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alotofpockets · 3 months ago

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Hard launch | Florence Pugh x Singer!Reader

Where you and Florence hard launch your relationship and your new album

A/n: faceclaim for this is Florence as Taylor Swift and Reader as Gracie Abrams

Marvel masterlist | Words: 2.6k

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Over the past few months you have been all over the world. Your world tour started out in America and after a little break, you had continued to the European leg of the tour. While you loved touring, performing, and spending time with your fans, you craved the feeling of home.

There were multiple places in the world that you called home. But only one of them was a constant, and you were about to walk into her arms, as you turned the keys to open her front door.

As soon as you opened the door, your girlfriend was in your arms. “Hi baby, I’ve missed you so much.” You whisper into her shoulder as you hold her close. “Why didn’t you say you were coming home today? I would’ve picked you up.” Your girlfriend had been at a couple of your shows, but since she was on set for most of your tour, your schedules didn’t often line up.

You still had a few shows left in London, but you had the weekend off before you were performing 6 shows at Wembley. “I wanted to surprise you.” You leave your bags at the door as she pulls you into the home. Both your jobs required you to be in different parts of the world often, that’s why you decided that instead of moving into one of your houses, you just moved in together and kept both your places. Meaning that you shared her home in London, and yours in Los Angeles.

After catching up for a bit, during which you lay cuddled up together on the couch, you told her you had really missed her food, with all the simple and easy meals you had during the tour. “Well, I was planning on filming a Cooking with Flo, so you are in luck, my love.”

She was getting the ingredients laid out, while you set up her camera for her. You had been there from the start of her Cooking with Flo series, where she would film little videos on her phone and post them to her instagram story. You had been in London for work when covid hit, and you weren’t able to travel back to the US. There weren’t a lot of people that you knew who lived in London, except Florence who you had met a couple weeks prior, you shot her a message and moved in with her the same week.

The difference a couple of years could make. The two of you went from strangers, to roommates, to best friends, and finally to lovers. Florence her cooking show had also expanded. No more wobbly iPhone uploads to her Instagram story, but proper camera setup on a tripod and streaming the show live on YouTube.

“You know how I’ve been having special guests on the show?” You nodded. Even when you were away you kept up with her cooking videos. “Would you want to join me tonight?” The two of you kept your relationship away from the public, though many people had their suspicions, neither one of you had ever spoken out about it.

That’s why Flo fully expected you to say no to her questions, but you surprised her by saying yes. “Really?” She asked excitedly. “Yes really. We can give them a little teaser for what’s to come, right?”

You had been working on a new album, where you wanted to put focus on what fame had been like for you. The way that everything you did was criticised by the media. That had been one of the reasons that you and Florence kept your relationship away from the public.

Over the years you have hidden not only your relationship, but also parts of yourself. When you were younger it felt like something you just had to live with now, but you didn’t want to anymore. You wanted to be yourself and not care what people thought, and your next album would be the first step.

“Alright, ready to go whenever you are.” Florence says once she has checked everything over one last time. “Yeah, let me just finish this post and then I’ll be ready.” Your girlfriend walked over and leaned on your shoulders and watched you write the little caption you were giving your post from the last show.

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y/n_y/l/n just posted

y/n_y/l/n: Thank you to everyone that came out last night, it was an honour to play in front of a crowd like you! I can't believe we are nearing the end of the European leg, this tour has been amazing so far, and that is all thanks you x

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You put your phone away and set up the laptop for the livestream. A little countdown started counting down a minute while Florence got ready behind the kitchen island. You turned on the camera and waited to the side waiting for Florence to introduce you.

The countdown on the screen ticked down and Florence got ready to start. “It’s Cooking with Flo, bitches! Today we’re joined by a very special guest. You’ve been asking for this for a while now, and I have finally convinced her to join me. Please welcome Y/n to the show!”

You stepped up beside her. “Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here.” You spoke nervously. Florence chuckled lightly, you were used to performing in front of thousands of people, but standing in front of this camera got you nervous. “I am so glad you’ve finally agreed to come on the show. Do you want to tell them what we’re cooking?”

“Yeah, for sure. We are making truffle pasta with one of Florence's own recipes today, and I for one cannot wait to try it.” Florence laughed, “But before we get to that part, we will show you exactly how to make it.”

Florence explained every step to the camera and you followed her lead on what to do. The conversation flowed easily between the two of you, the familiar banter making it feel like it was just another evening at home. A sense of familiarity you’ve been missing so dearly while you have been on tour.

She handed you a whisk and told you to mix up the ingredients you had just put in the bowl to make the sauce. Out of the two of you, Florence was definitely the one cooking most of the time, she was amazing and you were.. Well you were nearly decent.

“Careful there,” Florence teased, “we don’t want the sauce all over the kitchen.” You laughed at your hand covered with the sauce, because it had definitely gone over the edge of the bowl. “No? I thought you were wanting to redecorate the kitchen. This seems like the perfect colour for the walls.” You joke back.

While your cooking and playful banter went on, the chat was blowing up with comments. Many of them were excited about seeing the two of you together and noting the chemistry that was evident on the screen.

You stayed on the easy tasks while Florence did all the hard work, but neither one of you minded, you were just enjoying the time you were able to spend together.

With the pasta and the sauce presented on two plates, you thought the dish was done. “It smells so good, I cannot wait to taste it!” You already reached for a fork, but Florence stopped you. “Hold on, it’s not done yet.” She grabbed a truffle and the grater and got to work.

With the most serious expression, Florence delicately shaved the truffle over the pasta, her concentration made you giggle. “What’s so funny?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “It’s just that you look like you’re performing surgery on that truffle.” You have to try hard to hold back your laughter.

“This is art, okay?” You don’t just throw truffles around.” You burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer. Her serious tone combined with the silly way of putting on the truffle fully sends you over the edge.

“Hey, this is important stuff!” Florence tried hard to stay in her serious character, but failed as she watched the tears spring in your eyes from your laughter. “Truffles are a very delicate matter!” She got out through her own giggles.

You doubled over, clutching your stomach, and before you knew it, you had collapsed onto the kitchen floor, laughing uncontrollably. “Oh no, we’ve lost her!” Florence exclaimed, setting down the truffles on the counter to check on you. “I think I've broken Y/n.”

Florence always had the ability to make you laugh, but right now she got you so far that you could barely breathe, and the tears were streaming down your face. Florence snapped a quick picture before turning to the camera again. “Don’t worry, I will share that with you later. Now, let’s try this pasta.”

You stood up as you were wiping your tears. “Wait for me! I wanna try.” Both of you take a bite at the same time. “Oh my god, this is so good!” Florence smiled proudly. “You heard it here first, people, you can even impress mega pop stars with this meal, so try it out at home.” You rolled your eyes playfully, “Food easily impresses me, but you should definitely try this recipe, because this was delicious.”

“And that’s all we have for tonight. We are going to enjoy this meal and soon Y/n will head to Wembley for her final shows of her Europe tour. Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you next time!” You both wave to the camera before it shuts off.

“I’ve missed you so much.” You say as you walk into her arms. “No one can make me laugh as much as you do.” She held you tight while telling you she missed you as well.

"I can't believe we did that. The fans are going to lose their minds." Florence says as she walks both your plates over to the dining table. You smiled, feeling a warmth in your chest as you looked at her. "I think we just gave them something to remember." Florence smiled and leaned in to kiss your cheek. "And this is just the beginning, my love."

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florencepugh just posted

florencepugh: An all new Cooking with Flo out with special guest Y/n Y/l/n! Watch how she takes a break from her tour to spend some time on my floor 😂

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y/n_y/l/n: In my defense, the floor was very comfortable

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Your next few shows in London were incredible. A sold out Wembley night after night, was something you didn’t even dare to dream of a few years back. But now you were playing your sixth and final sold out Wembley show of this tour.

Nervous was an understatement. You had announced things on tour before, but this, this was something on an entirely different level. While your piano was being set up on the stage you talked with your fans.

“Most of you have been with me for a very long time, and have stuck with me through the many changes I have gone through as a person and with my music, and that is something I am eternally grateful for. The support I get from each and everyone of you, is what gives me the strength to evolve.”

While you were still nervous, you also felt a sense of serenity. The fans in the stadium were excited even when they had no clue what was coming.

“Growing up in the spotlight for me came with a lot of negativity. Something I haven’t spoken about often. It has made me hide parts of my life, parts that no one should have to hide.”

You didn’t think you’d get this emotional, but you had to wipe a tear that had started rolling down your cheek.

“I decided that I no longer want to hide these parts of me to make other people happy. I am the one that should be able to share my happiness, and that is something I’ve been working on this past year. I’ve taken a deep dive into what fame has been like for me, the struggles, and the things that I’ve had to hide away.”

You paused for a moment, taking in the crowd that was listening to your every word. The people that have allowed you to continue to make music. The people that loved you unconditionally, no matter what the media had put out about you. The people that have defended your honour again and again.

“All of that, I’ve put it into something that I am very proud of.” The noise of the crowd grew with anticipation. “And I cannot wait to share it with you… so I won’t! New music coming soon on my next album "The Secret of Us.”

The screen filled with the announcement and the crowd went insane. You stood there basking in the love the fans were throwing your way. The clapping didn’t stop for minutes. You sat down on the stage, looking up at the audience with tears in your eyes.

You got up again, because you weren’t done yet. “And if you’ll let me, I would love to perform one of the songs from the album for you tonight.” You smiled as they cheered even louder.

“This song is called Close To You, and it’s one of the most meaningful songs I have ever written. The reason that it is so meaningful is because it’s about someone who means the world to me. This person has been so supportive of me throughout my career, they are a big part of my happiness. The things I want to let you be a part of from now on.”

There really was no turning back anymore, that made you extra nervous, but also excited, you didn’t want to turn back, you only wanted to move forward.

“Performing this song with me tonight, as well as on the album, is my girlfriend Florence Pugh. Please welcome her to the stage!”

You watched as she walked onto the stage in her yellow dress, a big smile on her face as she waved to the crowd who was loudly cheering.

You started playing the first chords to the song as Florence made her way to the microphone stand that was just placed next to your piano for her.

I don't got a single problem with provocative See the bodies, how they burn, it's just the way it is Smoky, dark, crowded room, I need nothing Under pink light in June

You start singing, while making eye contact with your girlfriend, who started strumming the guitar.

I was so cool, but then, all of a sudden You saw me look at you Florence joined you in the next verse, like you had practised so many times.

I burn for you And you don't even know my name If you asked me to I'd give up everything To be close to you

The two of you continued singing until the final verse. It was just you singing the final part.

You should be mine for life, I'll be signing Every dotted line Chemical override, ultraviolet You could be mine tonight

The crowd went absolutely crazy and you could not believe that you had just done that and gotten instant support from thousands of fans. Florence looked at you with nothing but pride as she opened her arms for you.

You hug her, “I am so proud of you.” She tells you loud enough for you to hear over the cheering. In response you grab her face and place a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.” With tears falling down your cheeks you turn to the audience and wave and thank them too.

Florence left the stage again and you continued performing the rest of your set like nothing happened, though internally you felt amazing.

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florencepugh just posted

florencepugh: Incredibly proud of you, always. Thank you for letting me be a part of this amazing album, I cannot wait for the world to hear your briliance.

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After a couple more songs you closed off the show by thanking the fans over and over again. “You’ve made this tour incredible, I will never forget the memories we’ve made here. Thank you!”

The moment you get backstage, Florence flies into your arms. “You did it, my love!”

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y/n_y/l/n just posted

y/n_y/l/n: What a way to end this leg of the tour. I am incredibly thankful for all of your support, and cannot wait to share my new album with you soon! And Florence, thank you for being my biggest supporter though it all 🫶🏻

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florencepugh: So proud of you 🫶🏻

fan1: New music and a new favourite ship? that was not on my bingo card

fan2: The hardest of hard launches

fan3: AAAHHHH

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y/n_y/l/n_updates just posted

y/n_y/l/n_updates: Y/n and Florence Pugh after performing their love song from Y/n's upcoming album.

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fan1: They are so cute!

fan2: I want what they have

fan3: So happy she finally doesn't care anymore. All the best to them

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#florence pugh #florence pugh x reader #florence x reader #florencepugh #florence pugh imagine #marvel x reader #mcu x reader #marvel imagine #mcu imagine

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noisyquokka · 7 months ago

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Try Again

PAIRING - Hyunjin x GN!Reader

SYNOPSIS - After a short-lived relationship ends, Hyunjin struggles with the idea of “just friends”. Three years later, it seems you haven’t lost interest either.

WORDCOUNT - 2.9k

WARNINGS - lovers to friends to …., mutual pining, jealous!Hyunjin, a lil playful banter/angst that turns kinda steamy, kinda left open-ended... part 2 perhaps? 🤨

A/N - Literal WEEKS late, but uhhh… that’s never stopped me before! 🤭 My little addition for Hyune Day! Enjoy, Darlings! 💛

(Based loosely on Try Again - PRETTYMUCH cause I've been listening to it on repeat and it feels like a Hyunjin song to me, personally. I also wrote this to satisfy my insatiable love for watching him practice, cause let's be honest... choreographer!Hyunjin just hits different iykyk)

“Would you at least take some videos if you’re gonna bury your head in your phone?”

Your eyes sweep up to the shadow of the man who pauses his movement in the middle of the studio. Hyunjin straightens up, his fingers reaching for the brim of his hat. He pulls it off and runs his fingers through his dampened tresses, already sweaty from the past hour of practice.

“Well, excuse me, Hwang,” you mutter, resting your hand on your thigh. “I didn’t know I was summoned here to be your videographer.”

“You’re supposed to be critiquing my choreo so far.”

He’s been working on this choreo for his new solo, and while he didn’t expect you to drop in, he knows Minho has some part in you ending up here. Why? Because he was stupid enough to spill his feelings to him in full confidence that Minho would keep his mouth shut. One could say he kept his word, but still, he plays with fire in his process.

“Ah, right…” God, is it fun to ponder your next remark. You smirk as you watch him reach for the open water bottle near him. “Not enough sneaker squeaks.”

His hand pauses mid-drink, bourbon eyes cutting to your proud little grin. Your eyes are already back on the phone in your grip, tapping away like you’re texting someone. For a moment, Hyunjin is itching to know who it could be. But then he reminds himself that you’re not together anymore. He tilts his head slightly, tries not to let it bother him.

“You’re so unserious, my god,” Hyunjin mutters, and swipes at his forehead with a huff.

Your grin turns into a playful lip bite, and you can’t help but tease him a little.

“I’m being completely serious.” Your eyes find him again, and he exhales heavily. “The sneaker squeaks are an essential part of the performance. How will anyone memorize your routine if they can’t count the squeaks?”

“Okay.” He scoffs, pushing his hair back and putting his hat back on, swiftly turning back to his Bluetooth. You mock him with your typical Hwang Hyunjin voice, not noticing the way he shakes his head and smirks to himself.

Hyunjin taps the play button on his phone, taking a deep breath as he readies himself for another run-through.

It’s been hours since he started working on this specific number, and while the comeback wasn’t for a couple of months, he thought getting ahead of schedule would be nice. However, your being around brought on a difficulty to slip into the choreographer head space. Ever since his conversation with Minho, and Minho's comment about how you quote-unquote very well feel the same, I mean, have you seen the way they look at you?!, he’s been the embodiment of a goldfish in a bowl. He wishes things would’ve started off better because apparently, this lovers-to-friends plot line was only digging his early grave. Hyunjin’s fairly certain that after you two broke up, you only agreed to stay friends because you made good connections with the rest of the boys.

The rational side of him knows that’s not the truth.

Fucking less than five months and the metaphorical flames fizzle like a defective sparkler.

The only problem is that those feelings never fizzled for him. Even now, his heart stutters in his chest when you lock eyes with him. When you give him one of your little grins and cock your head as if to say you’ve won in the various dumb debates that you love to drag each other into.

Like right now.

“Seungmin agrees with me,” you say, standing up and shoving your phone at him right as he begins the dance. Hyunjin’s brows raise, blinking and tilting his head in a non-verbal question to get you to move.

“Seungmin agrees with you because it’s a dumb argument… and it’s you versus me.” he mutters the last part, watching you roll your eyes and backtracking to your spot.

“If you’re so confident in this, why am I still here?”

“You could leave,” Hyunjin says, his exertion making his comment sound harsher than he meant it to be. He locks eyes with yours in the mirror, his dark tresses falling in his line of sight. The smirk that threatens to quirk his lips sneaks in when you seemingly freeze on the spot, your eyes wider than usual. “I know you’ve got work in the morning.”

You’re mulling it over in your head now — a glimmer in your eye that Hyunjin pinpoints as he attempts to keep track of where he is in the choreography. He watches your eyes sweep to the phone, most likely checking the time. It’s roughly 1:00 am. You lock eyes again, the answer clear before you speak.

“Well, now I’m not leaving since you want me to.”

He gives a sardonic laugh, rolls his eyes as his foot slips and he misses a beat. Distractions…

“I didn’t say that,” he replies lowly, snatching the towel off the top of the stereo.

“You’re mumbling…”

“I said I didn’t say that,” Hyunjin speaks up, his hand bringing the fabric to his face to pat the sweat from his skin. You watch the drops of sweat as they drip off the ends of his hair when he pulls his hat off, and you feel the need to clear your throat. And then the towel is thrown haphazardly over his shoulder. All it has you doing is a double-take on the black tee shirt he’s wearing. The way it hugs his shoulders and chest should be outlawed, you think.

But then he reaches for the open bottle of water again, and you purse your lips. It’s another short swig, a singular drop of water escaping from the corner of his mouth. It travels down his chin, slowly slipping down the length of his neck, your eyes trained on the path it follows. It stops just before the collar of his black tee and you question why it’s suddenly hotter in the studio.

You swallow, forcing your gaze away and back to your phone before Hyunjin can witness any more of your blatant ogling. As you return your gaze to your phone, you feel the heat rising to your cheeks. You’re not embarrassed, not really, but the idea of getting caught sends your brain into overdrive.

“Still waiting on some critique I can work with~” he sing-songs, placing the bottle and towel back beside his phone.

“Maybe I don’t have anything to say,” you reply, and he chuckles.

“You?! With nothing to say? That’s a first.” He walks over, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over his chest.

With the wave of feelings you’re dealing with, Hyunjin’s comment has you bristling. You glare up at him as he arches a brow at you as if challenging you to say something. That stupid smirk quirks his lips. Butterflies swarm in your gut.

“Fine, then.” You lean forward, propping your forearm on your knee as the two of you stare each other down. “You’ve been favoring your right leg through the entire first verse of the song, your hip rolls aren’t deep enough during the chorus, you seem undecided on whether the overall choreo should be slower or faster—” You list off each critique on your fingers, and while Hyunjin wanted your genuine criticism to work toward a better overall performance, he’s clocked out to what you’re saying. His eyes sweep over your face as you continue listing the things he could improve, and he grins at the way your eyes seem to glow in the studio lighting. A fire. Passion for the things he’s passionate about.

“—And another… thing…” Your voice drops to a surprised whisper almost instantly when you feel Hyunjin’s fingers curl under your chin, feather-light against your skin. You blink, realizing just how close he’s gotten, having bent down so his elbows rest on his knees. His head cocks slightly, tongue darting out to lick the corner of his lips. Brown eyes flicker down to yours a moment later.

“Another thing?” Hyunjin repeats, his tone a low murmur. His breaths mingle with yours, your heart beating erratically in such close proximity. His index finger runs the span of your jaw as he stares, a tangible connection that still feels natural and electric to him. A reminder of the silent tension that has always lingered.

The familiar scent of his cologne clouds your senses. It brings you back to the nights he used to spend at your apartment, with the two of you watching K-dramas until 3:00 am. Your bodies a mess of limbs in your bed, his distracting kisses up your neck until you’d try to playfully shove him away. He’d reach for your jaw to pull you in for soft kisses that would evolve into slow and lazy make-outs in his arms. Your eyes dart down at the reminder, and you mentally curse yourself.

“I, Uh.” you stammer out a few words before falling silent, your eyes fixated on his. The moment hangs in the air, the tension between you thick and palpable.

Something, something, boundaries… Something, something, self-control…

Hyunjin can’t help the sly grin, feeling the skin under his touch move when you swallow. All logic has left you in favor of longing for those familiar caresses you had years ago. It sure hasn’t changed, every subtle brush of his fingers ushers forth shivers down your spine. You are teetering on the edge of a cliff, the question being do you jump? You want to. Hell, with the way Hyunjin’s gaze keeps darting down, you can’t help but wonder if he’s feeling the same way.

You attempt to regain control of yourself, but it’s futile — your focus is lost, distracted by the proximity of his lips. Fuck, is he leaning in…

“Your expressions.” You finally manage, the only lingering critique swirling around in your head. “They, uh, could be sharper…” You say, watching Hyunjin sharpen his gaze like a conniving fox. And like a trickster, his fingers drag from your jaw to your neck, dark eyes following its path until the steady thrum of your pulse halts his journey. Your eyes drink him in, lips parted as Hyunjin’s brow twitches in a knowing gesture.

We can’t do this, not after all this time.

The silence crackles with anticipation. You’re fairly certain that Hyunjin knows some part of this is dangerous cause he hesitates for a moment. But then he’s leaning in, his thumb tracing circles against your neck. You mirror his movements, so close that this sliver of distance feels like a challenge. Unspoken desire hums between you two, a heat that has always lingered, just waiting for the right moment to reignite.

Just friends…

The soft brush of Hyunjin’s lips against yours slams the factory reset on your thoughts, mental gymnastics be damned. The tension snaps like a rubber band. You finally give in, capturing his mouth in a meaningful liplock. It feels like no time has passed - he still kisses you with the same careful tenderness that he always has. That familiar heat runs through your body as you sink into him, chasing his lips when he pulls away for a split second only to recapture yours with a fervor.

Your phone is forgotten in your lap, hands sliding up his chest in a new wave of confidence. You pull him closer and Hyunjin groans softly, his free hand coming up to brace his weight against the wall behind you. Your mouths move together in a seamless rhythm, your kisses growing hungrier and more desperate. The brim of his hat grazes your forehead and you slip one of your hands higher into his hair, hooking your finger around the strap. It falls to the floor with a dull thud, allowing your fingers to rake freely through his dark tresses. A subtle pull that has him smirking against your mouth.

Hyunjin pulls back slightly, his fingers sliding from your neck to your jaw. Your lips part in a sigh as you both sit there on the floor of the dance studio, panting against each other’s mouths. Eyes closed, you feel his forehead rest against yours, your noses brushing. You bite your lip, savoring the warmth of his skin on yours.

“I’ve missed this,” he tells you, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Me too.” You murmur, lashes fluttering. God, what an understatement. You’ve been close even after you ended things, with friendly shoves and your usual back-and-forth banter. But the feel of his warm hands against your skin, the comfort of his close presence, his plush lips. This is what you’ve truly been craving.

His scent lingers in your lungs, his heart beating steady beneath your palm. You feel Hyunjin’s fingers knead the skin of your jaw, tilting your head up so he can come back for another chaste kiss that soothes the ache in your chest. He pulls back, pressing his lips to your forehead as he shifts to sit beside you on the studio floor, his back to the wall. You lean back, resting your head against the wall, your eyes locked on the ceiling.

Silence… as comfortable as it’s always been with the man beside you, you despise it right now. It only has you in your head after both of your confessions. What does it mean for you two?

Your gaze wanders back to his. Only those browns are already looking back, a softness in them that has always been there when they’re looking at you. Hyunjin gives you a half grin, reaching out for your nearest hand and slipping his fingers between your own. His thumb caresses the back of your hand as you both sit there, minutes passing by.

“You’re not going to say anything, are you?” Hyunjin’s voice shatters the silence, staring up at the ceiling.

“We should be running through what not to do when you stay friends with your ex right about now,” You’re half joking, but your tone is more tense than nonchalant. Hyunjin laughs under his breath, looking at you from the corner of his eye. You don’t look at him, but you feel him squeeze your hand lightly.

“You should know how difficult it is to stay friends with an ex.”

“Oh, is it?” A small huff escapes your mouth, and you steal another glance, licking your lips.

“You don’t need me to tell you why, do you?” Hyunjin replies, his voice a low murmur. His head turns to you, his gaze fixed on your lips as you bite at them nervously. “You could have cut all contact with me. You could have moved on and we would have gone our separate ways…”

“I didn’t want to do that.” You admit. Your fingers twitch in his palm, pads running over small callouses and lines as you try to distract yourself with something. Anything. His hand wraps around yours again, squeezing firmer this time. A gesture of reassurance.

“I didn’t either.”

You swallow, picking your gaze off your entwined hands, and your heart skips a beat when you meet his eyes.

“We’re gonna have to decide what this is, aren’t we?” You say, the words sounding more serious than intended. Hyunjin does respond immediately. He just stares, his eyes awash in a mix of emotions you can’t quite decipher. He breathes in, tilting his head slightly.

“Yeah…” He says, his voice low and steady. The weight of that realization settles on his chest, but Hyunjin shakes his head and offers you a genuine grin. “Maybe after a good night’s rest.”

“And a shower.” You smirk, pulling away from him in a joking fashion. But he pulls you back into him, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. You screw your face up and he rolls his eyes.

“Didn’t hear you complaining with my lips on yours just a moment ago.” He teases, nuzzling his nose against your cheek. You huff a laugh, leaning back against him.

“Hard to complain when you’re a good kisser.” you counter, bringing a hand up to his shoulder.

“Ah, couldn’t forget that over the years?” Hyunjin mutters, a hint of playfulness in his tone. His lips connect to the junction of your jaw, slowly trailing kisses down the hollow of your neck. Your fingers dig into his shoulder blade, your lashes fluttering over your cheeks.

“I don’t think I ever could.”

Your words send a rush of satisfaction through him and he nips at the sensitive skin just behind your ear. This closeness and playful back and forth is what he’s missed. A comfort that he never wanted to let go of. Even now, as the clock nears 2:00 am.

You capture his face in your hands and pull him back up with little argument, your thumb tracing the corner of his lips.

You don’t realize he’s leaning in again until you feel his lips on yours. It’s a slow and tender kiss this time, but the passion behind it burns hot. You revel in the subtle way he pulls you in, his hand falling off your shoulder to find purchase at your lower back.

Hyunjin eases up, and you’re left breathless yet again, your heart thumping in your chest.

“You gonna be able to sleep after this?” He asks, a sly grin curling his lips.

“Old habits die hard…” You breathe, pulling him in once again.

Psst!! If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my work 💕 I appreciate you!

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hamiltonaf · 1 year ago

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Hi bestie, can i request how lewis would help you when you have insomnia? Mine is really a pain in the ass this week, could use a distraction

Night Owl | Lewis Hamilton

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Female Reader

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: None

A/N: Hello loves ! Apologies for the delay in writing requests…I fell really ill over the week and was so out of writing :( but I’m back. Thanks anon for requesting, I hope you enjoy. Requests are still open .xx

Another night that I found it hard to sleep. It was like this for over a week because of stress and anxiety. I don’t even have anything to stress about, it’s just how my mind works when my brains thinks I have so much to do and I won’t complete everything I want to do in time.

It wasn’t that big of a deal to sleep at early hours of the morning all alone because I didn’t have Lewis with me so I’d wake up late. However, now that Lewis is around, I feel the need to sleep and wake up at a normal time so that we could do more things together as a couple since I hardly see him anyway.

Once in a while I’ll experience an adrenaline rush in the middle of the night and I’m so full of energy, I could literally eat a whole meal, probably even host my own fake concert and I still wouldn’t be tired till around 4 or 5am.

I joined Lewis and his family for the start of the summer break before Lewis was off on his boys trip. I was over the moon to see Lewis after a whole 2 weeks. Doesn’t seem that long but felt like a lifetime for me.

We spent the day with the family catching up and playing with Kaiden and Willow. We played countless rounds of Uno and spent most of our time out in the sun. Watching Lewis with kids and spending time with him had me thinking about him leaving on his boys trip soon - anxiety trigger because the thought of us being apart again soon.

I swear I’m not selfish… we video call everyday and I physically see him every weekend or every second weekend, but with our schedules clashing I can’t even spend time with him when I’m free because I’m working. Race weekends also fly by so quickly, before you know it, it’s already Sunday and I’m on a flight back home whilst he takes a flight to another race.

I just would’ve wanted to spend some more time with him during this summer break and it could make up for the lost time.

I didn’t even realise I was daydreaming until Lewis snapped his fingers in front of me. “We’re at the hotel… you’ve been so quiet for the past 15 minutes. Is everything okay ?” He asked softly. “Oh yeah. Uhm everything is fine… don’t worry” I faked a smile and exited the car. He followed behind me back to our room, it was quite evident to Lewis that I wasn’t my usual self. When we reached our room, he grabbed me by my hand and pulled me flush against his chest. “Are you sure you’re okay ? You seem off. Is something bothering you ?” He raised a brow.

“I’m fine really” I gave him a soft smile then pecked his cheek. Just as I was about to leave his grasp, he held me tighter. “Babe I can literally tell when you’re lying. You pull that fake smile on me when something is bother you” he pointed out. I immediately felt embarrassed. “What ? No” I scoffed and giggled. “And you do that as well” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Okay well I’m not in the mood to discuss it right now, maybe later” I trailed as I pecked his lips and walked over to the bathroom. I had a shower and to my surprise, Lewis had fallen off to sleep. I on the other hand was full of energy, but might as well try to sleep.

I got into bed and cuddled up close to him. In hopes I would fall off to sleep, unfortunately I was too restless and ended up turning from side to side. I know he’s a light sleeper and I felt bad at the thought of him waking up because of me. A whole hour of trying to sleep and I gave up. I jumped out of bed and went to our lounge to watch something to pass some time. About half and hour into the movie, I got a shock when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

The movie I was watching had me in a depresso mode where I was bawling my eyes out. “Oh my- love are you okay ?” He asked concerned. “Oh my god. Babe you scared me” I screamed as I placed a hand on my heart. “Didn’t mean to scare you, if anything, you scared me… why did you leave me alone in bed ?” He pouted as he jumped over the couch to sit right next to me. “I can’t sleep” I sighed. “No worries, I can help” he smiled. “Lew it’s not one of those nights where I randomly can’t sleep, I have insomnia. It’s much harder to sleep when you’re an insomniac” I pouted and laid my head on his shoulder. “Well what’s keeping my girl up ? You didn’t tell me earlier, I wanna hear it from you now because I’m concerned” he said as he turned to look at me.

“Okay don’t take this the wrong way. My brain overthinks the smallest of things, when normally I couldn’t care. We’ll blame it on some chemical reaction on my brain, maybe lack of serotonin I think-“ he cut me off. “Babe. You’re rambling. Calm down. Deep breaths and tell me straight up how you’re feeling” he smiled as he cupped my face. “Look, you know how much I love you and it hurts me how little we see each other. My mind for some odd reason isn’t its normal self because all my mind thinks about is how little time we actually spend together …” I said embarrassed. “Look I’m all for you going on your boys trip, but I had to be honest with what’s on my mind” I gave him a soft smile.

“Aww baby you’re so cute. You want me all to yourself ?” He smirked and raised a brow. “Low-key yes, but no” I said as I then slapped my forehead in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry that sounds so dumb” I covered my whole face with my hands. “Darling, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about” he said as he pulled my hands away from my face and caressed my cheek with his thumb. “I’m just glad you’re honest with me. Sorry babe for hurting you, why didn’t you tell me sooner ?” He cooed. “I thought it was stupid and I was just being dumb” I shrugged.

“Never. Your feelings are valid, always. Consider me all yours for the rest of the summer” he smiled as he pulled me in for a short kiss. “Wait, what ? Lew no ! You can’t not go on your boys trip” I argued. “This is not a debate love” he grinned. “But Lew, you can’t not-“ “End of discussion. Let’s go” he cut me off as he stood up and carried me in his arms towards our bedroom.

“Now I definitely won’t sleep, you’re making me feel awful as if I’m holding you back which I’m really not. My mind is just racing at the thought of how quickly time is going and how we’re barely together, this has nothing to do with your mates by the way because I think they’re all amazing. My brain is just not braining these past few days” I pouted as he laid me in bed and jumped in to cuddle me closer to him.

“Babe just don’t worry about it, that’s the least of my concerns right now” he said as he nuzzled his face into my neck. “Lew !” I groaned. “You need to sleep and I’m doing my best to help put an end to your insomnia” he smiled into my neck as he snaked an arm around my waist. He placed soft kisses along my shoulders before turning me around in his grasp. “I really love you” he smiled. “I really love you too Lew Lew” I felt my cheeks flush as he pulled my face closer and connected our lips.

I felt so at ease in his embrace knowing he’s right with me after quite a while of being apart. I guess all I needed was a goodnight kiss.

#f1 #formula one #formula 1 #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #lewis hamilton #sir lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x you #lewis hamilton fluff #f1 fluff #lewis hamilton oneshot #lh #lh44 #ricciardoaf oneshots

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fabbyf1 · 2 months ago

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happy saturday, besties!

i hope you're having a great day wherever you are in the world.

as you all know, i've been really going through it the past week. first the hurricane, then the multi-day power outage, then trying to get my life and house back to normal afterward. i had to throw away hundreds of dollars of food that spoiled (RIP money i luv u) but at least it was a great opportunity to deep clean the fridge. and, like i mentioned before, i am very very very thankful to have no physical damage to my life or property.

ANYWAY... thank you all for your patience while i get my life together. i know a lot of you are looking forward to the next chapter of the mastermind fic, and i promise i've been slowly working on it when i have time! not that anybody is rushing me; you all have been very kind and patient with me.

i'm hoping to have this chapter finished within the next couple of days as a reward to myself for doing all the not-so-fun things around the house.

in the meantime...

snippet under the cut!

After Singapore, Max flew home to Monaco.

They had almost a month off before the next race, which gave him plenty of time to get a fucking grip. He needed to find a way to move on with his life and stop thinking about what happened, or he might actually lose his mind. He had received plenty of blow jobs over the years that he never thought twice about; why couldn’t this have been one of them?!

It wasn’t even supposed to be a real blow job!

Charles didn’t suck his dick because he was attracted to him; he was just trying to prove he wasn’t bad at it. Max was just a prop in his learning experience. It wasn’t like they had this irresistible chemistry between them that they finally acted on. They had never flirted, teased, or even gotten close to anything resembling a potential hook-up!

Max was just someone with a dick that Charles felt comfortable enough with to ask for a favor.

And, like, sure... he let him come...

And... seemed to really enjoy swallowing his come...

But that was because he had manners!

Of course he let him come. It would have been rude of him to leave Max hanging after he had gone out of his way to do him a very awkward favor, and Charles Leclerc was not rude. He was kind, and polite, and funny, and hot—no! Not hot!

He was...

Fuck.

Okay.

He was hot.

But Max knew plenty of hot people!

Most of the people in his friend group, both men and women, were objectively very hot. The entire city of Monaco was full of people he would consider attractive. It didn’t have to mean anything.

Just because a really hot person sucked his dick didn’t mean that he had to think about it for the rest of his life.

He just needed a few weeks off to reset his brain, and everything would be fine.

There were plenty of things to do that didn’t involve his cock in Charles’ mouth. He could play with the cats, or sleep until noon, or finally watch that TV series his sister had been bugging him about for months. He could play video games, or do some iRacing with Team Redline, or learn how to fucking cross-stitch or something.

He was young, rich, and successful; the world was his oyster!

He just needed a few weeks of uninterrupted me time, and everything would be fine!!!

#max is literally so delusional i'm obsessed with him #“wE'vE nEvEr fLiRteD” babe WHAT? have you ever been on the internet???#lmfaoooooo writing this fic is so fun i hope you're all enjoying it as much as i am #mastermind fic #fic snippet

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waratah-moon · 2 years ago

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Gremlin

Four times Dustin was clueless, and the one time Lucas spelled it out for him. Shout out to @lfaewrites for proofreading & encouragement!

masterlist / read on ao3 < bonus smutty drabble posted there ;) I Think We’re Alone Now < smut add on

Pairing: dad!Eddie x mom!reader

Word count: 5.1k

Warnings: Teen pregnancy (not elaborated on), cheerleader!reader, shitty parents, enemies to friends platonic!steddie Steal my writing and I will hex you

1. Eddie’s trailer

Eddie opened the door of his trailer and was very surprised to see Dustin Henderson on his doorstep.

Dustin didn't wait to be invited inside, pushing past a bewildered Eddie, “do you have my book report? I lost it after the last Hellfire meeting and I really don't want to rewrite it."

He'd never been inside Eddie's trailer before. It was slightly cluttered but in a homey-lived-in kind of way. The walls were lined with baseball caps, and a collection of novelty mugs hung above the couch.

“What, no hello? You need to work on your manners, Henderson.”

“Sorry,” Dustin looked around the living room, taking in an array of stuffed animals on one end of the couch and a pile of picture books on the coffee table. He wasn’t about to judge what Eddie Munson did in his spare time. “Nice place. Do you have my book report?”

"The one on Grapes of Wrath? I wondered who that belonged to. Let me find it," Eddie disappeared into what Dustin could only assume was his bedroom.

Dustin looked around the trailer, eyes landing on a couple of baby photos that he guessed were of Eddie. He stepped forward to get a closer look, but stopped when he felt something under his foot; it was a small toy that looked a lot like the Muppet Babies version of Fozzie Bear. Before he could investigate further, the phone rang.

Eddie came racing out of his room and breathlessly answered the phone. "Hello?" He waited for the person on the other end to respond, a smile crossing his face when they answered. “I mean, maybe. How difficult is it?” Eddie was grinning now and Dustin could swear he was twirling the phone cord like a teenage girl. “I think I can manage that. How did Gremlin do?”

Eddie's smile turned to a soft pout. He spotted Dustin out of the corner of his eye and turned away, “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Dustin heard him mumble something into the receiver, but couldn't quite make out the words.

Once Eddie hung up the phone he walked into the kitchen and began fiddling with the knobs on the oven.

“Eddie?” Dustin raised his eyebrows as Eddie pulled a casserole dish out of the freezer and put it on the bench.

“Oh, shit. Your thing. Right. I think I know where it is. It got mixed up with the one shot we did last week,” he disappeared again, and Dustin thought he could see a glimpse of a floral patterned bedspread through the door of his room.

Eddie reappeared and handed him a few pieces of paper. "Thanks, man.” Dustin looked at the casserole dish on the bench. “So what’s for dinner?”

Suddenly, Eddie was herding him out of the trailer, “as much as I’d love for you to stay, I have a hot date.”

2. Family Video

Dustin was sitting behind the counter at family video, something Keith had adamantly stated was not allowed. Steve was the only one working, and he didn't care what Dustin did, just happy to have company during the slow part of his shift. Dustin had brought takeout from the diner up the road, only offering to share his fries when Steve had complained. "C'mon, dude, it's gonna stink of fast food in here."

The door jingled and Steve absentmindedly began his ‘welcome to Family Video’ spiel while twisting a Rubik’s cube, only stopping when he looked up at the woman who’d arrived at the counter.

“Real customer-focused service you’ve got here,” you smiled, hoisting the toddler you were holding higher up on your hip.

“Oh hey!” Steve grinned, ducking down so he was on eye level with the little girl, “how’s my favourite Cabbage Patch Kid doing?”

Cabbage Patch Kid? Dustin thought, pushing his food aside to watch the interaction.

The little girl smiled shyly, hiding her head of dark brown curls into the crook of your neck.

You sighed, “Steve, I’ve told you before, stop insinuating my child looks like a Cabbage Patch Kid.”

“But she has the dimples,” he stood up straighter, poking his tongue out when the little girl showed her face, causing her to emit the world's cutest giggle.

“She gets those from her father, not Coleco,” you kissed your daughter's cheek, smoothing down her unruly hair. “Did Care Bears come in?”

“Sure did,” Steve pulled a tape from the counter below, scanning it.

“Great!” You looked around the store, eyes landing back on Steve. “Can you watch her for a sec while I grab a couple more?”

“‘Course!” Dustin watched as Steve held out his arms and you passed the toddler to him. The little girl’s hands instantly reached to pull for his hair while you darted off to the horror section.

“Not the hair,” Steve groaned, attempting to tilt his head backwards and away from the prying hands.

“Pretty,” the little girl mumbled, tugging a lock of Steve’s hair. Dustin stifled a laugh.

“Me? Why thank you, I think you’re very pretty too, the prettiest little Cabbage Patch Kid around,” he bumped his nose against the toddler’s, kissing her forehead. Dustin gagged.

The scene was adorable, but it went against everything he thought he knew about Steve Harrington.

You'd found what you were looking for and arrived back at the counter, setting down two more tapes; A Nightmare on Elm Street and Splash.

“Interesting double feature,” Steve remarked, the toddler now clutching her arms tightly around his neck, refusing to let go.

“Date night,” you grinned sheepishly, holding out your arms to collect your daughter. Steve attempted to pry her off his neck, but she was clinging on for dear life.

"Seevie stay," she whined, tightening her grip on the man.

Steve scanned the tapes using his free hand, seemingly unfazed. “Oh, did you hear about Ethan Carroway?”

You dug around in your purse, finding the correct amount of money to pay for the tapes, “and Ivy Tech? I know! How dumb can you be?” You handed over cash.

“I mean, he seemed like the type though, right?” He put the tapes in a plastic bag, a bit of a challenge with only one hand but he managed, handing the bag across the counter to you.

You hummed in agreement. “Some people just don’t change. Others surprise you,” you smiled, taking in the sight of 'King Steve' Harrington pulling faces at your two year old. "C'mon Gremlin, let's get home and see if Dad taped Muppet Babies."

"Aminal?" Your daughter loosened her grip on Steve and looked at you.

"Yep," you held out your arms and she finally let Steve pass her back. You smiled at the man behind the counter. “Thanks Steve, I’ll see you later.”

"See ya," Steve called after you as you exited the store.

Dustin was gobsmacked, his mouth hanging open as he watched Steve go back to fiddling with the Rubik's cube on the counter.

"What the hell was that?" Steve jumped when Dustin spoke, seeming to have forgotten about the young teen's presence.

He managed to keep his cool, nonchalant tone, "what was what?"

"Were you just flirting with her?"

"What?!" Steve sounded offended. "With her? Of course not."

"She has a kid, Steve."

"I know," Steve had turned to look at Dustin now, leaning with his back against the register. "She has a boyfriend too. We went to high school together. She was a cheerleader, I was on the basketball team. We're friends."

"I didn't know you had other friends," Dustin cocked his eyebrow with a grin. He vaguely remembered his mom gossiping with Mrs. Wheeler about a cheerleader who got pregnant a few years ago.

Steve rolled his eyes, turning back to face the front door, "and you don't know as much about your friends as you think you do, Henderson."

Dustin frowned, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"Eat your burger."

3. Max’s trailer

Storm clouds hung over Hawkins, and rain had been attempting to sprinkle all morning. Riding their bikes all the way to the Forest Hill Trailer Park probably wasn't the smartest idea, but it was Dustin and Lucas's only mode of transport since Steve decided to pick up more shifts at Family Video.

They pulled up to Max’s trailer, the wheels of their bikes spitting up gravel as they skidded to a halt. Max had watched them ride up from the window, and she was already standing in the doorway when they reached the porch.

“What are you two doing here?”

“We were wondering if you wanted to see a movie, or go to the arcade," Lucas asked, he always sounded nervous talking to Max.

"Or do anything," Dustin added. "We're so bored." It was true. Mike was on his weekly phone call to El, and since the mall had burnt down the activities in Hawkins had become severely limited.

“I can’t," she had her headphones slung around the base of her neck, her trusty Walkman in her hand. "I’m babysitting.”

"Babysitting? Since when do you babysit?" Dustin peered over her shoulder inside the trailer, but Max moved to block his view. Over her shoulder he could see an animated movie playing on the TV, it looked like the Care Bears.

“Since we moved in here,” she shrugged.

“Huh?”

"I like her parents, they're cool, so I offered to look after Gremlin whenever they wanted some alone time. Plus her mom always brings over cookies. This time it’s peanut butter chocolate."

"You offered?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" She squinted, her tone accusatory.

"Kind of, yeah," Dustin said, groaning when Lucas elbowed him in the ribcage.

“What Dustin means is that you seem to have other interests that don’t coincide with babysitting.”

Max rolled her eyes, moving to put her headphones back on.

“Wait! Can we at least come in and hang out?”

“Nope. I’ve got other interests that don’t coincide with hanging out,” her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she shut the door in their faces.

Lucas sighed, but Dustin was already making his way to the trailer opposite Max’s.

“What are you doing?” Lucas watched, before quickly following after his friend.

“Eddie’s home, his van is out front.”

“And there's another car next to it, he has someone over," Lucas added, pointing at the red Ford Fairmont parked next to the van.

But Dustin was already knocking on the trailer door to listen to Lucas.

The door swung open, revealing a flushed and wild haired Eddie. His eyes were dark, and his tee-shirt was on inside out; when he took in that it was Dustin at the door, his expression turned from annoyed to pissed.

"Henderson? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"We were in the area," he started, turning to see that Lucas had not joined him on the porch but had stopped halfway between Eddie and Max's trailer. He continued, "do you want to hang out?"

"I'm a bit busy right now, dude," Eddie folded his arms across his chest, still glaring at Dustin.

"Do you have a girl over?" Dustin tried to peer into the trailer but only managed to spot a bowl of popcorn and a couple of VHS tapes on the coffee table.

Eddie rolled his eyes, "sure let's go with that. Are we done here?" He started to shut the door, but Dustin stuck his arm out.

"Wait! Who is it? Is it Shelley Keibler? She was totally flirting with you at lunch last week."

Eddie looked disgusted, "ugh, no, dude. She buys from me and she was flirting to get a discount; which I didn't give her, by the way."

"Then who?"

"Don't worry about it, Henderson. I’ll see you on Monday." He grinned and shut the door.

4. Hawkins High

Dustin thought Eddie was acting strange. He hadn’t said anything about Dustin’s ill timed visit when he saw him on Monday, and he hadn’t been in the cafeteria at lunch on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mike had sworn he’d seen Eddie in the library when he’d gone to get money off his sister. He seemed back to his old loud, rambunctious self on Thursday, but during Hellfire on Friday he was constantly watching the clock. When the clock struck 6pm, he was packing up, even though they were in the middle of a high tension fight.

“I’m sorry guys, I have places to be.”

“Where?”

“Oh, that little bar on the corner of nunya and business,” he grinned, stuffing his binders in his bag.

Dustin followed him out to the parking lot, expecting to watch him get in his van and drive off. Instead he was greeted with the same red Fairmont coupe that had been parked in front of his trailer.

The following week proceeded much the same as the week prior, except this week Eddie cancelled Hellfire. And Eddie never cancelled Hellfire. The table erupted in disgruntled yelling when he broke the news over lunch on Friday, but he just sat back in silence, letting the members spit their disdain.

Dustin finally got a chance to speak with Eddie after school was let out, catching up to him in the parking lot as he was leaving.

“What’s going on? Why are you suddenly acting all weird?”

Eddie sighed, looking over at the red Ford that was parked next to Steve’s BMW. “You do know I have a life outside high school and Hellfire, right? I don’t only exist to further your quest, Henderson.”

“I know that-”

“I’ve been busy, alright? I’ve got some stuff going on.” He studied Dustin’s face, as if he was trying to figure out damage caused by a d20. “Look there’s a one shot I’ve been working on,” he grabbed a notebook out of his bag, ripped out a page, and scribbled something down before handing it to Dustin. “Come to this address tomorrow night, 7pm. Bring Wheeler and Sinclair.”

+1. Hellfire Club

Dustin, Mike, and Lucas weren’t sure where they were going, but surprisingly Steve did. In fact Steve hadn’t put up any kind of fight when Dustin asked if he could drive them somewhere for DnD. Sure he’d sighed, but that sigh was quickly followed by a shrug and a “sure.”

Steve pulled up in front of a small one story house, parking his car behind Gareth’s. Two cars were already in the driveway, a two-toned station wagon, and the red Ford Fairmont that seemed to be everywhere.

Eddie swung the door open, a grin on his face. “You’re here!” He glanced over the boys in front of him before his eyes landed on Steve. “Harrington?”

Steve held his hands up. “Don’t worry, I’m just dropping them off. Thought I’d say hi.” He pointed to the station wagon in the driveway. “Is that your new car?” Eddie nodded and Steve added, “a wagon. Very sensible.”

“I’ll have you know that’s a ‘74 AMC Matador. It has a V8 401 engine, 230 horsepower-”

“I’m going to stop you right there, I have no idea what any of that means.”

“You drive an E23. Dude, a 733i!”

“Doesn’t mean I know anything about it,” Steve shrugged. “Finally traded in the van for a family car, hey?”

Eddie rolled his eyes and turned into the house. “Babe, Harrington’s here,” he called out, before turning back to glare at Steve.

After a moment, you appeared behind Eddie, wiping your hands on a dish towel. “Steve, hey!” Dustin recognised you instantly as the woman from Family Video.

“Hey,” Steve smiled, giving you a little wave. “Wanted to see your new place.”

“Can you stay for a soda? I’ll give you the tour.”

Before Steve could move into the house, Dustin held his arm out to stop him. “Uh,” Dustin looked from you, to Steve, to Eddie, and finally to Mike and Lucas. “What’s going on?”

“Oh right! You guys haven’t met,” Eddie wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you close to his side, and introduced you to the teens. “This is my girlfriend.”

Once the shock had worn off, Eddie had led the boys inside to the dining room table, where the older Hellfire members were already sitting. You lead Steve in the other direction, making good on your promise of a house tour.

“So this is your place?” Mike took in the surroundings; they were sitting in a dining room that was attached to a small kitchen. Various picture frames dotted the walls and a large potted plant sat next to the china cabinet.

“Yep, we moved in last weekend. The trailer was getting too crowded now that Gremlin’s decided to grow into a tiny human,” Mike had no idea what Eddie was talking about, but Eddie sounded horribly offended at the idea of Gremlin growing. “We’ve been planning the move for ages, but we finally had enough money to do it. Wayne seemed sad to see us go, but I think he’s happy to have the place to himself. Kind of annoying we lost Mayfield as a babysitter, though.”

Dustin seemed to have a faint inkling as to what Eddie was talking about, “I saw your girlfriend at Family Video a few weeks ago with her daughter.”

As if this was the craziest news in the world, Mike blurted out, “a kid?” His eyes darted around the room, finally taking in the several picture frames embedded with the image of a curly haired toddler.

“Yeah, Eddie’s girlfriend has a kid,” Dustin said casually, proud that he’d figured out this fact about his mentor before Mike. “It’s pretty cool you’re a stepdad.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, but Gareth, Jeff, and Grant just laughed. “Stepdad ? Henderson, no, no, no.”

Lucas shook his head, pointing to the closest picture frame; the little toddler was sitting on Eddie’s shoulders, her fingers gripping his dark brown curls, identical to her own unruly mess of hair. She looked like a mini version of him, both had mischief gleaming in their chocolate button eyes. “That’s obviously his kid.”

Like a sign from above signifying the revelation, an egg timer went off in the kitchen.

Dustin choked on his soda. “You have a kid? How did that happen?”

Lucas whacked him on the back, attempting to stop his friend's spluttering. “How do you think it happened, dipshit?” It seemed to work.

“No,” the tips of Dustin’s ears turned pink, his voice still hoarse. “I meant-”

“You want the story,” Eddie grinned, and Gareth, Jeff, and Grant groaned. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. “Settle in boys, for this is a tale for the ages.”

Gareth snorted, “What the hell are you talking about? Indie is the product of too much alcohol and an expired condom.”

“Excuse me, but Gremlin was born from an epic love story that crossed not only class barriers, but changed Hawkins society as we know it.”

Steve entered the dining room with a can of cola, you following close behind him.

“Babe,” you rolled your eyes, having heard the conversation. You set a plate of pizza rolls down in front of the boys. “I think Gareth is a little closer to the truth. It wasn’t West Side Story .”

“You don’t think our story is romantic?”

“Our story? Sure. Teen pregnancy? Not so much.” Steve snorted.

Dustin had calmed down a bit, but he still had a lot of questions. “Wait, I’m confused. Steve said you were a cheerleader. How did you get with Eddie? You’re way out of his league.”

Surprisingly, Eddie didn’t look offended, instead he pulled you into his lap and tucked his chin over your shoulder, looking at the young teens. “You’re dead right, Henderson, she is way out of my league.” You scoffed, ready to disagree with him but he cut you off, “do you want to tell the story, babe?”

You adjusted yourself so you were sitting on Eddie’s thigh, his hands firmly gripping your waist. “My family moved to Hawkins at the start of my sophomore year. I didn’t really notice Eddie much that first year, he was a junior and we ran in very different circles.”

“I noticed her though. Straight away. Especially when she wore her cheer uniform-”

You flicked him on the shoulder, continuing with your story. “Anyway, school was out for the summer. Remember the heatwave in ‘83? I was driving down Millbrook and it was at least 100 degrees outside and the hood of my car started smoking. So I pulled over and began freaking out, because you know Millbrook, it’s all farmland and there’s no one around for miles.”

“But I just happened to be driving down Millbrook.”

“Yeah, Eddie was my knight in a Metallica cut off. He figured out what was wrong with my car, drove us to the auto shop, bought whatever it was that my car needed and fixed it for me.”

“It was super easy, she’d just run out of-”

You cut him off before he could begin to ramble about cars and the importance of checking the coolant level. “I bought him a milkshake to thank him and we’ve been together ever since.”

“And your kid?” Mike asked through a mouthful of pizza rolls.

“Gareth wasn’t far off. Pretty sure it happened after the homecoming dance that Eddie refused to attend. He snuck in my window when I got home with a bottle of peppermint schnapps and…” you drifted off, noticing the wide eyes at the table, as well as Steve's smirk. “I’ll spare you the details. Nine months later Indie was born.”

"Indie? Like Indiana?" Lucas asked, he wouldn’t admit it but the story was romantic.

"No, Indie like Indigo. Indigo Ripley Munson," Eddie said proudly, and you smiled. He'd snuck Ripley on the birth certificate before you could protest, but you had to admit your daughter couldn't ask for a better role model than the badass heroine from Alien.

It was as if her name summoned her. A bleary eyed toddler in pink footie pajamas entered the dining room, rubbing her eyes.

“Hi sweet pea,” you hoped off Eddie’s thigh, picking up your daughter and smoothing her hair. “Did we wake you?”

“Not tired,” she said, instantly contradicting herself by yawning. “Want Dadda to tell me a story,” she pushed away from you, reaching for Eddie. “With princesses.”

As much as you wanted to be her favourite, it warmed your heart knowing how much she loved her Dad.

Eddie held out his arms to take her from you and she instantly snuggled against him. "Dad’s playing a game with his friends, do you want to listen? There’s no princesses but there are lots of monsters." She nodded, smiling.

You knew it was futile to try and get her to go back to sleep now that Eddie had promised her a story. Knowing Eddie it would be a gory and violent story, but having sat in on many of Hellfire's campaigns, Indie was used to it. You thought it was creepy that she was enamoured with monsters, Eddie thought it was adorable.

You crouched down next to Eddie so you were on eye level with your daughter. "See those boys over there? That's Dustin, Lucas, and Mike. Do you want to say hi?"

She stuck out her bottom lip, contemplating the question before shaking her head. Dustin grinned, he liked this kid, she had spirit.

"How did you manage graduating with a kid? I mean Eddie obviously didn't," Mike said. The table went silent. Surprisingly, it was Steve that spoke up.

"He could have graduated, he just chose to put his family first, right Munson?"

Eddie looked at Steve and smiled. You stood up to glare at Mike, "Steve's right, Eddie should have graduated in '84, but he had different priorities that year."

Turning his attention to Mike, Eddie sighed, “My first senior year was when we found out about the pregnancy. My uncle got me a job working nights at the plant, so I slept through most of my morning classes. But the money was good and we were able to afford most of the stuff we needed for a new baby without asking for help. But I failed pretty much all my classes.”

You nodded. “My parents cut me off when they found out we were keeping the baby. They already hated that I was with Eddie and were looking for a reason to disown me; teen pregnancy was it. So aside from the secondhand stuff we got from the Holts’ and the Mitchells’, and that Wayne never made us pay rent, we did it pretty much all on our own. Eddie’s second senior year was also my senior year, but it was our first year with Indie too.”

“I didn’t want her skipping class, she’s too smart to not graduate. So I stayed home with Gremlin. Wayne helped out when he could, but I still managed to miss most of my classes.”

“But now, I have a job that lets us afford daycare and rent, and Eddie’s been working real hard at school. You know what they say, third times the charm.”

“This is my year, I can feel it.”

“Damn right, babe.” You leant down to kiss his cheek. “And Indie and I will be right there cheering you on when you cross that stage.”

It was all too much for Dustin to handle, hearing about this part of Eddie’s life; his girlfriend, his daughter, his connection to Steve. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. He was filled with a newfound desire to protect his friend; he had a family to think about after all, hell he’d traded in his ratty old van for a station wagon.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dustin wasn’t sure if he felt more hurt or betrayed that Eddie had kept such a big part of his life a secret.

“I never hid it, Henderson, you just never asked.”

Dustin thought back to what Steve had said all those weeks ago, ‘you don't know as much about your friends as you think you do.’ He was right, Dustin didn’t know that much about Eddie. He knew he was in a band and liked metal music, but he hadn’t asked him much in the way of personal questions.

“I’m sorry Eddie, I-”

Eddie cut him off with a lazy grin, “Relax, Dustin, we’ve got the rest of the year right?” For some reason the use of his first name instantly put Dustin at ease. He let out a breath and smiled at Eddie. “Now are we playing?”

“And that’s our cue,” you nodded at Steve, leaving the boys and Indie to their game.

Later that night, after everyone had gone home and Indie was finally tucked up in bed, Eddie said something that surprised you.

“I think we should make Steve Indie’s godfather.”

“What? You’re not religious.”

“No, I know. I don’t mean it in the whole ‘teaching faith’ way. I just,” he ran his hand through his hair. “I know he’s important to you, and he loves Indie. If something was to happen to us, I know he’d take good care of her.”

“I think that’s a great idea, babe. Is this about what he said to Wheeler?”

Eddie’s cheeks flushed, he hadn’t wanted to admit that Steve’s approval had affected him. “Maybe.”

You grinned. Steve had been your friend for a long time, since you first moved to Hawkins. You’d known him through his douchebag phase, and you were his only friend from his high school days he’d kept in touch with since he’d mellowed out. But he and Eddie had never gotten along; Eddie was too loud and brash, and Steve still held an air of elitism that although he’d mostly gotten rid of, still reared its ugly head whenever Eddie was around.

Today, though, the two of them somewhat made an attempt at a truce. “How about we invite him for lunch and ask him?”

Eddie groaned, “ugh, can’t you just ask him?”

“It was your idea!”

“Fine, we’ll do it together.”

Baby steps.

Okay okay... I would really appreciate feedback as I worked my ass off on this one. And guys... I was so nervous my mum read this... that's the first time she's read my writing since I was in high school. @a-lil-pr1ncess @livsters

#eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson imagine #stranger things #dad!eddie munson #dad!eddie x mom!reader #eddie munson smut #maggie writes #Eddie Munson gremlinverse #dad!eddie

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rose-tea-and-strawberries · 13 days ago

Note

Ok Ok since you listen to Epic the Musical hear me out-

What if Epic is a thing in Yuu's world? Like she's a huge fan and decided for a movie night she first introduces all the boys to it and eventually shows it to everyone at the House of Mouse,

There will be gasps, There will be tears shed, etc.

Everyone in the Hercules cast especially will be intrigued by seeing their own selves in a different light. But once they get to the thunder saga (and also gods games), Zeus is sweating bullets meanwhile hades is laughing his butt off from his brother's face,

But at the same time poor Hercules is like "....Dad???" as Meg and Yuu comfort him.

...also for the Vengeance saga everyone (NRC and HoM) especially the couples, Will def cheer after Odysseus says next to my wife.

Okay so first of all, if you want to read a fic where NRC reacts to Epic I highly recommend this because it is truly top tier:

I mean, for the past month I was thinking of a twst reacts to Epic fic (where Yuu acted in EPIC back in her world and the school/RSA reacted to it through some type of magic - it was kind of set in this universe where Yuu was a theatre actress before entering twst. I mentioned once that I had a theatre!Yuu that is friends with RSA and once played Christine Daaé back home. This is that AU) and then I just stumbled across this two days ago and my mind was literally blown! The saying that that there are no original experiences is really true!

Basically Yuu (who's female in this fic) is doing some extra credit work so she asks her friends to act in one of her favourite musicals and NRC reacts to this. Ace plays Ody and Deuce is Telemachus and Yuu plays practically every female character (I'm not going to spoil who plays the other characters). Also this has Aceyuu which is practically my OTP.

I'm also a huge fan of the Disney Princess React series where the Disney Princess, Princes and practically all the good characters from before their movies react to their future so I have been thinking of a Disney characters + Epic cast reacts to Epic fic.

Okay so according to Google, Hercules comes before the Odyssey so none of the Hercules cast would know anything about the Trojan War or Odysseus which would make this even cooler!

Hades: And you guys thought I was bad? Just look at my younger brothers!

Hercules: Dad! (īī ^ īī)

I've never watched the Hercules tv show except for that one crossover it did with Aladdin so I don't really know how the gods/goddesses are portrayed but I do know that the movie took a lot of ... creative liberty to say the least.

But can you imagine the cast of The Little Mermaid/Octavinelle reacting to Suffering/Different Beasts where the sirens come to kill the crew only to get slaughtered. Also, I have a feeling that Triton would be leaving his trident back home in the palace for the next few weeks.

But imagine every sailors' (e.g. Eric, the pirates,ka etc) reaction to Ruthlessness and the absolute carnage that follows. They'd be gripping onto the tables with white knuckles.

Hades would be having the time of his life (except for the parts where Yuu cheers for the other gods: read Hermes/Athena), especially during the Underworld saga. Like everyone would be looking at river styx in horror and he'd just be like 'ah home :)'. I bet he'd enjoy God Games as well. He'd definitely be munching on popcorn during Ody's and Athena's argument in My Goodbye.

The muses would be watching everything like WRITE THAT DOWN!

I don't think Hercules wants to talk to anyone at this moment :/

Thanks for the ask ‎♡

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst yuu #fem yuu #house of mouse au #asks

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itsangelll · 9 months ago

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ℳℴ𝓋ℯ𝒹 ℴ𝓃？

angst to fluff

warnings:none

2010 era!

A/n: I wanna give huge credits to @bunniesthoughts thank you for helping me with this me and her made this together we hope you guys enjoy <3

minors can interact

word count:1k

“GET OUT THEN” I said my voice getting louder by the minute, Tom’s eyes were getting more teary and with that Tom pushed past me and stormed out of the house. Hours pass by Tom hadn’t come back yet “shit pick up pick up please” I tried calling him but no answer my mind was overclouding with thoughts my anxiety was getting worse no text no calls at all.

-time skip

It’s been weeks and tom still hasn’t come back, I’m trying not too overthink anything but it keeps creeping up in the back of my mind. So to take my mind off things, I go sit down and turn on the tv to mtv and I see pictures and videos of Tom and some girl named Anna “what the fuck” I feel tears sting the corner of my eyes, all of the overthinking came true, it wasn’t just a thought it was all real life. I need to talk to him asap.

and the best way was to show up to their concert it took me ages to get there but I made it finally, people were crowded fans screaming and yelling. They came out of the tour bus, my life flashed before my eyes, The rumours were true his arm snug around her waist her beautiful eyes he moved on already?

I felt sick to my stomach, Tom saw me his face was shocked but I didn’t care I ran not daring to look back I could hear him yelling my name and running after me. My eyes were perking up with tears I felt like I was going to collapse. I ended up falling over my knees were bruised my hands were shaking Tom finally caught up and he kneeled down infront of me, “Y/n I didn’t want you to find out like this.” His voice was trembling it sounded like he was about to cry, “You never really loved me did you” my voice was breaking I couldn’t help it, he cupped my face in his hands his dark brown eyes staring into me “I’m sorry but after that fight I didn’t know what to do I thought we were broken up” he said his voice with unbreakable emotion I looked away. We just sat in silence not even saying a word till his twin brother and the rest of the band started calling out to him he got up and walked off.

-time skip

A few weeks had passed me and Tom haven’t spoken at all I see photos of them everyday together, but today I got invited to a interview with Tom to talk about why broke up and how it happened. I didn’t feel like going because the media would’ve twisted my words but then I changed my mind I mean it’s best to get my feelings out? After I got ready I left my apartment and went to the interview. When I got there the interviewer was really nice and told me how what was going to happen, I looked around and I didn’t see Tom anywhere which was off cause he’s never shows up late.

The Interviewer sat me down she asked me a couple of questions about how I knew Tom how we started dating, asked me about their music and everything. Then she asked this “Y/n I know this must be hard for you but would you ever want to try and works out thing with Tom?”

I swear I couldn’t hear her for a second I felt sick, I took a deep breath “I hope I can, him and I instantly click and at the end of the day I miss him heaps”. I said my voice cracking a bit, she nodded after a little while of what seemed like hours the interview was wrapped up and I was on my walking home till I heard someone yelling out to me.

I turned around. It was Tom he came up to me catching his breath it looked like he was gonna collapse Christ “Y/n I saw your interview and there’s so much I wanna say but I can’t say it here”. “Huh? What do you me-“ he put a hand over my mouth and handed me a piece of paper he smiled at me then walked away.

I watch tom walk away, as I grip the piece of paper in my hand once he’s out of sight I open the paper “meet at the lake at 6”- tom I look at the note confused as why he wanted to meet, I mean I’ve seen he has a girlfriend, but I shrug and I get into my car driving to our old spot.

I see Tom sitting on the hood of his car lighting up a cigarette. I park and get out walking up to him “hey” I say softly trying not to startle him “hey.. I wanna talk with you if that’s okay”, he says as he gets off the hood of his car throwing away his cigarette I nod letting him know that I’m listening. “listen I know you saw me with her but truly I didn’t want that to happen, I miss you I don’t know why I didn’t come back and went to go with her. I thought we were done but I miss you.” Tom says as his voice starts to crack.

I go to speak but Tom stops me, “I broke up with her..I wanna give us another try, you were my everything” he says as his eyes start to go glossy and so do mine. “alright I’ll give us another chance” Tom looks at me and a smile forms on his face as he grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug, putting his face in my neck.

“I love you so much meine liebe I promise this will never happen again” I nod as I listen to him pulling away as a tear drips down my cheek “I love you too” I whisper softly as I lean up and softly kiss his lips and lay my head on his chest.

A/n: i hope you guys enjoyed me and @bunniesthoughts loved making this go check her out!! once again thank you for helping me make this I couldn’t have done without you. Anyways bye cuties mwah <3

#tokio hotel #tom kaulitz #tokio hotel x reader #billkaulitz #tom kaulitz angst #tom kaulitz fluff

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slytherinshua · 1 year ago

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DISTRACTIONS

genre. fluff. warnings. kissing. pairing. jihoon x fem!reader. wc. 941. a/n. so... that pic made me just a little delusional, huh?

“Stop, baby, I’m about to get a highscore-“ Jihoon muttered, eyes entirely focused on the game displayed on his phone. He was tapping with his fingers, controlling the small fighter to shoot at his opponents. You didn’t mind your boyfriend playing video games, you knew it was a stress reliever for him, but you wanted his attention so badly at the moment and weren’t particularly happy about a video gaming winning over you for his affection.

If you had counted correctly, it had been 8 days since you had last kissed Jihoon properly. He had been busy and tired while filming his new drama, so quick pecks before he left in the morning were all you had been getting for the last couple days. It was finally his day off today, and while you were overjoyed to be able to cuddle in his lap after so long— the lack of proper attention was starting to frustrate you.

Was the video game really better than his girlfriend?

You had been thinking of the perfect counter tactic to get back Jihoon’s attention as you sat, curled up in his lap. There was one thing that should be foolproof: kisses. If you reminded Jihoon of what he had been missing out on for the past several days, eventually he would realize that he’d much rather spend his time kissing his lovely girlfriend than playing some dumb shooting game.

You had started 2 minutes ago, conservatively kissing the back of his hand just to test out the waters. You didn’t get much of a reaction from that, just a subtle smile that might as well have been from the game. You started to get a little more daring as your patience ran thin, pressing multiple kisses to his cheek which seemed to distract him enough to protest.

“Stop, baby, I’m about to get a highscore-“

You contemplated just waiting for him to stop playing on his own, or at least finish the round since he was so close to beating his personal record. But that thought vanished after about 2 seconds, and you proceeded to kiss his cheek again and scold your brain for the silly thought.

Patience wasn’t the answer for this situation. Or, at least it wasn’t the answer that you liked. It wasn’t like you were harming him— in fact, it was known that Jihoon was more addicted to kisses than you in the relationship. Besides, you had already been patient for over a week. And now Jihoon’s pretty lips were right in front of you. There was no reason why you should hold back.

He dug his head further into the hood of his hoodie to try to make it harder for you to access face. Though he was subtle with it, you still caught onto his every move. The fact that he was now actively trying to evade you excited you, because it meant he was close to breaking.

Though his face was now unobtainable to you, with a little craning of your head, you managed to access his neck to give him yet another kiss. This is what finally got him to break. You watched in satisfaction as he switched off his phone, still 2 minutes away from finishing his round.

“You’re teasing me on purpose, aren’t you?” He muttered, giving you a knowing look, though his lips were lifting into a small smile.

“How else was I supposed to get your attention off the game?” You asked with a giggle.

“I lost the game because of you.” He whispered, pulling you closer to his chest by your hips and giving you his first kiss, one on the cheek.

“Are you mad about it?”

“Mmh, I’m very upset, baby.” He said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“You don’t seem very upset, though?” You caught onto his lie with a smile, and kissed his nose softly. He scrunched it up in response and pressed his lips together stubbornly.

He didn’t say anything else, silently admitting that he wasn’t really mad at all. His hand slid up to your cheek and he gently pulled your face closer to his, meeting his soft lips with yours after what had felt like an eternity. He let the kiss last long enough to satisfy both of you, and by the time he pulled away, you were both slightly out of breath.

You frowned despite the butterflies that he had summoned in your stomach, “Did you film kiss scenes for the drama?”

His eyes widened slightly, “No! No. There’s no kissing in this drama.” He quickly defended.

You raised an eyebrow in skepticism, “It’s a fantasy romance drama, Jihoon.”

His lips formed an ‘o’ shape as his brain quickly thought of his next lie, “It was a stunt double that filmed those scenes.”

You laughed at his awful attempt at pretending like he was innocent. Teasing your boyfriend never failed to entertain you. You were perfectly confident in your boyfriend’s loyalty to you, and were quite sure that every on screen kiss was only acting and nothing else, but you still loved to bring it up every once and a while.

“Does she kiss as well as I do?” You asked finally, biting back a amused smile.

“Not even close.” He responded, and you could feel the sincerity from his shiny eyes.

“Just making sure.” You smiled, leaning down to reconnect your lips again. Jihoon was like a dream to kiss. His lips were soft and gentle, and each time he pressed them to yours you felt your heart swell. Each kiss was like a soft reminder of how much you loved him.

↳ misc taglist (let's be real, it's more like park jihoon taglist): @yeonjuns-redhair,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @edensgardenn,, @cyberpunksunwoo

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 2 months ago

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tuesday again 10/1/2024

come getcher BOY in HOUSTON TX limited time DEAL he will be going to the shelter where they hopefully have more resources to place FIV+ cats on FRIDAY!!! he has gotten so sleek and healthy looking after only a month of unlimited kibble he will be SUCH a nice silly companion for someone but unfortunately that someone is not me

^worried about the air purifier turning on

listening

OWW. feat BUBBLE by Halo Boy is fun bc it’s fun to yell “gimme love bites like OWW!” brain empty just songs that are fun to blast in the car. not quite a candidate for the “SOMEBODY COME FUCK THIS (GAY)” playlist but certainly worthy of inclusion on the “SOMEBODY COME FUCK THIS (NOT GAY)” playlist

reading

i have a lot of uncomplimentary thoughts about frank lloyd wright. part of them revolve around the fact that buildings are really not meant to last forever, especially experimental buildings made with experimental materials. i am furious, however, that a cryptocurrency grifter couple bought his only skyscraper for $10 to "save it from bankruptcy" from a tiny nonprofit, seem to be hacking it up to sell the furnishings in pieces, and have put the building up for commercial sale on a site mostly used for fast food franchises and strip malls. the building, like many frank lloyd wright buildings, is in pretty rough shape. i've seen some walkthroughs and video tours and there's a ton of water damage and then extra water damage from oklahoma winter ice. i do not know if the building as a whole is reasonably salvageable without tens of millions put into it and a new foundation put in place to take care of it.

Liz Waytkus, the executive director of Docomomo US, an organization that works to preserve modern architecture, said it strongly opposes any sale of the Wright materials. “They’re trafficked goods,�� Waytkus said. “The same that you would say of pottery or vases from Egypt or Mesopotamia that were obtained through illegal ways, these pieces from Frank Lloyd Wright should be thought of in the same exact way.”

i think the above quote is a little dramatic. what the crypto couple are doing is more in bad taste than anything, bc they do own the building. in my heart of hearts, i do think pieces and fixtures designed specifically for a site should stay with the site as long as reasonably possible. they're not going to look or function quite the same anywhere else. this is the unfortunate reality of getting a superstar architect to design The Whole Site and not just the building, you're kind of (in good taste and not legally) obligated to continue to preserve The Whole Site and not just the building.

another in the "not technically illegal but in bad taste" file, for both sides imo but i do think the misbehavior is greater on one side. idk if matt is like Unwell, or if he has tech founder brain and it's simply been more visible lately. oh my god i looked up how old he was (40) and he is local to me. ive probably seen him patio dining somewhere or walked past him at the rodeo and simply haven't noticed

But in a dispute that’s meant to clarify what is and isn’t WordPress, Mullenweg risks blurring the lines even more. WordPress.org and WordPress.com both have a point — but it looks an awful lot like they’re working together to make it.

watching

kind of a light week? i don’t have anything particularly interesting to say about any of these.

i did not plan this bc i was kidnapped last minute by my bestie to see Howl’s Moving Castle in theaters, which was a very fun movie to see on the big screen. i have not seen a movie in theaters since Birds of Prey in early 2020, kind of scary to be inside a theater again! wish covid had not so thoroughly broken my health and confidence and i also wish covid was Over over instead of a constantly rolling crisis!!

playing

i am going to preface this section with two facts: 1) i have been playing genshin impact since version 1.0, before the second major region in the game came out and 2) i have been unemployed since january and have spent more hours per day playing this game than really anyone should in the past couple months.

ive set a bunch of very silly goals for myself bc genshin impact is largely a game about making your own fun within the grindy gacha framework and i have hit two and a half of them. you can "ascend" a character six different times to up stats by a decent percentage, and i have now ascended all 64 characters the maximum 6 times. the last one was heizou bc 1) fuck a cop and 2) fuck the machine boss in the chasm for his mats. why did THREE characters need these mats. wretched.

my next goal is to get all my characters to friendship level 10. you can increase this mostly by spending the in-game renewable resource "resin". getting your characters to friendship level 10 has no in-game benefits but does give you a fun little namecard for ur profile. i have been prioritizing my five-star characters and then going through the nations' characters in order. ive been done with the mondstadt kids for a while, i just maxed out my last five-star (dehya) today. as u can see by this list sorted by friendship level, i have five liyue characters and two inazuma characters left and just buckets and oodles of sumeru and fontaine characters.

i haven't really done much with the newest natlan character, kachina, bc i do not enjoy playing as the small children characters. there are so many tall hot ladies in this game. speaking of, the next character i will be pulling for is this tall drink of water

i have also caught one of every catachable animal! this one was very irritating bc u can only buy five nets a week. finding this one specific lizard was also very irritating. none of the point in the desert the official game map assured me were spawn points were actually spawning for some reason. had to go to several underwater caves and cross my fingers

making

fallow week

#tuesday again #Tuesday again no problem #SoundCloud

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straykidzwifey · 8 months ago

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Concert Concerns (Han Jisung X Reader)

As I anxiously watched the concert footage for what seemed like the hundredth time, my mind was consumed with worry. The images and videos of him performing only added to my unease. I couldn't bear to sit still any longer and paused the video on my laptop. My hand instinctively reached for my phone, pulling up a contact that was all too familiar. But as I debated whether or not to call, doubts crept in, and I wondered if I was just being paranoid.

But then, with a resolute whisper to myself, "Frick it," I pressed the button and waited anxiously. The ringing stopped and I could hear shuffling on the other end before a voice I knew all too well answered, "(Y/N)? Hey, what's up?”

A small sigh of relief escaped me before I replied, "Hey Chris. Is Jisung with you right now?" The shuffling continued before he responded, "Um, no. Him and Minho went out to grab some takeout. Why do you ask?”

I shook my head, realizing he couldn't see me from the other end. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't around when I asked you this. Actually, can we facetime?" A quick agreement came from the other end, and I switched over to facetime, needing that extra reassurance that everything was okay.

As the video call connected, Chris's concerned face filled the screen in a matter of seconds. I could see the worry etched into his features, and it mirrored my own as I began to speak.

"So, what's going on?" His voice was laced with genuine concern, and I took a deep breath before answering.

"That's what I wanted to ask you. I've been watching the footage from the concerts and fan meets you guys have been doing for the past couple of weeks, and Jisung looks...stressed. He hasn't smiled once." My fingers fidgeted nervously as I spoke, my eyes scanning over Chris's face for any sign of understanding or explanation.

"The only time he even attempts to grin is when he's around Minho. And when I ask him about it on our calls, he just says he's tired." My voice trailed off, unable to fully express my worries. The silence that followed felt heavy and suffocating, as if we were both struggling to find the right words to convey our concerns.

Chris let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair as he processed my words. The worry in his eyes deepened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something unfamiliar - fear.

"(Y/N), I've noticed it too," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper as if afraid someone might overhear. "But it's not just exhaustion. There's something going on with Jisung, something... off.”

My heart clenched at his words, confirming the unsettling feeling that had been gnawing at me for days. "What do you mean, Chris? Has he said anything to you?" I urged, my mind racing with possibilities and dread.

Chris hesitated, chewing on his lower lip as he debated how much to reveal. "He... he's been having nightmares," he confessed slowly. "Nightmares that leave him shaking and sweating when he wakes up. And sometimes... sometimes he spaces out, like he's not really here.”

My fingers ran through my hair in frustration, the tips scratching against my scalp. My mind raced as I tried to process the words that Chris had just told me. We sat in tense silence, both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, I let out a deep sigh and looked at him with a weak smile on my lips. "I think I have a plan," I said, my voice wavering slightly. "But I'm going to need your help." Chris straightened up, his body language letting me know he was ready to listen and assist however he could. “So, here’s the plan.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I looked out the window of the black SUV, sitting in silence with the boy’s manager as we drove to the concert hall, where the guys were performing. I was excited to see my boyfriend again after a whole year of not seeing each other in person, but the weight of the reason I was actually here had my stomach in knots.

I had already gone over my strategy with Chris during our phone call. I explained that I would fly to South Korea on the day of their next concert, not only to surprise Jisung but also to catch him off guard and get him to open up about what's been going on. While they are performing on stage for the first half of the show, their manager will discreetly bring me backstage. Then, during the intermission when they're changing outfits, I can finally spring my surprise on him.

The rest of the group was already aware of the plan, and they all quickly agreed to it. They were all concerned about him, but no one, not even Minho, knew what was causing his distress.

My thoughts were disrupted as we pulled up to the back gate. I squirmed in my seat out of anticipation, nervousness, and excitement. The parking lot was packed to the brim, fans that didn’t have tickets but still wanted to catch a glimpse of the boys were all piled outside the stadium.

I took in a deep breath to steady my racing heart as we stepped out of the SUV and were immediately met by security. They ushered us inside quickly, guiding us through the maze of hallways and corridors that led backstage. The distant sounds of the music and the crowd grew louder with each step, heightening my excitement and nerves.

As we approached the door to the backstage area, I could feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through me. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for—to finally see Jisung after what felt like an eternity and hopefully get to the bottom of whatever was troubling him.

The manager gave me a reassuring nod before opening the door, revealing a whirlwind of activity backstage. People hurried back and forth, carrying equipment and costumes, their voices blending into a chaotic symphony. I spotted familiar faces among the crew members, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and anticipation for the performance.

I followed closely behind the manager as he navigated through the backstage hustle and bustle, my heart pounding in my chest with each passing moment. The air was charged with nervous energy, a stark contrast to the cool exterior I tried to maintain. As we approached the boys' dressing room, my palms grew clammy, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

The manager gave a sharp knock on the door before gesturing for me to enter the room. As I stepped inside, my senses were immediately overwhelmed by the flurry of activity unfolding in front of me. The workers rushed around, making final preparations for when the boys would arrive to begin their performance. I positioned myself by the door, nervously waiting for their arrival. One by one they filtered into the room, starting with Jeongin whose contagious smile was the first thing that greeted me. He pulled me into a quick hug, offering a few words of encouragement before heading over to his stylist. Seungmin and Felix followed suit, offering warm hugs and words of greeting before joining Jeongin in getting ready. Minho and Chan were next, both flashing bright smiles as they caught sight of me and offered friendly greetings. Finally, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Jisung entered the room, with Jisung being the last to join us. His eyes were initially downcast but as soon as he looked up and saw me, he froze in surprise.

"Hi, Hannie," I spoke softly with a smile as I approached him. His shocked expression slowly morphed into tearful relief as he stood frozen in place. Without hesitation, I opened my arms and beckoned him towards me. He took hesitant steps forward until we were finally wrapped in a tight embrace. His arms clung tightly to my waist and his head buried in the crook of my neck. I wrapped one arm around his back and my other hand went into his now long curly hair. The warmth of his body against mine and the gentle rise and fall of his sobs comforted me in a way that words couldn't express. Tears streamed down his face, leaving wet trails on my skin as I rubbed soothing circles on his back. Despite the circumstances that brought us together, being able to finally hold him in my arms brought a sense of peace and completeness that had been missing for far too long. My own tears threatened to spill as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly. After nearly a year apart, the relief of finally being able to physically see each other was overwhelming. But in that moment, my focus was on comforting and cheering him up. I pushed aside my own emotions to be there for him. Our reunion was like a bittersweet embrace, filled with joy and sadness all at once.

Jisung's sobs eventually subsided, and he pulled back slightly to look at me with tear-stained eyes. "I didn't know you were coming," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. His vulnerability tore at my heart, and I cupped his face in my hands, gently wiping away his tears with my thumb.

"I wanted to surprise you," I replied, my voice soft and reassuring. "But more importantly, I wanted to be here for you. Chris told me about the nightmares, about how you've been struggling.”

Jisung's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of fear passing through them before he quickly masked it with a forced smile. "It's nothing, really," he muttered, avoiding my gaze. But I saw through his facade, recognizing the walls he had built around himself.

I gently placed my hands on his face and looked into his eyes. Our time together in person was always too short, but I could read him like a book just by studying the expression on his face. And right now, it was clear that something was bothering him deeply. With a concerned tone, I asked, "What's really going on? I know we don’t get to see each other in person very much but I can see it in your face.”

Jisung hesitated, his gaze flickering between my eyes as if searching for an answer to my question. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, the internal struggle evident on his face. I could feel the weight of his unspoken words hanging heavily in the air, a barrier between us that begged to be broken.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't even know where to start," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's like... like I'm drowning in my own thoughts, and I can't seem to find a way out.”

My heart ached at his words, at the raw vulnerability in his voice. I reached out and took his hand in mine, offering what little comfort I could. "You don't have to face this alone," I reassured him, my voice gentle yet firm. "We'll figure this out together. Just start from the beginning.”

Jisung's grip tightened around mine, his eyes searching mine for any sign of judgement or rejection. Finding none, he took a deep breath and began to speak, his words tumbling out in a rush as if he had been holding them in for too long.

“It started about a month ago,” he confessed, his voice wavering from emotion. “I thought it was just stress from our hectic schedule, but then… then the nightmares began.” His grip on my hand tightened even more, as if anchoring himself to reality.

I hesitated before asking him, "What were you having nightmares about?" He took a deep breath before answering, "It's pretty silly, actually." "Jisung, it's not silly if it's affecting you." I looked into his eyes and urged him to tell me. "They were about us breaking up. About how I wasn't good enough for you. Not seeing you in person for so long has really gotten to me. I'm constantly afraid that we won't last because our relationship is difficult. We live in different countries and my work keeps me busy all the time. I wish I could hold you every day, take you out on dates, and have movie nights together like a normal couple. And on top of everything, my stressful schedule and social anxiety only been adding to the stress.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I listened to Jisung pour his heart out. His words cut through me, exposing the depth of his fears and insecurities. I squeezed his hand tighter, a silent promise that I wasn't going anywhere.

"You are more than enough, Jisung," I said, my voice unwavering. "Our love is stronger than any distance or obstacle. I don't need fancy dates or constant physical presence to know how much you mean to me. You, just the way you are, are everything I've ever wanted.”

His eyes searched mine, as if seeking the truth in my words. I brought his hand to my lips, placing a gentle kiss on his knuckles. "I love you for who you are, for your passion and dedication, for the way you light up a room with your smile. And I'll be here every step of the way, helping you navigate through the darkness until we find the light together.”

Jisung's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his walls crumbling under the weight of my love and reassurance. His grip on my hand softened, allowing vulnerability to seep through as he gazed at me with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. "I don't know what I did to deserve you," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the bustling room. "But I'm grateful every day that you're in my life.”

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I leaned in to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "You don't have to 'deserve' love, Jisung. It's freely given, unconditionally." The weight of his burdens seemed to ease slightly as he took a shaky breath, his gaze locked with mine in a silent conversation that spoke volumes.

As the final touches were made for the boys' performance, Jisung and I found solace in our own little world amidst the chaos surrounding us. The loud clamor of last-minute preparations and excited chatter faded into a distant buzz as we gazed into each other's eyes. A sudden urge to confess swept over me, and I leaned in closer.

"You know I wanted to wait to tell you this, but now that we're talking about it, I think it's time." Jisung's expression shifted from confusion to curiosity, his eyes searching mine for answers. Suppressing a giggle, I continued.

"I'm moving to Seoul in two weeks." His reaction was priceless - his eyes widened like saucers and a wide grin spread across his face. "What?! Why?" I couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness, catching the attention of the others around us. Biting my lip, I tried not to give away my excitement. It had been my secret plan to surprise them all with this news.

"Well, apparently the Stray Kids' graphic designer for your team is leaving due to family reasons, so they were looking for someone new. And JYP remembered that I am a graphic designer from when I visited you at the company last time, so they contacted me about the job last month." Jisung's already bright smile grew even bigger - something I didn't think was possible.

"Wait, so not only are you moving to the same city as me, but we'll be working together every day too?" His excitement was contagious, and I couldn't help but nod eagerly. In excitement, he picked me up and spun me around. I squealed in surprise but laughed and told him to put me down. As he put me down, I heard cheers of excitement behind us.

The rest of the group had gathered around, their faces filled with joy at the unexpected news. Chan was the first to hug us both, his enthusiasm infectious as he congratulated us on our new adventure. Changbin and Hyunjin soon followed suit, their teasing and playful banter bringing laughter to the group. Felix’s eyes sparkled with happiness as he enveloped us in a warm embrace, his excitement palpable. Seungmin and Jeongin were practically bouncing on their feet, unable to contain their joy at the prospect of me joining their team. The room was filled with elation and love, a sense of unity and togetherness that bounded us all like family.

Despite my desire to continue our private moment, the cheers from the audience were growing louder and more insistent. "As much as I would love to stay here with you," I interjected, raising my voice over the joyful noise, "you guys need to get back on stage." My arm swept out to encompass the rest of the band members. A chorus of affirmative responses filled the air as they began hurrying towards the stage. Turning to face Jisung, my eyes took in his disheveled appearance, and I couldn't help but smile. "And you," I said, lightly poking his chest with my finger, "need to freshen up before your performance." Giving me a small salute and a firm ‘yes ma’am’ he leaned in for a quick kiss before being whisked away by his stylist. Assuring him I would be in the crowd watching, I watched him go with a fond gaze.

The rest of the night was a blur of excitement and chaos. Jisung was back to his usual energetic and playful self, and it brought me immense joy to see him enjoying himself so much. As I stood among the cheering fans, I couldn't help but feel grateful for this life and this moment with my love by my side. Everything seemed perfect in that moment.

#han jisung x reader #han jisung #stray kids x reader #bang chan x reader #changbin x reader #changbin #felix lee #hyunjin #hyunjin x reader #i.n #i.n x reader #stray kids fanfic #skz x reader #jeongin x reader #seungmin x reader #seungmin

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staplersalad · 6 months ago

Text

I did it all backwards.

I listened to "Now and Then" a couple of days after it was released because I saw the channel "The Beatles" posted it- hey isn't this that old famous band? I vaguely remember back when those "guess the logo" games were all the rage, an illustration of the abbey road album cover was shown for The Beatles on a "guess the artist" version.

I was so blown away by the song, it was beautiful. I listened to it for days. I read about john's death because a lot of the comments talked about him. I'd definitely read about his death in the past because reading the wikipedia article gave me deja vu, but it must have been just another drop in the ocean of content I consumed.

2 months passed, I listened to the song sometimes, discovering new scenes in the music video because I never actually sat down to watch it, I'd just play it in the background. I remember reading a comment about how John said that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles- what a dick! anyway who's Ringo? [john never said that btw, one of many false Beatles stories]

In February, somewhere between the 22nd and 26th- I had the brilliant idea of going to their yt channel and looking at their other songs. I came across the music video for "Only Sleeping", god what a great song! And after finding out about Em's painstaking work- what an incredible piece of art! I'd listen to the song for days, this time with my eyes glued to the music video in mesmerization.

Then it's all a blur. I first listened to all their popular songs on the channel, then the less popular ones [relatively obviously], then each album, each song, each interview, suddenly my pinterest was flooded with their pictures, I fell in love with each of them: John, Paul, George and Ringo. I was fascinated with John and Paul's dynamic. I was fascinated with the group. I suddenly sympathized with all the One Direction and BTS fans. I'd never felt this way for an artist before.

The funny thing is, the Beatles being so big meant that their music probably reached your ears before you even knew them. I remember recognizing "Blackbird" from "Boss Baby" and "Beautiful Boy" [john solo] from "Mr. Peabody and Sherman". I remember singing "and I will sing a lullaby" in the same tune as "Golden Slumbers" when I was younger.

I remember hearing "Yesterday" for the first time, my lips parted in recognition, some part of my brain recognized this as a famous song. It was like if someone played you an extremely famous classical piece, you wouldn't know know it but you'd recognize that it was famous. I was absolutely floored by Paul's work.

Then I'd re-read about john's death, this time it felt so different. I'd almost forgotten about it all really. I'd watch the get back documentary, I'd read more about events from 1970 to 1980, I'd get into their solo work, I'd fall in love with even more music, I'd read about their families. I'd learn to adore them but not put them on a pedestal because they were imperfect human beings [perfect musicians however].

Now john and george's death hit twice as hard. John's death angered me tremendously. I'd look at paul and ringo's recent interviews and pictures, finding it crazy how all this media I'd consumed at lightning speed all happened decades before I was even born. I'd learnt of 4 people, grew infatuated with them, learnt of their flaws, the fights, the breakup, the love, the friendship, the music and mourned their death- all in weeks. And I still have so much to listen, watch and read-it's brilliant really.

I remember listening to "Now and Then" much later, I'd avoided the song like the plague. I remember my eyes welling up, taking in john's voice, the lyrics, the four of them on my screen jumping ages. Just a couple of weeks changed the entire meaning and love I had for a song I just happened to stumble upon.

#the beatles #beatlemania #ringo starr #paul mccartney #george harrison #john lennon #music #fan #fanatic #my beatles journey #now and then #fandom

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lucagray813 · 7 days ago

Text

Shadow - Chapter 6

Title: Party Time

Rating: T

Word Count: ~10,000

Characters: Wukong, Macaque

Minor Characters: MK, DBK, PIF

Relationships: Macaque/Wukong

Minor Relationships: Wukong & MK, DBK/PIF

Summary: Old man Monkey King is not the life of the party that he used to be but a couple of drinks with some friends sounds just his speed. Turns out he's an exceptionally clingy drunk though.

Additional Tags: Developing Relationship, Acquired Disability, Slice of Life, DBK is called Niú, PIF is called Gōngzhǔ

CW: Anxiety, alcohol, drunken shenanigans, suggestive themes, brief mentions of sex, mentions of pee (not related to the mentions of sex 😅)

Link to AO3 Version

Chapter Navigation: First | Prev | Next

----

It wasn't often that MK visited the island anymore - maybe once a month, if that. But that was fine - he was a busy guy! Wukong didn't expect him to drop everything just to come say hi. He always kept in touch though - Mei still made sure to keep immaculate digital records of his many endeavours, heroic or otherwise - and MK always sent him on any particularly interesting or funny pictures or videos.

He messaged him just about every week, and called every once in a while, so it's not like he was a stranger but Wukong couldn't deny he had been near vibrating with excitement since MK had asked to come spend some one-on-one time with him on the island. Nobody else - just the two of them, like old times.

With Macaque around Wukong wasn't allowed to just live like a slob, although he would vehemently argue he'd never been that messy to begin with, but he did tend to be a lot more lax with appearances when it was just the two of them on the island. But with MK coming he broke out his formal Monkey King attire, made sure his glamours were in place, and that the house was spotless, ignoring Macaque's teasing all the while.

While there was certainly a thing or two that Wukong would always be able to teach MK, he really was his mentor in name only these days. They would definitely spar but it would be a friendly match rather than a training exercise. After that they would probably just explore the island and eat fruit as MK updated him on his life in person.

And he was right, everything had gone exactly as he'd hoped - MK gave him a real run for his money showing him what he was capable of, they then had some fun with a load of the monkeys who all wanted to say hello, and finally they had managed to shake off all of them to take a tour of the island while they chatted.

It had been a near perfect day and Wukong wasn't sure he'd been totally successful at hiding how giddy he was to have MK here. It ended with them both high up on Flower Fruit Mountain watching the sunset and that was when things took an unexpected turn.

MK looked a little guilty as he suddenly said, "Hey, so I've got something to confess."

Somewhat wary, he had responded, "What is it, bud?"

"I, er, sort of had an ulterior motive for asking to see you today. It's nothing bad! I promise! I just have sort of a big favour to ask."

While somewhat put out that MK hadn't just come here to hang out he couldn't deny that he was happy there were still things that he could apparently do to help him, "Sure. Lay it on me."

"Ok, so it's been a really nuts year, right? We had that big fight with the Capra Demon, we had that huge international team up to take down the Parasol Corporation, Sandy became a dad! Like, so much has happened! We met so many people, made so many friends that have helped us out and a few of us were thinking that we've earned ourselves the right to get together, cut loose and celebrate our successes!"

Oh, they absolutely had. MK had a list of achievements almost as long as his list of allies - he'd been part of some insane hero business just these past few months alone and he'd teamed up with some incredible people to come out on top. Wukong couldn't be prouder of him.

He grinned, "So, you're throwing a party?"

Now, he knew he wasn't the most sociable person in the world but for MK he'd happily put in an appearance just about anywhere. Hardly what he'd even call a favour.

MK oddly still looked a little nervous, but his response was enthusiastic, "We're throwing a party!"

"Good on you, kid. You deserve it. You just tell me where and when and I'll be there."

"Ah, well, you see, that's where this teeny, tiny favour I have comes in. So there's a lot of people to invite, right? From all over the world and, er, well, we were sort of hoping we could maybe have it here...?"

He felt himself pale slightly, "Here...?"

MK rallied, "Yeah! Not only is it big enough to accommodate everyone but it's neutral ground! Er, it be the case that maybe one or two of our friends have some complicated, long standing issues with each other's families and..." he coughed and quietly muttered, "the law." Before loudly continuing, "That would cross off a lot of potential locations and anyone else with this much space have some really strict rules and etiquette we'd have to follow so that strikes out Mei and Red Son's homes."

Oh no.

"And! And! Obviously, the island is amazing! The weather is amazing, the sights are incredible, and the food is to die for! Everyone would love to come here! For most of them it would be, like, a once in a lifetime event! How many people can say they've been to the Flower Fruit Mountain? Everyone's super excited about it!"

Oh no.

"I mean, obviously, I haven't told everyone it's a go! But once it got suggested everyone was really excited for it so I said I would ask you! We've started thinking about it though - we figured we could have a beach party and anyone that wants to stay the night can camp down there! And I know access to the cave for people you don't know is a no-go so don't worry about that. We wouldn't want to mess up your place anyway. Not that we won't tidy up after ourselves but, uh, yeah! So what do you think?"

His face was so hopeful and Wukong did his best to try and shake off the dread that was creeping up his spine, "That, er, sounds great! Couple quick questions though - how many people are we talking here?"

MK only looked more hopeful at the lack of an immediate no and excitedly explained, "A hundred? A hundred and fifty? Two hundred at absolutely max! You and Mac can obviously invite people too! We figured you might want to invite DBK, PIF and the Tailor Trio as well! And maybe Bǎi Hé if she's allowed!"

He did his best not to let his discomfort show, "How thoughtful... That's a lot of people though. That's the kind of event you need someone running..."

Immediately MK declared, "Don't you worry, all we need is your permission and we'll handle everything from catering to accommodation! You won't need to lift a finger before, during or after! And, of course, we'll be super considerate of the monkeys and the rest of the wildlife! You know I wouldn't ever let any harm come to the island!"

Wukong didn't doubt that but the very idea of the island having one stranger on it, let alone hundreds was enough to make him feel queasy. And while he was weak in the face of MK's hopeful pleading, he still couldn't bring himself to just outright say yes.

"It all sounds great, bud! Really great! And trust me if it was just me, it would be a definite yes! But, unfortunately it's not! And I don't think this is going to fly with Macaque."

MK's wide grin at his initial positivity fell to a confused frown, "Really? How come?"

"Well, there's a few reasons but first and foremost he's super protective of the island!"

MK perked up, "That's why we're going to have a full proof plan to make sure no harm comes to it! Red Son was even talking about cordoning off the area of the beach we use with seals! Which I hear you're all about these days! You and Mac can check them over to make sure you're happy with them!"

Shit.

"That's some good thinking! But that's only half the problem. You see, Macaque isn't really a people person, or a party person for that matter - even if you could convince him nothing will go wrong he might just say no anyway because he's a big grump."

Macaque was going to kill him. He was surprised that shadows weren't already trying to skewer him for trying to make him the scapegoat.

MK looked at him doubtfully, "Macaque? We're talking about the same guy, right? Didn't he help PIF with that fancy ball or whatever a couple months back?"

Macaque had in fact helped Gōngzhǔ plan and host a rather formal dinner, reminiscent of the networking and displays of prestige from days of old, a little while back. He'd had a lot of fun with it as well - mostly because he was basically there to unsettle anyone Gōngzhǔ and Niú didn't like - but that sort of thing was all theatrics and performance and Macaque loved it.

Either way it did fly in the face of his assertion that Macaque didn't do people or parties. And he couldn't help but silently curse him for it. That was probably why he hadn't intervened yet - he was just watching Wukong struggle before he crashed and burned.

"Well, I mean, I somehow doubt you're throwing the same type of party, that's definitely a factor... But either way that happened far from home. It's different when it's on your turf. Look, I probably shouldn't say this but... this is his safe place, y'know? This is where he can let his guard down and not have to worry about something going wrong. Having strangers here, especially that many... I think it would just really stress him out."

MK scratched at the back of his neck, looking unsure, "I never really thought about it like that. I guess that makes sense? And I don't want to stress him out for no good reason..."

Instead of feeling victorious, MK's obvious disappointment was making him feel like a total heel. But god did he not want this party to happen. Torn, he tried to tackle the immediate problem of a glum MK.

He threw an arm over his shoulder, "Hey, don't look so blue. Let me talk to him about it. Maybe I'm being a little too overprotective here - I just don't want him playing tough guy about it is all. But maybe he'll be less worried about it than I think he will."

MK perked up slightly, "Is he on the island just now? Why don't we call him? We can talk through any worries he has together and then I can take them back to the drawing board." He stepped away from Wukong, hands coming up to cup around his mouth to do just that and panicked Wukong all but tackled him.

Hanging off his shoulders he quickly made up an excuse, "No, no, no! He's, er, ah! He's in a super bad mood today! Didn't sleep well last night, y'know? Just leave it to me. I'll talk to him about it."

MK looked sympathetic and easily accepted his excuse with a, "Oh, ok..." But never one to stay down for long he declared with determination, "In the meantime, I'll put together exactly what we have planned for him to look at! Tell him that we'll think of everything! We'll do whatever it takes to get him on board!"

Wukong patted his shoulder, "Good plan, MK! And... thanks. That means a lot. To both of us."

MK smiled at him briefly before a somewhat guilty expression came over him, "Man, I can't believe I didn't think to ask Macaque. I was so worried about getting you to say yes, I didn't even think about him... I really thought you'd be the one needing convincing."

He tried to scoff, "Pfft. Me? I'm the life of the party! And I can't wait to meet some of these new friends of yours that you've been raving about!"

He was laying it on a little thick but it seemed to reassure MK and the kid launched into a detailed list of all the people he thought Wukong would get on great with. He just did his best to smile and nod.

----

He was avoiding going home. After he'd bid MK a strained yet cheerful goodbye he had waited for the other shoe to drop but so far it hadn't come. It'd gotten to the point he was starting to believe that Macaque must have decided to take a trip off the island and hadn't heard his cowardly attempt to pass the buck.

He wasn't sure if that was better or worse. It had to be better, right? God, he hoped so.

So, tentatively he made his way home, taking as many scenic detours as was possible, until eventually even the monkeys were questioning his odd behaviour. And to be fair, circling the peach tree outside the house over and over again was pretty out of character behaviour.

If Macaque was sitting in the house waiting for him, there was no way he wasn't aware of what Wukong was up to. He forced himself to stop and take a breath. What was he even doing? What did he think was going to happen that he, Sun Wukong, couldn't handle?

He didn't let himself consider all the ways Macaque could make his life miserable. Instead all he allowed himself to focus on was marching up the stairs and through the front door - thinking about it was only going to give him time to stress about it. Better to face the music and get it over with.

He was stopped short however when he entered the house to find a small army of monkeys staring straight at him. Those closest to where Macaque was sitting on the couch were tugging on his clothes and fur and pointing at Wukong while chirping worriedly. Macaque did not look amused.

Wukong scowled at the monkeys as their concerns reached his ears, "I wasn't acting that weird. Really? Your first thought was that I was possessed? Wh-? No, I'm not drunk! Or sick! I was just thinking! People go for walks and pace when they think! They do!"

Not a single monkey believed him, none more so than the demon in the middle of them all. Wukong tried to shoo them away, "Look, all of you get out of here. I need to talk to Macaque and we don't need an audience!"

They simply parted around him, not at all moved by the direct order from their king. In fact, many of the little traitors were looking to Macaque for instruction. Who thankfully was merciful enough to do just that, "He's fine, he's just an idiot. Don't worry, I'll set him straight and then you can have a go at him."

Rude but unfortunately not a hundred percent uncalled for this time. The monkeys however did make their way out of the house via the windows, a handful of them sending reproachful chirps his way as they did so. He glared after them but he was quickly cowed when he turned to see Macaque with his arms crossed, looking at him expectantly.

Oh boy.

Not quite able to hide his nerves, he asked, "So... How much did you hear?"

The responding glare said it all. Sheepishly he asked, "Is there anyway I could convince you to take the fall for this? Whatever you want for being the reason this party doesn't happen, it's yours."

A very dangerous offer to make but there was the tiniest part of him that still held on to the impossible hope that he could get out of this somehow and he was willing to go all in.

"How about you start by telling me all about these issues that I have first?"

He tried not to fidget, "Do we have to?"

"How else would I convince MK if I don't know why I'm against it?"

Foolishly optimistic, he stepped forward, "Wait. Are you being serious? You'd seriously take the wrap for this one?"

"That remains to be seen. Get talking."

The rational part of him screamed that he was being lured into a false sense of security but everything else was ready to grab this opportunity with both hands. Or it was until he realised what exactly he was going to have to talk about.

Hesitantly he offered, "Ah, well, y'know, it's just... it's been a long time since we've had so many people on the island. Apart from MK and a handful of his friends it's got to have been, like, six hundred years? And he's talking about inviting hundreds of people. You, er, don't feel any sort of way about that?"

"I can imagine I'd feel more about it if I had deliberately isolated myself here for that length of time."

He cringed slightly but he pushed on, "Yeah, ok, harsh but sort of fair. But you feel something about it anyway, right?"

Macaque shrugged, "I have mixed feelings - any concerns I may have can be addressed through the planning process."

He latched on to that, "But you do have concerns! See! We're in agreement then! This is a bad idea!"

Really he should count himself lucky Macaque didn't lunge at him right then and there but his eyes told him that it had been a near thing. With a great deal of effort Macaque seemed to repress the urge to kill him and through gritted teeth asked, "Enlighten me on your concerns."

Not quite ready to delve into feelings, he started with the facts, "The island is a sanctuary - we can't just have anyone coming here! I know MK says they plan to keep it all to the beach but who's to say there won't be someone who wants to take a peek that will sneak around any borders!"

"And what? Even if they head further into the island, they'll never get into the cave. Your precious hoarding vault is safe."

"That's not what I'm worried about! You don't remember the issues with invasive species? It only takes one person to track mud from wherever they're from to seriously compromise our ecosystem! It took years to get on top of that banana weevil infestation! And don't get me started on the ticks! And that's just the unintentional damage they could do!"

He hadn't been too concerned about the actual island but now that he had started thinking about it the risks just continued to mount up, "What if one of MK's so-called friends is actually just someone who's using him to get to me! They could do terrible things to the island - try and poison the water supply, bring in some sort of disease, lay traps for the monkeys... The monkeys! What if they're poachers? What if they want a rare monkey pelt to add to their collection? Do you know how valuable they are?"

Macaque snapped, "I do know. I know it better than you ever will."

Wukong wavered. Poachers had been a problem ever since the world had been made aware of their little paradise but very few had been willing to risk the Monkey King's wrath. That had all changed when he had been sealed away however and he knew Macaque had had a hell of a time trying to keep their home safe.

The island was huge and while Macaque's abilities were impressive he couldn't be everywhere at once, couldn't know what was happening on every square inch of it or keep track of every monkey. It was, understandably, a touchy subject.

His voice softened, "I know you do. I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I just want to keep our home safe. Opening the island up to the world, inviting people in... It was one of the worst mistakes I ever made."

And that was without even mentioning the wars and politics it brought with it. The hardships just being known brought the island and it's denizens was something he'd never forgive himself for and he'd spent centuries trying to make amends and restore balance.

Macaque sighed heavily and gestured for him to take his seat on the couch. Taking this as a sign he wasn't quite as mad anymore he did so as Macaque responded, "Wukong, we can assess any risk to the island and put protective measures in place. That's an easy stipulation to put to MK - he doesn't want anything bad happening either."

He looked down, "You can't plan for every single eventuality and in my experience if something can go wrong, it will."

"God, when did you become such a pessimist? No, we can't plan for everything but we can still take steps to ensure everything goes smoothly and we'll both be there on top of it all - we can keep an eye out for trouble. Two hundred people is well within my capacity to keep track of - as soon as someone wanders somewhere they shouldn't I can portal them straight back."

He frowned, "You shouldn't have to work security detail. You should be having fun."

"As if I wouldn't be keeping an ear out for trouble anyway but regardless I'm not going to be having fun if you're not."

Man, he didn't want to get in the way of everyone having a good time but he couldn't see himself enjoying this party and he might be able to convincingly fool MK and his guests but he wouldn't be able to fool Macaque.

The crux of the issue was, as ever, the Monkey King.

Once upon a time it had been a name he'd proudly called himself, a title fitting of his prestige and power, a role that he fully embodied. There was no pretense, it had never been a persona or an act - he had been the Monkey King through and through.

But that couldn't be further from the truth now and his feelings on it were conflicting and complicated to say the least.

These days he was Sun Wukong and most of the time that was who he wanted to be. Just a one of a kind stone monkey that kicked back on Flower Fruit Mountain with an equally one of a kind shadow monkey - it was by and large a peaceful existence and that was how he liked it.

He couldn't say he never dreamt of reliving his heydays as a legend, as a hero or as a king but they were nothing more than flights of fancy, just idle thoughts on a slow day.

Here, on the island, he was not the Monkey King. With the rare exception, of when MK or his friends were here, then he almost couldn't stop himself from falling back into the role. In some way, he did it because it was expected of him - that's who he was to them and to anyone beyond this island.

But it also just felt... safer to be the Monkey King. Which was laughable seeing as being the Monkey King had only brought him trouble but he embodied everything others believed him to be - fearless, confident, charming, untouchable...

He didn't hate being him, by all rights he loved being him but it wasn't the real him. Not anymore. And to put on the metaphorical crown for any length of time wore on him. He could do it but to put on the performance on the island to a crowd of hundreds? He could feel his stage fright start to fester at just the thought.

It was crazy to think he really had once been the life of the party - he'd flourished in the lively atmosphere, soaked up all the attention, overindulged in food and drink. It was crazier still that Macaque was now the one trying to convince him that a party would be a good idea. He used to hate the excess of obnoxious behaviour and noise.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been a party literally anywhere else where he could just leave once he'd reached his limit. He could almost muster up some excitement at the thought of a little shindig at Niú and Gōngzhǔ's place with Macaque.

But a big party here consisting of all of MK's friends, most of whom he'd never met and who no doubt had plenty of expectations for the Great Sage Equal to Heaven? It sounded like hell.

Instead of saying this all out loud however he weakly asked, "You think MK would notice if we just sent clones in our place?"

Macaque regarded him for a moment, before genuinely telling him, "If you really don't want this party to happen we can just tell MK no. I'll even be nice and let you say it was a joint decision."

He groaned, "But he was so excited. I don't want to let him down. He never asks me for anything and this is nothing in the grand scheme of things."

He was being dramatic, what was one night of being a little stressed in the face of seeing MK so happy? The kid deserved to have a good time after all his hard work and he wasn't asking for much.

He continued, "You're right we can work through any security concerns and then anything else... It's only one night. Nothing I can't handle."

"Or, alternative option, we just ask MK to scale it down and only invite people he knows well. I'm willing to bet half those numbers were plus ones and at least a quarter were people he's worked with but never properly spent time with outside of hero business. A lot less to worry about if it's a party of, say, twenty rather than two hundred."

He really didn't want to compromise but he couldn't deny how much better that sounded but still that wasn't what MK wanted. Before he could argue however Macaque continued, a plan clearly coming together in his mind, "I bet we could almost skip the party altogether if we play out cards right. Picture this, when everyone gets here we give them a tour of the island and then drop them off at their party spot. We've put in an appearance and everyone gets to say they had a tour of Flower Fruit Mountain and met the Monkey King himself. Win-win."

Wukong tried to interject but Macaque just steam rolled ahead, "And hey, why not use this as an excuse to have a little party of our own? Invite Niú, Gōngzhǔ and maybe even the Tailor Trio for some drinks in the cave to distract you from what's happening on the beach."

That... actually sounded like it might be pretty nice and they should definitely do that sometime when it wouldn't deliberately clash with MK's plans, "We can have them around for drinks any time. We should do this for MK."

Macaque sounded annoyed as he responded, "You're the one that didn't want this party to go ahead at all. Why are you suddenly playing martyr?"

"I'm not playing martyr. I was just being dumb - I should have just said yes when MK asked."

Macaque made an aggravated noise as he kicked him none too gently, "Why are you like this? It doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. We can compromise."

"We don't need to compromise! I've got this!"

"Well, I don't! If you want to do this then you're on your own!"

He felt himself pale, "Wait. What do you mean on my own?"

"I mean, I'll fuck off to Niú and Gōngzhǔ's and you can go to this party by yourself."

"What? Why?"

Macaque had to be here with him, he needed him to be here. He needed is ears and shadows to reassure him the island was safe. He needed to have him here to have his back.

"I'm not going to sit and suffer through something if I don't have to."

How had this argument gotten turned around?

"Sit and suffer? You'll have a great time! It's me that'll be suffering!"

"You really think I want hundreds of obnoxious strangers in our home? And to have to socialise with any of them?"

"What are you saying? Before you were all for this and now I'm agreeing with you suddenly have an issue?"

"I know you're not this thick, Wukong. At no point did I say I wanted this to happen. I just wanted to understand why you felt the need to lie to MK. What is wrong with compromising or saying no?"

"Because it's selfish!" The sharp declaration caught them both by surprise and haltingly he tried to explain, "And I... I don't want to be selfish. I've- I've been selfish enough."

He looked away, his hands balling into fists. He didn't want to be selfish but he just couldn't seem to stop himself, it was always his first instinct. It was bad enough he hadn't wanted this party but he hadn't even owned up to it, instantly shifting the blame on to Macaque to save his own pride. What was wrong with him?

His master would be ashamed.

He turned back to Macaque at hearing him take a breath, "Look... Yeah, it was shitty to try and rope me into this but you're blowing this out of proportion. It's fine that you don't feel comfortable having people here, I don't feel comfortable having people here. The root of the problem here isn't selfishness, it's fear."

He sat with that for a moment. Weighed up how true that was. He didn't believe that selfishness didn't play a part but at the heart of it he was afraid, wasn't he? He was afraid of lots of things - history repeating itself, making the wrong decisions, disappointing everyone... But beneath all of that was his fear of the Monkey King and it was hard to say if he was more afraid to be him or to not be him.

Out loud he could at the very least admit he was afraid, even if he couldn't quite bring himself to try and put his fears into words.

He nodded slowly, "You're right. I... I am afraid but I don't want that to be what drives me."

"That doesn't mean you can just ignore it - that's why I'm saying we should compromise. We don't need to brute force our way through this but this also isn't something beyond what we can handle. If MK still wants to have his big party he can find somewhere else. I don't believe they couldn't sort something out with Niú and Gōngzhǔ. I don't doubt I could convince them if for some reason Red Son can't."

He was feeling swayed but he couldn't help but lament, "It's not what MK wanted though."

"So MK might be a little disappointed. Hardly the worst thing that can happen to someone - at the end of the day what he wants is to get together with some friends and have fun. He can do that on a smaller scale here and/or he can do it on a bigger scale elsewhere. He's not going to hold a grudge over it. Mei and Red Son might but who cares what they think?"

He laughed a little at that last sentiment before relenting, "Guess I need to talk to MK then."

Macaque nodded, "No getting around that. But we can hash out some proposals for him and then talk to him together."

It was crazy how effective the sentiment of facing something together was at soothing him.

He let himself flop on Macaque's lap, "I'm sorry I tried to pass the buck. I suck. I just didn't want MK to know I'm just an anxious old man."

He didn't believe he'd heard the end of projecting his issues on to Macaque but for the moment he seemed in a merciful mood, running a hand through his hair, "With a suitable amount of grovelling I might find it in me to forgive you."

He mock-huffed, "I was hoping for a "No, you're not an anxious old man, Wukong. You're totally young and hip and brave" - maybe with some swooning, a love declaration- Ow!"

Macaque pulled at his hair, "Don't push your luck. You're not out of the woods yet."

That was fair. He settled down and sank into the pleasant feeling of Macaque resuming his gentle ministrations and after a moment he tried to offer a sincere if not awkward thank you, "Thanks for putting up with me when I get all, y'know..."

Emotional, sensitive, stressed... The list was endless and while his gratitude hadn't quite been as eloquent as he would have liked, he was sure Macaque understood. He'd find another way to properly show his appreciation.

Macaque scoffed at his poor attempt before responding, "Yeah, well pretty sure it was my turn anyway. Just means you're up for responsible and supportive duty next. And god knows what you'll have to deal with."

For Macaque? He'd face whatever came their way.

----

As Macaque predicted, MK had been disappointed but after a bit of back and forth, that got a lot more dramatic once Mei and Red Son got involved, he had accepted the party of the century he had envisioned was not going to happen on Flower Fruit Mountain's shores anytime soon.

They had left him with the hope that perhaps it could happen one day, if smaller events could be held without anything going wrong then maybe they could build up to it and that seemed to soothe any ruffled feathers. Wukong hadn't quite been able to admit he had outright lied about being on board with the party from the start but he had stood with Macaque as a united front and he was very grateful to Macaque for allowing it.

For the immediate future however they didn't have to worry about any parties. Well, they didn't have to worry about any parties the kids wanted to have here at least. One positive thing that had come out of this whole debacle was the idea that they should try and have some people over for a get together. It felt like a nice easy first step for getting used to the idea of perhaps having a proper party one day.

Any nerves he had about this particular soiree were much easier to manage when he felt genuinely excited about it. He knew all the people coming and few of them even acknowledged he was the Monkey King - Chóu at this point just seemed to outright refuse to believe he was anyone of note outside of Macaque's "husband".

Which wasn't at all helped when she saw his humble little abode, thankfully he didn't have to listen to sarcastic comments about how fitting a palace it was for the supposed king for long as he ushered them onto the naturally formed balcony a short distance away.

It was the perfect spot - close enough to the house in case anyone needed anything and short of climbing up to the top of the mountain it had one of the best views of the island there was. Not to mention there was plenty of shade for those who preferred or needed it.

Everything had already been set up although he might have gone a bit over the top with the food and drink selection. He'd cooked and baked through most of the day yesterday to make sure there was plenty to eat, he'd dug deep into the old wine cellars to see what was to be found and squeezed a truly ludicrous amount of fruit juice. He was determined that he was going to be the perfect host - it was a matter of pride.

That and he really didn't need to give Gōngzhǔ any more reason to hate him. He was sure she only tolerated him for Macaque's sake and, y'know, given the hardships that he personally had caused her that was probably more than he deserved. But he was hopeful he might be able to improve his standing with her at least a little. Eventually... after a considerable amount of time and effort.

Shockingly however he and Niú on the other hand had made great strides towards reconciliation, with considerably less violence than he would have expected. In Niú's own words, they were different people, in a different world and clinging to the past would do nothing to serve them.

That's not to say he did not make it clear that any backsliding, on either of their parts, would not be met with swift and painful retribution. His relationship with Macaque was under particular scrutiny and while there hadn't been an explicit shovel talk, the message had been received loud and clear.

Since then the two of them had had a number of, dare he say it, pleasant interactions - they'd even gone hunting together once or twice with just the two of them. Running wild around the fiery planes of Niú's home was nostalgic in many ways but it didn't make him feel young and carefree in the same way that chasing Macaque did.

Not entirely at least, every once in a while he caught a flash of two young and power hungry demon lords that thought they were on top of the world. It was a heady feeling and it reminded him of how he and Niú had once become fast friends. Their territories far enough apart that they could bond over their ambition, rather than instantly being at war.

He found himself grateful that there were only fleeting glimpses of who they had once been. They had both once been known for their greed and their fury and while he didn't believe they'd ever truly rid themselves of those aspects of who they were, they were under careful wraps. Both aware of everything they had to lose should they ever be tempted to give into either.

He liked to think they both were much easier people to be around these days. Humility and wisdom, forced upon them through the consequences of their actions, made them much more considerate and thoughtful individuals. Not to say they didn't both have their quirks and bad habits but if nothing else they were better listeners.

He was feeling a little bit soppy seeing Niú sat comfortably looking out over the island with a glass of peach wine. Niú was looking a touch nostalgic about it all as well. It had been a long time since he'd been a welcome guest here - it was... bittersweet.

Talking about the old days was always a bit of precarious activity - the risk of wandering into dangerous territory was high and even good memories could leave one feeling morose. Thankfully, the presence of Chóu, Mián and Chī helped them to avoid the worst of it. Especially when they had so many stories of the present to share.

All of them were tittering gleefully as Mián acted out how Macaque apparently behaved whenever Wukong made him a new outfit. They threw themselves against walls and twirled unnecessarily until they sat and posed dramatically before clearing their throat obnoxiously.

Chóu did her best to say her lines while wheezing, "Macaque... Why don't you... Don't you look lovely today."

Mián responded disinterestedly, "Hm? Oh, thank you." All the while they twirled their satin scarf, looking at it pointedly.

Chóu just about got out, "Are those new clothes?"

Mián stood and twirled this way and that, "Oh these? Why yes, my husband made them for me, by hand. Aren't they just stunning?"

Chóu was too far gone to try and respond properly, laughing loudly and with utter joy. Wukong was equally delighted and turning his gaze to Macaque revealed that he wasn't in the slightest embarrassed although he did look very amused, "You sure I don't usually throw in a handstand or a flip to make sure you can appreciate how well I can move in them?"

He was never going to let go of the fact that Macaque liked to show off something he had made for him. The pride he felt at this knowledge though made him feel a hundred feet tall. But despite puffing up in pride he still jeered, "Yeah, Mián! Commit! Do a flip!"

They flipped him off, "Like hell! Not all of us could get a second job in a circus, y'know!"

This, of course, set off an argument about who was the most athletic and thankfully it was early enough in their drinking that no-one was tempted to get too reckless with it. Chóu and Mián couldn't even do a handstand, although the former insisted she had been quite the gymnast in her youth. And when Chī had demonstrated an impressive string of flips and manoeuvres, Chóu had nodded, "Yup, just like that! I was a lithe little thing once!"

Honestly, it was hard to tell what to believe when it came to Chóu sometimes. He didn't doubt she certainly believed she had once been capable of Olympic level gymnastics but he had serious reservations about whether that had actually been the case.

When it came to the four remaining contestants rules had to be made - no powers, routines had to be restricted to a certain area and height and you only got one shot. It was the only way to avoid injury and collateral damage as they tried to one up one another. Honestly, it was hard to say who was the most competitive.

All of them loved to win and all of them were not above cheating in order to come out on top. Niú was surprisingly flexible for his bulk but he was the clear loser of the four of them and Gōngzhǔ while impressive was no match for a monkey. It was probably an added disadvantage that their fighting styles were more aligned to brute force than the fancy foot work that he and Macaque favoured.

Wukong had gone for a more is more approach. He figured the more flips he could fit in consecutively the more impressive it would look to the Tailor Trio, those were the only ones he could count on to possibly sway the vote in his favour - Niú and Gōngzhǔ were going to vote for Macaque no matter what he did.

He did hear some appreciative "ooh"s and "aah"s but he could admit he lost some points at the end for looking a little queasy - that many flips on their own would have made him dizzy but slightly tipsy he had some serious regrets. Macaque pat his back in a parody of concern before making his way to centre stage.

He grinned widely and took a bow before standing and changing his outfit in a flurry of shadows before a small orchestra of instruments started playing. A little band of shadows off to the side were playing on instruments Macaque had clearly pulled from inside the cave.

Aggravatingly, he had to give credit where it was due, he and the others had been focused purely on technique and impressive feats but leave it to Macaque to make a real show out of it. Everything was in time to the music and acrobatics were seamlessly strung together with dancing and poses in between them.

When he finally finished and took a bow it was to rapturous applause from the Tailor Trio and Wukong was torn between sulking and joining in. He was surprised when Gōngzhǔ slowly clapped before smugly noting, "Very impressive. A shame you'll have to be disqualified for using magic."

Macaque hadn't used magic for the actual performance but he supposed the music really did add to the spectacle. The question was though was he petty enough to jump in this bandwagon?

He pointed accusingly at Macaque, "That's right, cheater! You were trying to dazzle the judges! This was a test of acrobatics not showmanship! Disqualified!"

Macaque just grinned, "Disqualify me all you want but I don't think there's any denying whose performance you enjoyed the most. That's all the victory I need."

There was a great deal of back and forth over how to decide who was the true winner but it stayed on just the right side of vigorous debate to be enjoyable. He's not sure they actually came to a conclusion before they got distracted by other topics.

Macaque had continued to have the shadows quietly play instruments in the background and with the haze of alcohol slowly settling over him it took him a little too long to realise why that was an issue. He smacked Macaque's arm before he pulled out a handful of his own hair to form clones to take over the instruments.

Macaque's clones were not sentient like his, which meant he had to focus in order to have them play the instruments. No wonder he'd been nursing the same drink for the last hour. The live music was undeniably adding to the atmosphere but they could have easily gone and grabbed a speaker and played music that way.

Oddly, he still didn't seem to be in a hurry to drink anymore after that. Which wasn't a problem, of course, Mián wasn't drinking either but he didn't really have much time to dedicate any thought to it as he, rather foolishly, had decided that he was going to keep up with Niú who could put away a truly terrifying amount of alcohol in one sitting.

Gōngzhǔ was no slouch either but she clearly wasn't concerned with keeping up with them. Although she did get noticeably clingy as the sun went down - not with him obviously but she always had a hand on someone, increasingly however she was all over Macaque. Which was fine until Wukong had reached the point where all he really wanted to do was hang off Macaque himself and she wouldn't let him.

Thankfully, the situation never came to more than a glaring match thanks to Niú's intervention. Pulling Gōngzhǔ away and declaring it was time to head home. Macaque had looked greatly relieved and after many goodbyes and promises to do this again soon he had opened a portal for all of them to head through.

Once they had all left, it was like a switch had been flicked and suddenly he was extremely unsatisfied with the lack of physical contact. Nevermind that his head was already on Macaque's shoulder, or that he had an arm wrapped tightly around him, while his free hand played with their entwined tails. It wasn't enough, he needed to be closer.

Macaque just seemed bemused by his attempts to climb into his shirt. He stopped him with gentle but firm hands, "How about you let me tidy up first and then you can cling to me for as long as you want?"

He nodded along not really listening but once Macaque started to pull away he doubled his efforts to hold him closely as he whined, "Nooooo. Where are you going?"

Macaque laughed, "I should have gotten Mián to start diluting your drinks way sooner than I did. Just give me two minutes to make sure we don't wake up to a small disaster tomorrow morning because we left everything to the mercy of the monkeys."

That sounded vaguely like it was a good idea but he really couldn't understand why he should have to let go for that. Macaque could totally do both. He buried his head into Macaque's chest, "Piggy back."

"Ha! You wish. Here, let me make this easier for you."

Between one blink and the next he was inside the house sat on the couch and tragically there was no Macaque anywhere in sight, let alone in his arms where he was supposed to be. He leaned heavily on the backrest as he whined loudly, "Macaque!"

He pouted. He didn't know where Macaque was but if he didn't show up within the next thirty seconds he was going to have to go and find him. Why wasn't he here? He frowned and awkwardly tried to turn around to check the calendar in the kitchen - it wasn't a Void day was it? Hey, were those peach chips on the counter?

He stared at them long and hard before deciding, yes, he really did want those chips. He turned back around to ready to try and tell his legs to stand up when a heavenly weight landed on his lap and he looked up to see Macaque looking incredibly amused above him.

He threw his arms open wide with a delighted shout of Macaque's name before wrapping his arms around him, mumbling nonsense into his shirt. He drew back and pulled at the offending article, "Why are you wearing clothes?"

Macaque grinned, "Why are you wearing clothes?"

He looked downward to see he was indeed wearing clothes, he muttered to himself, "When did that happen...?"

He promptly began to wrestle with his shirt, it put up a good fight but Wukong had taken on thousands of more difficult adversaries than that. When he finally dropped his shirt off beside him, he was delighted to find Macaque's bare chest staring back at him and he wasted no time bringing his hands to Macaque's hips and nuzzling his head against it.

He was content for all of a minute before he complained, "Why can't we be closer!"

Macaque brought a hand to his cheek and directed his face upwards so their eyes met, "Closer, hm? How close do you want to be?"

The suggestive tone was completely lost on him as he all but winded Macaque as he trapped him in a bear hug, his head slamming against his sternum, "This close! This close but closer! Why can't I be, like, inside you?"

Macaque's mutterings of, "Well, you could be if you hadn't drank yourself stupid." were ignored as he realised there were yet more clothes separating them. He did his best to remove his trousers before he was momentarily stumped by the conundrum of having Macaque in his lap.

With no warning he stood up, grabbing Macaque and hoisting him up and holding him with one arm while his other tried it's best to free himself from his prison. He felt Macaque lean and elbow on his head with a sigh, "You know if you weren't currently struggling to understand how clothes worked that might have been pretty hot."

Ugh, boots. How was he supposed to...? Trousers around his ankles, he tried to bring one foot up to make an attempt at removing the stupid thing. For whatever reason though all coordination and grace seemed to have left him and he heard Macaque swear as they started on a crash collision for the floor.

For one nauseating moment he thought he might throw up as the shadows shifted around him but thankfully when he landed sprawled on top of Macaque on the couch he managed to swallow it down. He was quickly distracted by Macaque's laughter and he found himself staring up at him adoringly.

His attention was however snatched away by the feeling of shadow swirling around his legs and his face lit up as he looked down to see them remove his boots and trousers. He was even more delighted to realise that Macaque's were already gone. He snuggled against him, as he slurred, "Shadow powers are so good..."

He melted as Macaque gently scratched at his scalp, "You're so good... The best..."

Macaque chuckled, "I know. Close enough for you yet?"

Legs, arms and tail wrapped around him, with head tucked underneath his chin he hummed his contentment. No, wait..., "Mac, I need to piss."

Macaque removed his hand from his hair with a huff, "Then go piss then."

He groaned, "Don't want to move. Comfy. Really need to go though."

"What a conundrum. Whatever will you do?"

He was suddenly struck with the greatest idea any soul had ever conceived. He almost headbutted Macaque in the chin as he swung his head up to announce his brilliant solution, "Mac! You can do it for me!"

Macaque snorted, "I think you'll find I can't."

He brought up a hand to pat at Macaque's face with urgency, "You can! Shadow portal! Right here!" He gestured in the general direction of their hips, "Then I don't have to move at all!"

Macaque blinked at him before his face scrunched in disgust, "You are not pissing through one of my shadow portals!"

He whined, "What? Why not? It's genius! Just open a portal that I can put my dick through."

For a brief second, he thought Macaque had actually done it and then he found himself lying face first on to his bathroom floor next to the toilet. He groaned Macaque's name loudly in displeasure before he grumbled his way through the arduous process of picking himself up, pissing and then stumbling back to the living room.

He frowned when he saw it was empty but a shout of his name from the bedroom has him perking up. He all but collapsed on top of Macaque when he reached him complaining loudly, "Can't believe you'd do that to me... You suck."

Macaque huffed, "What happened to me being the best?"

Curling around Macaque and getting comfortable all sins were forgotten, he nodded, "Yeah, you are the best." He yawned widely, "I love you."

Macaque snorted, "You're a real Casanova, you know that?"

He was out before Macaque could even comprehend responding.

----

One serious hangover later and Wukong was ready to be caught up on any details that were just a touch too fuzzy for him to appreciate on his own. The first thing he did however was gripe about Macaque's lack of a hangover.

He had just shrugged, "I figured at least one of the overpowered old demons with a history of violence should stay sober. And the one that can portal the others into timeout felt like the sensible choice."

That was a pretty fair point to be honest but he couldn't help but feel a little put out, "Did you still have fun though?"

"Oh plenty. Always a good time when you get some potential blackmail out of it."

He racked his brain for any evidence that that ominous statement might apply to him when he thought he remembered something else, "Did I get into an argument with Chī over the best type of stitch?"

Macaque laughed as if he'd just remembered that himself, "You sure did. I don't think I've ever seen her so fired up - she was tapping so fast I was surprised you could still understand what she was saying. I'm not sure you actually won that one though. Mián had to pull her away before she could stab you."

What a sight that must have been. God, he used to be cool. People used to be in awe of him everywhere he went. And now he was being threatened with embroidery needles for being totally right about how he ranked different stitches. His younger self would never have seen that one coming.

Apart from that he and Niú had also gotten into a literal screaming match at one point - both convinced they had the better battle cry. Wukong snapped his fingers, "That's why I remember being in the middle of the desert!"

"Oh yeah. No way I was putting up with that. I brought you back after you had screamed yourselves hoarse."

After being filled in on the majority of shenanigans, he posed thoughtfully, "Hey, does Gōngzhǔ always gets so handsy when she's drunk? She was, like, all over you."

Macaque scratched his head a little awkwardly, "She can get a bit sappy but I think the touchiness was probably because you were there. I think she was just trying to keep you at bay. She gets a little protective. I'm actually pretty impressed she managed to be so civil but I think Niú called it just at the right time."

In hindsight, he realised at no point were he and Gōngzhǔ given an opportunity to talk one-on-one with each other and that likely hadn't happened by accident but they had managed to be part of the same conversations so that was good, right?

He tapped his fingers on the table as he asked, "Anything I could do that could make her less on edge around me?"

"Probably not... I wouldn't worry about it though. You've got me on your side and Niú has pretty much decided to let bygones be bygones so really all you can do is to keep not fucking up and one day she might sort of maybe feel neutral towards you?"

Wow. Aiming high there but that was better than hating him so he'd take it. He wasn't given much time to get caught up thinking about it when Macaque teased him, "Besides you're one to talk about being handsy. I don't remember you being that clingy a drunk."

He could only sit and cringe with embarrassment as Macaque took great joy in explaining his sudden abhorrence for clothes and his desperate attempts to be touching as much of Macaque as was physically possible. He was a tactile monkey, and he definitely did get worse when he'd been drinking but this was to a whole other level.

At least he hadn't done anything inappropriate? And Macaque didn't seem at all upset with him for it - quite the opposite in fact. And then he explained how Wukong had ruined the mood with his brilliant idea to use shadow portals to avoid moving in order to pee.

Macaque clearly expected sober him to agree it was gross but honestly he was amazed he had never considered it sooner, "Dude, that's genius! There's nothing worse than having to get up to pee when you're comfortable. You literally wouldn't have to move at all!"

Macaque was not impressed, "You're not using my shadow portals to cut out a thirty second walk to the bathroom."

Wukong accused, "There's no way you've never thought about this before now. Look, me in the eye and tell me you've never used your shadow portals to pee."

He tsked and looked away. And Wukong crowed victoriously, "I knew it! I can't believe you kept this from me!"

"For the last time you are not getting to use my shadow portals for this!"

They'd see about that. They'd long since passed the point where bathroom habits were remotely private affairs - Wukong was not going to let this go anytime remotely soon.

He let it go for just now though, "Man, what other applications of your portals have I not thought of?"

Macaque's face went suspiciously blank and suddenly the answer was very clear, "You've used them for sex stuff!?"

Macaque seemed to find the words "sex stuff" incredibly amusing but he didn't deny it. Both incredulous and a little embarrassed he stuttered, "What? I mean, how? Like, I get how you could use your, er, physical shadows to..."

The more he thought about it the more he realised how "useful" Macaque's abilities could be in the bedroom and his face only got redder and redder. Macaque looked all geared up to rock his world view before he seemed to reconsider, "Actually, I'm not sure you're ready to know."

"Wh-? What do you mean "not ready"! You think I can't handle it?"

He couldn't help but feel somewhat offended. He could handle anything that Macaque could throw at him. So what if he wasn't super experienced himself that didn't mean he would faint at hearing something a little risque - he'd travelled with Zhū Bājiè for heaven's sake! He'd heard more raunchy details than he'd ever wanted to know!

Macaque just grinned, "Actually, I think I'd rather hear your ideas for how my powers could be used."

He physically recoiled, absolutely ready to abandon this conversation because there was no way he won this one. He had never, ever thought about Macaque's powers being used in such a way before now and he wasn't really sure he wanted to. The few times he had considered what sex would be like with Macaque in the present it had been a tender, loving affair and that's the way he would like to keep it.

Morbid curiosity had been what had driven him to want to know more but he didn't want to play this game. So swallowing his pride, he coughed and looked away, "Er, maybe you're right and I'm not super ready to know."

He looked up at Macaque ruffling his hair fondly, "Yeah, I thought as much. Let me know if you come up with any less sexy ways my powers can be used. You might even surprise me with something I've not thought of."

He somehow doubted it but he did love a challenge.

--Chapter End--

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LMK Fanfic Masterlist

#lmk #lmk fanfiction #my fanfiction #originally posted on ao3 #tumblr fic #au: shadow (lmk)#lmk macaque #lmk monkey king #lmk sun wukong #lmk shadowpeach #shadowpeach #lego monkie kid

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muffinpink02 · 8 months ago

Text

Bronze Is Better Then Gold

part 2 here

Summary - Ona has transferred to a new police force, she meets her partner, Lucy Bronze. The girls hit it off right away, flirting at every chance they can get. But will Lucy’s past get in the way?

This is an AU story, but its got most of the girls from the lionesses featuring. People seem to like it so thought you guys might too.

Warnings - some suggestive scenes (lets keep it 18 and above) lots of angst, gun violence, smut to come in last chapter (chapter 4)

Ona shivered from the crisp cold morning air. It had just hit the start of October and the signs of autumn were already showing. Even after nearly five years of living in the UK the Spaniard still hadn’t got used to the cold English weather.

She drank the last sip of her coffee, taking in the grey building in front of her. Her new place of work.

She watched as a couple of uniformed police officers walked into the building, talking amongst themselves. She took in a deep breath, trying her best to shake off the first day nerves.

It was her first day at the new firm. She had been personally scouted from the Chief Constable to have a chat. When asked if she wanted to transfer it was an easy yes for Ona. The building was closer to home, it was a day shorter in the working week with Mondays off. And the Chief Constable was well known to be excellent at her job. Her team was one of the best in the city of London. She was definitely someone Ona wanted to be working under.

She dashed her empty coffee cup in a nearby bin and made her way to the buildings reception, where she was greeted by a very overly happy receptionist. Not something that she was used to back in her old firm or in London for that matter.

“Hello, how can I help you today?” The blonde smiled brightly up at Ona.

Ona cleared her throat. “Good morning, I’m Ona Battle, it’s my first day today, I was told to go to reception.”

“Ohh lovely! Welcome! I have all the bits you’ll need.”

Ona smiled at the bubbly blonde. She glanced at her name tag, Esme Morgan.

The blonde grabbed a folder that had lots of paper work inside, she handed it over to Ona.

“Right here’s all the bits you’ll need from me, I’ll take you over to Sarina, the ‘important’ part of the building. I’m Esme by the way. Follow me.”

The blonde was taller than Ona expected her to be, but that wasn’t hard in Ona’s experience, most people in the room were always taller than the Spaniard, unless they were under the age of ten.

“You’ve met Sarina right?” The blonde smiled.

Esme reminded Ona of an excited puppy in the nicest possible way, the girl was full of beans.

“Ahh yes, on video call. She’s really nice.”

“Oh yeah she is, she’s like a mum away from your own mum. Well that’s how I see her.”

Ona smiled, she liked this girl, she wasn’t like your usual Brit, she was genuinely cheery. Not fake cheery, but someone who actually seemed happy.

They walked down a long green corridor, Ona looked over at the pictures on the wall of police officers from across the years, even going back as far as the 18th century.

“We’ve heard such good things about you. I know Sarinas really happy that you joined us.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard good things about this branch. I could never have said no.”

Esme smiled, she had a happy bounce to her as she walked, her cheerful character was almost infectious.

“Ahh that’s great. I hope you like it here, we’ve got a lovely bunch on the team. Do you know who your partner is?”

“Ahh that’s good to hear. Erm I’m going to be working with Gold.”

“Gold? Who’s Gold? I didn’t know we had a gold.” Esme’s face scrunched in confusion.

Ona rattled her brain for the right translation, she was sure it was gold, or was it?

“Oh do you mean Bronze?”

Ona laughed, just slightly embarrassed of her mix up.

“Ahh yes, sorry I haven’t got my elements down.”

Esme smiled widely, Ona couldn’t help but smile back.

“Oh yeah, neither have I, don’t worry about it.” She laughed to herself, turning a corner with Ona following.

“Yeah Bronze is a lovely girl. She’s such a hard worker, one of the hardest workers on the team actually. You’re lucky to have her as your partner.”

Ona smiled, she already liked the sound of her new partner, but she had to try and forget ‘Gold’ and remember Bronze.

But little did Ona know that wouldn’t be hard.

They stopped outside a room with a plaque ingrained with ‘S Weigman’ on the door. Esme knocked a cheery tune.

In a heartbeat she heard a women’s voice coming from inside.

“Come in Esme.”

Esme opened the door motioning for Ona to enter.

“Right, here we are, this is where I leave you. Sarina will take it from here. Good luck today and if you need anything you know where to find me.”

“Thank you Esme, it was lovely to meet you.”

Esme nodded, a happy smile still sitting on her face.

“Oh by the way, Claudia called, she’s had to cancel the 10 o’clock meeting.”

Sarina nodded, smiling fondly at the blonde, it was as if she was looking at a young child.

“Thank you Esme, and thank you for bringing Ona.”

The bubbly blonde nodded and bounced off, waving at everyone she passed in the corridor. Ona couldn’t help but smile again at the brightness that Esme left on her mood.

“Ona! Please come in. It’s so good to finally meet you in person, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve joined us. Come take a seat. Do you want a tea or coffee, a cold drink?”

Ona took a seat in front of Sarinas desk.

“Oh no, I’m okay, I just had a coffee. Thank you.”

Sarina nodded, smiling at the young girl in front of her.

“Okay, well firstly welcome. I know I’ve said it already but I’m so excited to have you on the team. Emma told me how much of a hard worker you are, you’ve accomplished so much at such a young age. It’s incredible. Emma did not let you go easy! But I’m glad you were happy to move to us.”

Ona smiled at her feet, feeling slightly shy at the compliments.

“Ahh thank you. It’s just part of the role, I really enjoy my job. And yes the move felt right, I had been there since I moved to London, so it was nice for a change. I’ve also heard a lot about you and your team. You’re well known how efficient your squad run.”

Sarina smiled and nodded, taking in the girl in front of her.

“So where are you from? That’s not a British accent I can hear.”

Ona laughed. “I’m from Spain, Catalonia. I’ve been in the UK nearly five years.”

“I see, so why police here and not Spain? What made you move here?”

Ona played with her fingers. “I was in the police force back in Spain, I joined when I was 18 but I wanted a change. I love my city but things didn’t work out how I wanted. I’ve always loved the UK and the people. There’s something special about it.”

Sarina nodded again, smiling warmly at the younger girl.

“I can understand, I’m originally from the Netherlands. I came here to study and never left. I then found my now husband and have lived here ever since.”

Ona nodded, smiling at the women. “The UK spoke to both of us.”

Sarina hummed in agreement. “It did indeed. Do you ever go back home much?”

Ona played with her fingers again, feeling a little uncomfortable. She kept her eyes casted down.

“Erm, not really. I went back once but that’s all.”

Sarina noticed the change in the younger women. She didn’t want to push so she changed the subject.

“Well, these next couple of days I just want you to get to know the team and the building and how we work here. I don’t want to throw you right in the deep end, even though I know you can handle it. I like my staff to feel comfortable first. Bronze and the team will be going on a raid next week. You’ll be joining them.”

Ona nodded. “Okay, that sounds good. I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone and getting stuck in.” She smiled at the older women.

“And I want you to know I am always here if you need to talk about anything, from work, to general life. We have our therapist on site that we ask you to at least see once every two weeks but you can go as much as you want.

Ona now understood what Esme meant about Sarina being a mother figure, she could sense a genuine care from the older women but also a firmness to her.

The Spaniard nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”

“Great, I’ll take you on a tour of the building and you can meet the team and meet your partner.”

Sarina showed Ona around the building, stopping off at certain floors that Ona would need in the future.

They then walked into the main office, where it looked like most of the staff worked. Ona suddenly felt a little nervous, she was fine with meeting new people, she was a social butterfly really, but it was always daunting meeting your new work colleagues.

“Nobbs, Stokes, come and meet Ona Battle, it’s her first day and I want you to make sure she settles in.”

Two short women smiled brightly at Ona, both walking towards her.

“Hello, I’m Jordan or Nobbs. It’s nice to meet you.” She reached her hand out to shake Ona’s.

“Hello Jordan, lovely to meet you.”

“I’m Demi or Stokes. Really happy to have you on the team.” The slightly taller woman also holding her hand out for Ona.

Ona smiled, shaking Demis hand.

“Hello Demi. Also lovely to meet you.”

“You’ll be working a lot with DC Nobbs and DC Stokes. They’re some of the best Detective Constables I’ve ever worked with.”

Serina patted Demi on the back. Looking at the girls like a proud mum.

“Yeah, yeah. You say that about everyone.” Demi rolled her eyes, joking with her superior.

“No? Do I? Oh just the good ones then.” Sarina winked at the Spaniard. Causing the group to laugh.

Ona once again could see the pride this woman had for her team, it was refreshing to see. It definitely wasn’t something she was used to in her old firm.

Demi then spoke. “We’ve heard only good things about you Ona.”

A slight tint of pink rushed to Ona’s cheeks.

“I’m scared I’ve got to live up to this reputation now.”

All four of the women laughed.

“Don’t worry. You have Bronze as a partner, she’ll make sure you live up to it.” A new voice entered the chat.

Ona turned around to face a women even taller then Esme. A cup of coffee in hand.

“Don’t try and scare her Scott.” Jordan scolded the older women.

The taller women laughed at her own joke. She stuck her hand out for Ona to take.

“I’m only joking. I’m Scott, it’s good to have you on the team.”

Ona noticed her thick Northern accent, she knew she’d have to listen extra hard when speaking with the tall woman.

“Thank you, it’s great to meet you.” Ona smiled.

“Ona, this is our SFC Jill Scott, one of the best I’ve ever worked with.”

“That’s true.” Jill took a sip of her coffee looking pleased with herself, while the other two girls rolled their eyes at the banter.

“Where is Bronze?” Sarina looked around the room.

“Gym.” In unison all three of the girls replied.

Ona quirked an eye brow at the response

“That girl! I told her to be here to meet Ona.”

“She probably wanted her muscles to look extra big to show off.” Jordan laughed.

“Yeah, like she needs them any bigger.” Jill took another sip of her coffee.

“Jealousy is a shit trait to have Scott.”

Another voice entered the conversation.

“Ahh Luce, you know I’m only joking. I am indeed just jealous.” Jill laughed.

Ona turned around wanting to give the new voice a face.

Wow.

Ona nearly forgot how to breathe, the woman standing in front of her was stunning. She took in the girl in front of her, she had almond shaped eyes, filled with a beautiful intense shade of green. Like Ona she had a face covered in freckles but a lot less dark and less condensed.

Her face was strong and soft at the same time, her jawline was perfectly defined, yet her other features were soft and feminine, she was gorgeous.

Her face was flushed, a thin layer of sweat glistening over her muscular arms and neck. Her dark hair was wet and scraped back, small curls escaping the messy bun, clearly wet from the gym that the girls had mentioned.

Ona was lost for words, the girl was beautiful.

“Ona this is CI Bronze, she’s going to be there for whatever you need, all of the girls will be, but Bronze is your go to girl.”

Lucy couldn’t hold back the smile that appeared on her face, Ona was breathtaking. It was her eyes that Lucy noticed first, she had wide, soft doe eyes, innocent looking eyes. A beautiful chocolate brown surrounded her iris, making her face warm and inviting.

Dark freckles covered her face, another feature Lucy couldn’t help but admire. Her skin was slightly tanned but not bronze, more of a milk colour. Lucy imagined that was because of the English weather.

It was when Ona smiled that Lucy felt her stomach flutter. She thought her face was beautiful and soft before, but her smile made her perfect. She noticed how chiseled her jawline was when she smiled, how perfectly it fit with her features. The girl was utterly beautiful.

Lucy held out her hand for Ona’s to shake.

Ona had to kick her brain into gear to move, she took Lucy’s hand, instantly loving how soft her skin was against hers.

“It’s great to have you on the team Ona, and like Sarina said, I’m here for whatever you need.”

“Thank you, I can’t wait to work with you.”

They held hands for a second longer than the usual handshake would normally last.

The interaction wasn’t missed by the other women, Jordan and Demi eyed up the the older brunette, smiling between each other as Lucy and Ona kept eye contact for a second too long.

“Okay, well. I’ll let Lucy take care of you from here, if you need anything let the girls know, or if you need anything from me you know where I am.”

The older lady smiled warmly at Ona, leaving her with her new co-workers.

“Let me show you your desk, it’s next to mine.”

“Great.” Ona followed.

Lucy walked towards a row of desks with computers and files of paper work neatly piled on each space. But there was one desk with only a computer that Ona assumed was hers.

“This is you. I apologise in advance my desk can get a little messy now and again.”

“Ahh that doesn’t bother me.” Ona couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

“I’ll try keep and keep it tidy though.”

“She won’t Ona, she’s lying.” Jordan poked her head over Lucy’s computer. Hers and Demis desk both opposite their own.

“Shut it Nobbs,”

Jordan smiled cheekily at the older brunette.

“Trust me Ona, give it a week.” Jordan smiled.

Ona laughed at the banter between the girls, she wondered if her and Lucy would ever get as close.

“Ignore her. I’m going to quickly head for the showers. I know you’ve got all that paper work to go through, so you can just chill here. Kitchen is just over there, help yourself to a drink. Once I’m back I’ll go through some bits with you.” Lucy smiled at the younger girl.

“Sure, sounds good. Enjoy your shower.” Ona had to stop herself from thinking too hard about Lucy in the shower. She looked around the room, noticing other people at their desks working, she was going to have to try and remember a lot of names today.

She started to read through her paper work, it was mostly rules and work conducts she had to read and agree to.

Eight pages in to her paper work she felt Lucy hover over her.

“God I hate all of this, it’s so boring, but I get it, it has to be done.” Lucy rolled her eyes.

Ona smiled, she agreed but she wasn’t going to make it obvious. “Ahh yeah, I know. Nearly done though.”

Lucy nodded. “Do you fancy a tea or coffee? I’m going to make one.”

“Coffee please.” - “Tea for me.” Jordan and Demi loudly put their order in.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t asking you!”

“Don’t be like that, you’re going anyways.” Demi shouted back.

“Fine. Ona?” Lucy started to get up.

“Erm, tea please? With two sugars please.” Ona smiled.

Lucy had to hold herself back from saying the ‘you’re sweet enough’ line.

“No problem.” Lucy made her way to the kitchen.

Ona smiled as she read on with her paper work.

Ona drank her tea that Lucy made, listening to the brunette talk about what investigations the team was working on.

“But don’t stress too much, I’ll have you sitting in the catch up on Friday, so you can get an idea. I’ll send over some bits so you can read them in your own time. I know the first day can be a lot.”

If Ona was honest she was more than grateful for the slow introduction to the work. She was finding it hard to concentrate with Lucy. She’d never been one for distractions with work, but she was having to listen extra carefully to Lucy, instead of watching her lips, wondering what they would feel like against her own.

Ona nodded. “Yeah that’s great. I’ll go over that tonight, thank you Lucy.”

“Great. It’s nearly lunch, Sarina has insisted we go for lunch together to get to know each other. Partners and all that. But don’t feel like you hav-.”

“Yes!” Ona internally winced at her own eagerness

Lucy chuckled.

“I mean yeah, that’s sounds great. It’s a good idea.”

“Cool, do you like pizza?”

“I love pizza.”

“Oi, don’t try and par us off, we was CC’d on that email too.” Jordan’s head pocked over the computer.

Lucy rolled her eyes once again at her friend.

——————-

The conversation between the girls came naturally, they spoke about why they got into the police force, and some of their hardest cases.

Ona explained that she fell in love with London, and how she always wanted to be a police officer when she was young. She kept some bits brief, not wanting to get into certain bits of her life.

She noticed those greens eyes watching her throughout the meal, every time she caught her, the older brunette would dart her eyes to something or someone else, but she was caught every time.

*********

By the end of the day Ona was tired, she’d already not slept great the night before down to nerves. She had met everyone else in the office after lunch, so by five she was yawning.

Lucy was on her computer sending Ona some notes to read.

“Right, don’t stress about reading this tonight. It’s been a long day.”

“But don’t be tired on Friday, we’re going to The Rose and Crown. And it’s the rules, you have to come.” Jill had come up behind Ona.

“Well it doesn’t sound like I have a choice, you can buy my first drink.” Ona smiled, getting used to the girls banter.

All the girls laughed, Jill put her hand on Ona shoulder giving her a squeeze.

“I like this one.”

Lucy was watching Ona, a bright smile on her face, Ona felt her heart beat just a little faster.

——————-

By day two Ona was obsessed with Lucy’s laugh, the girl had a serious nature to her, but once Ona made her laugh she couldn’t stop. She wanted to hear that beautiful sound whenever she could. It was a good thing Lucy actually seemed to find her funny. Ona felt a rush of excitement go through her, even at a glimpse of Lucy’s beautiful smile, the girl did have a beautiful smile.

By day three Lucy had to physically stop herself from staring at Ona. The younger girl would be doing the simplest of tasks and Lucy seemed to find it fascinating. She watched the Spaniard making them tea in the kitchen, talking and laughing with others in the office. Lucy maybe even getting a little jealous when someone made the shorter girl laugh hard.

Ona may have noticed the eyes on her and was loving every second of it. Making sure to laugh a little harder at something someone would say.

By day end of day there neither girl could keep the other out of their head. Lucy thought about Ona as she made dinner at home, wondering if Ona would like her cooking. Meanwhile Ona got comfy on her sofa to watch a film, wondering what it would be like to have Lucy cozied up next to her.

By Friday morning, Ona thought about Lucy as she ate her porridge, wondering what her morning routine looked like. As Lucy finished her workout in the gym she wondered if Ona was a morning person. She wondered what it would be like to wake up next to a groggy Ona. The thought made her body heat up.

———————

“We have eyes on Harvey Smith aka ‘Bugz’ and Frank Smith aka ‘Slims’. We know the brothers are highly dangerous to the public. We believe Slims is the brains behind most of the drug operations and Bugz is mostly muscles for Slims. On Wednesday at seven hundred hours, our teams will raid the location that we suspect they will be. We’ll have Scott and her team ready with arms. Carter will have the K9s unit, Bright and Greenwood will have their teams ready on site.”

Lucy looked over at her team.

“Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads, and Ona wasn’t surprised. Lucy was clear with her instructions, she’d gone through many different stages of the plan. Ona understood why she was in this role.

“If you have any please come to me.”

Lucy looked her watch. “It’s 4.45 and Friday let’s call it a day.”

The room hummed in agreement, light chatter broke out as people started to leave the room.

Ona went to her desk to grab her bag and jacket, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.

“Ready for the pub?”

Lucy’s voice filtered into her ears, Ona nearly shivered at how close the brunette was.

“Sii. I’m ready.”

“Great. Nobbs, Stokes, Scott, let’s go.”

—————-

Most of the staff from the office were at the pub, clearly a favourite of theirs. They made their way upstairs to a booth next to a fire place, Ona instantly felt the warmth from the fire kissing her cheeks.

“Right, I’ll get first round who wants what?” Lucy stayed standing.

The girls gave in their orders. Before Ona could offer to help with the drinks and also just have an excuse to be with Lucy, Jill got in there first.

“Right come on then, I’ll help ya.”

At the bar Lucy gave in the orders. She knew Jill wanted to say something as the Geordie had never offered to help anyone with the drinks since working with her.

“Go on then, what do you have to say?” Lucy looked hard at the taller women.

Jill smiled smugly. “Nothing gets past you.”

Lucy hummed.

“Just noticed you’ve been a lot more chirpier around the office. A lot more happy. Started since our new Detective Inspector started.”

Lucy felt the knot in her stomach, was she that obvious? Did Ona notice? Who else noticed? Either way Lucy wasn’t going to fess up.

“You chat shit Scott.”

Jill laughed loudly.

“You know I don’t. Come on it’s okay, no harm in it. Just happy to see you happy to be honest. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that smile on your face.”

Lucy knew what Jill really meant when she said that. She could tell the older women said it with her own hint of sadness to her voice. If she was being honest, it was the first time this year she had felt a little happier. And it was all because of the short Spanish girl sitting upstairs.

“So Ona are you seeing anyone at the moment?” Jordan asked.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’m a single, how do you say? Dingle?”

The girls laughed. “Pringle, a single Pringle.” Demi corrected.

Ona laughed. “Ahh that’s it. Single Pringle. What about you guys?”

“Demi here’s engaged, with a baby.” Jordan smiled.

“Ahh that’s lovely.” Ona smiled.

“And Jordan has a little thing going on with a blonde in the HR team.”

“Oi, shut up.” Jordan looked panicked.

“Oh come on Jordan, everyone knows. You guys really aren’t subtle.” Demi laughed at her friend.

“Who’s not subtle?” Lucy placed the tray full of drinks on the table, sceptically looking at her friends.

“Just Jordan and Leah.”

Lucy let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding.

“Oh yeah, you guys aren’t subtle.”

“You can talk.” Jordan muttered.

Ona didn’t miss the daggers Lucy shot at Jordan.

The evening was full of laughter, Ona couldn’t help but feel a little sense of relief that these were her colleagues. They instantly made her feel like she was part of the team, it felt like she had been there longer than four days, it felt like she’d known these girls in another lifetime.

The pub bell rang.

“Last orders!” A bar girl shouted.

“One more for the road?” Lucy looked around the table.

“Not me, I’m at a coffee tour tomorrow.” Jill sipped on her pint.

“Yeah me too. I’m a plus one for a 2 year olds birthday party tomorrow.” Demi slumped in her seat.

“Yeah I’ve got to head off. I’m meeting a friend tomorrow.” Jordan cleared her throat.

“Yeah ‘friend’.” Demi laughed.

“I’ll stay for another.” Ona looked at Lucy.

Lucy had to hold back the excitement that bubbled up in her chest. Herself and Ona hadn’t really gotten any one on one time since the girl joined the team.

“Finally! Someone who isn’t a lightweight. Same again?” Lucy looked at Ona.

“It’s my turn. I’ll get this.” Ona shot up, going down to the bar before Lucy could argue.

Once the Spaniard was gone all three of the girls looked at Lucy, smirks on their faces.

“What?” Lucy looked at her friends.

“Oh come off it Luce, you like the girl.” Jordan nudged Lucy’s arm.

“What? No I don’t.” The brunette tried to defend herself.

She looked at Jill, hoping for some back up.

“I’m staying out of it. I’ve already said enough.“ She shook her head putting her coat on.

“Come on Bronzey. You can tell just by the way you look at her.” Demi laughed.

The smirk that creeped on her lips gave her feelings away.

“Is it that obvious?”

All three girls smiled happily at the brunette.

“Awww our girls got a crush.” Jordan grabbed the back of Lucy’s neck, making the girl duck her head.

“Get off.” She laughed.

“She’s single.” Demi quirked.

“Yeah but I don’t even know if she’s into girls.”

All three of the girls laughed hard then.

“Come on Luce, I thought you was a detective. The girl looks at you like you’re the best thing since sliced bread. I think this its a mutual feeling.” Jill lightly chuckled.

Lucy scoffed. “I doubt that.”

Before the girls could harass Lucy anymore Ona returned.

“Right I’m off. I hope you’ve enjoyed your first week Ona. The real work starts on Wednesday.” Jill winked.

“Sii, I’m looking forward to it. And thank you girls for making me feel so welcome. I appreciate it.” Ona smiled at the girls.

“It’s been a pleasure Ona.” Jordan smiled.

“Yeah, you fit in so well Ona, so glad we got you on our team.” Demi grabbed Ona’s shoulder.

“Look after her Bronze.” Jill pointed at the older brunette.

“Oh, she will.” Jordan winked at Lucy.

Ona didn’t miss the comment, or the way Lucy’s face went a shade of pink. Before Lucy could think of a come back the girls were gone.

Suddenly the room became quiet and the air between, Lucy and Ona felt thick. It was the first time Lucy had felt nervous, they had never been alone before, with no one sticking their nose into their conversations.

Ona was buzzing, don’t get her wrong, she loved getting to know her other colleges, loved being a part of the team but she had wanted some alone time with Lucy since she met her.

The fire made a loud cracking noise, the pub still had a few people nursing their drinks.

Lucy had forgotten all words, she hadn’t been able to think about nothing else since this girl came into her life only four days ago, and now her mind had gone blank.

After ten seconds of silence that actually felt like hours, finally Lucy’s brain woke up.

“So speaking about first weeks, how has yours been?”

Ona took a sip of her new drink, smiling.

“It’s been amazing. Everyone has been so friendly, so welcoming. It’s been great.”

Lucy nodded, smiling. She was happy to hear Ona was feeling welcome, she understood it was hard to start a new job anywhere.

“You especially have made me feel so welcome, I’m really happy that you’re my partner Lucy.”

Ona’s smile was shy, she looked at Lucy with those big beautiful brown eyes.

Lucy’s face had definitely changed in colour, she couldn’t hold back the dorky smile that plastered her face.

“I’m glad I have.”

Lucy smiled with her brilliant teeth.

“And yeah, you’re not too bad yourself. Definitely need to get you better at making tea, then you’ll be perfect.” She smiled cheekly at Ona.

Ona laughed hard. “Aye it’s not that bad!”

Lucy drank her drink, looking around making a point to not look at Ona.

“You’ll have to teach me.” Ona didn’t mean to sound sexy, but Lucy couldn’t help but think her voice got an octave lower.

Lucy pointed between herself and Ona. “If this is gong to work, then yeah, I’ll teach you.”

“Fine.” Ona smiled.

“Good.”

“Great.”

“Perfect.”

“No puedo esperar.” (I can’t wait)

Ona definitely lowered her voice that time. Lucy felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. Lucy laughed trying to gain her nerve back. She tried to change the subject before her face went any redder.

“Are you going back to Spain for Christmas?”

Ona’s smile dropped, she hadn’t told anyone the real reason for leaving Spain. It wasn’t because she was ashamed, it was just still a hard thing for her to digest. But if she could tell anyone Lucy would be the best person.

“No, I, ……. my parents don’t talk to me because I am gay.”

Lucy’s own smile dropped. She could see the sadness in Ona’s eyes, it broke her heart.

“Oh, Ona. I’m so sorry. When did they do that?”

“It happened when I was 19. They found out and kicked me out of my home. They blocked me and never spoke to me again. So I moved here. I wanted to move here at some point anyways, but it was sooner than I’d have liked.”

Lucy could feel her own tears well in her eyes.

“Have you spoken to them since?”

Ona looked down at her drink.

“After a year of living here I went back to Spain, to see if they would speak to me. But when I got to my home my mum closed the door on my face. I tried to reach out in many ways but they won’t talk to me.”

Lucy couldn’t believe how anyone could purposefully hurt the girl in front of her, let alone her own parents. It made her angry but Ona didn’t need that kind of response. She reached out her hand, gently grabbing Ona’s.

“I know we haven’t known each other that long but I am here if you ever wanna talk. Or if you ever just want an ear, I’m all yours.”

Ona smiled at Lucy, she heard everything she had said but mostly ‘I’m yours’ stood out most to her. “Thank you Lucy. I appreciate it.”

Lucy squeezed Ona’s hand, not ever wanting to let go, her hand felt so small and delicate in her own.

“Hi guys we’re closing up now.” The girl from behind the bar shouted loudly.

The last thing she wanted to do was leave Ona now. She wanted to do nothing else then scoop the girl up and hug her until she could smile again, even then Lucy wouldn’t want to let go.

“I guess we better leave.” Ona smiled sadly.

“You hungry?”

Ona nodded. “Starving.”

“Do you like chips?”

Ona nodded again, gaining back a smile.

“Right, come on then. I know the best place.”

——————-

“Okay don’t tell no one but I prefer curry sauce with my chips, and as a northerner that’s a bit of a crime. The northerners prefer gravy, I like both but the curry sauce just tastes so good.”

“I don’t think I’ve had it with chips before.”

“What? Okay, I’m about to blow your mind Battle.”

Ona laughed hard, she loved this excited version of Lucy, it probably was the fact that they were both tipsy and not in the office but it was nice to see the girl relaxed.

They left the chippy with their precious chips in hand.

“There’s a bench nearby if you want to eat there?”

“Yes, let’s do that. I want to give my full attention to your curry sauce.” Ona giggled.

“Thats what I like to hear. It’s just five minutes from here. It’s worth the walk.”

Ona followed Lucy down the coberrly streets of London. She watched as some business men stumbled into a black cab as they passed a posh looking restaurant.

They came to a busy road, with a few more pubs and bars lining the street. She felt Lucy link her arm into hers as she guided them easily through the crowds. Her heart skipped three beats from the simple gesture, just like it did in the pub when Lucy took her hand.

“Just down here.”

They got to a dark stair case leading down, Ona followed the older women, she would follow her anywhere at this point, no questions asked.

And as they got down the steps she saw why Lucy brought her here.

It was the perfect skylight of London. Ona had lived in London for nearly 5 years. She had seen the skylight in many different ways. Different times of the day, different seasons, different angles but this was the prettiest she’d ever seen it.

“Wow! It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah.” Lucy was looking at Ona. Agreeing with both views.

“I come here sometimes when I need to think. Or just needing some time alone. Come sit.”

They sat on the bench facing the Thames, the lights of London lighting up the sky.

“Right, get your chip and dip.”

Lucy held out the curry sauce.

Ona dipped a thick chip in the sauce, she already liked the smell of it, so she hoped she’d like it. And she did, she loved it.

“Oh wow, that’s so good.” She dipped another chip.

“Yes! I knew you’d like it. Get in.”

Lucy dipped her own chip then, a satisfactory smile on her face.

Ona watched the girl, smiling at her. There was something about Lucy, something that seemed like a comfort that she had known before, a comfort she hadn’t felt in years.

The girls spoke about random things, laughing at the one another as they ate their chips.

Once they had finished their food a comfortable silence settled between them.

Until Ona yawned.

“Yeah, it’s late. Where are you from here? We can maybe share an Uber” Lucy picked up her phone.

“I’m in Battersea.”

Lucy’s eyes brightened. “I’m in Wandsworth. Nearly neighbours.”

Ona loved the thought of them being so close. She couldn’t help but wonder if Lucy would ever meet up with her on a weekend.

Ona gave Lucy her address for the Uber.

“Cool, they’ll be here in two minutes.”

They walked to the pick up destination, both suddenly quiet. It felt like neither girl wanted the night to end.

The Uber picked them up, both girls jumping in the back. It was at least a 20 minute drive to get home, so Ona grabbed the aux cord.

She put on Rosalía - BESO. Lucy turned to her smiling. The older brunette began to sing perfect Spanish like it was nothing. Ona’s mouth fell open in complete surprise.

“What? You can speak Spanish?”

Lucy laughed at the girls shock. “Yeah a little bit.”

She didn’t know why but it turned Ona on to know Lucy could speak Spanish, not just Spanish but Catalonian, it was hot.

The girls sang mostly to Rosalia all the way. Lucy was first the be dropped off. She turned to Ona.

“Night Ona. I’ll see you Tuesday.”

“Lucy wait, I should have your number.”

“Oh yeah, you should. Pass it here.”

Ona handed her phone and Lucy put her number in it, she called her phone to save Ona’s.

“Text me when you’re in please.”

“I will.” Ona smiled at the older women.

Lucy slid out the car and walked towards her home. Ona and the Uber driver watched as she walked into her house.

As soon as Ona got in she texted Lucy to tell her she was home.

Ona - Hola! I’m home. I owe you for the ride x

Lucy replied instantly .

Lucy - don’t worry about it x

Lucy - actually you can pay me back by making better teas 🤔 x

Ona - Fine! I’ll do better! I’ll make your tea better then you do for yourself 💪 x

Lucy laughed to herself.

Lucy - hmmm bit confident, we’ll see x

Ona - got to be confident in yourself 💅🏼 thank you for a good night Lucy, I really enjoyed myself xx

Lucy - you’re right! And you’re welcome, I really enjoyed myself too. And always here if you need a chat xx

Ona - thank you Lucy ❤️ good night xx

Lucy - good night xx

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