#fic: sweet like honey

[darksigns-exe]

sweet like honey - masterlist

Lina and Jolly have been together since the dawn of time. They've seen a long-distance relationship, not one but two bands, and a whole host of other things. And then they get involved with a friend of Lina and everything threatens to crumble.

Mari and Nick come as a pair. Always have, always will. Nick calls her their number one fan, and maybe he's right with that (someone had to foot the rent for that first apartment they all shared).

Neither Bee nor Noah have had the best time recently. And when they meet by chance at a house party, it's almost as if fate (or a good friend) has brought them together. Over time, they unravel their baggage and learn to be better people for each other -- and themselves.

Nick hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to love. He falls quickly - usually for the wrong girls - and then has to deal with the aftermath on his own. And then he quite literally runs into Josie.

Content Warnings can be found at the top of each part!

Note from the author: Hi! I finally managed to compile all of these into one big masterlist. Mind My Wicked Words was supposed to be a one shot, and then it was just supposed to be Bee and Noah, and now we have this! Big thanks to @deathblacksmoke and @circle-with-me for all of their love, help and feedback <3

✦ = smut ♥ = fluff ☾ = angst

♥Just Like Heaven! | Mari and Nick

✦ Rite of Movement | Lina and Jolly

☾ Hearts Like House Fires | Bee and Noah

♥ To Be Caught Adrift | Bee and Noah

♥ Secrets I Have Held | Bee and Noah

☾ Fingerprints On My Skin | Bee and Noah

☾ I Am Your Dagger | Bee and Noah

♥ Loneliness No More | Bee and Noah

♥ The Night Is Vivid | Bee and Noah

✦ Tangled In Your Trance | Bee and Noah

♥ If I’m There | Bee and Noah

♥ All The Things Yet To Come | Mari and Nick

♥ Until The Poets Run Out Of Time | Mari and Nick

✦ Mind My Wicked Words | Bee and Noah

♥ Caught In The Rain | Bee and Noah

♥ Twenty Buttons And A Strap | Josie and Nick

✦ Nothin’ Sweeter Than My Baby | Bee and Noah

✦Softly Know Me | Josie and Nick

[sysig]

Softly, slowly, I want to love you anyway (Patreon)

[sonofatoasterwaffle]

Tidbit Tuesday

the wonderful @playinginthunderstorms tagged me to share something I've got in the works (thank you, charlie!), so I bring you the freak4freak buddie/nde/blood kink/buckfidelity monstrosity that's been occupying my brain as i try not to freak out about the us election.

pls enjoy

He pulls himself up to sit while Buck crouches in front of him, hands fluttering everywhere like he’ll be able to tell if Eddie’s hurt from touch alone. Eddie knows what he’s taking in. Wet, shivering shoulders, hair plastered to his forehead, blood all over his face from a cut high on his forehead– a split lip.  Hen and Chimney work on Hattie behind him, one of them yelling that they’ll be right over. Eddie doesn’t mind. He’s fine.  But Buck is– he’s–  Eddie’s own hands come up to Buck’s jaw, shaking with adrenaline. “Buck–” he starts, starting to panic. “Your neck–”  It’s cut. He’s bleeding.  It’s sluggish and red, sluicing down his neck. Eddie can hear it, like he’s been hearing the relentless crash of the waves under him, behind him, building up to take him under and make him disappear for good. He can’t disappear. Not now, not when Buck’s here and warm and safe and alive.  He needs–  His own blood rushes loudly in his ears, and he knows Buck’s trying to say something. Trying to talk to him, but all Eddie can hear is the blood. just like before.  Out on the street in front of Charlie Manning’s apartment, the bullet slicing hot through Eddie’s shoulder. The blood spraying all over Buck, his open mouth.  Buck, confessing in the dim light of Eddie’s kitchen. I tasted it, Eddie. tequila sour on his breath as they traded the bottle again. Another horrible day without Chris. Another shift ended with Eddie’s bandaged wounds. It was all I could taste for days. Now, when you get hurt— i- I can taste it all over again. Eddie returning a lie for the admission. I didn’t know that. Really don’t remember much.  If Buck knows– If he’s already—  Then Eddie needs to. He needs it like he needs to breathe. Like he needs Buck against him. Like he needs to keep him.  “Hey, hey, no,” Buck is trying to assure him. “I’m fine, I promise, just let m-”  The blood rushes louder in Eddie’s ears and he pitches forward, fits his mouth to the wound. Warmth explodes on his tongue and he might moan or he might just try. Either way, Buck makes a strangled noise above him, and he doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t tell Eddie to stop, so he doesn’t. He drags his tongue over Buck’s pale skin, trying to clean up what’s already staining him, taking in the taste of copper and warmth and Buck.  He’s shaking with it, needs Buck all over, inside him, filling him up. Buck’s already his, right? All Eddie has to do is ask.  He told himself he was going to ask.  “Eddie,” Buck says, his voice thick. “Fuck,”

no pressure tagging a few writer mutuals if y'all wanna share! @divine-victory @semperama @littlefreakbuckley @dracculaura

[strandedtoodeep]

a poolverine fic when each chapter is inspired by a song of Hozier that's it, that's the post

(setlist needs to have Work Song/Like Real People Do/Francesca/Would That I just because i decided it)

[nemesyaaa]

SHE'S MEAN AND SHE'S MINE (halsey u were so real for that)

BUT SHE'S SWEET LIKE HONEY

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Steve’s never had a problem with being an omega. He just wants the world to treat him better.

Author: @fencesandfrogs

Note from submitter: Really liked the omegaverse worldbuilding here, definitely not traditional!

[realbigpodcastslut]

Something that's constantly rotating in my brain is John having to experience being killed by Arthur thousands of times, specifically, having his eyes gouged out. It is one of the few things John has to interact with the world, casting him into the dark. It's implied that John does not like the dark (but I can't remember if it's specifically stated). Still, I can't help but wonder if that's due to his time in the Dark World or that experience with Arthur (but I think already possessing a fear and dislike for the dark is more tragic). Jesus fucking Christ. 

Anyway, it sends me into a frenzy every time I think about it for over two seconds. And it's never really discussed. John may not be entirely human but that had to affect him deeply. I don’t think this is a point that’ll be forgotten, but god, I can’t wait for the day.

[rhellireda]

crying over ‘the lady of the lake’ episode in the 2 thousandth and 23rd year of lord you know, like a normal person

[folklauerate]

Surprise! Here’s a sweet like honey update :)

[darksigns-exe]

Sweet Like Honey - Nothin' Sweeter Than My Baby

Warnings: Swearing, unprotected intercourse Word Count: 2.9 k

Masterlist

The idea of home has always been difficult. For a while, home used to mean nothing. Then it was the house he shared with his friends, and in a way it still is. But first and foremost, home is where Bee is now.

The apartment they’ve moved into during the summer. A move she’d mastered mostly on her own thanks to his more than chaotic schedule. But the hassle and money had been worth it. Truth be told, they’d put a good amount of money into making the place a home. All the trimmings, they’re planning to stay for a while. There was space to expand if it ever came to that, and if it doesn’t then that’s fine too. They’ll figure something out of the spare room. 

Things are going surprisingly well. Noah doesn’t find himself looking for the next obstacle nearly as often as he used to, but old habits die hard, and sometimes he expects something to trip them up. So far, nothing ugly has reared its head. Sure, there are the occasional disagreements, but it’s all within reason. They lead very different day-to-day lives and structuring their normal routines around each other had been a little difficult at first, but they’d made it. And he’s glad that they did. 

They have one show left on this run. 

He doesn’t know when he’s become someone that itches to get home so urgently, but he can’t wait to wake up next to her again. He shifts around the stiff mattress of his bunk for a little while longer before he shoves his headphone into his ears. At some point during the first tour he’d left for after they’d got together officially, he’d found a message from Bee with a link to a playlist on his phone. He’d sent her one back not long after that. And it continued like that. They were always a surprise, no matter how many of them he got. Her picks were always good, but if he’s honest with himself, he misses her commentary more than anything. He misses the way she hums along or sings lines to herself. He misses her. 

It’s only two more days, Noah tells himself. 

He hadn’t told Bee when exactly he’d come back. He’d told her the day, but that was about it, mostly because he hadn’t been able to give her a concrete time. And when they had figured out when exactly they’d land, he’d decided to make it a surprise.

And so, when he makes his way from the elevator to their door, he tries to listen for sounds from inside the apartment. It’s quiet inside except for the soft purring of Barnabas fast asleep on the sofa. Noah drops his bags by the door, hoping that it won’t wake him up. With his shoes toed off, he makes his way past the living room and to her office to his right. Her laptop is on the desk, but Bee herself is nowhere to be found. And when he goes to check the spot where she leaves her keys, he finds those gone too. A quick text message tells him that she’s out doing groceries, and Noah decides to bridge the time until she comes backs by unpacking his luggage. The earlier he gets that done the better. 

He is mostly done with his laundry by the time he hears the door open and close again. He listens patiently as she walks from the door towards where he is in their bedroom. Surely, she must have seen his laptop and the extra cables on the kitchen counter by now. There’s a moment of silence before he hears hurried steps towards the door. Before he knows it, the door flies open, slamming into the wall behind it. Her arms are around him in no time. The hold she has on him borders on too tight, but he holds her until her arms ease around him. 

His hand finds the side of her face and gently moves her away from his chest, “Hi.” The warmth on her face sears through him. 

“Hi.” she mirrors. 

Noah thinks that if there ever was a cure-all for his problems, it’s the way she looks at him at that moment. His shoulders feel a little lighter when she gets up onto the tips of her toes to kiss him all sweet and tender.

“When did you get back?” she asks when they part again. 

“A little over an hour ago.” 

Her brows turn up into a frown, “Why didn’t you say anything?” 

Noah steals another kiss. 

“Wanted to surprise you.” his hand remains firm at the side of her face, thumb grazing across her cheek, “I missed you.” 

Her hands are warm and comforting against his back, even through the fabric of his shirt. 

“Missed you too.” her eyes flit across his face, “Told you to put sunscreen on, didn’t I?”

“Well, maybe I need you there to remind me.”

He tries time and time again, knowing that she won’t come with them. She visits, but won’t stay longer than a few days at a time. And while Noah wishes that she’d stay for a while longer, he understands that she has a job and responsibilities that make it very hard for her to leave for long periods of time. 

“You’re a big boy, you can remember to put sunscreen on your face.” Bee leans up to kiss his cheek, “And as much as I love you, the bus reeks.” 

He can’t deny that point. 

“Well, I’m all yours until next year so –” her eyes widen at that, “We moved some things around. Calendar’s clear until we go to Europe in January.” 

He presses another kiss to her lips, before untangling their arms. 

Noah feels like a lost puppy for most of the afternoon. He trots behind her wherever she goes, just so he doesn’t lose sight of her. He practically hangs over her shoulder while she prepares a late lunch for them. Noah knows that he isn’t exactly helpful today, but he’s sure that she doesn’t mind. He steals kisses whenever he can, keeps his hands on her waist even while she’s trying to finish up their meal. 

He still isn’t completely used to just how different the place feels to the house he’d shared with his friends. Since they’d moved here over the summer, he had spent surprisingly little time in their home. It has been his idea to move into a shared place, mostly to limit the number of days they’d spend apart. That he’d still be gone for a considerable amount of time hadn’t been something Noah had considered. He feels bad for her more than anything. The move had fallen right into a particularly busy period at the college, but Bee had juggled it so wonderfully. 

“Can you stop worrying so much?” She reaches for his hand “Everything is fine.”

He hates how easily she can read him. Hates it because it makes surprising her almost impossible. 

“I just wish that I could have been here to help you.” 

Bee shakes her head “We didn’t know when we’d get the place. It’s not your fault that the timing came out so unfortunate.” 

He knows it isn’t but when she says it it feels real. Maybe it’s wrong to base so much of his happiness on one woman, but so much has improved since they fixed their mess that it’s hard not to. 

He makes an effort to help her clean up after they’re done eating. If only so that he can tug her back to the living room quicker. When they’d last had this much time to do nothing, the place had only been half furnished. A mess of boxes and half-built furniture. The empty walls had long been plastered with prints, both from friends and others. Just like she’d done when they’d initially moved, Bee had sent him pictures of most big decisions. 

When they’d toured the place initially it had felt so big and empty, but now that all of their things had found a place it was starting to feel like a home. 

When they finally settle on the still a little stiff sofa, the exhaustion of the past few weeks finally kicks in. He watches as she draws the blinds, blocking out the late afternoon sun that would soon tinge the entire living room in its warmth. She’d changed into a barely modest pair of shorts and the shirt that at some point had been his does very little to obscure her body beneath it. Through the worn out fabric he can easily make out the butterfly that decorates her chest and belly. 

Bee’s fiddling with the tv remote when he wraps his arms around her middle. She lets out a yelp when he pulls her back against his body, practically forces her to straddle his thighs. Her chest is pressed to his Her chest is pressed to his and his senses are immediately flooded with that sweet scent of her perfume. She shifts, adjusts her position so that she can sit upright and look at him. 

“You were too far away.” He explains matter-of-factly, when finds her brow raised in question.  

“As if you haven’t been stuck to me all day.”

Noah shrugs, “Not close enough.”

There’s a trace of a smile on her lips, “Sappy.”

“For you? Always.”

He brings her in a little closer for another kiss. Her arms encircle his neck. Noah knows where this will go. 

A slow, more intimate, reacquainting than they’ve done all afternoon. There’s no rush in it any more. When they’d first started going out, it had always been desperate — Tearing each other's clothes off to be as close as they could be. He’s still desperate to be close to her, not because he needs to prove something, but rather because it feels as if a part of him has been missing. 

One hand finds the full round of her behind, the other settles at her waist. It’s a slow grind. The rhythm is unsteady and wavering at times, but he doesn’t mind. The faint puffs of air that escape her and billow out against the skin of his neck set his nerves on fire. Her nails drag against his scalp, as she presses down against his hardened cock. She sighs with it, relief and pleasure in equal measure. There’s barely an inch between them, and it still doesn’t feel close enough. He has to get closer. 

Noah tears his forehead away from where it’s resting against her shoulder, “Hold on.”

Her hands search for purchase along his back until they settle against his shoulder blades. Noah tries not to jostle her too much when he gets up. Her lips find his jaw again as he walks them back to the bedroom. He tries to keep himself focused on where he’s walking and not the way her lips and hands feel against his skin. One of her hands briefly leaves his body to push the door shut, before it pushes through the short crop of his hair. 

He lets himself sink onto the mattress. He doesn’t put up a lot of resistance when Bee pushes against him. She bends down to kiss him again, just as slow and gentle as before. With a little bit of fumbling, the garments separating them are pushed away. Her legs still bracket his waist when one of his hands finds her hip. 

Bee gasps when he pushes his fingers through her folds. She’s always so wet for him, so soft and warm. Noah dips a long finger into her and he can’t stop the groan that falls from his lips when he feels her warmth. 

“You’re this wet from a little making out?” He speaks more to himself than to her, as he slips a second finger into her. 

His name falls from her lips with a sigh. Noah tears his eyes away from where they’re connected to look up at her for just a moment. Bee’s eyes are half-shut, narrowed to keep him in her focus. Her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth in what he knows will be a futile attempt to silence herself. 

One of her hands drifts across his chest just to grip into his shoulder again. 

“Noah.”

He’ll never grow tired of how his name sounds when she says it. It’s soft and breathless — a whisper he almost misses. Almost. 

“What do you need, my love?”

She grinds down against his fingers. 

“More?”

Her nails drag tracks into his skin, not enough to break skin, but enough for him to see it come morning. 

“I can take it.” The determination in her voice is endearing. 

His fingers give one final drag against that spot inside her before he carefully pulls them from her. Noah hesitates for a second, torn between bringing them to his own mouth or hers. Bee takes the decision from him though when she reaches for his wrist and firmly pulls it towards her face. He watches in shock as his fingers disappear between her lips. He’s seen it often enough, but it always makes his breath catch in his throat. 

He wraps a hand around himself; he’s been hard for her since he’d pulled her into his lap back in the living room. The little sound she makes when he guides the head of his cock to her entrance goes straight to his head. Her breath hitches just a little when she begins to sink down on him. And when her skin finally touches his, he still doesn’t feel as if they’re close enough. His hands find the soft swell of her hips, trying to ground himself in the sensation of her. He tries to ignore the urge to pull her closer, because he knows that Bee likes it when she gets to see him like this. He knows that his girl likes to see him unravel beneath her, and really that only adds to the experience of it. And he’d be lying if he’d say that he doesn’t enjoy the way she looks at him. 

He needs her closer, though. He needs her as close as he can get her. 

She protests a little when he pulls her closer against him. His arms wrap around her middle, keeping her firmly attached to him. 

“Stay close, baby.” he whispers against her skin, “Stay here.” 

“I’m right here.” 

Between the whispered words and the slow movements, Noah can’t tell where she ends and he begins. He isn’t sure who of them is moving, either – not that it matters much when every brush of her skin against his sets his nerves alight. His lips find the side of her neck again. His own breath is coming in short now. Time has long stopped flowing the way it should. It could have been minutes or hours since he’d pulled her against him, he can’t tell now. Her wandering hands and lips draw him deeper into her spell until everything else ceases to exist.  

He feels the sharp dig of her teeth against his shoulder when they come undone. His mind goes blank for just a moment when he feels his release kick in. The waves of it drag him under again. The heavy feeling that had burrowed into his chest again untangles itself from his ribs when they rest against each other like this. He soaks in the feeling. Bee is fully resting against him now, her comparatively small body barely covering any of his. 

He always liked how they fit together. Her head finds an easy home against his shoulder, just as his hand will always find the small of her back. She presses lazy kisses against his shoulder, slowly trailing them down until she is resting against his chest. They’re silent for a long while. His fingers trace unrecognisable patterns against the skin of her back, occasionally drawing against the side of ribs where he knows that she is just ticklish enough to draw a little huffed laugh from her. 

“You’re leaving in January, right?” she asks, and the words are barely loud enough to disturb the tender silence around them. 

He draws in a deep breath, “Bee.” 

“I’m just asking.” 

“Can this not wait? I only just got back.” 

She doesn’t normally broach the topic of his inevitable departure until just before he actually has to leave again. 

“Guess I won’t tell you then that I’ll have all of January and some of February off.” she says it so nonchalantly that he almost brushes past the words, “Or that I’ve talked to Mari about what, one would need to tag along for a bit.” She pushes herself upwards enough so that she can look at him, “Guess that can wait.”

“You – you want to come with us?” 

She nods, “This is a big one, right? For you?” 

It’s his turn to nod. 

“Then I want to be there – that is, if you want me there.” 

He can’t stop the smile that breaks onto his face. Within a moment, he has her on her back and his lips on hers. 

“Of course I want you there. I’ll always want you with me.” he kisses her again, “Don’t ever think that the opposite is the case. You’ll always be welcome to join us.” 

He keeps her close until sleep finds them. And he finally sleeps through the night again. For the next few weeks, nothing but this will matter – nothing but them. 

[taw-k]

Please tell me in not the only one that really doesn't like the nickname "pet" that Loki always uses 😭😭😭

[fruityumbrella]

hardest part about writing sanji is that i dont know shit about recipes or cooking

[lokislytherin]

streamer daniel au?

ok so i’m a vtuber watcher right. i Get the parasocial thing. lemme get to it im just gonna make this in bullet points

1) daniel is a streamer: he’s wannabe pro gamer! went from “i’m gonna game and beat up enemies as stress relief bc i get bullied irl” as a middle schooler to a high schooler being like “actually i can make some good money out of this” bc he got a growth spurt and went from og daniel to current daniel, his real name is park hyungseok (they all use their korean names) but he streams under the name ‘daniel’ and wears a mask to prevent being completely doxxed. it was beomjae’s idea bc you can’t tell me he’s also a gamer (he and daniel are a lot closer in this bc 1) jay does not go to the same skl 2) vasco and jinsung are not gamers and they both want Gamer Bros yk and daniel is hilarious when he malds he daipans and everything and beomjae has the time of his life watching daniel scream at npcs)

2) daniel uses pet names a lot: he calls people baby, sweetheart, honey, jagiya bc he’s a pretty boy and fansa pays SO WELL. he also does bfe sometimes so imagine he’s like vox akuma from nijisanji en fourth wave luxiem. hot guy with a smooth, comforting voice calls you baby. i’d be dead in seconds. people like lala kim eat that shit up

3) you know who also eats that up? hong jaeyeol. bc he’s gay and daniel is like The hot guy who coincidentally plays the same video games as jaeyeol (who games bc he’s a hikikomori loser /j), it starts from jaeyeol going “yo jaehye look there’s a guy who plays this game too i’m not the only one” to “o fuck he made me a mod bc i helped him bonk the backseaters” to “he. he just called me baby. excuse me im gonna pass out” (’jace’ is daniel’s other mod. the duality of having nice mod ‘asdf’ (jaeyeol) and mean mod ‘jacepogg’ (beomjae))

4) they graduate from high school and they end up at the same uni (STEM major jay? med jay? law jay? poll needed? + compsci major jace + business major daniel, they’re all in the same free elective (still unknown) with the rest of the j high gang) and hyungseok catches jaeyeol playing the video game (bc he’s bored, he’s just taking this for the credits he alr knows all the content) and he’s like “YO. you’re good” and jaeyeol’s like !!!!! bc those are daniel’s eyes?? is this guy daniel?? daniel his ‘celeb’ crush is sitting next to him??

5) they become friends and at some point jaeyeol casually reveals he’s a yt mod for a gamer and hyungseok like wait. WAIT. and the reveal actually happens bc daniel’s mod ‘asdf’ and hyungseok’s bestie hong jaeyeol text the same way + react the same way to being called pet names

[holyscream]

have you worked out who i am yet?

call me jeff bezos the way i’m obsessed with money *ba dum tss*

kind of thematically related to the fic i wrote. i like stories about romance-induced moral corruption but i didn’t lean into that enough for my taste, so i might give it another go sometime. i wanted to add another medium to my roster of honey/molina appreciation avenues first, though. 🫶🏽

[bad-surprise]

sweet as honey, ever on his tongue

haladriel x midsommar | E | graphic violence, major character death | 1/?

“We have a festival for the summer solstice,” Hal explains. “It’s the climax of our year. And death plays a significant role in it— not in a macabre, somber way, but more of— our community utilize… unique methods to process grief. We believe it’s wrong to force an individual to shoulder that weight alone.”

For the first time in months, Galadriel gains the acute awareness— and accompanying rush of soft affection— that she’s been seen. Invisible as her staggering loss has made her feel— and despite all the endless nights in which she wished she might disappear completely— there’s comfort in this.

It almost tastes like hope.

- - -

“We’re not going to Numenor to get laid,” Elrond explains, ignoring Thranduil’s death glare, “we’re going because— well, I’m going for my thesis. You two just invited yourselves along.”

or: the Midsommar AU.

[nuka-cherries]

Sweet Like Honey

Fandom: The Bear (2022) Pairing: Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto x Aurora Saltillo (oc)

A double Michelin star(s) award winning pastry chef, Aurora Saltillo is adjusting to a complicated world without her mother and without Mikey. Just when she is barely starting to see process in The Beef, Carmy takes over and enters her life again.

Carmy, the same rival from culinary school. Carmy, the same cold-hearted bastard from New York City who took her dream job. Carmy, the same one who ultimately broke Mikey's heart.

Simply said, Aurora can't stand Carmy; Carmy can't stand Aurora. And now, they have to work together.

It only gets more complicated from there. \\\ Latina OC.

Lindsey Morgan as Aurora Saltillo.

Thank you @thatone-brightstar for the cheering! ily!

Spotify soundtrack here!

AO3 Link here!

Lindsey Morgan as Aurora Saltillo | Ming-Na Wen as Ming Saltillo     

Aurora Saltillo contemplated every decision she had made up to that point in time. 

Carmy was not a bad person. But when he got serious, he got serious. For Aurora, cooking and baking was fun. It was her joy. She made her own quinceañera cake when she turned fifteen. She catered meals for her family. Growing up with a Mexican biological mother and a Chinese adoptive step mother, she fully embraced both cultures and proudly incorporated both into her cooking. 

That was, until she disappeared for two years following a personal crisis and a major breakdown after her mother’s diagnosis. And COVID. Can’t forget that. At least at The Beef, no one questioned her disappearance. They were there for her, unlike the culinary scene in New York. The Beef had her back. 

Between losing her mother a month before Mikey’s suicide, there was too much going on for her to process anything. 

Now, the kitchen was cleaned up and it has calmed down. Well, more like it had burned out. 

Today was a fucked up day and those did not happen very often. 

Aurora was too amped up on adrenaline to cry in the freezer. She was too devoted to Mikey to leave. Mikey should be in the kitchen, cooking with them, calming everyone the hell down and cracking jokes and being silly.

So, she numbly took a step back, looking at the recipe for pure disaster.

One energy drink, two stars, three major breakdowns and four tragedies later, Aurora found herself here. In the middle of the aftermath of an angry kitchen. The online orders got fucked up. Everything got fucked up.

Syd walked out. Marcus walked out. Everyone was angry. Richie was bleeding. Everyone was pissed off. But ultimately, the day was over and they could all go home and leave the stress behind. 

Syd was not answering Aurora’s texts. Marcus sent her to voicemail.

It was a fucked-up day.

But at least there was tomorrow.

Aurora had cussed out Carmy in the kitchen once the last order was done. She kept it together. Then the onions had to happen. She fucked up an onion. She almost walked out. But she remembered where she was. She remembered who she was. 

And she cussed Carmy out to the point even his ancestors must have felt the shame.

She was angry. They were both angry. Frustrated. Hurt.

Richie tried to lead her to the cooler and tried to have her sit there for twenty minutes. She only made it for five. She was too angry to even feel the cold. 

“Nothing smart to say this time?”

Here we go…

It was going to be one of those exits, it seemed.

“Plenty,” Aurora said flatly. “Today was a fucked up day, Carm.”

“Don’t need the reminder.”

He did.

“No, you fucking do,” Aurora said. “You had two amazing chefs walk out on you today. Be lucky you didn’t lose three.”

“You were going to walk out too?”

“I was tempted.”

“Well, chef of the year goes to you.” Carmy exhaled the smoke.

Somehow, that was what got to Aurora.

“You know what? Do me a favor—no, do us all a favor—and go home, get the fattest fucking blunt, smoke it and chill the fuck out,” Aurora snapped. “Today was a fucked up day and your shitty attitude is what drove everyone apart. Mistakes happen! It happens! But you’re too much of a fucking egoistical perfectionist to realize it.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Aurora ran out of steam. She let out a huff. “Fine.” She turned on her heels and began to talk to the train station.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

“Marcus’s donut. It was…” Carmy trailed off. “It was good.”

A really weird olive branch.

“Of course, it was. Marcus made it.” Aurora tightened her coat. “Goodnight, Carmy.”

On a rough day like this, Mikey would have hugged her. Told her it was okay. He would have reassured her that everything was fine and to cool off in the cooler so she could get cooler.

Boy, did she sob at Mikey’s funeral.

She was broken. Everything was broken. Her best friend, lost and gone. The one who called her Rora. The one who called her the Little Lion, who liked to roar. Marcus held her in his arms for comfort and so she would not collapse again. Her mom, widow, held Richie’s arm.

She did not connect the dots about Carmy being the same Carmen from New York City, nor the same asshole from culinary school while at the funeral. She was too busy crying. She couldn’t compose herself for Richie’s sake, as much as she tried to tell herself to do so. All that was on her mind was Mikey. All she could process was Mikey. All she could think of was Mikey on the cold table. 

Richie didn’t blame her either. 

At his apartment after the service, she curled up with him on the couch on his lap, held each other in silence. Watched the Blackhawks game on low volume. Both of their eyes were swollen from crying. Throats numb from the sobs. He merely held her. Mourning for the same man who should have been alive. She fell asleep like that.

She woke up to Richie talking to Marcus in the middle of the night. About how he was worried about Aurora. About how he was in shock and felt like an endless nightmare.

Mikey stressed about The Beef. She knew that. She was the one sitting on Mikey’s desk trying to crunch the numbers on her calculator app on what supplies they could get in bulk from the dollar store. The Lion Perch, as she called it. She was an optimist. She was the one who was trying to fix it all alongside him. 

She was the one who was with Richie when they identified the body too.

A month later, she returned to work at the Beef to Carmy trying to fix everything. The same Carmy who took her dream job. The same Carmy who despised her in culinary school. 

Just like in New York City, Carmy was making it worse.

Her mom was in the kitchen watching the telenovela when Aurora got home.

“Ma, I’m home!” She loudly greeted.

“Hey baby!” Her mom greeted. “Dinner is ready. I made sesame beef.”

Aurora loved making dinner. It was one of her favorite meals to make, next to breakfast. But sometimes, her mom took over and unexpectedly made it. She said it was to vary the flavor. But Aurora knew it was to try to take the weight off her chest.

But her mom cooked something. She actually cooked! 

This was a win. This was a big win. Her mom rarely cooked after her mama’s funeral. 

“Fuck yeah! How was work?” 

“Shit,” her mother said simply. “But I survived. What about you?”

It was horrible. I miss Mikey. I miss mom. 

Instead, Aurora shrugged and laid her head on her mom’s shoulder. “I made it through.” She sat down at the kitchen table. “Come on, ma. I do not want to miss this part.” She gestured to sit next to her. 

At least there was tomorrow.