposed to be delivered that day. He was outside stacking crates in the bed of his truck and folding the green tarp he used for covering the flowers, when he saw the cloud of dust at the end of his lane. His traitorous heart began to beat faster as he spotted the FedEx truck headed his way.

Not wanting to appear too eager, he finished his task and placed the tarp in the cab of his pickup, while the delivery truck came to a stop. When he glanced up, he saw the flash of a blonde ponytail disappearing into the back storage area.

By the time he walked over to stand beside the white vehicle, Emma had emerged with two large boxes balanced on top of one another. She stepped carefully onto the ground and Killian hurried to take them from her. He had assumed they weren’t heavy since she didn’t seem to struggle carrying them, but was surprised to realize the combined weight of the two boxes was rather substantial.

“How are you today, Miss Swan?” he asked politely.

“I’m fine, Mister Jones,” she smirked. “My name is Emma, remember?”

He knew he would have been nervously scratching behind his ear if his hands were empty. As it was, he felt the heat moving up his neck. “I didn’t want to be too forward.”

“So you’re a gentleman, huh?”

“Indeed I am.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have told you my name if I didn’t want you to use it.”

Killian smiled. “Duly noted.”

“I notice you have your house number added on your mailbox now.”

“Aye, better late than never, I suppose.”

Emma laughed, which caused his heart to speed up just like the last time. “All of your other delivery drivers will appreciate it, too.’

“There are no others. You’re my one and only,” he blurted, then wished the earth would open beneath his feet to swallow him.

“That’s good to know,” Emma laughed, stepping back up into her truck. “Have a good day, Killian.”

“You too, lass. Drive carefully.”

“Yes, Dad,” she grinned, then put the truck into gear and waved.

Realizing his hands were full, instead of waving, he nodded his head and graced her with one of his rare smiles, which she returned before driving away.

He carried the packages into the house, with the smile still on his face.

*********

Usually, Killian was content when he went days on end without going into the city or having any interaction with other human beings; but as the week after the delivery of his groceries progressed, he felt restless. He found himself searching the shopping app for items which would be useful, even though they weren’t necessary.

He knew he shouldn’t spend money on frivolous purchases, but since he had more than enough savings in the bank, he didn’t really feel guilty about buying a few things. Still, his finger hovered over the ‘place order’ button for several seconds before he finally tapped it.

That evening as he soaked in his vintage, claw-footed bathtub, he started having second thoughts about what he had done. He couldn’t believe he ordered things he didn’t need just so he would get to see Emma again.

Laying his head back on the rim of the tub, he sighed deeply. He was probably reading too much into her friendliness and was sure she treated all the other people on her delivery route the same way.

He leaned forward and scooped water into his cupped hands, then splashed it over his face and through his hair. Regardless of whether or not he had done the right thing, his order would arrive tomorrow.

As he pulled the plug to drain the tub, climbed out and began to dry off, he came to the conclusion that his excitement over having Emma arrive in her FedEx truck was because of the novelty of having packages delivered to his house, instead of having to make the trip into town. Perhaps seeing her would become routine, and soon his heart wouldn’t race every time he saw the delivery truck coming up his lane.

*********

“This is getting to be a habit,” Emma remarked, hopping down out of the truck with a small package in her hand.

Killian’s fingers found the spot behind his ear which always seemed to itch when he felt awkward. “Aye. I’m sure you’d rather not have to make deliveries all the way out here.”

“I really don’t mind, Killian.”

His hand brushed against hers as he reached to take the box, and the feel of her soft skin caused a tingling sensation to travel through his fingers. He noticed she wasn’t quick to pull her hand back and he lifted his eyes to look into her face. She was wearing a soft smile that he couldn’t imagine she gave to all of her other customers.

He felt her fingers slowly glide against his as she finally let go of the package and stepped back.

“I guess I’d better be on my way,” she remarked. “Do you, uh, will you have more orders arriving soon?”

“Oh, um, I…I don’t know. Possibly. I forgot a few things when I ordered my groceries last week.”

Her smile brightened. “Great! I’ll see you before long, then. Goodbye, Killian!”

“Goodbye, Emma.”

“Don’t worry - I’ll drive carefully!” she quipped before taking off.

He shook his head at her banter and stood in the driveway, until the dust created by her vehicle had completely settled.

*********

Killian was amazed at how light his heart felt in the following days. When he made his bi-weekly trip to the flower shop to deliver his pots of orchids, the florist noticed.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” she commented. “I mean, not that you’re usually grumpy or anything, but you just seem…different.”

“Do I?” he asked. “Well, this batch of flowers is of exceptionally good quality, so perhaps that’s the reason.”

She threw him a skeptical look, but didn’t make any further comments as she wrote a check for him.

*********

Killian had become engrossed in repotting some plants and wasn’t waiting outside when Emma made a delivery the following week. By the time he glanced up to see the familiar truck sitting in his driveway, she was already striding toward the door carrying a large box.

He quickly brushed his hands off over his workbench, then rubbed them down the front of his jeans. She knocked on the door just as he reached it.

“Did you forget I was coming?” she smirked through the screen door.

“No, I was just working.”

“You work from home?”

“You could say that. I grow specialty flowers to supply a florist in the city.”

While he was talking, she was peeking in the window beside the door, which looked into his sunroom. “Oh, wow! You grow those? They’re gorgeous!”

“Would you, um, would you like to come in and see them more closely, or are you not supposed to go into your customers’ homes?”

“We’re strongly encouraged not to, mostly for our own safety, but I trust you, Killian Jones.”

A bright smile stretched across his face as he pushed the screen door open, being careful not to accidentally bump her with it. “Come on in.”

She stepped into the house, glancing around for a couple of seconds before following him into the sunroom. He took the package from her hands, laid it on a chair, then stood back as she walked around his workbench, marveling over the beauty of the orchids.

After she walked completely around it, he began telling her about some of the complexities of growing the fragile flowers. She listened attentively, hesitantly reaching out to lightly stroke her fingers over the silky petals.

When she realized she had been there for over five minutes, she declared that she had to get back to work. As she made her way to the door, he plucked one of the stray blooms off of the bench.

“Swan?” he said, causing her to stop in her tracks and look back at him.

He stepped over to her and shyly held the bloom out, then ducked his head and scratched at the back of it after she took it.

“Thank you, Killian. It’s beautiful.” She twirled the stem between her fingers and looked up at him from under her lashes. “You’re very talented.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…”

“I do. And you’re also very sweet.”

As the tips of his ears reddened, she turned, pushed the door open and made her way to the truck. He watched through the screen to see her gently lay the flower on the dashboard before driving off.

*********

The next time the FedEx truck came rumbling up the lane, Killian was sitting on his back steps, bundled in his olive green, Sherpa lined coat, and wearing a heather blue infinity scarf around his neck. It was a Thursday towards the end of October; the last leaves were clinging to the bare branches of the trees, and a front had moved through, dropping the temperatures with the first true cold snap of Autumn.

He stood up as the truck stopped and strode over to stand beside it, waiting for Emma to emerge from the back with his latest purchase. When she did, he sensed a difference in her demeanor immediately. The slight smile she had pasted on her face wasn’t natural and didn’t reach her eyes.

As soon as she handed him the box, she mumbled, “Here you go, Killian. Have a good day,” and began to climb back into the driver’s seat.

“Emma, wait,” he called, causing her to pause before getting behind the steering wheel. “Is something wrong?”

She stood stock still for several moments and he wondered if she was warring with herself about whether to confide in him or not. He gave her time, not wanting to pressure her into saying something, but hoping she would, since something was clearly bothering her.

Finally, she turned back to face him with tears shining in her eyes. “To-today is my birthday…”

Automatically he responded, “Happy birthday, Swan!” then realized two tears had escaped the confines of her lower eyelids and were tracking down her cheeks. He carelessly tossed the package he was holding onto the open tailgate of his pickup and closed the space between them.

Acting on instinct, he reached up to brush the tears off her cheeks, and the simple gesture seemed to break the dam. A few more tears fell as Killian implored, “Emma, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong.”

After several seconds, she took a deep, shuddering breath and wiped her face with her sleeve. “I’m sorry, Killian,” she whispered in a tear-thickened voice.

“You have no reason to be sorry, lass, but perhaps you could share whatever it is that’s burdening you. Is it something to do with your birthday?”

She kept her head down, as she explained, “I just…I don’t have any family - never have - and it’s hard every time my birthday comes around, because all it does is remind me that it’s been another banner year of being alone. I wish…I wish…you know what, I’ll be okay. Forget it.”

“Making a wish is one of the traditions of birthdays, I believe,” he observed. “Please tell me your wish, Emma.”

Raising her head at last, she looked at him with a sad smile, “I wish I didn’t have to be by myself on my birthday.”

“I can help make that happen, if you’ll allow me.”

“Killian, no. I didn’t tell you this so you would feel sorry for me.”

“What I feel for you is empathy, Swan. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a recluse. I have no remaining family myself, and I haven’t gone out of my way to make any friends since moving here from England several years ago. I would be happy to keep you company on your birthday.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am. Would you feel comfortable coming here to have dinner with me?”

“Um, sure. Do you want me to bring take-out from somewhere?”

He rubbed his finger behind his ear. “I thought I might cook the meal. I’m no chef, but I can hold my own. Do you have any food allergies?”

Her smile brightened. “Umm…no, no allergies, and I’m excited to taste your cooking! Is there anything I can bring?”

“Just yourself. Shall we say seven o’clock?”

“That works for me. I should probably go, so I can finish the rest of my deliveries. Thanks so much, Killian - I’ll see you later!”

“One moment, Swan. Perhaps I should, uh, perhaps we could trade phone numbers, just in case…”

“In case you want to cancel?” she asked, trying and failing, to make it sound like a joke as her smile faltered.

“Of course not. I just thought it would be a good idea to have each other’s number. That way, if you’re running late, you can call so I won’t worry.”

“Oh, okay. Let me put my number into your phone, then you can send me a text and I’ll have yours.”

Once that was done, Emma bounced up the steps of her truck and dropped into the seat. “See you tonight!” she called as she slid the door shut, fastened her seat belt, and drove off.

He watched her go with a fond smile on his face, then hurried into the house to decide what to make for her birthday dinner.

*********

By the time Killian saw headlights coming up the lane, he was pulling dinner rolls out of the oven while the loaded potato soup simmered on the stove. He stepped out onto his back porch to see a yellow Volkswagen come to a stop, and heard the hinges screech in protest when she threw open the door to climb out. She tried to close it, but it wouldn’t shut completely, so she bumped it with her hip in a move he was sure she used on a regular basis.

Turning toward him, he could see the beaming smile on her face - quite a different countenance than she’d had earlier in the day.

“Good evening, Love,” Killian greeted. Even in the low light, he saw her brows raise at his use of the term.

“Hello again, Killian,” she returned, brushing past him as he held the door open for her. “Wow! Something smells delicious!”

He held her coat as she shrugged out of it, then hung it on a hook in the entryway. “I hope you like salad and loaded potato soup.”

“I like anything, pretty much. If I was home tonight, I would probably be having leftover pizza from last week. Potato soup sounds like heaven to me!”

They moved into the kitchen where he pulled a chair out for her at his small table, went to the stove to ladle soup into two bowls, then sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top. He placed them on the table where the basket of rolls and plates of salad were already waiting.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer you in the way of drinks,” he apologized. “I wish I had some wine or…”

“No problem. Water is fine with me.”

He took two glasses from the cupboard, dropped some ice cubes in, then filled them with water from the faucet.

Emma was stirring her soup, inhaling deeply. “I can’t wait to try this - it smells so freaking good!” she declared.

He chuckled. “Well, dig in then, Swan,” and watched her surreptitiously as she did.

“Mmmm…” she moaned after taking her first bite. “This tastes amazing!”

Her moan sent a warm sensation through his body, and he cleared his throat before speaking so his voice wouldn’t betray the wash of longing it set off in him. “I’m, uh, I’m glad you like it.”

“Did you actually make this, or have you hidden the cans you opened somewhere?”

“No cans to hide - I made it from scratch, and I grew the vegetables for the salad in my greenhouse garden out back,” he grinned, tearing off a hunk of bread to dip into his bowl.

She watched him before doing the same. “How about the rolls? Did you make them, too?”

“Ah, now those I just warmed in the oven. I had them in my freezer.”

“Oh, you just burst my bubble, Jones. I thought you were a master chef and baker!”

“Well, I didn’t have room in the oven to make both fresh rolls and your birthday cake, so I chose to make the cake,” he smirked.

Her eyes grew wide and she laid her spoon on the table. “You…you made a cake for me?” she gasped.

He slowly nodded his head. “Aye, and I hope you like chocolate. It’s a recipe of my mum’s and it’s my favorite. I also made buttercream frosting for it.”

“I love chocolate! I can’t believe you did that!”

“Well, everyone should have a cake for their birthday, although I don’t usually bother to make one for myself.”

“Do you know what I did last year? I bought myself a cupcake and a little blue star candle and took them to my apartment. Then I stuck the candle in the cupcake, lit it, made a wish and blew it out.”

“Did your wish come true?”

She looked him in the eye. “I wished I could have someone in my life to talk to, even if it was only one person. It’s one of the reasons I started working for FedEx. I thought if I was making deliveries to different houses, I would meet people, but most of the time, they’re too busy to talk, or they don’t answer my knock, so I just leave the packages at their door. Then I started coming here and, well, I guess you could say you made my wish come true, Killian.”

He ducked his head and busied himself with stirring his soup. “You’ve done the same for me, Swan. It gets lonely out here by myself, but I have no desire to live in the city. I enjoy chatting with you when you deliver my purchases, and I, uh…I have a confession to make.”

“What’s that?”

She waited for his answer while watching his ears turning red. “I…well…I’ve been ordering things I really don’t even need, just so I can see you.”

Reaching across the table, she covered his hand with her own. “I think that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

He raised his eyes. “You do?”

She nodded.

“I have another confession to make,” he admitted. She squeezed his hand to encourage him. “I, uh, I asked for your phone number because I thought perhaps I could call you in between the deliveries you make out here.”

“I’d like that, Killian. I hope you won’t mind if I call you sometimes, too?”

“That would be nice, Emma.” They shared a smile, then he observed, “Perhaps we should finish our soup before it gets cold.”

*********

After they finished their dinner, Killian carried the cake in, along with dessert plates and clean forks.

Setting the cake in front of her, he apologized, “I’m sorry I don’t have any birthday candles. I’ve never had any need for them.“

“Maybe you should order some to be delivered,” she smirked, and he laughed.

“If I did have candles, how many would be necessary?” he asked hesitantly.

“Are you trying to ask me how old I am, Jones?”

He shrugged. “Maybe?”

She giggled, causing him to grin. “I’m twenty-nine.”

He began cutting the cake into large squares, then lifted a piece out of the pan to place on one of the plates. As she watched him, she inquired, “When is your birthday, Killian?”

“In January.”

“And you’ll be…?”

“Thirty-three. I’ve got a few years on you.” He laid a fork on the plate, slid it across the table to her, then set to work plating a piece for himself.

“Less than four. That’s hardly anything,” she commented.

Once he was seated again, he looked at the beautiful woman across from him. “Even though you don’t have a candle to blow out, would you still like to make a wish, Love?”

“Okay.” She closed her eyes and concentrated, until a smile crossed her face. When her eyes blinked open again, she saw him watching her. “You know I can’t tell you what I wished for or it won’t come true.”

He reached across the table to give her fingers a squeeze. “I truly hope it does.”

They ate their cake, with Emma exclaiming over how delicious it tasted. When they finished, she tried to help him clean up, but he wouldn’t hear of it. “I’ll just clear away the leftovers, then take care of the dishes tomorrow.”

He insisted on sending some of the food home with her, giving her a generous amount of soup, three rolls, and several pieces of cake, all of which he packaged and put into a cardboard box.

“I seem to have a lot of these piling up, for some reason,” he quipped, and she rolled her eyes with a grin.

Soon all the food was squared away and the two of them stood together in the kitchen, feeling a little awkward.

“Would you, um, would you like to watch some television?” he asked.

“I should probably go home. I have to work tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes, okay. Well, I’m very happy you were able to come over tonight.”

“So am I, and I can’t thank you enough, Killian. This is the best birthday I’ve had for as long as I can remember!”

“It was my pleasure, Emma. Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you before you go.”

“You don’t have to give me anything; you already made a delicious meal and cake for me.”

He took her hand and tugged her along behind him into his sunroom. “I want to do this, Swan,” he told her, stopping in front of his work table, on which sat an orchid with pale pink blooms. He picked it up and turned to hand it to her. “Happy birthday, Love.”

“Killian, I…I can’t take this! You grow these for the florist…”

“I grow these to share with people,” he interrupted, “and I can think of nobody with whom I’d rather share this one.”

She set it back on the table and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He returned her hug, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent.

When they finally separated, he held her coat for her as she slid her arms into it, then carried the box to her car while she carefully handled the plant. They placed everything on the passenger side floor, making sure the flower was secure.

As they stood in front of the driver’s door, Killian remarked, “That’s quite the vessel you captain there, Swan.”

“It’s paid for and it gets me where I need to go.”

“Ah, of course.”

He dropped his eyes shyly, until he heard her say, “Well, I guess I should get going. Thanks again for everything, Killian.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Both of them remained still for several moments, not quite knowing how to end the evening. Finally, Killian said, “I’d, uh…I’d like to see you again, if that’s okay. I mean, besides you coming here to make deliveries. Would you be interested in going out on a proper date?”

Emma graced him with a brilliant smile. “I would like that very much.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow evening to set something up. Perhaps dinner and a movie?”

“Sounds good! I’ll look forward to it!”

Stepping forward, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, but before she could move away from him, he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. Looking into her moonlit eyes, he saw acceptance for what he was planning to do, and in the next moment, his lips found hers.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, and he could feel her breath quicken as his lips glided over hers. After a blissful few seconds, he reluctantly broke the kiss, licked his lips, and smiled at her.

“Goodnight, Emma. Drive safely.”

“I will. Goodnight, Killian.”

He opened the door for her, and closed it once she was settled behind the wheel with her seatbelt fastened, bumping it with his hip as he had seen her do, to make sure it was latched.

She gave him another smile and a wave as the engine rumbled to life, then turned the car around and started down the lane. Killian went back into his house, still smiling to himself, not realizing that with his kiss, he had already made Emma’s latest birthday wish come true.

*********

After spending the following day watching the clock until he knew Emma would be home, Killian was true to his word and called her. They arranged to go out the next evening to a nice, quiet, out-of-the-way diner outside the city.

Just before ending the call, he suggested wearing casual, warm clothes for the second part of their date. He thought of something to do after dinner besides a movie, but wanted to make the suggestion face-to-face with Emma, to get her honest reaction. He did ask her if she liked horror movies or if she scared easily, because he didn’t want to put her in an awkward situation during their date. She assured him that she enjoyed things that got her heart racing.

On Saturday, he made a delivery of flowers to the florist in the city, then spent a couple of hours cleaning out his pickup truck and washing it. He wished he had a more luxurious vehicle, but he knew she probably wouldn’t care, considering the car she drove.

It felt like time was moving at a snail’s pace all afternoon. He took a bath, trimmed his beard, and dressed in jeans, boots and a heavy red and black plaid flannel shirt. Then he spent some time figuring out the best route to take to her apartment, not putting his trust in his phone’s GPS, and checked his appearance several times before the clock finally showed it was time to leave.

It had been years since he last went on a date, and he hadn’t been on one at all since moving to Maine. Going out with women always made him feel awkward and anxious, so it became something he chose to forgo. Tonight, however, he surprised himself with how much he was looking forward to going out with Emma.

He pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment building almost ten minutes early, so instead of going in and knocking on her door, he sat in his truck, fidgeting and repeatedly smoothing the hair on the back of his head.

When his phone dinged with a text message, he grinned as he read it. You don’t have to sit in your truck until the exact time, you know. I’ve been ready for over an hour.

He exited the truck and looked up at the third floor, spotting her standing in one of the windows, waving at him. He grinned in return, then entered the building and took the elevator to her floor. She opened the door before he even had a chance to knock, wearing a bright, though slightly nervous, smile.

“Swan, you look…stunning,” he said sincerely, pulling a bouquet of Autumn flowers from behind his back, and causing her smile to grow wider.

“Oh, Killian! They’re gorgeous! Fall colors are my favorite! Come in so I can put these in some water.” She stepped off to the side of the doorway to usher him in, taking the bouquet from his hand and automatically bringing it up to her nose.

“Look, I haven’t killed the plant you gave me yet,” she said proudly, using her free hand to gesture toward a small table in front of the window, on which sat her birthday orchid.

“That’s good. I think if you had, it might be a new world’s record for murder of a plant!” he chuckled.

He could hear her rattling around in her small kitchen, opening and closing cupboards, followed by the sound of running water. When she emerged, she held a bright yellow plastic pitcher with the flowers inside.

“I’ve never gotten flowers before, so I don’t have a vase,” she explained, setting the pitcher on the table beside the orchid.

“You’ll need to cut the stems diagonally under running water and trim the leaves off below the water line; that makes cut flowers last a little longer,” he informed her. “There’s a little packet of plant food tucked in there to sprinkle in the water, too.”

“Should I do it right now?”

“No, it can wait until later. Are you ready to go?”

“Is this okay for what you have planned?” She swept her hand downward, indicating her dark jeans, knee-high boots, black and white striped sweater, and dark red, fleece-lined coat.

“It’s perfect. The Weather Channel says it’s only supposed to get down into the low fifties tonight, so you should be warm enough.”

“The Weather Channel, huh? What are you, like sixty years old?” She laughed as he rolled his eyes, then added, “You have me very curious about what we’re going to do.”

He opened the apartment door and allowed her to lead the way into the hall. “Right now, we’re going to eat dinner,” he teased.

“Yeah, I figured that out, Sherlock. I was talking about after we’re done eating.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he assured her, following a step behind as she walked down the stairs.

*********

The diner was a cozy little nook which wasn’t too crowded, and allowed them to have an uninterrupted conversation all through dinner. Killian was a bit shocked with how easily he was able to talk to her, after being alone for so many years and having limited contact with other people. She was a good listener and had him laughing with stories of some of her delivery mishaps.

At the end of their meal, he asked if she would like to have dessert or coffee. “Actually, I’d like some hot chocolate,” she said, “with lots of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.”

“That sounds…interesting.”

She saw his raised brows. “What?”

He opened his mouth, then hesitated before responding, “Nothing.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it, buddy.”

“I’m feeling adventurous tonight.”

When the waitress brought the beverages out, he took a tentative sip, then gave a whipped cream-enhanced smile. “Not bad, Swan.”

“Told ya,” she gloated. “So when are you gonna tell me where we’re going next? I’ve been very patient.”

“Indeed you have. I’m not sure how you’ll feel about this, so if it’s something you’d rather not do, don’t be afraid to tell me.” She nodded her agreement, and he went on. “I found a farm a few miles from my house which offers haunted hayrides through the woods.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? That sounds like fun! What time does it start?”

“The first one is at eight o-clock and there’s one every forty minutes until midnight. We should be able to go on the third one of the night.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get the begeezus scared out of us!”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “We still have time to finish our cocoa, Emma.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m just so excited! I’ve never been on a hayride of any kind before, let alone a haunted one!”

Killian was happy he was getting to witness some of her first experiences that evening, and that she was so receptive to his idea. He had worried that she would think it was a silly and childish thing to do.

Every moment he spent with the fiery blonde had him becoming more and more fond of her, and when the voices in his head started chanting that he could get hurt, he shut them up immediately. He was tired of being lonely, and was ready to take a chance with this woman, who was already well on her way to capturing his heart.

*********

The couple enjoyed the hayride, which turned out to be more humorous than scary. Emma had trouble controlling her giggles as people dressed as zombies with bad make-up jumped out at them from the woods with chainless chainsaws, rubber knives and fake machetes.

Killian didn’t mind the occasions when she was startled, because she kept jumping closer to him on the hay bale on which they were sitting. By the time the half-hour ride was over, he had his arm around her, holding her close against his side.

Before leaving the farm, they purchased hot apple cider and caramel popcorn and took it back to his house.

“Would you like to watch a movie, Swan, or will that make it too late for you to get home?” Killian asked, showing her into his living room.

“I can get home after midnight; I won’t turn into a pumpkin…or a zombie,” she smirked.

“Shall we continue on with the scary theme?”

“That’s fine with me. I like horror movies, but I don’t really enjoy watching them by myself.”

They chose a movie from Hulu together and sat on the couch as they watched, munching popcorn and sipping their cider. About an hour into the movie, when the food was gone, Emma gravitated toward where he was sitting and was soon leaning against him. He encouraged her snuggling by wrapping his arm around her shoulder and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Killian was not a person who welcomed human contact - most of the time he would avoid it if possible. So he was surprised to realize he not only enjoyed Emma’s body being close to his, but almost craved her touch. Several times she hid her face in his chest when she knew a particularly scary scene was coming and he held her tighter, boldly pressing kisses into her hair.

When the movie ended, he reluctantly released her, allowing her to sit up. She turned to look at him and he asked, “Did you like it, Love?”

“The movie or the date?”

“Both, I guess?” he shrugged.

Instead of answering, she leaned in and kissed him. His eyes widened in surprise at first, then he let out a happy sigh and allowed his lips to caress hers in return. He felt the fingers of one of her hands find their way into the soft strands of hair at the nape of his neck, while the other slid up his arm to squeeze his bicep.

His hands didn’t stay idle, as he ran them from her waist to massage her back. He lost himself in the kiss and found himself wishing it wouldn’t end. When it did, he drew back to look into her shining eyes, then dove back in for more.

Finally, they both had a need for air and separated, though they maintained contact with their foreheads pressed together.

“Can I take that as a yes?” he grinned.

“It is most definitely a yes,” she assured him. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such a good time!”

“You didn’t find the haunted hayride to be a bit feeble?”

“I loved it! This date was so much fun, Killian. I truly have enjoyed every minute of it…especially the last few,” she added, winking at him.

He laughed deep in his throat and pulled her in for another hug. “I’ve had a really good time, too,” he murmured against her temple. “Would you be interested in going out again?”

“I’m assuming you mean with you?”

“That was kind of the idea, yes.”

She pressed her lips to his again. When she pulled back after several sweet moments, he licked his lips and said, “Not that I’m complaining, Love, but do you ever just answer with a yes or no?”

She threw her head back and laughed, and he took the opportunity to scatter small kisses along the creamy skin of her throat. Her sudden intake of breath told him the effect they had on her.

“I…I would love to go out with you again, Killian; more than once, if possible.”

“I think that’s entirely possible.” He settled her against his chest once more and they sat comfortably together, her fingers finding the gold chain around his neck, while his stroked up and down her upper arm.

The chimes of his grandfather clock signaled the hour of one o’clock and he reluctantly sat up and put some space between them. “I’d better get you home, Swan.”

She heaved a sigh. “Yeah, I guess so. You probably need your beauty sleep.”

“It’s how I retain my youthful glow,” he responded cheekily.

She laughed again and he realized he could listen to that sound for hours on end, if given the chance.

Killian went out to start the truck while Emma put her boots and coat back on. Soon they were on the road back to her place.

“Do you like living in the city?” he inquired as they drove along the highway.

“Not really, but I’m not lucky enough to own a house out in the country.”

“Lucky is a good word for it. I happened to be in the right place at the right time to purchase it, and got it for a steal. It’s quiet and far away from other people, so it has plenty of privacy, which I value.”

“I figured that out by the number of things you order so you won’t have to make trips into the city.”

He glanced over at her with a shy smile. “I don’t allow many people in, Emma. In the past, I’ve found it very difficult to trust them, because they always let me down.”

“I can identify with that.”

“You, uh, you said you never had a family…”

“Nope. I was abandoned at birth and never got adopted.”

“Ah, I see. I actually had a family, but my mum died when I was very young, my father abandoned my brother Liam and me, then Liam was killed in an accident. I’ve been alone for nearly fifteen years now.”

“It sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Aye, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Silence fell for a while as the truck passed three mile markers. Finally, Emma broke it by quietly asking, “Do you think you would like being a little less lonely?”

He glanced over at her before directing his eyes back to the dark road. “I would if it meant we were being less lonely together.”

*********

When they arrived at her apartment building, Killian hopped out of his side of the truck and hurried around it to open her door, taking her hand as she exited and not letting it go. They took their time walking up the three flights of stairs, exchanging few words, but numerous smiles with each other.

“Do you want to come in?” she asked as they stopped outside her apartment door.

“I might want to, but I really should get back home.”

“Busy day tomorrow?”

“Not really, but I was planning on calling a certain lovely lady at some point in the day.”

“Lucky girl.”

He moved closer to kiss her briefly. “I guess you are.”

Looping her arms around his neck, she initiated another kiss, this one lasting far longer. Pulling back at last, she said, “I had such a good time tonight, Killian. Everything about it was perfect.”

“I’m very happy to hear it. Shall we do it again soon?”

“I would really like that. Will I, um, will I be making any deliveries to you this week?”

“I do have some floral supplies ordered.”

“Good.”

They shared another lengthy kiss before he stepped back. “Goodnight, Emma.”

“Goodnight, Killian.” Unlocking and opening her door, she threw him one last dazzling smile, then walked inside and closed it behind her.

He stood leaning against the wall for a few more moments, then blew out a breath and touched his fingers to his lips, remembering the way they tingled when they were touching hers.

********

In the following weeks, Emma and Killian called or texted each other daily, and went on several more dates, using every opportunity to get to know one another better. He looked forward to the days when she made a delivery to his house, since it gave him another chance to see her briefly.

It became more and more difficult for him to say goodbye to her at her apartment after their dates. Sometimes he would accept her invitation for hot chocolate and they would talk and kiss for an hour or so, but he never pushed it any further. He wanted her to know that he respected her and would wait until she decided the time was right to take their budding relationship to the next level.

Christmas was quickly approaching and the couple had been dating for nearly two months. Early one evening, Killian was beginning to worry when Emma wasn’t answering his phone calls or texts. He knew it was past time for her to be home from work, and because there had been periods of freezing rain throughout the day, he started to imagine the worst when he thought of her having to drive her delivery route on icy roads.

He was pacing back and forth across the kitchen, hoping his phone would light up with her name, when headlights illuminated the room. Knowing there was only one person it could possibly be, he threw on a coat, hurried out the back door, and jogged down the steps.

She was bumping her car door closed with her hip as he reached her. “Swan, what are you doing here at this time of night? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I just have a delivery to make.”

“A delivery? I don’t think I’m expecting anything. What is it?”

She took a step forward and ran her hands up his chest. “Me.”

His eyebrows raised in surprise and it took a second for what she was saying to register. When it did, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. “Is that right?”

Looping her arms around his neck, she ghosted her lips against his as she said, “Yes, it is.”

“Shall we go inside, Love?”

She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “Just so we’re clear, Killian - when we go inside, I want more than one of our usual make-out sessions, no matter how much I enjoy them. Is that…is that okay with you?”

“Well, it would be rather rude of me to reject such a special delivery,” he chuckled a little nervously. Then he grew more serious. “Emma, I…it’s been a long time since I was in any kind of relationship, and it didn’t end well. I don’t want to…to…what I mean is…”

She took his hand and started leading him to the house. “Let’s talk inside. I’m freezing.”

After shedding their coats and boots, they sat together on the couch with their fingers intertwined. “What were you trying to tell me, Killian?” she asked, watching his thumb rub over her knuckle.

“The last woman I dated broke my heart. That’s one of the main reasons why I made the decision to leave England all those years ago, and I haven’t dated since. So what I’m trying to say is, I’m out of practice.”

She twisted in her seat, and the next thing he knew, she had flung her leg over his lap and was straddling him. Her hands came up to the sides of his face and she leaned her forehead against his.

“I’ve heard it’s like riding a bicycle,” she said. He chuckled and she sat back to look at him. “My sexual experiences have been very few and far between, too, but we can figure it out together. If you want to, that is.”

“Oh, I want to, Emma - that’s not the problem at all. It’s just that, in the past…”

She put two fingers over his lips. “Let the past stay in the past - those are ghosts we can’t control. This is now, and I want you. I know the scariest part is letting go, but I’m yours to choose, so why don’t you take what’s right in front of you, Killian?”

He contemplated what she said for less than two seconds before surging forward to engage her in a passionate kiss. It grew increasingly heated until he felt that if he didn’t do something soon, he was going to internally combust.

He wrapped her securely in his arms and pushed to his feet, not breaking contact with her lips. Her legs automatically went around his waist and she moaned deeply into his mouth, causing him to nearly stumble.

His bedroom seemed so much farther away than the few steps it actually was, but when he finally made it to the edge of his bed, he eased her onto it gently. Then he stood looking down at her as she reached for him, her hair spread out in a tangled halo, her lips kiss-swollen, and her eyes dark with desire.

“Killian, please,” she panted, “I need you.”

Her fingers scrambled for the button of his jeans before he stilled them with his hands. “I…I don’t have any protection,” he admitted. “I’ve been meaning to get some, but…”

“I’m covered and clean. Been on the pill for months to regulate my cycle,” she explained, pulling her hands free. “Do you have any other excuses?”

“No, no excuses. There is just something I need to tell you. I know this may be too soon for you to hear, but I want to say it so you understand this isn’t just a one-time thing, to scratch an itch.”

She swallowed hard as she looked into his eyes, the expression in them so intense she was almost afraid to find out what he was going to say. “What is it?” she managed to ask.

“I…Emma…I’m in love with you,” he stated, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face.

“Y-you are?” she squeaked.

“Utterly and completely. I think I have been ever since the moment you yelled at me during that first delivery you made. I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I didn’t know how, and I didn’t want to take this next step before I did.”

“You actually love me?” she asked, with disbelief lacing her words.

“Aye, Sweetheart. I love your sense of humor, your determination, your boldness, and your stubborn streak.” She grinned at that. “I also love your ability to see past the walls I’ve built to keep people out, in order to see the lonely person inside. No one has ever made the effort to do that before.” He paused a moment, before continuing, “But don’t worry, Love. I’m not telling you this to pressure you into saying…”

“I love you, Killian.”

“…it,” he finished, a look of awe crossing his face. “Do you really?”

“Yes. At least, I think I do, if this is what being in love feels like. I’ve never felt it before. All I know is that I think about you all the time…”

“Same.”

“And every time I talk to you, my heart races and…”

“I can’t stop smiling.”

“Exactly! And whenever you touch me, it’s like my skin is…is…”

“Like an electrical current is running through it?”

“Yes! Is that what being in love feels like?”

“I assume so. I’ve never been in love before, either.”

Emma giggled adorably. “Well, now that we’re clear on how we feel about each other, what else is keeping you from ravaging me?”

He grinned at her and ran his hands up her sides underneath her sweater. “Just this jumper,” he said as he pulled it over her head. “And these jeans, and bra, and…you’re wearing far too many clothes, Swan.”

“Hmmm, I guess we better do something about that. You have a lot of clothes on too, you know.”

In a flash, she tackled him and had him on his back in the middle of the bed, while she knelt above him, undoing the fastener of his jeans and pulling the zipper down. He lifted his hips to help her tug them down his legs until he was in his boxers, and she licked her lips as she took in the sizable bulge he was sporting.

She felt his hair tickling her fingers when she ran them up his legs and into the openings of his underwear. One hand fondled his balls while the other found his shaft, stroking it lightly. Her eyes moved up his body to watch the effect she was having on him.

His eyes were closed and he was biting his lower lip. His hands reached up to grip the pillow under his head and he groaned, “Bloody fuck, Emma! That…that feels so good!”

She continued running her hand along his velvety skin, stopping periodically to brush her thumb across his slit, until he gasped, “P-please stop, Love. I…I don’t know if I can…hold back if you keep doing that.”

She gave him one more gentle squeeze, then removed her hands and sat looking down at him with a smirk, before swinging around on the bed to yank off her socks. As she reached for the button of her jeans, he stopped her. “Let me do that, Love.”

She hopped up off the bed to stand in front of him, clad only in her bra and jeans. “Okay, but I get to finish stripping you first.”

“As you wish,” he conceded.

She pushed his flannel shirt off his shoulders and, once he pulled his arms free, lifted his henley over his head. Seeing that she still hadn’t reached bare skin yet because of the white undershirt he wore, she blew out an exasperated breath.

“Holy shit, Jones! How many layers of clothes are you wearing?”

“I live in Maine and it’s the middle of winter. What do you expect?”

“I expect to get naked with you, but I didn’t know it was gonna take until the New Year to get you there!”

He laughed as she grabbed the hem of the T-shirt to drag it up his body. Her eyes danced with delight as she took in his muscular chest with its generous peppering of hair. He tried not to squirm as she lightly ran her fingers through it and stroked along his ribcage.

“You’re gorgeous,” she breathed, watching her fingers as they moved.

“Not nearly as much as you,” he responded, bringing his hands up to spread them over her sides, and rubbing his thumbs under the elastic of her bra. As his hands slid around to the back of it, he looked up at her through his lashes. “May I?”

She nodded and held her breath as he made quick work of the fasteners, then she pulled her arms through and let the bra drop to the floor.

Killian lovingly caressed her breasts, strumming his thumbs across her nipples, which hardened immediately under his ministrations. “Beautiful,” he whispered.

He bent to take one of her pebbled nipples between his lips, running his tongue across it, then sucking lightly. When it garnered a gasp and soft moan from her, he sucked harder, while his left hand squeezed and fondled the other breast.

Emma’s eyes closed and her head dropped back as she enjoyed the sensations passing through her body. Her fingers found their way to his hair and she scratched through it, giving little tugs to the ends.

Every sigh and utterance went straight to his groin and soon he was even harder than her stroking had left him. He moved his mouth down her stomach before realizing she was still wearing her jeans. He fumbled with the button for a few seconds before she reached down and undid it herself.

“So impatient,” he growled, undoing the zipper and shoving her jeans past her hips.

She peeled them off, stepped out of them and kicked them aside, as his hands moved around to squeeze her ass, while he nibbled on her hip. She went to work in earnest to completely wreck his hair.

“Touch me, Killian,” she begged.

He hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and quickly disposed of them, inhaling deeply to take in the heady scent of her arousal. Now that he had her completely naked, he guided her back to the bed, encouraging her to lay down.

Before she did, Emma helped him remove his boxers. She knew by feeling him that he was well-endowed, but seeing it made her eyes widen. “That’s quite a package you’ve got there, buddy.”

He laughed. “I hope you’ll enjoy the delivery I make to you!” he said with a lopsided grin, causing her to roll her eyes playfully.

Finally lowering herself to the bed, she scooted back and laid down. He aligned himself beside her, looking into her face. “You are truly a very beautiful woman, my love,” he said, before leaning in for a sweet and tender kiss.

He ran his fingers across her collarbone, along the side of her breast, and down her ribcage. She giggled a bit at the tickling sensation and then drew in a quick breath as his fingers pressed between her thighs. She automatically widened them to allow him better access and moaned as he swiped through her slick folds.

“So…so wet, Swan,” he declared, watching his fingers stroke her, picking up more of her creamy essence on each pass.

“Mmhmm. K-Killian, please. Get inside me. Make me…make me come,” she whimpered.

In response, he tentatively pushed a finger into her heat. “More…” she encouraged.

Nodding, he pulled out and added a second on the next gentle thrust. “How does that feel, Love?”

“Insanely good,” she gasped, placing her hand over his, urging him to go deeper.

He continued working her up while his mouth kissed up her body to give attention to her breast.

Her head was rolling side-to-side on the pillow, her eyes closed and her mouth open to emit short panting breaths. He could feel her legs begin to quake as she drew them up and let them fall open, allowing him more freedom to explore.

“Can you take more?” he asked quietly.

Unable to form words at the moment, she simply nodded her head up and down. He pulled his glistening fingers free, knocking her hand away, and slowly pressed three fingers into her, watching her face carefully to discern any discomfort. Once they were completely enveloped in her welcoming heat, he twisted and curled them, then rolled his thumb over her bundle of nerves.

The effect was immediate and intense as her walls squeezed his fingers and she cried out, “Yes! Killian!”

He continued to stroke her as her body gradually relaxed, and his mouth latched onto her nipple again, sucking and licking to help draw out her ecstasy a bit longer.

When she finally came down from her high, she opened her eyes. “You call that being out of practice?” she teased.

He slid his fingers out of her and dragged them up her body, leaving a trail of her arousal which he followed with his tongue. Reaching her mouth at last, he uttered against her lips, “Perhaps it IS like riding a bicycle,” then plunged his tongue into her mouth.

After overcoming her surprise at the sudden intrusion, she gave back as good as she got, filling the room with sounds of clashing teeth, smacking lips, heartfelt moans, and heavy breathing. He settled his body over hers and her legs came up to encircle his hips.

Feeling her wet, hot, heat rubbing against his cock, he began grinding to add some friction. “Fuck, Emma! Feels so good!” he panted. “I need more!”

She desperately nodded. “Yes, pleeease!”

Loosening her legs, she let them fall to the mattress, giving him room to maneuver.

“Guide me, Love,” he requested, dropping his forearms to rest on either side of her.

Taking the opportunity to run her hands through the soft hair on his chest again, she slid them down his body to his fully erect member, drawing the head through her abundant slickness.

Killian was struggling not to thrust into her hand and come before he even had the chance to get inside her. “I…I love you, Emma,” he gasped. “Let me show you how much.”

Without wasting another second, she positioned him at her opening, then moved her hands to his ass, squeezing it encouragingly. He began to enter her at an achingly slow pace and when she looked up, she could see the cords of his neck standing out, his head thrown back, teeth clenched, and eyes closed tightly.

“Don’t hold back, Babe,” she pleaded. “Just let go. You won’t…you won’t hurt me.”

He pulled back until just his tip was still within her, then thrust his hips forward to enter her more deeply. Repeating this motion a few more times, he finally stilled balls deep and dropped his head to her chest.

“Bloody hell, you feel amazing, Love! I could live the rest of my life right here!”

“That…that might be a bit…inconvenient, but…I wouldn’t object!” she stammered.

He gripped her shoulders from underneath and began to move, slowly at first, but picking up speed as the sensations started to overwhelm him. She bent her knees and drew her legs up alongside his body and the new angle added to the pleasure.

With every snap of his hips, her breath caught, her hands roaming up and down his back and buttocks, her nails scratching against his skin, which heightened his arousal and drove him toward the edge faster than he wanted.

“Emma…I can’t…I’m going to…”

“Me…too!” Her knees tightened around him and her hips raised off the bed, her legs shaking with her impending release.

He plunged into her once more and suddenly she was flying. The throbbing of her walls along his swollen cock was his undoing, and with another thrust, he joined her. Feeling his release washing through her, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her and letting their sweat mingle as their hearts beat erratically in their chests.

“I love you,” she murmured, her lips finding their way to the hollow of his throat, then nuzzling into the juncture of his shoulder.

He rolled them over to reverse their positions and wrapped her securely in his arms. “I love you, too.”

As their breathing evened out and their bodies cooled, Killian reached down to find the blanket and pulled it over both of them. “Mmmm, can I just stay here all night?” she mumbled sleepily.

“I think that’s a grand idea, Love.”

She lifted her head to look into his face. “Do you mean it?”

“I can think of nothing I want more than to hold you in my arms for the rest of the night, my love.”

“You know I have to work tomorrow, don’t you? It’s the Christmas season so we’re swamped.”

“I’ll wake you early so you can get to work on time.”

“Deal, but be warned - I’m not a morning person.”

“I’ll be cautious.”

They fell silent for several minutes while she enjoyed the soothing movement of his hands kneading the skin of her back. She was just starting to doze off when his voice rumbled against the top of her head. “Does it have to be just for tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“Will you…could you make a special delivery to me again tomorrow night?”

She rested her chin on his sternum and grinned up at him. “I think I could do that.”

“I can pick you up, so you don’t have to drive all the way out here by yourself.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m used to doing things by myself.”

“But you don’t have to, Emma. You…we…aren’t alone anymore.”

A smile lit up her face. “That’s true. We have each other now.”

“That we do, and you are always welcome here. I want you here - as often as possible.”

“You might regret that offer.”

“Never.”

She sighed happily and laid her head back on his chest. “Thank you, Killian.”

“For what, Love?”

“For opening your heart to me and making me feel wanted, beautiful, special and loved.”

“You are all of those things, Sweetheart.”

He could feel her smile against his skin. “And for giving me a place to belong,” she added.

“You belong right here,” he said, patting the spot over his heart. “I want to thank you too, Emma, for taking a chance on me, by giving me your heart and blessing me with your love. I feel very lucky, and obviously less lonely, having you in my life. When I think of the hell I had to walk through, I wouldn’t trade a day of it, because it led me to you.”

She raised her head again and her lips found his for a long, languid kiss. “I know what you mean, and I feel the same way, too; no longer lonely and very lucky to have found you,” she whispered afterwards.

They decided it would be a good idea to clean up a bit before going to sleep, so he led her into the bathroom. When they returned to the bedroom, he pulled on flannel sleep pants, and offered her the matching shirt, which she tugged over her head.

As he pulled open a dresser drawer to grab another, Emma put a hand on his arm to stop him. “It might be the middle of winter, but it’s a shame to cover up that sexy chest hair. I promise I’ll keep you warm,” she said with a sly grin.

He didn’t argue, knowing that he would give her anything her heart desired. They climbed back into bed and shared some sweet kisses, then Emma turned onto her left side and reached back to find his arm, wrapping it around herself and pulling it up between her breasts. He scooted closer and pressed himself against her back, sighing contentedly as he buried his nose in her hair.

“I love you, Emma. I’ll see you in the morning,” he murmured.

She yawned before replying, “I love you, too, Killian. Goodnight.”

As they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms, their hearts a perfect match, that night became the first of the rest of their lives together; a new beginning for both of them, never to be lonely again.

*********

If you’re reading this story for the first time, thank you for giving it a try, and if you’ve read it before, rereads are the best kind of compliment! Thanks to all of you who are reading, commenting and reblogging!

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#csff #lonely no more #1st anniversary #happy birthday saj #jrob64 #CS modern AU #based on the words music video #cs fluff #cs fanfiction #captain swan fan fiction #CS fic #captain swan ff

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