#girl!corey soon i promise she's right around the corner

[pulsedmaggot]

jimrey doodles in my sketchbook pt 2 - prev

[mona-stay]

Secrets part 3 Peter Hale

Paring - Peter Hale x Reader

Warnings - smut finally

Part 1. Part 2

You drove straight to Derek’s, still feeling a little shaken up after what Theo had done. Outside Peters Shelby wasn’t there, you didn’t know if you were happy or sad not to see it. When you got inside to your surprise Peter was there sat reading his book. He’d actually agreed to car pool with you.

 

Stiles and Liam both cheered as you walk in, Stiles calling you a good luck charm after the win today. How you managed to get coach to listen to your ideas. For the next few hours you all laughed, talked, drank and ate.

 

It was at this point, Derek being one of the closest to you noticed your neck. “what happened” he said, Peter now in his feet coming over to see. You explain about Theo’s threat and how he tried to strangle you.

 

“I’m gonna kill the little runt” Peter said heading for the door. You grabbed his arm, stopping him.

 

“don’t, Stiles’ dad’s took him, Coach is having him expelled and if he’s stupid enough to back at me then you all have my permission to kill him. But for now can we just forget about it” you say to him. Peter clenches his jaw but agrees he’ll leave Theo to sheriff Stilinski for now.

You watch Peter return to his book as Lydia pulls you to one side asking to talk. Stepping away to a more private part of the loft you wait to see what’s wrong. “what’s going on with you and Peter?” she asks outright.

 

You blush “nothing, what do you mean?” you say coyly. Maybe you needed to tone down your stirring at the handsome wolf.

 

“I seen him today at the game, his arms around you before fighting with Theo. Are you two dating now?” she asks a little concerned.

 

Shaking your head no “that was to wind up Theo. Peters version of leave her alone I think, not like it worked” you told her, not really sure why Peter had started on Theo the way he did. “and besides even if I did like Peter, I don’t think he likes me like that”. You say looking down not letting her see the sadness you felt.

 

“oh, I doubt that. The way he is around you, looks at you. I think Peter likes you, I’ve always thought that especially after you saved him” she says.

 

You wished it was true but knew differently, you’d kissed him wanted more he told you no. “No, I think Peter just likes the game, I know he wouldn’t want me like that” you say hoping to end the conversation.

 

Lydia eyes you suspiciously but doesn’t question it. She looks over at Peter who watches y/n out the corner of his eye like he’d always done. She was going to ask him but knew Peter would never tell her the truth.

 

Peter sat just watching everyone else, what he always did when Scott used the loft for after games celebration. It was only pack members but for Peter it was still way too many.

 

He glanced over to y/n now she’d finished her chat with Lydia, he was about to gain your attention until Liam got it first asking her to dance. To Peter’s annoyance you agreed, going over to dance with him, Lydia, Stiles and Malia.

 

Peter growled watching as they young pups hands tried to move down your body. He found himself thinking how dare Liam touch what’s his, even if you wasn’t, its all Peter truly wanted. He hated even more you hadn’t stopped it. That you just moved slightly so he wasn’t touching anymore still laughing and dancing.

 

For the third time Liam’s hand come inches away from your ass. This time you decide not to move out of his way, nope you decide to see Peter’s reaction. Your eyes lock with his, he’s stirring with a snarl. You wink at him hoping to push him to come over do or say something but he doesn’t.  He gets up and walked to his old room. You sigh Peter hadn’t got jealous.

 

With Peter gone and the song finished you went to find something to drink. Everyone turned seeing the loft door open, Cory walked in scanning the room. Mason was happy to see about to give him a hug but Cory walked past him straight to Scott, his eyes flicking to you.

 

“Theo’s been arrested and he thinks Peter is up to something. He says Peters an alpha and y/n’s in danger” Cory blurted out. You sigh, it wouldn’t take Theo long to spill Peters secret.

 

Everyone looks at you, taking one or two breaths trying to keep your heart beat stable. “is this true” Scott asked.

 

“not as far as I know” you say hoping the wolfs wouldn’t notice the lie. After being with Theo you learned how to control some tell-tale signs of lying. “Theo has been arrested for trying to kill me” you tell Corey showing him your neck. So now he’s using lies, he knows I’m living in Peters and trying to find a way to turn you lot against him. Peter wouldn’t hurt me, in fact Peters been more respectful in the last two weeks than Theo has in two years. So what ever he’s told you Cory ignore it, I would.” You say hoping the rest believe you.

 

Derek agrees “y/n right Peter would never hurt her, yes he’d hurt a lot of people but I don’t think he’d do anything to her” he says knowing his uncles not so secret feelings for y/n. Although the Peter being an alpha was something Derek wasn’t sure about, it’s possible but surely he’d know.

 

Peter walks down the stairs “what have I meant to done now” he smirks. He’s eyes meet yours a small head tilt and smile tells you he’d heard what you said.

 

“Theo thinks your an alpha”  Scott says eyeing up Peter, arms folded, more or less asking the question without words.

 

“if I was Scott, you’d be dead” Peter jokes knowing they wouldn’t question it more. “anyway I’m ready to head home, y/n shall we your my lift” add.  You nod saying your goodbyes.

 

Once in the car Peter seemed quiet lost in his own thoughts. “thanks” he said eventually.

 

“what for?”  you asked not sure what he was thanking you for.

 

“keeping my secret. You didn’t have to lie for me but you did so thank you” he said.

 

You smiled, you had promised you’d keep his secret and did. Even if Theo knew the truth you still wouldn’t rat Peter out. “I keep my promises, I’m a good girl like that” you say.

 

Peter laughs but doesn’t look up at you. “I’m sorry Theo outed you” you say. Peter just shrugs it wasn’t your fault.

 

“sorry he tried to strangle you” he said, thinking he was party to blame for pushing Theo. Also making a mental note to kill him next time he saw him. You smile back saying wasn’t his fault.

Back at the penthouse you walk in the door, as soon as it shuts you take your t-shirt off, showing of your sports bra. Dumping the top in the washing basket you say to Peter your getting in the shower. Giving him a full view of your body hoping after today he’d still be in a touchy mood.

 

Peter headed straight to his whiskey cabinet. His mixed feeling were getting the better of him, ten minutes ago he was jealous then seeing you lie for him made him love you so much more. And then your mini show for him then left almost nothing to his imagination.

 

 He downed his drink refilling it, tonight he was going put an end to this dam game once and for all. No matter what you decide he was done playing.

 

You come down after your shower in short pyjama shorts and top. You didn’t miss the way Peters eyes widened as you walk past swaying your hips.

 

You watch Peter, he seems off you’d noticed it since the game ended. You smirk a thought coming to your head a way get what you want and cheer him up.

 

You open the fridge, getting out a bottle of juice, choosing not to have alcohol so he can’t say your drunk this time. You stretch up high reaching for one of the glasses on the taller shelf, making little noises to get his attention. Once you have the glass you smile giving him a small wink but he didn’t smile back. He turns his head away.

 

You sigh, filling the glass you walk to where he’s sat, sitting on the arm of the chair. “you know sour wolf is Derek’s nickname. This kind of pouting doesn’t look good on you” you say, swinging your legs over his, one foot resting on the top of his thigh, your toes dangerously close to his package.

 

“what are you doing y/n” he asks, unsure what else to do with his mixed feelings right now.

 

“I’m hoping to put a smile on your face, plus I owe you a thank you for coming to the game today” you say moving your toes a little to tease him.

 

He sighed keeping his face straight “I think you should stop y/n” he tone was stern.

 

You look at him confused, the first night from the bar flashing back at you. Maybe you worry wasn’t for nothing, maybe he really didn’t want you.

 

“Trying to find a way to cheer you up, do you really want me to stop. Peter.” You say nudging your foot over his cock.

 

Peter grabbed your foot, “y/n stop, I can’t do this anymore” he said looking you in the eye. Seeing your smile fade he went on to explain. “I can’t play this game we’ve been playing. I thought I could but I can’t.” He says low

 

You didn’t speak, just watch as he runs his hand though his hair, thinking about what he wanted to say next “I can’t handle your looks, touches the way you act like you want me. I can’t handle you falling asleep on my knee and I certainly can’t handle carrying you to bed and it not being mine. Ever since we kissed that night after the bar, all I think about is how much I want you, how you should be mine. How foolish I was acting like the good guy, pushing you away say no because you were drunk and upset, when I should have been the selfish bad guy”

 

He’s words were cut off when you grab him, smashing your lips with his. He was surprised by your action and didn’t move, just closed his eyes enjoying the feeling of you on his lips.

 

You pull back biting back a smile “good, I don’t think I could of handled it any more too, I was hoping you would have said something sooner” you say. This time Peter kisses you, this one more passionate but still light and closed mouthed.

 

His hand slides up the outside of your leg finding your hip. “I promised you I wouldn’t sweetheart, that night I gave you a choice, if you still wanted me in the morning I’d take you to bed, or promise I’d never bring it up” he laughed as his fingers traces circles on your hips.

 

You giggle, almost forgetting he’d said that “then take me to bed Alpha” you playfully order.

 

Peter had other ideas, he pulled you off the arm of the chair onto his lap. Kissing and nipping at you neck “thought you’d never ask” he said flashing his eyes red, scooping you do he can stand with you still in place.

 

You playfully slap him before kissing and biting his jawline and neck. He carries you up the stairs to his room, finally getting the girl he’d wished for and this time he wasn’t going to let you slip away. Peter laid you on his bed gently, leaning over you stirring deep into your eyes “you definitely want this sweetheart?” he asked once last time. You didn’t answer with words. Capturing his lips on yours pulling him closer for more.

 

Peter grabbed the hem of your vest top, slowly sliding it up, his lips following the material until he reached your boobs. He nips and kisses the parts of your boos that isn’t hidden by your black lace bra as he pulls your top off completely.

 

“Peter” you moan. He smiles at you as he comes back for another fast, hungry passionate kiss. He didn’t care how much you beg, he was going to take his time. He was going to make sure you never wanted anyone else but him after tonight.

 

You watched Peter when he broke the kiss apart, pulling his own shirt over his head. You look over his chest, taking in every line, curve and  ripple that makes him. Leaning up on your elbows to get a better, fuller view of him as he started to undo his jeans.

 

You bit your lip, as he slowly slid them off tossing the behind him. He smirked “like what you see” he chuckled before sliding his hand up your legs pulling down your shorts leaving you in your underwear. This time it was Peters turn to admire you, his eyes raked up and down your body “beautiful” he said coming to kiss you.

 

Your hands went to his chest, trailing around his neck, as you pull the hair at the back of his head. Arching your back so he can unclasp your bra he throws it the away like he did his jeans. He leans back to look at you again before kissing your boob his and playing with the other one.

 

Running your hands across his shoulders, digging your nails in as he bites on your nipple rolling the hardened bud in his teeth. You could already feel how hard Peter is, his member pressing against the top of your thigh. You moved your hips to grind against him.

 

Peter took it as a hint, he gently let his fingers down your stomach, sending goose bumps over your skin. He rubbed your covered core making you moan, under his touch. He smiled feeling how wet you were for him, how your body reacted to him. His kisses follow the same path his hand had stopping just above your pantie line. He pulls them down not taking his eyes from yours.

 

He only looks away when there off and he kisses his way up your legs biting your inner thighs. You reach down tangling your fingers in his hair as he licks along clit. You hum and whine as he teases you with his tongue, wanting and needing more. “quit teasing please Peter” you say.

 

“only because you said please”  he chuckles, sliding a finger in you. Your hips buckle as he wastes no time finding the spots that make you cry his name. It wasn’t long before he adds a second. He let’s them explore you, taking in the places that make you moan and cry for him. Before bringing his tongue too your clit to increase the pleasure you felt.

 

Peter knew you were close and didn’t let up swapping his mouth for his thick thumb. “cum for me sweetheart, I want to see you come apart for me” he practically sang. Before you knew it you were pushed over the end, clenching around his fingers, screaming a mix of ‘oh god and Peter’

 

Peter brought his fingers to his lips humming as he licked your cum from them. Leaning over you he kisses you, you feel his tip at your entrance. He let’s it roll along your swollen lips and cups your cheek with his hand. “I’ve wanted this for so long sweetheart” he says lining himself up.

 

He slowly enters you, feeling bigger than you imagined filling and stretching you in the most amazing way. The growl he makes, almost animalistic once he’s deep as he can go. “fuck me Peter” you cry, you didn’t have to ask twice, for him to start moving.

 

Peter was anything but gentle and you loved it. His thrusts were hard and sharp, hitting spots and places you didn’t know existed. You wasn’t gentle too, if Peter didn’t heal, your own scratch marks would have been visible tomorrow.

 

You could feel yourself getting closer to the edge, and so could he. You whine a little as Peter pulls out but before you could moan any words. He flips you over so your now on your hands, entering you again with one fast hard thrust. Once he was settled inside you, he pulls you close so your back is pressed against his chest. His hands on your boobs kissing your neck, all you could do was reach up to grab his hair.

 

You moan his name loving the new position your in. He bucks his hips sending a new pleasure though you.  Trying to turn your head, a new wave of arousal filled your stomach seeing him, sweaty, sexy and those bright red eyes. “Peter, make me yours, bite me” you moan out on the verge of your next orgasm. “make me your little wolf, alpha”  you beg. His growl mixed with his dick hitting your g-spot sent you hurling into your orgasm.

 

Your walls clenching around him as he feels you cum on his dick, mixed with your words send Peter over the edge. His thrusts get sloppy but he doesn’t let up, the sound of you begging he let’s his teeth scratch lightly over your neck but resists the urge to sink then in as he cums deep inside you. “your amazing” he whispers, not caring if you heard or not as he slips out of you.

 

You fall on the bed, out of breath, worn out. Peter hands you a drink before pulling you into his arms. Kissing your head

 

**

You laid naked in Peters bed, his arms around you, holding you close. He kissed the top of your head as you made little soft murmurs in your sleep. He was still stunned last night actually happened, that you’d chosen him, asked and begged for him. He hoped it wasn’t a one time thing. He also hadn’t forgotten your high on sex driven request of becoming his beta, butting and turning her. He wasn’t gonna lie, the thought passed his mind. He almost caved as you clenched around him begging to be his, his little wolf.

 

Peter didn’t do it, almost for the same reason he didn’t sleep with you the first night you entered his penthouse. He worried you’d regret it the next day and hate him for it. He decided he would bring it up again in a few days see how you felt then

 

He smiles as your started to wake, “morning sweetheart” he says, bring his lips close to yours, kind of testing if it was a one night stand for you. To his delight you lean up kissing him. “breakfast? He asked.

 

You shook your head no holding him tighter “I don’t wanna move or you to move, I’m comfy like this” you say. Peter smirks letting himself settle. You stayed there almost an hour, sharing hugs and kisses before you had to get up to go the bathroom. Peter kisses you heading down the kitchen in his boxers.

 

You take a second to take in how yummy his ass looked in the tight silk. When you go down Peter had you a coffee ready. He wanted to bring up what last night meant, if it meant as much to you as it did to him.

 

After breakfast he’d mentally asked you 10 different ways all sounds as bad as the one before. “what’s on your mind?” you ask him noticing him stirring into space.

 

“did you mean what you about wanting to be mine?”  he asked out right, there was no other way to say it.

 

You pull yourself onto his lap looking him deep in the eyes “yes I meant it, I meant it all. I want to be with you, be your little wolf I want you peter” you say before kissing him.

 

He smiles a full happy, and slightly relieved smile. “good it’s all I want too” he says kissing your neck. He promised to bite you on the next full moon but until then you were happy just to be his girlfriend. “you know both Scott’s and Theo’s pack won’t be happy if I turn you” he joked.

 

You kiss him again, “I don’t care what they think,  I want it and I’m happy with you” you say reassuring him. You smirk “buyt until we find a way to tell them it can be our newest secret”

[littlemisslipbalm]

“your turn”

Harry Styles was a romantic. He hated weddings. Rori Williams was practical. She hated weddings, too. How could she deny a man who had just drunkenly confessed his love for her at a wedding? Even if it was completely and totally untrue.

A story of two semi-strangers to lovers with weddings, drunken confessions, and girls with two names.

gif has nothing to do with it but he looks fancy and i like it :) tpwk

Hi! this is for @meetmeinfleetwood to lovers fic challenge! and it’s a little cruel of me to post it today after those wedding pics came out but i have been working on this for awhile and tomorrow’s the deadline so if it’s too soon im sorry and if its just what you need enjoy! I used prompts 12 and 15! It’s my first ofc story which is a little strange for me but i wanted to use a name for this, but besides her hair and eye color and a name she’s pretty generic,,, idk thank you all for always reading and all of that. lmk what you think and reblogs are always really appreciated

Word Count: 9.3k | Warnings: drinking, swearing, implied? smut (couldn’t bring my heart to write any my apologies), harry being a silly drunk, mentions of being afraid of someone taking advantage of someone under the influence but ofc no! actual any misconduct -- a SITCH wedding!!! so cute ::))

Harry Styles was a romantic.

He loved love songs that professed their undying love for their significant other. He loved romance movies, rom coms especially, because they were happy and in love and he got to cry and laugh all in one. He loved writing his own songs about love and he loved spreading the idea of loving and treating others with kindness. He loved first dates and the relationships that sometimes sprouted out of them. He loved reading books about love and how to make it last. He loved poetry that waxed eloquent about love. He loved love.

He hated weddings.

Well, he hadn’t always hated weddings. In the beginning, they were like every other aspect of love, he loved them. But slowly, as he kept receiving announcements of engagement and wedding invitations and he kept not sending out letters of his own, his aversion grew.

Sure, he still loved going. He still wept for the happy couples when they committed themselves to each other. He still clapped profusely and danced to the dj or live band. He still tried to enjoy it. But with weddings he had a nagging sense in the back of his head reminding him that he still hadn’t found it yet. Each of his relationships had fallen short in some way as to not lead him to this destination. So when he sat at his assigned table at these various gatherings, he held a bit of apprehension, a bit of envy, about everything going on. He knew that his smiles were all a little forced and his laugh not quite genuine. His thoughts always managed to be controlled by his green-eyed monster that he always attempted to keep locked away. But at weddings, especially when the alcohol started flowing, he had a harder time controlling it.

Seeing all his friends getting together, getting married, and having children wore on him. Wore him thin more than he ever let on to anyone but his therapist. And his therapist couldn’t seem to give him a better answer than to be patient and not give up hope.

By 2021, Harry had decided that maybe he was just meant to be alone. Love was something he could admire, but it wasn’t meant for him. He could chase it, but it would never let him have it. He was unlucky in love and by Sarah and Mitch’s wedding in the Spring, he had come to terms with it.

He had even been optimistic for it, being Mitch’s Best Man and all had gotten his hopelessly romantic heart all aflutter. He was introduced to Sarah’s Maid of Honor, Renee Williams and she had been lovely. She was 31, a little older than Harry - but age wasn’t something that deterred him, and she had worked with Sarah in Los Angeles before Harry recruited Sarah for the band. They were best of friends and Sarah had known for a long time that Renee would be her Maid of Honor.

When Harry met Renee, he was sure that she was meant to be his person. She was beautiful and hilarious, her beauty mark at the side of her lip was so utterly unique he called her a “right Marilyn”. She insisted she was not a Marilyn Monroe type at all and had laughed. Harry had charmed her with his expert flirting and claimed that just because she was a brunette didn’t mean she was a Marilyn. She had smiled and bantered through the rehearsal dinner with him at her side. He was entranced, it had to be Renee, he had been so sure of it.

When Renee had walked down the aisle just before Sarah, Harry had been sure of it. When Renee had smiled at Harry as Mitch slipped on Sarah’s wedding band, Harry had been sure of it. When he had hooked his arm around hers as they walked down the aisle and into a foyer, Harry had been sure of it. When she laughed at his jokes while they waited for their wedding party photos to be taken, Harry had been sure of it.

When Renee walked up to Harry at the reception with another man wrapped around her, Harry wasn’t so sure of it anymore.

“Harry, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Corey,” Renee smiles giddily between the two men.

Harry’s eyes widen slightly at the word ‘boyfriend’ and he swallows harshly before blinking and putting on a sweet smile. He thrusts his right hand out for Corey to shake.

“Hullo, mate,” Harry says happily.

Corey greets Harry, extending his hand to meet Harry’s with a warm smile and a “how are you”. Harry laughs boisterously and takes a sip of his champagne flute. They shake hands with a firm up and down motion.

“Planning on getting really drunk,” Harry says in response to Corey’s question. “Have a great night, you two,” he finishes and stalks off for a refill.

Renee watches him go with a little bit of a confused look on her face. She sees him tilt his head back and finish his drink before turning to face her boyfriend and peck his cheek. She mumbles to him, “He’s a really nice guy, wouldn’t stop chatting my ear off the past few days. All these people must make him antsy.”

He nods back to her, “They must.”

Harry sidles up to the open bar, discarding his empty flute and exchanging it for a much stronger drink.

“Tequila. Neat...Please.” He sighs and runs a hand through his curls that are slowly becoming less and less coiffed. His fingers slide to the collar of his shirt and tug, attempting to loosen it a little.

“Rough night already?” Someone asks from beside him.

His face turns to them and sees a smiling brunette. Her eyes are big, larger than most eyes he’s come across. They’re brown with tinges of gold and green, likely making them hazel by her standard since most people prefer saying hazel eyes to brown. Her smile is bright and clean and if Harry hadn’t already heard her speak he would assume she was American from that smile. It was perfect, too perfect - the teeth both straight and blindingly white.

He raises his eyebrows at her and thinks about his response. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, leaving them parted, but he remains silent when the bartender hands him his tequila. Harry wraps a specifically less ringed hand tonight, he had forgone his ‘H’ and ‘S’ rings as well as the rest of them actually on his left hand. His right hand still had two: the large flashing lavender gemstone encrusted in a gold casing from Stevie Nicks on his middle finger and then a clean gold signet ring with little crosses on the sides on the adjacent ring finger. Every other finger was noticeably empty. So when he picks up the glass there is no familiar clink which draws the attention of himself.

The woman doesn’t pay any attention to his hand, she’s still waiting for him to respond to her question, as well as waiting for her other drink to be made. She was taking advantage of the two drink system and getting two for herself right now, so she didn’t have to come back until much later.

“You have no idea,” is how Harry decides to respond and then turns to leave. He forgets about the woman and sits at his assigned table for his entire drink, talking casually with the people who come to speak with him.

When he's finished, he goes back to the bar to order a second tequila. He thinks about the girl who had stared at him with her big brown eyes. How she had seen him and thought to ask how his night was when it seemed to be going to shit. And how he had blown her off with barely a glance. God, he could be such a prick. After he receives his drink, he forgets yet again and continues to drown his sorrows in the golden liquid that helps him numb the pain that he had once again missed out on his fairytale love story.

The girl Harry had run into sat in the corner of the ballroom for the majority of the night. She settled on just having that first round of drinks for herself and one glass of obligatory champagne during the toasts. Other than that, she had promised herself she wouldn’t get drunk and go off with a random stranger. This was not a wedding for that. This wedding couldn’t be for that. She just needed to keep her head low and try to have a semi-pleasant time.

When she was nursing her champagne through the toasts, the man at the bar caught her eye again. She knew who he was. He was the Best Man after all. Sarah talked about him a lot, even Renee after the past few days, but seeing him at the bar had been the first time she’d ever seen him up that close. It was strange, he was so human. So tangible in that moment. His shoulders shook with each breath he took. His fingers tapped as they waited for his drink. His green eyes blinked and darted around as he took in his surroundings and even looked at her. He simply was and it had startled her to see him in a slightly bewildered state at the bar, but again, she wasn’t one to judge.

Get through the wedding. Try to have a semi-pleasant time.

It was time for the Best Man’s speech. Renee had just given the Maid of Honor’s and now Harry was up. He stood up and wavered a little as he tried to stand up straight. The neat tequila likely makes his stance a little harder to maintain. Mitch looks up at Harry at his side and smiles fondly.

Harry raises one hand in an awkward wave while the other is planted firmly on the table.

“Hullo,” he starts, “I’m Harry and I’m the Best Man, but I’m sure you knew that already.”

The entire group of guests laugh wholeheartedly, taken by the talented young man.

“To start,” he stutters, his words slurring slightly from the alcohol he’s had, and his smile slithers into a smirk. “Let’s hear it for the bride and groom, the lovely Sarah and Mitch Jones!”

Queue the laughter again. Harry laughs too when Mitch slaps his arm playfully, he turns to look at him with a mock ‘what did I do wrong’ expression.

“I had a speech written out, took a week to write, made it nice and poetic for these two lovebirds, but it seems I’ve misplaced it,” he pats at his pockets and sighs before rubbing his forefinger at his bottom lip. “I hate weddings.”

Everyone laughs again, thinking he’s joking. Harry grimaces but it passes as a smile even though she can tell it doesn’t meet his eyes.

He rambles on for a few minutes about love and commitment, how this is just the beginning for Sarah and Mitch and everyone laughs at the appropriate times and just when he’s wrapping up, successfully stumbling through his messy mind, everyone begins to clap.

“To the happy couple…” queue applause, but she sees him say something else, it’s drowned out by the crowd cheering and clinking glasses again.

He sits back down, downing his champagne glass that’s been refilled twice already during the speeches. Mitch leans over and whispers something in Harry’s ear as he twists a hand through his hair. Harry shifts away from Mitch and gives him a look, telling Mitch that he’s fine.

The party goes on, a few more speeches, a few more glasses of champagne for Harry, a few more sighs from the girl in the back of the room.

She watches the first dance of Mitch and Sarah but once that part is over she slinks off. She’s got half a drink left and all she wants is to be alone. Tired of the party, tired of the people, tired of having to try to have a good time. The Rowland-Jones Party had rented the entire place out, so she wanders out of the main room and down a hallway until the music is a faint buzz in her ear. The air grows colder as the amount of people dwindles from over a hundred to one.

There’s a door to her right that has an intricate golden handle that she pulls down on. It opens quietly onto a similar ballroom that is slightly smaller than the one the party was going on in. It’s quiet and spacious, her steps echo as she enters on heeled feet. The clicking of her satin stilettos resonate against the linoleum. She walks to the center of the room and turns around herself, lifting her head to the light in the room. An ornate chandelier is still above her, it’s the same gold as the handle that let her in. Her eyes travel to the walls that contain swirls of gold as well, everything was encrusted in gold and splotchy vintage mirrors. It was beautiful and she saw herself in the reflection of one of those splotchy vintage mirrors and actually felt beautiful in that moment.

No one else saw her but herself and she thought she was beautiful, a fleeting thought as she watched her body move. No one to watch as her reflection swayed with her. Her lavender dress swished back and forth, the end of it brushing around her ankles. The tulle fabric climbed her torso, cinching at her waist and draping over her breasts. The sleeves fluttered over her shoulders and ended midway down her upper arm. The somewhat sheer material made her tan skin look all the more carmely in the golden light of the chandelier. Her pendant necklace was silver and glinted in the light as it sat evenly over her exposed clavicle and decolletage.

In the corner opposite of the door there was a single table with three chairs. It seemed whoever was meant to put things away had grown tired and left these out. She wasn’t complaining as she crossed the floor to take a seat. It was the perfect escape. It was quiet and not too cold in the room, which was especially nice since she had left her jacket in the coat room. What wasn’t so nice is that her phone had died and she had nothing to do in the room. It wasn’t horrible though, she had wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She just feared what would happen if she sat alone too long with no escape of the internet to drown those thoughts.

That contemplation was squashed with an unwitting solution not ten minutes later. She had been sitting at the table, sipping her drink occasionally and staring at the chandelier. Sighing with content that it was finally silent beside the clink of her melting ice cubes. The house mixed drink was strong, but with each passing second it grew more and more diluted. She considered herself completely sober.

She only questioned that when she noticed a second person in the room. She hadn’t heard them open the door, but she heard their loud footsteps shortly after.

He all but stumbled in and was entranced by the chandelier like she had been. He walks to the center in a similar fashion and twists around, only this time his balance isn’t as good as hers. He ends up on his ass, legs splayed in front of him and hands behind him only cushioning his fall a little. He lets out a huff, “Fuck.” He runs a hand over his face before bringing it down to look around the room again. His eyes are foggy with alcohol, everything hazy and slightly blurry. It feels like he’s moving with superspeed but as she watches him with a tilted head she wonders why he’s moving so slowly.  

He squints while looking around after a moment, running a hand through his thoroughly tousled hair. His tongue comes to wet his lips, but this time it's for a touch too long like he’s genuinely tasting the liquor on them. She raises her brows, observing him, her presence seemingly unknown.

“Oi, you!” He slurs the words and points lazily at her reclined in her chair. “Are you real?”

She half smiles and replies with a simple ‘yes’.

“I like your dress,” he says merely like he was stating a fact rather than giving a compliment. His hair falling into his eyes again despite him just pushing it back.

“Thanks.”

He makes his way to standing, his process rather ungraceful. He twists onto his hands and knees and begins to push himself up. He slips once before making it to full standing, he sways slightly and looks around again like he’s forgotten why he stood up. His eyes land on her again and he decides to make his way over to the table.

“You should probably sit,” she says, watching him splay his arms around him to keep his balance. She had seen him an hour and a half ago and he seemed fine, but now he seemed absolutely and utterly pissed.

“Thanks, mum,” he says as he thunks into the seat beside her, his hand waving off her suggestion.

Her brows raise at the slightly rude comment, but she leans back in her seat still observing him.

“Why do you hate weddings?” She asks once he’s settled and has his head propped up with one of his hands. She takes a sip of her drink as she watches him scan her face again, trying to see if he recognizes her.

His mind must come up empty, a vague memory of the bar slipping away without a second thought.

“It was a joke,” he shrugs.

“No it wasn’t,” she replies easily.

His eyes narrow and he leans forward a little shakily, “Who are you?”

“Aurora.” She licks at her own lips, a stray bit of liquid lingering on her lips.

“That’s a Disney princess name,” he says, unconvinced, how most drunk people were when you told them the truth.

“And my great-grandmother’s and mine,” she responds, a grin playing on her lips as she watches him think it over. “It’s wild how multiple people can have the same name. Did you know people can share a last name as well?”

He leans back in his chair now, unhappy with her snarky response.

“Isn’t that why we’re here, two people joining together and sharing the same last name now?” He threads his fingers as he speaks, mimicking something coming together.

“Yep,” She perks at the question he poses. “You still didn’t answer my question.” Her brows raise once playfully.

“What?” Harry seemed to have lost the plot, his fuzzy drunken brain choosing to forget the first thing she asked him while in this private ballroom of theirs.

“Why do you hate weddings?” She repeats, louder and with emphasis, the words echoing this time.

“Oh,” he looks up to the ceiling and blows air past his lips harshly, “S’ a long story.”

“We got all night,” she offers, and raises her glass to her lips once again.

“A night wouldn’t even cover half of it,” he ponders seriously, his mind reeling. “I’d rather talk about you.”

“Why me?”  She laughs like she’s just received the most delightful surprise.

“Because,” He starts and then sits quiet for a moment before leaning forward, elbows on the table as he peers at her, “I think I’m in love with you.”

“You only just met me,” she responds. “Not to mention, you’re drunk as fuck, Best Man. Just minutes ago I watched you stumble in here and truly fall on your ass.”

“Then tell me about yourself and I’ll explain my hatred for weddings.”

“You’re awfully good at bargaining for being this inebriated.”

“I never lose my charm, no matter how pissed I may be,” he smirks and gives a sloppy wink, hair falling in his face yet again.

She scoffs, but she is rather amused and intrigued by the man beside her. His tie now completely loosened, hair falling every which way, and his green eyes set on her. The shiny shoes he wore slipped around on the ground as he shuffled his feet below him like a child wanting to go play. She figured it was just his drunk brain trying to amuse himself or something. How could she deny a man who had just drunkenly confessed his love for her at a wedding? Even if it was completely and totally untrue. She at least had to entertain the foolish notion that maybe he actually was interested in getting to know her. If anything, it would help pass the time until she could go home.

“I’ll bite,” she relents.

The smirk doesn’t leave his face, it only widens, “Only if I can, too.”

“I wasn’t saying-”

“Shush, sh-sh-shush. I know that,” he holds a hand up at her, trying to get her to be quiet. He sways again, even in his seat he looks as if he could fall over at any moment. She wondered if he might not remember this tomorrow. “I was bein’...” he licks his lips in a pause, “suggestive.”

She laughs again, knowing his sober brain probably would have chosen a more articulate and suave word since ‘suggestive’ was rather tactless and more straight to the point. If she learned anything from all the conversations she overhead about him, Harry was definitely one for tact.

“You were something, that’s for sure,” she wraps a hand around Harry’s wrist, she draws the hand down from its hovering state and lays it against the table again. She withdraws her own hand back to her glass, her drink almost completely gone now.

He smiles, pleased with himself, but unaware that his charms had worn off with his exorbitant amount of alcohol consumed. At least on this girl they weren’t working. She had never been attracted to people who were too drunk to help themselves and she always hoped that’s how others felt too. She was thankful he had stumbled in on her rather than someone who didn’t feel the same way. It made her sick to think of what someone with evil intentions might do if they came across a babbling drunken version of Harry. Pushing those thoughts away since that wasn’t the case, she decided to pat his hand once just in reassurance to herself and him that this was really happening.

“I’m twenty-five.” She states.

Harry nods, a small smile on his lips now rather than a smirk as he watches her again. He liked how smoothly she moved rather than the rest of the world in his drunken eyes, everything else was choppy and fast. She was elegant and fluid, calming even.

“I love love,” Harry says, eyes remaining on hers, no trace of a joke in his tone, “And it hates me.”

“That can’t be true,” she squints at him, a frown gracing her face for a moment at the sadness she sees in his watery eyes. Not crying watery, just watery from his drunken state.

He says nothing, waiting for her to offer more information about herself before he says anything else. This was the deal after all. She quickly realizes why he isn’t responding and sighs, conversation with drunks was tedious already, but Harry seemed determined to make it even harder.

“I’m from California.”

“They always are,” Harry mutters to himself. He ignores her hum of a question, asking what he just said with a simple sound. “All my friends, they’re either getting married or they’re already married and got kids on the way or whatever. They all found love and I’m just here with fuck all.”

She sincerely doubts what the drunken man is telling her right now, but she knows how to play the game now to get more information. “I hate my job,” she states.

“Sometimes I feel like I'm cursed, like I fucked up one too many times and now I’m doomed to never find love.”

Her eyes widen at this, he sounds so damn sad and she wishes she could take his pain away. She knew what a good guy and she couldn’t imagine why he would deserve to feel this way. No one deserved to feel like they weren’t worthy of love. His sad state truly almost brought her to tears. She’s there in a stunned silence and Harry is confused why she hasn’t said anything more about herself. It was her turn.

“What’s something else about you?” He asks, his hand fiddling with itself on the table. She notices once again that there aren’t as many rings on his fingers as what she thought was usual.

She licks her lips and reaches her hand forward. She grasps Harry’s fiddling hand and stops his movement. “I feel sorry that you feel this way, no one deserves the kind of pain you’re inflicting on yourself. I’m very very sorry for you, Harry.”

“That’s not really…” He trails off, losing his focus on her face and instead looking at their hands touching. The feeling is so intense in his buzzing body. Her touch was so calming compared to the electric feeling in his body. It felt nice.

“Can I ask you a different question and then I’ll tell you something no one knows about me?”

He nods eagerly.

“And you can’t dodge the question, you really have to answer it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What did you say at the end of your speech? It got drowned out by applause, but I saw you say something.”

“You noticed?” He asks kind of surprised, then scratches at his eyebrow. He sees her slight glare and knows to get to his answer. “Asked when it’d be my turn…like to fall in love, y’know.”

She sighs, saddened yet again by his words. “Okay, well, here’s my secret... I hate weddings, too.”

Harry’s eyes light up, maybe he really was in love. She purses her lips and pulls back from him.

“I think you’re my soulmate,” he breathes out, again making a false confession. His drunken brain wants it to be true. He’s desperate for his search to be over, for her to be his person.

She smiles that same sad smile that she keeps getting when he says these sad things to her.

“I assure you, I am not, Best Man.”

He looks at her confusedly. She was beautiful, she was clarity to him. Her brown hair was straight with a little wave in it, like it was straightened for the occasion but never truly that way otherwise. It flowed around her head and shoulders, but she had it tucked behind both ears. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone, she just simply was beautiful. Her sun tanned skin looked soft under the golden glow and Harry was sure she was an angel or something.

“Why not?” He insists, leaning forward.

She stands up from her seat. He follows clumsily behind her, standing as well. He was still taller than her even in her high heels. He smiled like a lovesick child down at her, his eyes as big as the moon. She bites at her lip as she sees him look at her so lovingly, so misguidedly. Then she leans up towards his face, up on her tiptoes and past his lips. Her hands hold him straight with them curled in his suit’s lapels. She presses a sweet and gentle kiss to his cheek, closer to his jaw than anything.

“Good night, Harry,” she whispers against his skin before pulling away.

His eyes flutter open, his looks at her confusedly, slightly unaware that he had closed his eyes at all.

“Good night…” He had already forgotten her name, something with an A...or was it an O? He’d have to ask Sarah and Mitch about the girl who had talked to him in the empty golden ballroom, the girl he had fallen in love with. He was certain. She was the one - if only he could find out her name. If he remembered this at all or if he just thought it was a dream.

She leaves the room before him and as she leaves she wonders if she maybe should have made sure he was alright, but she figured their talk was sobering enough. The night was ending and she had a sneaking suspicion that there were plenty of people here tonight looking out for him.

-

Harry forgot about the girl in the ballroom. Or at least he wasn’t sure if it was a dream or reality. He had woken up at Tom’s place where he had said he would stay after the wedding reception so he hadn’t gone home with a girl. He couldn’t remember her name so he couldn’t really ask anyone about her and he didn’t exactly have a lot of people he could ask. He wanted to ask Sarah and Mitch, but they were already off on their honeymoon and he was one of those people who would never bother a couple on their honeymoon. He was too embarrassed to ask Renee and anyone else for that matter.

So, instead, he forgot. Harry forgot about her for three weeks until Sarah and Mitch returned. He had called them for a hike and lunch the moment their plane had landed. He had missed some of his best friends. It was a lull in the year, where he wasn’t touring or in the studio, just living and writing when he felt like it. So maybe he was in need of some inspiration.

“Ah! The Jones’!” He exclaims as he walks up to their parked car at the head of the trail.

Sarah laughs and Mitch rolls his eyes, half-heartedly since he’s just as happy to see Harry as Harry is to see him.

“I missed you,” Mitch says as he brings Harry in for a hug.

“Don’t let the missus hear that,” Harry tuts while he sends a wink over Mitch’s shoulder to Sarah.

“It’s all he could talk about for the past few weeks,” Sarah jokes as she goes in for a hug with Harry. “How do you think Harry is? Hope he’s eating? I miss Harry.” She mimics Mitch’s voice.

Mitch shakes his head shyly, a smile spreading on his face after a moment. “That. Is not true at all,” he assures Harry, “But you do look a little thinner. What have you been eating?”

Harry elbows him with a grin, “I’m fine. Been bored so I’ve just been filling the time with working out.”

They start their ascent up the hill and into the canyon. Mitch nods, his worry for his friend subsiding momentarily before he says something strange.

“I’ve been wanting to ask, but you’ve been gone, about a girl at the wedding.”

“Oh?” Sarah gives Mitch a knowing look.

“Yeah, well the thing is, I’m not sure if she was real or not. I think she was real, but I was so drunk, there’s so many bits missing in my memory.”

Sarah and Mitch both laugh. “You were very drunk, H,” Mitch confirms.

Harry ignores him, “I even asked her if she was real and she said yes, but y’know people can lie in dreams. All I remember is she was amazing and she had a princess name, I think.”

Sarah thinks about the guest list. “No princess names that I can think of. What did she look like?”

Harry squints ahead of them, his sunglasses pushing his curls back on the top of his head. “She had straight brown hair, not long or short. She said she was, uh, twenty-five. She was in lavender, I think.”

“You think a lot,” Mitch interjects which earns him a glare from Harry.

Harry thinks about this part that he remembered vividly, how she had been so confident that he wasn’t. He adds, “...And I told her I was in love with her.”

“Oh god, Harry,” Sarah sighs.

Mitch gives Harry an apologetic smile.

“She didn’t buy it, but she didn’t run off either. We talked for awhile.”

“Maybe it was a dream,” Sarah says.

“Okay, let’s see,” Mitch grows to be the leader of the investigation, wanting everything for his best friend to find the love he knew he deserved. “Twenty-five year old brunettes at our wedding who are single. C’mon there weren't that many people there.”

Sarah thinks about it again. “Renee’s sister is twenty-five. I don’t remember what she was wearing, I hardly saw her all night,” she pauses, “Which is strange since she wasn’t on the job for once.”

“What do you mean ‘on the job’?” Harry asks curiously, remembering his girl saying she hated her job.”

“She’s a wedding planner,” Sarah says, glancing at him because she was almost sure that Renee’s sister was not who Harry was talking about. “But she had referred me to someone else for the wedding, she consulted sometimes and got us a discount, but said she didn’t like working with people she knew personally.”

Harry nodded, how could Renee’s sister be his girl? How could a wedding planner hate weddings? And wouldn’t it be all the more awkward if the girl was Renee’s sister? Renee’s little sister, could it be? He had no clue.

“I don’t think it’s her, though,” Sarah gives a half-smile, “She’s not super...uh, how do I say this?”

As Sarah says “touchy-feely,” Mitch interjects.

“She’s pretty cold-hearted. She’s relatively nice, but what makes her such a good wedding planner is she doesn’t get caught up in the sentimentality of it, she just understands other people’s emotions and knows how to make them feel amazing.”

“That’s a little harsh,” Sarah looks at Mitch with a strong glare. After all, he was talking about her best friend’s little sister.

“Well, what’s her name?” Harry insists, semi-off put, but knowing her secret made him think it was possible for Renee’s sister and his ballroom girl to be the very same.

“Rori Williams, think it’s short for something else, but I don’t know, as long as I’ve known her she goes by Rori.” Sarah gives Harry a sad smile and it reminds him of his mystery girl.

“Do you think I could meet her or something? I just want to know if it’s her.” Harry says as they reach the first peak on their hike. He looks out at the view from there, Los Angeles was green for once, but he knew it would quickly fade to brown and tan as the spring plants died off again from the summer heat.

“Pretty sure she’s off working on some destination wedding right now. She doesn’t like being bothered when she’s working,” Sarah gives Harry a look for two reasons as she says that. One, because she knows his next question would be to contact her anyway. And two, she’s saying how he is exactly the same, hates being contacted when he’s busy with work. “I can text Renee to see what’s up.”

Harry nods, “Please…” He begins to imagine Rori as his ballroom girl and mutters to himself, “A June Wedding…” getting lost in a silly little daydream.

-

“Harry Styles is asking after you,” Renee snickers over the cellphone line.

“What is this? The 1800s?” Rori sighs, as she holds the phone to her ear with her shoulder. She tries to brush her hair from her face with a flick of her head, which makes for a rather silly sight as her head and shoulder move awkwardly. “People don’t ‘ask after’ anyone anymore.”

She was in Hawaii, Maui specifically, steaming a sneaky last crinkle out of the latest bride’s wedding veil.

“Well, he still is doing it. You know how he is.”

“I actually don’t,” Rori responds, easily, ignoring the memories of her two encounters with him. “What does he want?”

“Wants to meet you or something,” Renee says easily. “Thinks he met you at Sarah’s wedding, obviously impossible since I know you scampered off half way through the reception and he was falling down drunk at the half way marker as well…” she trails off.

Rori knows her sister well and expects the next thing to come out of Renee’s mouth.

“Oh my god! Did you hook up with him?!”

Expecting this, Rori responds quickly and calmly, “No, we did not hook up, I would never... I did watch him fall on his ass, though.”

“So it was you!”

“What was me?” Rori squints her eyes at her sister over the phone and finally straightens from her steaming task. She feels like she’s only half paying attention to the conversation, especially since she had no intention of meeting up with Harry. He had been so sweet and sad, and she truly wished him the best, but she knew she wasn’t the answer to his problem.

“You!” Renee all but yells into the phone, “Are his dream girl! He’s been wondering if you were even real for weeks.”

“I’m real,” Rori sighs and crosses the room she’s in to sit at the desk she was using as a work space. She flicks through the planner she was using for the Hearst wedding, set to take place tomorrow. “But I’m certainly not his dream girl...I told him that when he said he was in love with me.”

“He what?!” Renee exclaims and hears her sister sigh once again, she knows Rori is growing tired of the conversation and is ready to offer an excuse to hang up any moment now. “Nevermind that, I’m going to tell Sarah to give him your number and the date you get back to Los Angeles. Keep next weekend clear.”

Before Rori can open her strawberry pink lips to reply, Renee is squealing a goodbye and hanging up. She felt her shoulders sag with the empty line, she reclined into the nicely plush swivel chair. This is why she stayed out of love and relationships when they didn’t relate to work, they were exhausting. Too much ‘he said, she said’ going on at all times. Color palettes, seating arrangements and menus were simple, they made sense, they could be arranged and put into place. Relationships were messy, the actual event of a wedding could even be messy, but when she planned them out, for a single moment everything was orderly and simple. She was in control. She knew she couldn’t be Harry’s dream girl because she knew she couldn’t control that situation.

-

Upon arriving back in the continental United States, at the end of June, Rori ubered immediately to her apartment in Silverlake. Well, it was a converted garage behind a house of a friend of Renee’s. Like most apartments in Los Angeles, it was funky, but it was Rori’s until she decided where she wanted to move. She never wanted to buy in LA and she never wanted to upgrade from the place she had called home for the past four years.

Almost immediately after dropping her pink work tote bag and worn backpack on the floor next to her medium sized navy suitcase, her phone rang through the ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting with an unknown number. A New York number. Possibly a new client, she picks up quickly and shuts the window-paned door behind her. The days were long, the longest day of the year had almost arrived, yet the sun was still beginning to set in the sky and turn the light blue into a painting of oranges pinks and purples.

“Hello?”

“Is Rori Williams there?” A British voice asks, almost timidly.

“Who’s asking?”

“...Harry.”

“I was told you’d be calling or something along those lines,” she smiles to herself.

Harry sat in his room, chewing at his lip, still unsure if the voice on the other side of the phone call was the woman he had talked to previously.

“Can we go for a drink sometime? How’s tomorrow?”

“Someone is quite enthusiastic.”

“It’s just...I’m trying to figure something out.”

“So I’ve heard,” she chuckles slightly.

“So you won’t tell me whether you’re the girl I talked to at Sarah and Mitch’s wedding will you?”

“What would be the fun in that?”

“So it’s a right Cinderella, if the shoe fits situation,” he mumbles, slightly to himself, but she hears him clearly.

She laughs.

“I don’t really care for Cinderella, I’m not really one for Disney princesses at all, actually.”

His breath catches, a foggy memory of something having to do with princesses tries to break into his mind. He couldn’t remember still and he vowed time and time again that he would never get that drunk again. Too much time lost.

“Alright, Harry. I’ve just gotten home from a work trip so I’m planning on a bath, some wine, and some terribly raunchy TV to get my mind off of my life. How about you pick a time and a place for drinks and hopefully I will show up? Great! Goodnight.”

She doesn’t wait for a response, just clicks the red button that hangs up the phone and goes on with her professed plans. Harry sits in stunned silence for a few moments, whatever he had gotten himself into was going to be a ride of a lifetime.

-

At a quarter past six, Harry sits anxiously at the bar top of a semi casual, semi fancy, totally cool bar he loved. It was private so he wouldn’t be bombarded with people, but it was still lively enough that it wouldn’t be dead silent if conversation lulled between him and Rori. That is, if she showed up.

His foot begins to tap, ever so persistently against the silver footrest at the bottom of the bar. His eyes shift from right to left, not wanting to order a drink before she arrives, but also not wanting to wait much longer and not order a drink. He’d waived off the bartender twice already.

She walks in, right on time, Harry had just arrived early. Her lips part into a happy smile at his anxious stance at the bar, he mirrors her expression at the sight of her.

She’s wearing a billowy white button down, the sleeves cinching perfectly at her petite wrists, cinched beneath a brown corset-like tank top. Her breasts showed their true size today in this outfit. She had the collar pulled out and the corset made it so that her cleavage was perfectly sculpted just beneath the crisp white cloth. Her pants were sleek and black, understated to draw more of a focus to her top as well as the lavender jewel inlaid pendant hanging just above the swells of her breast. Harry’s eyes dipped to that level for a moment, but quickly recovered to focus on her face. The night of the wedding had been blurry, but he was sure Rori’s face was the one of his mystery girl.

He’s shy tonight and a little more reserved than last time. He’s out of his comfortable bubble, what could anyone expect from a man so constantly watched. He fidgets with the top most button of his shirt that was buttoned and thinks about unbuttoning it to reveal a little more of his chest, but he refrains. At a friend’s wedding he feels safe, but in public he’s always watching, always aware of the possible prying eye. But like he had said drunkenly to Rori, he always maintained his charm, no matter the circumstances.

“Lavender was gorgeous on you, but this…” he gives a graceful sweep of his hand to gesture at her outfit tonight, “is extremely enchanting.”

“So you remember me in lavender? I thought you couldn’t remember me at all.” She grins as she stands directly beside him, similar to the first time they had chatted at a bartop.

Harry clears his throat at her tease, “I knew once I laid eyes on you, I would know. So now I know.”

She smirks at his reasoning and orders a vodka cranberry, both not wanting to get off her ass or look any certain way. Vodka cranberries were acceptable mature drinks, but not overly pretentious in any way. Harry tells the bartender to make it two. She looks at him with a discerning eye.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” She asks as she slides into the bar seat that seems to be trying to look vintage but was likely made no less than five years ago.

Harry sits too, more easily since his legs are longer than hers. “We met in the ballroom for the first time, did we not?”

“No...we met at the bar in the reception room.” Her hand splays to feel the stone of this counter, cold unlike the wood of the previous one. “We were about this close after you’d rudely stepped ahead of me and ordered before I could...not that you noticed. I asked if you were having a rough night and you pretty much dismissed me.” She bites her lip as she tells him the story, her eyes widen as she watches the distress roll over his features at what she says.

“Oh god,” One of his hands reaches to grab her hand to emphasize his apology, “I’m so sorry, that’s so rude. I was having quite a rough night as you would eventually see.”

He stares at her face, trying to meet her eyes, but she’s glued to the sight of their hands intertwined. He was so smooth and it was making her melt, making the walls she had purposefully put up for this date weak. She had rules, especially for guys like Harry - not that there was anyone that compared to him in her life, but she had them and she knew she couldn’t just be swept off her feet by his sweet voice and gorgeous face that has the most puppy-dog look on it.

She knows she shouldn’t but the extra ice she had added to her personality melts away, her eyes going slightly moony as she watches him visibly relax again. “No worries, I enjoyed your company upon the second meeting, even if you didn’t even remember my name after it.”

“Well,” he finally catches her eye, “That’s where I have a bit of a bone to pick.”

“Oh?”

“You didn’t tell me your real name...gave me some fake name I can’t even remember, but it certainly wasn’t…” His eyes shift to her pendant again and he looks back at her brassy eyes in the bar’s lighting. “If your name is Rori Williams, why is your pendant an ‘A’?” He says slowly, another foggy memory trying to break the surface of his knowledge but still failing.

She finally feels in control of the situation, calm and assured of herself, which was maybe unfair since it seemed Harry really had a hard time remembering that night and she could really fuck with him if she wanted to, but she wouldn’t - couldn’t - with those earnest eyes looking at her.

“I told you my real name the first time we talked, Harry. It’s Aurora,” she retracts her hand from beneath his grasp and touches at the necklace, “I go by Rori both socially and professionally, but officially it’s Aurora and this had been my great-grandmother’s. I don’t go anywhere without it.”

“Almost as beautiful as its wearer,” he smirks, his gaze stuck on her face, attempting to convey something specific. She thinks she knows what he’s saying with his look.

“You’re quite the flirt,” she rolls her eyes playfully before specifically choosing to take a sip of her drink through the little straw the bartender had put in it. It draws Harry’s attention to her lips, and after a moment they were wet with a bit of excess vodka cranberry and Harry felt himself grow a little hot at the tips of his ears when her eyes meet with his. She had caught him staring, but he recovers easily.

“I remember telling you I never lose my charm, it’s true is it not?” Harry inquires, head leaning closer to her as he takes a sip of his own drink, making a show to lick his lips after removing them from the edge of the lowball glass.

Her laughter is loud but not overbearing, Harry thinks it’s the best laugh he’s ever heard even if she’s laughing at him. She’s true in that laugh, she’s not trying to make him fall for her with that laugh, it’s just her enjoying herself.

She responds with something sweet and the two begin the back and forth of a successful date. They both drink around three drinks as the night persists, but it’s enough for her to feel the burning pull inside the pit of her belly for Harry. His hands stay relatively to himself besides a few subtle touches at her hair and hands every so often, his feet are the ones to blame. At one point in the night, he hooks his loafer covered foot around her ankle and she is quick to lean into it, reciprocating the footsie with ease. Each brush of his leg against hers is electrifying, every nerve in her body was beginning to go crazy. She was buzzing in a way that she hadn’t when she had first encountered Harry. Tonight he was more suave, but with a tinge of timidness that made him irresistible.

Harry made sure he wouldn’t get drunk tonight, ordering only as much as Rori. He didn’t want to be the fool who couldn’t remember their time together, again. Plus, he didn’t want to forget any of their time together, he wanted to remember it all. Everything about her was amazing, the feeling he had about her, the nagging desire to meet her was for a reason, he was sure of it. If her voice was a melody, then she was the most beautiful love song he had ever heard.

At 11:30, he leans in close to Rori, his nose brushing at the hair tucked at her ear and asks her if she wants to leave. She looks at him confused, the warm feeling in her stomach falls because she thinks he wants to end the night.

“Oh,” she says dejected, she swore it was going well. “Right..That’s it.”

Harry’s brows crinkle at her sad face.

“No, love, I was saying,” he raises his brows, “Y’know.”

“Oh! Right! You just sounded so...I don’t know, serious.” She sinks in her seat, realizing her presumptions had been wrong.

“I was trying to be,” he twists his lips trying to find the word, as blush rises on his cheeks. “Seductive.”

The two of them are quickly realizing they can’t pretend with each other. Rori can’t keep up the harsh facade against love with him, he sees right through it. Harry can’t play his old tricks with her, she sees right through them.

She laughs again, “Well, it just sounded like you were bored. Sometimes your moves fall really flat.” She offers a sweet wink in consolation for his failed attempt at trying to really get her weak in the knees.

They were a lovesick mess together as they clambered off their bar seats and exit the bar that had gotten increasingly loud.

“So what’s next?” She asks on the warm summer night.

He steps closer and takes the liberty of fiddling with the strap of the corset she has on. His head is tilted down as he towers over her. “You know me Rori, I’m a hopeless romantic so I desperately want to take you out for dinner sometime and slow dance with you until the sun comes up, but,” his breath fans over her face now as he shifts impossibly closer, “I also want to grip your hair as I watch you writhing underneath me. Just tell me what you’d prefer and it’s all yours.”

Her breathing has become a slight pant as his words wash over her. His nose brushes over the ridge of hers and she takes the moment to put her hands on his shoulders and pull him onto her. They were in the alleyway beside the bar, away from prying eyes except a few people too drunk to recognize Harry's face that is all but hidden in Rori.

“Harry,” she breathes, her eyes fluttering shut as she makes the decision to cross them into the point of no return. She wants this too much. She hadn’t thought this would be how her night would go, thought she would brush him off and never see him again, but god, she needed his warm body everywhere. Needed him to touch every part of her.

“Rori,” he responds.

“I want the second one first,” she whispers, feeling a little too eager, but feeling Harry press excitedly against her reassures her.

His lips press a searing kiss to her and she makes a sound of happiness at the contact. Her hands fist at the fabric of his shirt as she presses her lips feverishly back onto his. Harry’s quick to grip at the back of her neck and the small of her back, keeping her tight to him as he licks into her mouth.

“Can still taste that last vodka cran,” he notes before kissing her again.

Their tongues rub against each other, sloppily but with a tenderness hidden there as well. She snorts at his words which makes him smile and they’re kissing is becoming more silly as they try to contain their laughter. He pulls away, finally giving up trying to maintain the kiss while they both laughed.

“Would you like to come back to mine?” Harry asks as he leans his forehead against hers.

Rori’s eyes flicker open and stare into his, the focus only on his eyes and the sprinkle of light freckles and beauty marks below them. She nods her head, making his move with it. They both smile, trying to contain their laughter once more.

She presses her lips against his once more for a small peck and then lowers her head into the crook of his neck. The skin warm and smooth against hers as she whispers happily to him.

“It’s your turn now, Harry,” Rori says blissfully.

She had been the answer to all his questions.

-

[bbyboybrock--archived]

His Secret (Colby Brock Imagine)

Summary: *REQUEST* Hi! I really loved your dark Colby fic and I was wondering if you could do another one (if requests are still open 🥺) maybe something like the reader is a YouTuber and friends with Sam and Sam knows that Colby gets kinda obsessive with girls he likes so he doesn't introduce them but one day Colby comes across one of her videos and immediately becomes obsessed with her and she ends up being quarintined in the new trap house and Sam can't really do anything to stop Colby. If you can thank you🥺

Written: 2020

Word Count: 2,111

Warnings: obsession, swearing

Masterlist

“Thanks again for letting me stay with you guys. I think if I had to be quarantined alone in my apartment, I would have lost my shit. And it’s only two weeks so I promise to be out of here as soon as quarantine is up.” I say I grab the last bag out of my car.

When news first hit that the entire country was going to shut down for two weeks, I kind of freaked. As a YouTuber, you would expect me to be okay with a few days stuck in my apartment alone. The thing is, I hate being alone so much I’m barely even at my apartment. I asked around all my friends and none of them had a spare room and didn’t feel comfortable forcing me to sleep on the couch for that long. Sam didn’t agree at first, mainly because he was moving about a week into quarantine but he called me yesterday saying I could stay with them.

It’s not that I hate being alone, it’s just that I do well with other people. The only reason why I live alone in the first place is because all of my friends already had roommates or prior living arrangements. By the time I decided to move out of my parents’ house and become a proper LA YouTuber, living alone was the only option. I spend more time at my friend’s places or relaxing in a public place. I’ve considered many times just to get some sort of pet but I can barely keep myself alive, let alone another creature.

“It’s no problem Y/N, it’s like having another roommate. Besides, we have an extra room. It wouldn’t have sat right with me if I knew you were freaking out in your apartment when you could be hanging out here.” Sam says as he helps move one of my bags.

“I love how much you get me. This is why we’re such great friends.” I close the door behind us just as Sam’s phone starts to ring.

“Oh shoot, let me get this.” Sam carefully puts my bag down and walks away to answer the phone.

I look around the house for a bit, just to see where I’m going to be living for the next two weeks. I stumble into what I think is going to be the living room. There are boxes scattered all over and a few couches. I look out the window into the backyard. I get why Sam and his roommates joked that they were moving to Hawaii, their backyard is tropical and out of place for LA. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought that I was currently in Hawaii.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” A strange voice says from behind me. I jump and nearly fall on my ass but instead I bump into someone. I turn around and meet a face that I vaguely recognize.

“Sorry, I didn’t know someone else was here. You must be Colby. I’ve heard so much about you from Sam.” I stick my hand out to properly greet Colby. Colby takes my hand and shakes it awkwardly.

“That means you must be our temporary roommate, Y/N. Sam hasn’t told me too much about you. I kind of looked you up a watched a few of your videos. Now I sound like a creep.” Colby starts to blush and nervously scratches the back of his head.

“Hey sorry about that, that was— I see that you two met already…” Sam stops dead in his tracks and looks at both Colby and me.

“Yeah, I quite literally bumped into him. Anyway, what were you saying?” I set down my bag and sit down on the counter.

“Oh yeah! That was Kat, there’s an emergency and I need to go to her place for a bit. I was going to give you a tour of the house and I know we talked about going grocery shopping together before the stores close, but we can do that when we get back.”

“Or she can stay here and I could do everything. I can show her around the house and go with her to the store. It wouldn’t be a problem.” Colby mentions. Sam looks between the two of us again, this time his eyes look concerned.

“Colby, can I talk to you in private for a second?” Colby smiles at me before following Sam into the other room. I look around the kitchen while Sam and Colby talk.

There are still boxes everywhere, but it looks pretty organized. I remember hearing about the horrors of the first trap house so who knows how long this will last. The guys moved in officially on Monday, the first day of the quarantine, but I let them spend the first two days in their new house before I came to disrupt their new lives.

“Okay, it’s set. Colby will help you out while I go help Kat at her place. I hope you don’t hate me for bailing on you right now.” Sam says as he hugs me.

“No, it’s fine. You’ve done enough helping me find a place to stay during this. Go, help your girlfriend. We’ll be here when you get back.” Sam looks at both of us suspiciously before finally leaving.

“Alright, I guess I’ll show you around the house now.” Colby grabs the bag that Sam dropped on the floor and stretches out his hand for me to take. I hesitantly take Colby’s hand and follow him through the house.

Colby and I sit in the drive-through line for Jack in the Box. We had already gone grocery shopping and decided to get something to eat to take home for lunch. The stores were packed and we barely found some of the stuff we needed. It’s like everyone is panic buying for their apocalypse shelters. We’re only going to be locked down for two weeks, I don’t get why they’re freaking out. We were in line so long that we needed to eat as soon as possible, and I don't have the energy to cook as soon as we get back.

“You know what? I’ve been friends with Sam for so long and I’ve pretty much met every single person in your friend group. It’s kind of weird that I haven’t met Sam’s other half until today.” Colby mumbles something under his breath and turns to the menu for a second.

“You like the number 2, right?” He asks.

“What? I mean, yeah I do. How did you know that?” I raise my eyebrow and stare at Colby, who is refusing to look at me.

“I guessed,” Colby rolls down his window, “Hey can I get a number 1 with a coke? And can I also get a number 2 with a Mr.Pibb, no ice, and curly fries? Oh, and stuffed jalapeño?”

“How the fuck did you get my entire order right, down to the drink and the stuffed jalapeños? Did Sam tell you or something?” I watch as Colby rolls the window back up and drives up.

“Um… this is going to sound bad. But I found your channel a few months ago and since then I’ve been a bit of a fan. You mentioned it one time in a video and I remembered it. Now you’re going to think I’m a creep and not want to stay with us anymore.” Colby ruffles his hair before reaching for his wallet. I sit quietly on the side while he pays for our food.

He did that at the store too. While we were looking for food he would just put something that I like in the cart and lead us to specific aisles that I normally go down. I guess him being a fan makes a bit of sense. I must have mentioned all that stuff in a video or live one time. I’m a creature of habit so I get the same things every time. It’s still a bit creepy, but I shouldn’t read too much into it, I’m going to be living with him for two weeks.

****

Sam and I sit in my temporary room, playing video games. I spent time with Jake, Corey, and Colby earlier but Sam could sense my social bar declining rapidly so he pulled me away. I’m sure I’ll get to know the other roommates during the two weeks I’m stuck with them for quarantine, but for now, I can only deal with them for so long. There is so much chaotic energy in this house.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you. How was Colby earlier?” Sam asks as he passes me up in Mariokart.

“It was fine. We got everything we needed, minus the toilet paper because people are crazy. You should have told me he was a fan though, it would have made things less awkward.” Just as I’m about to red shell Sam, he pauses the game.

“What do you mean awkward? What happened?” Sam turns and locks eyes with me. His eyes droop with concern.

“I just mean, you know how fans can be. There’s a certain breed that knows just a little too much about you. It’s fine, I just wasn’t expecting it. He’s not like a creep or anything. Or at least, he didn’t try to pull anything if that’s what you’re worried about.” I turn back to the tv and press play.

I quickly red shell Sam and pull into first place. He doesn’t say anything as he drifts into second place, which normally he does. From the corner of my eye, I can see Sam biting his lip and furrowing his brows, deep in thought.

“Sam,” I sigh as I pause the game again, “if you need to tell me something, you might as well tell me now. You know, instead of weighing the outcome of telling me. What is it?” I place the remote on the floor and turn my full body to face Sam.

“Look, it’s nothing bad or really serious. It’s just… Colby.” Sam flips his hair out of his eyes and stares at me.

“What, is he some serial stalker who ends up murdering his victims?”

“No, not exactly. Wait, that sounds bad. Okay, so Colby has this… issue with getting obsessed with girls. Like in an almost creepy way. Which is why he’s single. This is starting to sound bad again. Colby has a thing for pretty girls. And you aren’t bad to look at.”

“Oh my God, Samuel you have a girlfriend.” I joke.

“Shut up, Y/N, you know what I mean. Anyway, when Colby finds a girl, he’ll get so completely wrapped up, almost like a crush but then times more intense. He’ll try to find out anything and everything he can about them. It’ll get to the point that he’ll try to get with them but then get bored because they aren’t like the person he envisioned them to be and hurt them. I knew that you had recently fallen into his radar, which is why I didn’t want you staying with us at first, but you were desperate. I’m not trying to freak you out, I’m just being honest and open. I should have told you before. I talked to him before and I guess he wasn’t paying attention.”

My breath stays stuck in my throat. I swallow hard and stare back at Sam. His blue eyes are soft like he’s afraid that I’m going to stop being friends with him because of Colby.

“He’s not going to like, jump me to anything, right?” I tuck my hair behind my ear and fix my posture.

“Of course not. He would never, but I get being worried about that after hearing everything.” Sam puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently.

“Well, quarantine is only going last for two weeks. I’m not going to be stuck here longer than that. So I can deal with this for now. Then I can move back to my apartment and we can go back to just the two of us hanging out.” I pat Sam’s arm that’s resting on my shoulder and smile at him.

“As long as you’re okay with it. If you up and leave anytime during the two weeks I won’t be offended.” Sam says smiling back.

“You know I hate being alone. Now let’s stop talking about this so I can’t go back to whipping your ass in Mariokart!” I quickly grab my controller and press play before Sam is ready.

“Hey, you fucking cheater!” He yells as he scrambles to get his controller.

[annab-nana]

Bar Babe - Colby Brock

Kat insists that Colby comes with them after Sam gets his days mixed up and while at dinner, he catches the attention of a gorgeous girl behind the bar.

Requested by an amazing anon 💙

Warnings: some curse words; mentions of alcohol

Word Count: 1.5k+

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

“Yo Sam, you ready to go?” Colby asks as he knocks before opening the door to his best friend’s room. The boy lifts his eyes from his phone to notice that Sam isn’t by himself in his room like he had expected. Katrina sat on the circular bed that sat in the corner of the room and shot Colby a nice smile before speaking.

“Hi Colby!” She spoke excitedly as her grin grew bigger. She was always the bubbliest and happiest person anyone had ever met, but her smile soon turned into a look of confusion as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Where are you and Sam going?” she pondered.

“Grab something to eat and maybe find something else to do after. We haven’t really planned anything out,” Colby finished his statement with a slight chuckle as he hears movement coming from the closet, assuming Sam is in there.

“Shit.” Both Kat and Colby hear the mumbled profanity come from the closet as Sam walks out, pulling a light blue top that complimented his eyes very nicely over his head. He met the blue eyes of his best friend before he begins his apology. “I am so sorry, Colby. I forgot we made plans and I promised Kat we’d hang out tonight.”

“No, don’t worry about it, bro. I’ll get Jake or Corey to go with me,” he reassured Sam as he backed closer to the door to leave.

“Wait, Colby. Why don’t you go with us?” Katrina suggested as she fiddled with the ends of her brown highlighted locks.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to intrude on your night together. I can get someone else to come with me,” Colby repeated, but Kat was persistent.

“It’s totally fine. You won’t be intruding, I promise. We want you to come. Right, babe?” Sam nodded. The two boys shared a look before Colby agreed to go with them.

…

“I heard you guys wanted a drink menu. Y’all celebrating something or just here to have a good time?” You spoke with enthusiasm as you pass out the three beverage menus to the lovely trio sitting at the table. It was clear as day that the two brunettes were a couple, but the one with a slight blue tint to his hair had definitely caught your eye.

“Nope, we are celebrating,” the beautiful girl before you mentioned before gazing loving at the boy next to her. To witness such an amazing example of love brought the hugest smile to your face and a blush dusted across your cheeks.

“Well, I’ll let you browse the menus for a moment,” you inform them as you make eye contact with each of them. The boy who had caught your attention held your gaze a bit longer before you broke it to return to the bar.

“Okay, she totally likes you!” Katrina squeals after you are out of hearing distance.

“Shh, she’ll hear you,” Colby hushed before turning his attention back to the menu you had handed him earlier.

“You can’t deny that there wasn’t something between you two,” Sam comments as his blue eyes search for something appetizing to drink.

“I don’t even know her. All I know is that she is absolutely gorgeous, and she seems super sweet and cool,” Colby tells the couple sitting across from him.

“You didn’t even look at her name tag? Her name is y/n,” Katrina adds.

“Even her name is beautiful,” He says astonished that you were even more perfect than he thought. His eyes looked up to see you serving drinks to a couple of girls who sat at the bar and your delightful laughter filled his ears. He stared at you as if you were the most beautiful person he had ever laid his eyes on. You looked away from the group of girls and your eyes caught his. A blush crept onto both yours and his cheeks as you each looked away, only to lock eyes once again. A small giggle left your lips before you refilled a man’s beverage and made your way back to their table.

“Did y’all have enough time to decide on what to drink?” You ask as you pull out your notepad and pen after they nod their heads.

“I’ll take a glass of white wine, please,” the girl ordered as you jotted down the drink before turning to the brunette beside her.

“I’ll do the Old Copper,” he spoke. You wrote it down as well and then turned to the pretty boy who you had caught staring at you earlier.

“And what can I get for you?” you ask sweetly as you mindlessly place the end of your pen between your teeth. He notices and stares down at it, taking in how gorgeous your lips looked and how they would feel against his own.

“Um, Colby?” the girl whispered as she kicked his leg underneath the table. You laughed softly as the guy which she called Colby shot her a glare before he turned to speak to you.

“I’ll get a Darker the Berry, please,” He told you. He gathered the menus and handed them to you.

“Thank you, Colby.” You gave him a little wink before returning to the bar.

“You have to ask her out!” Kat speaks excitedly leaning against the table.

“Or at least give her your number, brother,” Sam adds on.

“Go talk to her,” Katrina encourages, but Colby shoots it down.

“Maybe later, okay?” He questions, hoping she will give it a rest. She nods in defeat before browsing for what she would like to eat.

The night continues on as you and Colby share several glances, smiles, and winks. When you brought their drinks to them, his fingers grazed yours and lingered there for a moment before he fully took it from you. As you refilled older man’s glass of beer, you heard someone clear their throat behind you. You whip your head around to once again meet the bright blue eyes of his and smile.

“What can I help you with, pretty boy?” You ask as you hand the glass of beer to the man.

“Pretty boy?” He questions and you nod. “Why’d I get that nickname?”

“Look at you. The jewelry, the clothes, the hair. The name just suits you.” He acts offended but you can tell it isn’t real.

“Is it a bad thing?”

“No, not at all. I like it.” You compliment as you wipe down the countertop. “Colby fits you a lot better though.”

“I like y/n as well. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” Blush rises to your cheeks as you shake your head.

“Are you flirting with me, blue eyes?”

“You are just full of nicknames, aren’t you?” He fires back as you place the rag under the counter.

“You didn’t answer my question, sweetheart.”

“Maybe I am. Is that okay with you?” He asks you and you can see he truly means it. He is not like other guys who flirt with you. They are normally far more drunk and a lot more forward, but Colby seems to be kind and genuine. He does not seem to be looking for a hookup, but to be honestly interested in you. You nod your head at him and he shoots you his amazing smile that could melt you in seconds. The two of you talk for what feels like forever as you run around the bar, serving drinks and cleaning up after the customers.

“I don’t think it can get much cleaner, y/n,” Colby jokes as you wipe down the whole bar.

“You do realize we’re about to close, right? I don’t clean this much unless it’s the end of the night.” You watch as he looks around noticing no one is there but other workers and you two. His friends left a while ago and Colby told them he would catch an uber or something.

“Oh shit, I didn’t mean to stay this long,” He chuckles nervously before meeting your gaze.

“It’s fine. I enjoyed the company. Normally, the last hour is the worst but you made it much more bearable.” He smiled before sliding off the stool.

“I had fun too,” Colby said before you turned around to clean out some glasses. While you had you back to him, he grabbed a napkin and a pen before quickly writing his number down on it. “I’ve got to get going, but I’ll see you around sometime.” He spoke before leaving after you told him goodbye. You place the glasses back where they go before noticing the napkin.

“What?” you mutter to yourself as you get a closer look at what is on it. Rolling your eyes, you chuckle before pulling out your phone to text the number.

Y/n: let me guess, is this pretty boy?

Colby: hahah yes it is, i was wondering if you would want to hang out tomorrow night?

Y/n: I think I might can, yeah

Colby: cool, see you then bar babe

Y/n: oh now you’re the one with the nicknames

Colby: i learned from the best

[highladyluck]

Wheel of Time Playlist

Mat Cauthon/Tuon Paendrag: The Soundtrack

Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LWolFwiwWQtcnQV7zceMj

30 songs, 1 hr 43 min. This is my take on the canonical arc of Mat Cauthon and Tuon Paendrag's relationship, told largely through swing music and 80s power ballads, with a few surprises here and there.

I put a lot of time and thought into this so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! There are spoilers in the playlist and track listing for Winter's Heart through A Memory of Light, since this is meant to mirror the narrative. It's organized mostly chronologically, though a few songs cover multiple books, or reference scenes placed slightly out of order, to better alternate points of view.

The order will be preserved if you have a paid Spotify account. (I know that's not ideal; I tried for several hours to get this into 8tracks through a series of increasingly convoluted methods but wasn't able to, as I don't directly own the music used.) If you can't listen to it in order, I've got the track listing under the cut so you can at least see what I was trying to do.

Track List:

1)      Royals (feat. Cory Gray) – Jake Coco, Corey Gray

“I’m no lord. I’ve more respect for myself than that.”

And we'll never be royals (royals)/

It don't run in our blood

2)      Almost There – Anika Noni Rose

Behind her veil, she was merely the High Lady Tuon, of no higher rank than many others of the Blood, but in her heart, always, she was Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, Daughter of the Nine Moons, and she had come to reclaim what had been stolen from her ancestor.

Ain't got time for messin' around/

And it's not my style

 3)      Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man – Sammy Hagar

“I’m a gambler, not a soldier. A lover.”

I ain't good looking, but you know I ain't shy/ Ain't afraid to look a girl in the eye

 4)      Primadonna – MARINA

 “She is my wife! Your bloody Daughter of the Nine Moons is my wife!”

Would you get down on your knees for me?/

Pop that pretty question, right now baby

 5)      Been Caught Stealing – Richard Cheese

And Mat and the others galloped out into the storm, carrying with them three Aes Sedai, two of them escaped damane, and the kidnapped heir to the Seanchan Crystal Throne, while behind them a far worse storm broke over Ebou Dar.

Walk right through the door/ Hey all right!/ If I get by, it's mine/ Mine all mine!

 6)      Luck Be A Lady – Frank Sinatra

“As soon as I can figure out how to send you home safe and sound, I will. I promise.”

[...]

“So long as you keep your promises, I will neither escape nor betray you in any way, nor will I cause dissension among your followers.”

Let’s keep this party polite/

Never get out of my sight/

Stick with me baby, I'm the guy that you came in with/

Luck be a lady tonight

 7)      Holding Out For A Hero – Bonnie Tyler

“Do you remember Hawkwing’s face, Toy?”

I'm holdin' out for a hero 'til the morning light/ He's gotta be sure/ And it's gotta be soon/ And he's gotta be larger than life

 8)      Play The Game – Queen

“I’ve changed my mind, Toy,” she murmured, placing the white stone carefully on the intersection of two lines near the center of the board. “You play very well.”

All you have to do is fall in love/

Play the game, everybody play the game/

Of love

 9)      Poker Face – Lady Gaga

Despite himself, Mat began to laugh. He threw his hat down on the floor and laughed. With everything, all his efforts, he did not know this woman at all! Not a bit! He laughed until his ribs hurt.

Can't read my, can't read my/ No, he can't read my poker face

 10)   Young Dumb And In Love – Mat Kearney

Her big eyes were dark pools a man could spend a lifetime swimming in. Her rare smiles could be mysterious or mischievous, and he prized them.

I'm talking much, and you don't make a sound/

The prettiest face and those rock-a-bye baby browns/

All I've waited for's come true/

To be young and dumb and in love

11)   Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

She was still beaming. Her big eyes shone. “She’s a very fine animal, Toy. A wonderful gift. Either you have a good eye, or you were very lucky.”

“I have a good eye, Precious,” he said warily. She seemed more delighted than even the razor called for.

so there's one thing I crave/ when my days become ho-hum and blah/ I want a zebra

 12)   Steppin’ Out With My Baby – Fred Astaire

He grinned at Tuon, who gave him a slight nod. He had missed this, dice in a common room or tavern, coin on the table, wondering how long his luck would hold. And a pretty woman at his side while he gambled. He wanted to laugh with pleasure.

Steppin' out with my honey/

Can't be bad to feel so good/

Never felt quite so sunny/

And I keep on knockin' wood

 13)   Mack the Knife – Louis Armstrong

Tuon nodded approvingly. The bloody woman was dying to see him get into a knife fight!

[...]

To him, the world consisted of his two knives and the men crowding each other to get at him, and his knives sought the places where men bleed most heavily. Some of those ancient memories came from men who had not been very nice at all.

You know when that shark bites

With his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows

Start to spread

Fancy gloves, though

Wears ol' Macheath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

 14)   Rescue Me – Fontella Bass

“If one army is out to kill you, then they probably all are, and there are too many soldiers between here and Ebou Dar. But don’t worry; I’ll find some way to get you back safely.”

[...]

His boot slid in a patch of blood, and as he staggered, he knew he was about to die.

Abruptly Tuon was there, left hand seizing the young woman’s wrist—not the wrist of the knife hand, worse luck—twisting so the arm went stiff and the girl was forced to double over.

Come on, baby, and rescue me/ 'Cause I need you by my side

 15)   Too Close For Comfort – Eydie Gormé

He bent his head to hers. She was far from the first woman he had kissed. He knew what he was about. Surprisingly—or then again, perhaps not so surprisingly—she did not know. She was a quick pupil though. Very quick.

Be wise, be smart, behave my heart,/ Don't upset your cart/ When he’s so close.

 16)   Fever – Michael Bublé

She laid fingers against his cheek. “I thought so,” she said in that slow honey drawl. “You’re feverish. Some of your wounds must be infected.”

[...]

Mat blinked. He gave her a kiss that had to have curled her toes, and all she said was that his face was hot?

When you put your arms around me/ I get a fever that's so hard to bear/ You give me fever when you kiss me/ Fever when you hold me tight

 17)   Burning Down The House – Tom Jones, The Cardigans

Karede felt as if Hartha had kicked him again. No, not Hartha. Aldazar. What madness was this? Cauthon looked like a man watching an arrow fly towards his face, knowing he had no chance to dodge.

“Bloody Matrim Cauthon is my husband. That is the wording you used, is it not?”

This had to be a fever-dream.

Watch out you might get what you're after/

Cool babies strange but not a stranger/

I'm an ordinary guy/

Burning down the house

 18)   Love Is A Battlefield – Pat Benatar

“The next time I see Seanchan, I expect it will be on the field somewhere, Tuon.” Burn him, it would be. His life seemed to run that way no matter what he did. “You’re not my enemy, but your Empire is.”

“Nor are you my enemy, husband,” she said coolly, “but I live to serve the Empire.”

Both of us knowing/ Love is a battlefield

 19)   Empire – Alpines

Tuon straightened her back. She had not thought to become Empress for many years yet. But she would do her duty.

[...]

Fortuona was empress.

 I'm building an empire/

I'm building with my body and soul/

I'm building an empire/

So little time and so much to do

 20)   Distant Stations – Andrew Bird

Stay well, you curious man, she thought, glancing back at the balcony, northward. Do not dig yourself into trouble deeper than you can climb to freedom. You are Prince of the Ravens now. Remember to act appropriately.

Wherever it is you are.

[...]

Thom finished by making a wavy line through the center, as one did at the start of any game of Snakes and Foxes.

[...]

Mat crouched beside a fern, unseen by the dozen or so Deathwatch Guards who stood in a ring around Tuon as she went through a series of fighting stances.

 It was a triangle/ With soft, round edges/ And a split down the middle of one corner

I waited for you/ But I never told you where I was/

I waited on the steps for you/ And I hid in the bushes whenever a car pulled into the parking lot

 21)   Black Coffee – Sarah Vaughan

I should very much like to have him back. She froze; she hadn’t meant to admit so much. She found her own emotions curious, however. She had felt safe with him, ridiculous though it seemed. And she wished he were with her now.

Black coffee/ Feelin' low as the ground/ It's drivin' me crazy/ This waitin' for my baby/ To maybe come around

 22)   Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps – Cake

“Love?” Tuon sounded surprised. “Perhaps we will come to love each other, Matrim, but I have always known I would marry to serve the Empire.”

[...]

“And do you love me?” he asked, forcing the words out.

 You won't admit you love me/

And so how am I ever to know?/

You only tell me/

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps

 23)   Best of You (with Elle King) – Andy Grammar, Elle King

“When you saw me,” Mat explained, “with a dagger in hand—as if to throw at you—you didn’t call for your guards. You didn’t fear I was here to kill you. You looked over your shoulder to see what I was aiming at. That’s the most loving gesture I think a man could receive from a woman. Unless you’d like to sit on my knee for a little while…”

 'Cause the best of me loves the best of you/

And all the rest, I can see right through/

You trust in me and I'll trust you too/

'Cause the best of me, loves the best of you

 24)   Dance Me to the End of Love – Leonard Cohen

“I’m not going to sit on your knee,” Tuon said, pulling one arm out of her robe, exposing her breasts, “though I may allow you to sit on mine.”

 Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on/ Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long/ We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above/ Dance me to the end of love

 25)   Roll the Dice – Annie Vincent

Order in one hand—something known, something she could measure—chaos in the other. Chaos in the form of a one-eyed man who knew Artur Hawkwing’s face.

Had she not just told Selucia she would bet upon him?

Roll the dice (C'mon)/ Take a chance with life, just roll the dice/ This will be your time, so roll the dice/ And nothing's gonna stop you now - no, no, woah

 26)   Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake

She was something incredible, though. He felt a thrill each time she gave orders; she did it so naturally.

 I want a girl with a mind like a diamond/ I want a girl who knows what's best

 27)   They All Fall Down – XY Unlimited

“A last stand,” Mat said softly. “All of us, together, at a one place where the terrain favors us.”

 One by one the soldiers stumble/

See them as they stand and tumble/

You're here with me

 28)   Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

“I’ve had it with you,” Knotai said, waving a hand at her. “You and your bloody Seanchan rules just keep getting in the way.”

“Then I have had it with you as well,” she said, raising her head.

[...]

“I suppose you give me the opportunity… perhaps the mandate… to follow what my heart would choose, whether or not it is wise.” She stood. “General Galgan, gather your troops. We return to the Field of Merrilor.”

 For we know we need each other/ So we better call the calling off off/ Let's call the whole thing off!

 29)   Never Knew I Needed – Kathryn

“Well, I guess I’m off the hook, now. You have an heir.”

“I have an heir,” Tuon said, “but I am the one off that hook. Now I can kill you, if I want.”

Mat felt his grin widen. “Well, we’ll have to see what we can work out. Tell me, do you ever play dice?”

 You are the best thing I never knew I needed/ So now it's so clear, I need you here always

 30)   Twin Human Highway Flares – The Mountain Goats

All he had to do was convince Tuon to forsake her throne and run off with him.

  You turned to me and asked me if I'd always be your boy/

As we drove across the river into western Illinois/

And on the railroad bridge, half a mile of solid steel/

Wheels were spitting out sparks, scraping at the rails

[stardancerluv]

Gotham Lockdown 2020

Part 13

Summary: Thanksgiving, has come to you, Roman, Victor and his girl!

Warning: Fluffy...ruffled Roman, daddy!kink

You and Doll-face had decided to wake up early, it was Thanksgiving day. So much had to be done.

The elevator was a buzz as the two of you chatted. It was super early and your respective other halves were still soundly sleeping in their beds.

Once downstairs, the two of you went to work decorating the club. Table legs and chairs screeched. Table clothes were fluffed at least three times along with napkins. Plates, silverware were all put out.

The two of you stood back and smiled, “Now, that looks good.” Victor’s girl smiled.

“Oh! Wait...I just remembered.” You ran back to storage. You grabbed a handful of candles and and candle sticks. “We almost forgot these.”

Together you put them all out. They had to be the right height and color. “Ok, now its perfect.” You smiled, you looked down at your watch. You still had enough time to prepare the turkey before the parade would start.

She got out the large oven roaster. You grabbed the turkey. “How did you and Victor get this? It’s huge.”

She smirked. “Victor and I have our ways of doing things.” She began giggling then. “We just managed to sneak one out it out in the shopping cart we had managed to fill up and steal.”

You just shook your head. “Well, you two are far braver then I am. Great that you and Victor did this!”Carefully, you unwrapped the turkey. “You twi certainly saved Thanksgiving.”

“Start running the water and we will rinse it out.” Doll-Face, told you.

“Alright,” you grimaced, nodding. “I will hold it and you can grab those innards.”

Victor’s girlfriend smirked. “I thought you were braver then this.”

“I am but this is just gross.” Soon, she pulled out this and that. “Double check, make sure it’s empty!” She leaned over and smiled. “All clear.”

“Let’s rinse it one more time and then we can stuff it.”

Soon, the veggies and a few of the fruits were chopped. You let her hold the turkey while you stuffed it up. You shoved in the last cinnamon stick and you were happy it was done.

Together in a small dish you made a rub, to season the turkey. Once that was in it was time to out it in the oven. You washed your hands then and took off your apron, “Are you ok with some of the prep while I go and watch the parade with Romy?”

She shook her head. “Not at all...go...I’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you.” Quickly, you ran around the corner to the elevator. A small scream came from you as you bumped into Victor. “You were supposed to still be in bed mister.” you giggled.

“Couldn’t sleep anymore after Doll-face went to go and help you prep.” He admitted, shrugging. “Figured, I’d start helping.”

“You’re so sweet Victor.”

He shrugged. “You better get up there little bird.”

“I’m going, I’m going.”

Grabbing the elevator you went up to the penthouse.

*****

You greeted by a sleep rumpled, slightly grumpy looking Roman. It all melted away way and brightened when he smiled seeing you.

He held out his arms and you hugged him tight. “Happy Thanksgiving, baby.” He kissed the top of your head.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Rommy.”

“Go on over to the sofa, I made it ready for us, I’m just grabbing the popcorn and hot chocolate.”

You smiled brightly, up at him. “You made us snacks.”

He smiled, raising an eyebrow. “We need a little something. Since we won’t be eating till the turkey is ready.”

“True.” Sighing, you just stayed in his arms for a moment, feeling his heartbeat. He was still very warm from sleeping.

*****

Your heart melted as you saw that he brought a big fluffy blanket. Outside you noticed had started to snow. This was perfect, you mused.

“Today,” the person announced on the tv. “We will be airing, the parade from year that everyone loved. It won by a landslide.”

“It’s about to start.” You called out.

“I’m here.” Only lights were coming from outside and the tv. As the snow began to get heavier. He put down, the large mug of hot chocolate and the bowl of popcorn. He held up the blanket behind him. “grab our snacks and cuddle in, baby.”

You smiled. “I’d love to.” You sighed. This was wonderful, you leaned up against him.

As the parade went on, you’d hand him the mug of hot chocolate or a handful of popcorn.

“Oooo” you cooed. “There comes Snoopy!” You exclaimed.

“Damn, you are too cute sometimes, babygirl.” He kissed the stop of your head.

You just happily wiggled against him. “You love it.”

“Only because its you baby” His eyes doubled and a huge smile spread across his face. “There’s my favorite, Grover!”

Now you were the one melting from his ability to be cute, it was rare but sometimes it happened.

He grabbed the mug of the hot chocolate you two shared and he took a big gulp.

You giggled when you saw that he got a hot chocolate mustache.

He looked at you and smiled, “What’s so funny?”

“You have a chocolate mustache.”

He leaned in close, “Take care of it for me baby.”

“I would love to.”

“Oh!” He stopped you and grabbed your chin, “you have some chocolate on your cheek baby.” Tilting, your face up, he slowly licked your cheek.

You sighed, feeling his tongue immediately aroused you. You made a soft sound.

“‘Mm..baby.” He murmured. “You taste good.”

“My turn.” You whisper. You kissed him then. You licked and sucking till the chocolate mustache was gone.

“Straddle me baby.” Getting up you watched as he opened his robe.

Easily straddling him your let your fingers entwine in his chestnut locks. “I’m here.” Your lips met, you enjoyed how he tasted like mixture of himself and chocolate. As you felt his hands move over your body as you kissed, writhed under his touch.

******

Once in the elevator, he kissed your knuckles. “You are gonna love how I make sweet potatoes.” He promised.

You smiled at him. “I can’t wait, where did you come across the recipe?”

Roman, looked off into some murky past that he did not always visit. “I had one nanny, who was actually quite nice. They cared about me and showed me a few things. Sweet potatoes was their specialty.” He chuckled.

You smiled. “I am glad you had a good one.”

“They helped to balance out the others and my parents for that matter.”

“Well, that’s all behind you. Now you are the king of Gotham.”

He smiled. “Damn straight and I have you by my side.”

“I am so glad that I am.” You kissed his cheek, you loved how the slight scruff of the vague shadow of his hair tickled your lip.

He squeezed your hand before walking over to where Victor and his girl were making and preparing their own dishes.

@darling-i-read-it @spn-obession @vintagemichelle91 @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @ewanfuckingmcgregor @zodiyack @angel98624 @starwarsprequelfangirl @nebulastarr @emyliabernstein @thepeachreads @itsknife2meetu @whyisgmora @theblackmaskclub @omghappilyuniquebouquetlove @nomnomnomnamja @poe-kadot26 @top-rumbelle-fan @primadonna-girl23 @hazel-nuss @vcat55 @feelthemadnessinside @rosionis @queenofgotham800 @brookisbi @peachthatdrinkslemonade @johallzy @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @foreverhockeytrash @frostypenguinoz @rentskenobi @starwarsslytherin @proffesionalclown @chogisss @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @shantellorraine @xxinvisiblexx @pooshnulooshnu @speedypartyducksuitcase @blondekel77 @corey-clown @drarrylov3r

[meghan-huntergirl-winchester]

I’m Back!! (Eventual Reader X Shield)

So this was actually not a request, it was something that just came to me one day and I’ve been tweaking it here and there over time. I originally was never going to post it because I wasn’t sure if I liked it but I’m taking a leap of faith lol 

Word Count: 1536

Warnings: Violence and cursing

“Seth Rollins and HHH versus Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose will take place 3 weeks from now, at Summer Slam! Goodnight everybody, from Monday Night Raw!”

Y/N clicked off the television with a sigh. It had been 2 years since she had been in a WWE ring and it hadn’t ended well. The night of June 2, 2014 and a career threatening injury changed her life forever.

*flashback*

Y/N thought it was her imagination when she heard the sound of steel making contact with a body. But when she turned around, she was shocked to see that her nightmare had become a reality. Seth had turned his back on his family and Roman and Dean were now lying on the ground having been hit with a steel chair.

“What are you doing?” she shouted at him.

“I’m doing what’s best for business!” He shouted, kicking her in the stomach and hitting her on the back with the chair. Y/N was stunned and didn’t have time to fight back. The last thing she remembered was seeing a steel chair rapidly approach her face as Seth curb-stomped her. There was a searing pain in her forehead and neck, then everything faded to black.

4 hours later Y/N would find out at a hospital that the pain she felt in her neck was a nerve being pinched between the vertebrae in her neck. The way she landed on the chair during the cub-stomp was what injured her neck. There was a corrective surgery to fix the issue, but there was only a 35% chance of her being able to wrestle again.  

*end flashback*

Shaking her head to get the memory out of her mind, Y/N got up and changed into her workout clothes before heading into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and let her dog Y/D/N out. As she gathered the stuff for her tea, her telephone rang.

“Hello?” she answered, placing the phone between her shoulder and ear as she filled the tea kettle with water.

“Ms. Y/L/N. You are a hard woman to get ahold of.”

Y/N’s hands started to shake as she poured her water in her teacup. She knew that voice very well and she never thought she would hear it again.

“Mr. McMahon. Wha-What can I do for you sir?”

Mr. McMahon laughed slightly on the other end and Y/N set her tea kettle down before she dropped it.

“I heard through the grapevine that you have been at the Performance Center recently and have been stepping into the ring.”

Y/N smiled slightly. When her doctors told her that after her surgery she may not be able to wrestle again she took it as a challenge. These past 2 years have been the hardest of her life. She spent every day at therapy and training to get herself back into the ring. It seemed like every time she made headway and thought she was ready, doctors would not release her. About 2 months ago her doctors told her that it was a miracle but she was released to wrestle again.

“Yes sir…..I was finally cleared by my doctors. Yesterday was my appointment with the WWE doctors and they also cleared me. I have full clearance for training.”

Vince cleared his throat.

“Well then I have a proposition for you Ms. y/l/n.

Y/N could feel her heart pounding and her lips lifted into a smile of excitement.

“What did you have in mind sir?”

 ~Summer Slam~

“I am Michael Cole and joining me at ringside we have WWE Hall of Famer, Jerry “The King” Lawler, JBL, and Corey Graves. Gentlemen, it is time for our main event! 2 years ago, Seth Rollins turned his back on his brothers Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose of the Shield and joined the Authority.”

“Don’t forget what he did to Y/N Cole! Seth Rollins viciously attacked all 3 members of the Shield, but it was what he did to Y/N that really put the final nail in the coffin.” Lawler mentioned.

“You’re absolutely right King. I wanna take you back to that night 2 years ago. Seth Rollins attacked Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose with a chair to the back. Y/N was in absolute shock at what he had done. He then kicked her in the stomach, smashed a chair on her back, and curb-stomped her head onto a steel chair. She was later transported to a local medical facility where she was diagnosed with a pinched nerve in her neck and was forced to retire.”

“Tonight, Seth Rollins steps into the ring with his mentor HHH and goes against his former brothers, and that match starts right now!” As soon as those words left his mouth, the Authorities music blasted over the speakers and ‘Boos’ echoed throughout the entire arena.

Y/N sat on the floor of the timekeeper’s area crouching in the corner, listening to the match as it started. 3 weeks ago, Vince McMahon called her and offered her a spot on the main roster. 2 weeks ago, she spoke to Stephanie and HHH and found out that she would be shocking the WWE Universe and the Superstars in the ring tonight, by making her surprise return.

It was close to her moment and she tightened the strings on her hood so no one could see her face. Vince had pulled all of the superstars into a locker room to watch the main event. He had told them that they needed to see what was going to happen tonight because it was going to be big.

Y/N glanced up at JoJo in the timekeeper’s area for her signal. JoJo quickly gave her the signal that Stephanie was getting involved in the match and she quickly jumped the barrier, being extra careful that her hood didn’t fall off and reveal her identity too early. She made eye contact with HHH right as Stephanie slapped Roman across the face. Y/N was livid and rushed forward and pulled Stephanie off the apron onto the floor.

Everything in that moment stopped and all the Superstars in the ring were stunned. Stephanie stood up and got in her face.

“Just who the hell do you think you are?”

Y/N flipped her hood off and just smiled as the crowd went insane. She could hear Michael Cole to her right.

“OH MY GOD ITS Y/N! SHE’S BACK!”

Y/N just smirked at Stephanie while she screamed in her face.

“What the hell-“

With a huge slap from Y/N, Stephanie hit the ground holding her face. The audience was screaming and cheering as Y/N grabbed Stephanie and quickly pedigreed her on the floor. HHH hopped off the apron to check on Stephanie while yelling at Y/N.

Y/N’s head snapped up and she locked eyes with her former SHIELD members. Seth stood in shock before he too started screaming at her.

He was distracted long enough for Roman to come up behind him and get a surprise roll up on him.

Roman’s music blasted through the arena.

“Here are your winners, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose!”

Y/N made her way over to the announcers table and grabbed a mic before making her way into the ring.

“What’s wrong Seth, you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Seth began to quickly walk towards me but before Roman or Dean could do anything, I quickly kicked him in the stomach, grabbed his arms, and executed a perfect pedigree. Roman used his foot to push Seth to the floor with a loud thud. Dean rushed over and wrapped me in a bear hug whilst he ruffled the top of my hair. In the meantime, Roman grabbed another microphone from the ring announcer and leaned against the turnbuckle in the corner.

“Excuse my language but damn baby girl!”

The entire WWE Universe erupted in laughter, me included.

“Did you miss me Big Dog?”

Both Dean and Roman chuckled.

“Hell, yeah we did, and I don’t think we were the only ones.”

I glanced up the ramp and saw HHH, Stephanie, and Seth making their way to the back.

“Hold on don’t leave yet! The party is just beginning. Seth, don’t you worry, I didn’t forget about you while I was away. You and I will be seeing a lot of each other now and I am FAR from through with you. Hunter, I hope you realize what this means. That oh so thought out Plan B you mentioned 2 years ago, is slowly going to fall apart right before your very eyes. I’ll be sure of that, because now I have all the facts. I’m going to ruin you once and for all. Oh, and Stephanie, I warned you years ago what would happen to you if you ever laid a hand on one of my boys. The night the Shield formed I promised you that if you ever interfered with the Shield or laid a hand on one of my boys that I would hunt you down.”

The crowd was screaming and cheering “Kick her ass” over and over and I couldn’t help the sadistic smirk that fell onto my face.

“Looks like the hunt is over…because the Bitch is back and she’s out for blood.”

[deepdisireslonging]

Family Found Part 42: Business as Usual

The choices are getting harder for the Reader, and everyone is taking notice. If she’s not careful, the fallout will be catastrophic not only to the roster but to her relationship with her cousin, Dean.

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, Ambrose Angst, angst in general, sassy Elias

Word Count: 2810

Note: Sooo, had to look it up, but because my series doesn’t align with the actual events of Raw, Dolph Ziggler never held the IC in 2018. Keep that in mind. Wow, a lot of stuff has happened. Thank you guys for sticking around with this series! Also, correction: the next PPV is Fastlane, not Starrcade. My bad.

Part 1: Welcome to the Team

Part 41: Fall Short (Elimination Chamber)

Monday Night Raw – February 25, 2019

“I’m sure our general manager, Y/N Ambrose, is not happy with how tonight started,” Cole reported. “Apparently, Dean stormed into her office and demanded a title match. He did get one, but it’s for the number one contender’s spot for the Universal. We could possibly see Ambrose versus Rollins at WrestleMania or sooner if the cousins work out a deal.”

“Unlikely,” Corey added.

Renee was in agreement. “After their spat last week, I don’t think they are going to see eye to eye any time soon. Do you guys think there will be an Ambrose versus Ambrose match?”

“What does it matter?” Corey chuckled. “We all know who you’d root for.”

“Perhaps.” Renee’s voice dropped to barely audible. “I would prefer them not to fight at all.”

Dean made his way to the ring, bouncing around while he waited for his opponent. You sent out Mojo Rawley. He hadn’t fought in a while, and he was eager to try for another title chance. Even if it meant facing an irate Dean.

To Mojo’s credit, he was willing to do anything not waste this opportunity. His own body was on the line, taking a lot as Dean punched through his frustration. You watched from backstage, glad this worked out as the opening match. The crowd was on its feet and chants for both opponents were split down the middle. But Mojo got a little too into it. You flinched as the referee forcefully pulled him away from stomping on Dean while holding the ropes but ignoring the five-count. You headed to Gorilla.

In the time it took you to make it there, Mojo had disqualified himself. You rushed out onto the stage. “I don’t think we’ve seen enough of this match. Have you?” you asked the audience. The smattering of boos was easily ignored with a surface smile. “Let’s restart this as a no disqualification, no count-out match.”

Dean grinned. He rolled out of the back of the ring and came up with a steel chair. Mojo had rolled the other way. He came back into the ring with a kendo stick. They began again. Dean’s eyebrow opened with a small gash that bled down his face. Mojo backed away, suddenly unsure of Dean’s calm as the referee checked on him. Then the referee turned to double check on Mojo.

It was then that Elias rushed up the back-right steps and pulled Dean’s head back into the turnbuckles before pushing him forward to fall on his face. Mojo knew a chance when he saw one. Elias disappeared. Mojo leapt for the pin. The referee counted to three. Dean didn’t come around until Mojo was already having his hand raised.

Backstage, you breathed a sigh of relief.

Maybe if you avoided your office, Dean couldn’t find you to ask questions you didn’t have answers for.

***

He found you anyway, waving away a medic. “Okay, maybe I was a little pushy getting that match, but what the hell was that?” Dean growled and rolled out an ache in his neck.

It took all your strength to keep a neutral face. “You’ve been complaining for months that I wasn’t putting you in matches. But then I restarted this match so you could win not by disqualification, and you’re still mad at me.”

Dean shook his head. “No. Don’t turn this around. Yeah, I’m still confused about the last several months. Last week you won’t let me help you. This week you sent your attack dog to ensure I lost. Is it because I wronged you in another life, or is it because I couldn’t stop child services from taking you away? I thought I apologized for that already, but I can do it again.”

You scoffed. “I doubt your pride could take the hit.”

“Then maybe you should apologize. Because some’s got to clear the air around here.”

“No. I won’t say I’m sorry for what I did. My choices have been my own. There’s nothing I can do to change them. The bridge is burned, and I hated to watch it, but here we are. You. And me.” The force behind your statements almost made you believe them.

Dean stared you down. You shuffled on your feet, feeling more and more like the little girl caught borrowing his lock-picking set than the general manager of Raw. Finally, he sighed. “You really are gunning for a match between us, aren’t you? Fastlane or WrestleMania?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to!” The words burned passing your lips. If you stayed any longer you were going to tell him everything. Your mask of assuredness was beginning to break. His brow was already starting to crease as he realized you were holding something back. Before you could spill, you turned on your heel and hurried away.

***

Dolph Ziggler had taken over the ring in the meantime. He strutted around seeming very proud of himself. A review of the elimination chamber had just played, showing off his talent and how he’d been the last one eliminated. He was almost laughing too hard to speak. “I think I did rather well at Elimination Chamber, don’t you? All things considered, from Drew’s betrayal back at TLC, to getting walked over in opportunities, to having to fight for my spot in that match, I made it to the last two. And not just that, I almost had Drew pinned.” He hummed in delight. “I was runner up in the chamber.” He sang that little comment again and smiled. “And as such, I believe I deserve the first chance at the Intercontinental Championship.”

He would have said more, but the crowd overpowered him as Finn Balor’s music hit. “I ‘ave to congratulate ya on your accomplishment last week. Runner up against everyone in tha match is quite the accolade.”

Pseudo-bowing at the waist, Dolph thanked him. His head tilted in confusion as Finn began to make his way down the ramp instead of going backstage.

“But, that’s all you’ve ever been when it comes ta Drew. Runner up. Second best. An aftert’ought.” He stepped through the ropes. “Come on, Dolph. How long ‘as it been since you’ve been champion? I had to look it up. December of 2017, and ya told the WWE Universe t’at they didn’t deserve you. Then you vacated the title and haven’t ‘ad one since. It seems the titles and Universe decided they didn’t deserve you. Now, I’ve just been a champion. An’ I will be again because I’m still hungry for it. Even if I have ta go through you. You, who seems to have lost his edge.”

Dolph stepped to get in his face. “Maybe so. But at least I don’t need a demon to sit on my shoulder to win matches. I will beat McIntyre for the Intercontinental Champion. And I’ll do it before you can get your hands on it.”

Both men turned and readied for a fight as bagpipes took over the speakers. But Drew McIntyre came out in a black suit, making the white and gold belt stand out. “You are both welcome to try and take this title from me. Tell ya what… I’ll have an open challenge next week. But, it’s only open for one spot. Whoever makes it to the ring first, gets the opportunity. Deal?” He grinned as Finn and Dolph shouted in agreement. “May the best man step up, then.”

***

Charly Caruso sighed in relief as she spotted Elias. “Thank goodness I found you.”

He was not as enthusiastic. “Charly, why are you interrupting my rehearsal time? Do you have any idea how long it took me to find a quiet space in this lousy arena? I think it probably would have been easier to leave this untalented city entirely so that I could hone my craft.”

“Please, Elias. WrestleMania is rapidly approaching, as is Fastlane. You have yet to announce who you will be challenging for the main event match you won by winning the Royal Rumble. As the championships sit, would you rather face Seth Rollins for the Universal or Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship?” She held out her mic.

Elias looked at it indignantly but answered anyway. Sort of. “The Universal I would have to say has the most prestige. It’s been a hard championship to win, and an even harder one to hold onto… unless you are a certain incarnate beast. But some people say that the title is cursed to bring title ends in terrible ways. Balor’s injury. Kevin Owen’s forgettable reign. Goldberg’s twenty-second WrestleMania loss. Maybe I don’t want it. The Intercontinental is a classic. It’s got style, almost as much as it deserves. Around my waist again, it would be given back it’s well-deserved glory. But McIntyre seems a little busy with squabblers. And one more that he hasn’t paid enough attention to, besides me.”

He shook his head and stood. “Nah, I just might wait until after Fastlane to pick. Now if you’ll excuse me… I need to find a new spot to perfect my melodious gospel.”

With a huff, Charly dropped her mic and watched as Elias drifted into the shadows.

***

The second spot in Fastlane’s match for the tag team titles was up for grabs next. Tyler Breeze and Dana Brook were the surprise winners last week. This week, the match came down to the B-Team and the Ascension.

“And can you believe it, Y/N is considering making Fastlane’s match a triple threat. How is anyone supposed to compete with those kinds of odds?”

Cole grit his teeth at Corey’s outburst but had a quick enough answer. “The same way they have before I suppose: keep their head on a swivel.” He flinched and called Konnor’s drop of Bo Dallas.

The tag was made from each corner, bringing in the two wearied teammates. Viktor stumbled through a strike, giving Curtis Axel the room to catch him and drop him. As he went for a pin, Bo rushed forward and kept Konner from interfering. The B-Team was going to Fastlane to face an unknown number of opposing teams.

***

Rhonda Rousey fiddled with the mic in her hands. It took her a moment to gather up the last of her thoughts. “At first, I wanted to talk things over with Natalya in private. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that you guys need to hear her answers too.” She took a deep breath. “A few weeks ago, Natalya and I had a match to determine which one of us was going to have a spot in the chamber match. I went into it thinking I was entering the ring with a friend. If either of us lost, there weren’t going to be any hard feelings. But then… well. Maybe we should just show the clip.” She turned to look at the Titantron. First, it showed the impromptu ‘Moment of Bliss’ interview.

Alexa smiled. “What happens if one of you wins the Raw women’s championship after the Elimination Chamber? What happens to the-” she gestured between them, “the friendship?”

“Nothing.” Rhonda squirmed in her seat. “I’ve been here for almost a year. Natalya is my closest friend here.” She faced Natalya. “Why can’t we try one of those things where we help one of us get the title, then we’re the first challenge? Between the two of us, we could either rack of title reigns or help one another ensure long, successful ones.”

Not it was Natalya’s turn to squirm in her seat. “Rhonda, I’ve been in this business my whole life. I’ve seen-“ She sighed. “You know those don’t actually work, right? Someone always wants to be the best. They can’t be that if they’re always in their friend’s shadow.”

Then, the clip showed part of the match.

Natalya sprung forward, renewing her attack. “Take what you can get,” she muttered. Rhonda heard and faltered in her steps. She caught a kick to the face that put her in the perfect position for a Sharpshooter. Natalya released her as soon as the referee told her Rhonda had tapped.

With the clip over, Rhonda was about to speak when Natalya entered the arena. She stepped only as far as center stage, establishing that she wasn’t going to enter the ring. “What’s your point, Rhonda. This is the WWE. We wrestle. We fight. We win opportunities and we win titles.”

“I get that. And I get that sometimes the goals come between people. But was it worth it? You lost to Nia and had to start the title match. Then, you were eliminated by Mickie and Alicia. The opportunity you fought so hard for fell flat.” Rhonda stepped closer to the ropes, halting as Natalya took a step back yards away on the stage. “Why can’t we work together like they did. Like Sasha and Bayley do?”

“You realize you’ve picked the worst examples, right?” Natalya huffed with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m a third generational wrestler, Rhonda. Title reigns have come and gone, some recently for me. But with each passing week, I can physically feel them getting further and further away. When I think about it, it’s hard to breathe. I don’t want that burn, that desire to hold gold again, to go on so long that it slips into feeling normal. I can’t.”

A pause separated the two women. Rhonda quietly said, “so where do we go from here? Sometimes I feel like you’re my only true friend here, but nowadays even that is disappearing.”

Natalya looked off into the crowd instead of at Rhonda. “We continue to train together. Business as usual. Let life and work roll on. This will work itself out.”

“Business?” Rhonda nodded. “Okay. So be it.”

***

The non-title match between the Riott Squad and the team of Nia Jax and Tamina was supposed to be the main event.

Ruby Riott was ringside, doing her thing and keeping an eye on anything that might threaten her teammates. The Squad themselves were keeping up with the powerhouses. Liv Morgan was successfully irritating Tamina into making mistakes, and Sarah was surprising Nia with strength of her own. The Squad had switched so it was Nia versus Liv at the moment when Ruby drifted to thinking about her own plans. She was still keeping a lookout by looking to one side, but her thoughts kept her blind to what was coming from the other direction. It wasn’t until Sarah was knocked off the apron to fall over her that Ruby realized her mistake.

While Liv rushed to the ropes to check on her partners, Tamina rushed back and tagged in. She rushed to grab Liv’s pink locks and slammed her back for the pin. Sarah scrambled to get in the ring, but she was too late to stop it.

Beaten, the Riott Squad tried to hasten a retreat. Nia’s voice over the speakers froze their steps.

“You know, Tamina, I don’t feel like we’ve had enough excitement for tonight.”

“You know, Nia. I have to agree. What did you have in mind to change that?”

“I thought maybe, since Ruby Riott hasn’t done anything tonight, I might just challenge her to a match.” She grinned.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Tamina continued. “But what about the other two? They might get in the way.”

Nia draped an arm over her shoulder. “That’s what I’ve got you for. Someone who really knows how to watch my back. Someone who doesn’t… get distracted.”

That final addition made Ruby grit her teeth. Before her squad could hold her back, she slid into the ring and told the referee to ring the bell. Tamina rolled to the floor before it did, cutting Liv and Sarah off from getting closer. She kept an eye on the match by glancing at the Titantron.

In the ring, Nia was already built up from her last match. Ruby was still distracted. And now angry too, which kept blinding her to obvious feigns from Nia and the consequences of her own mistakes. She was able to hold an upper hand for a while, but Nia shut it down. A final Samoan Drop ended the match, leaving Ruby in a heap.

Tamina held up her arms as Liv and Sarah ran past. They ignored the other team leaving and rushed to help Ruby sit up. Liv took the tag title just now being returned to them and set them to one side. Ruby’s eyes followed them. As her teammates patted her on the back with uplifting words, she kept her gaze on the pair of white and gold. She reached her hand out to them, but couldn’t bring herself to touch them. Liv and Sarah flinched away as she shrugged them off.

Part 43: It’s Official

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @hallemichelles @laochbaineann@ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @southsidebucky@tinyelfperson  @zuni21798

WWE/Series Tags: @a-home-for-stray-stories @kingslayers-queen @top-1-percent @mother-forker @neversatisfiedgirl @racheo91 @roman-reigns-princess @secretagentfangirl @thetherianthropydaily @scuzmunkie @cait-kae@ramsaypants @sony-undead18 @brianaraydean @st4yingstrong@dopeybubbles @crystallizeme @jessica91073 @denise8691 @stalelight @kenyadakblalock @1dluver13xx @lauren-novak @lunatic-desert-child@littledeadrottinghood @livelifewondering

[glowrioustrash]

Wellness Violation

Summary: The result of your wellness test doesn’t go as you planned. What will Baron think when he finds out?

Pairing: Baron Corbin x Reader

Word Count: 2400+

Warnings: I’m boring lately... no warnings.

Author’s Note: Idk... it’s cute? I had a silly idea and it grew into this.

Tagging:@castielscamander / @therealfivefeetoffuckingfury / @kakakatey / @thirstiswet / @calwitch / @dirrrtydeeds (who never asked to be tagged, but it’s Baron so I’m tagging her)

You looked up from tying your boots as your name was called through the women’s locker room, the man’s voice echoing loudly from the door - he dare not enter - and cutting through the high-pitched tones of the women.

“Yeah?” You called back curiously.

“Wellness test. Trainer’s in five.” The order came.

You rolled your eyes and shouted back your acknowledgement.

You finished lacing your boots and threw a hoodie on over your gear. You’d stolen the hoodie from Baron months ago, but it still smelled like him. You couldn't help but take a deep breath as you zipped it up, inhaling the smell of his aftershave. It fell down to the tops of your knees and you were pretty much swimming in it. It made you feel tiny and fragile but protected by your big, bad boyfriend - it was a nice feeling to have every once in a while, working in an industry where you make your money by fighting other women.

You were following the signs backstage that would lead you to the trainer’s office when you heard Baron’s laugh bounce down the concrete walls. You couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on your face when you heard it. You turned the corner and weren’t surprised to see he was sitting with Corey, the two of them laughing as Baron gave him a playful shove.

“Hey, watch it. They need him for TV tonight.” You teased as you approached the boys. Baron wrapped an arm around your waist as soon as you were at his side, pulling you close.

“Yeah, Corbin. Listen to your girl, we both know she’s the brains of the relationship.”  Corey teased.

“Damn straight she is.” Baron smiled down at you. Even with him sitting on the road case and you standing, he was still the taller one.

“Although she’s choosing to be with you, so really…” Corey trailed off as you scoffed, smacking him in the chest with the back of your hand. “Hey, they need me for TV, remember?”

“I’ll make a call, get Booker to replace you.” You smirked, making Baron laugh loudly.

“That’s cold.” Corey laughed.

“Where you headin’, babe?” Baron asked you, adjusting how he was sitting so he could pull you between his legs.

“Trainer’s. Wellness test.” You replied with a shrug.

“Oh shit. Guess I shouldn’t have put all that meth in your smoothie this morning.” Baron sighed.

“Funny.” You deadpanned, ignoring Corey’s chuckling.

“I’ll miss you during your suspension,” Baron lamented dramatically, burying his face into your neck. “Have to find someone else to curl up with at night.”

“Like you could find someone to put up with you.” You shot back playfully.

“Damn, your girl is savage.” Corey piped up.

“Mmm, just the way I like her.” Baron hummed before nipping at your neck, making you squeal and try to jump away. He held tight, not letting you go.

“Baron, I gotta go.” You reminded, petting the back of his head. “I’ll come back as soon as I’m done, okay?”

“Fine.” He huffed, dropping his arms from around you.

“See you in a bit.” You promised with a quick kiss.

“Knock ‘em dead.” He told you, smacking your ass as you started to turn. You stalled in your movements, shooting him a look before you continued on your way.

“Later, Corey.” You gave the other man a wave as you left.

“Where’s my kiss?” Corey called after you. You didn’t have to look back to know what was happening next, hearing the two start to play wrestle as Baron warned him to stay away from you.

You made it to the trainer’s office, seeing Dash Wilder sitting on a chair outside, waiting.

“Hey Dash.” You greeted as you sat next time him. “Wellness test?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, looking bored. “Not like I have anything better to do, right?”

You huffed a laugh, grinning at him as the silence fell over the two of you again. You looked up and down the hall, making sure no one would overhear before leaning in closer to him.

“Think they make Lesnar do this?” You scoffed quietly.

Dash didn’t respond, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. You chuckled, feeling the same way.

“Alright Dash, you’re up.” The doctor called as he opened the door.

“See you ‘round.” Dash told you as he entered the room, door closing behind him.

You took your phone out of your pocket, wasting time on Candy Crush while you waited for your turn. Luckily, it didn’t take too long before you were being called into the office. You went through the motions quickly, used to the test by now, and the doctor told you the results would be in shortly.

You were sitting in catering with Baron about 45 minutes later when word made it back to you that they needed to see you in the trainer’s office again.

“Again?” Baron asked with a frown, wiping his face with a napkin.

“Maybe they need to draw blood again? Something went wrong?” You wondered out loud. “I’ll be right back.”

Baron mumbled an “alright” around his mouthful of food, making you roll your eyes fondly at him.

You knocked on the doorframe to the trainer’s room and stuck your head through the door.

“Oh good, you’re here.” The doctor waved you in.

“Yeah, is everything okay?” You asked, entering the room.

“Um… yes. Everything is good.” He answered hesitantly. “You… may want to sit down.”

“Okay, you’re kinda worrying me.” You drawled, sinking into the chair.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you compete tonight.” He finally let you know. Your blood ran cold as your body went numb. “There were some unexpected readings in the test results, so we ran a few extra tests…”

“E-excuse me?” You stuttered.

“The test-”

“There must be some mistake.” You rushed to cut him off, starting to panic. “Doc, I don’t take anything! I never have! I take advil and midol, that’s it. I’m not on anything!”

“I know, it’s okay.” The doctor tried to calm you down.

“Then what is it?”

“The test showed signs of HCG.” He explained. “Also known as the pregnancy hormone.”

The room span for a moment, and if you thought your blood had run cold before, it was nothing compared to the shock dousing your system now.

“Pregnancy hormone…” You parrotted in a daze, making sure you heard properly.

“Yes. By the levels, I would guess about a month along, maybe a month and a half.” He explained.

You sat silent, in a complete daze as you absorbed the information. You were pregnant. With a baby. With a human baby. With your baby. With yours and Baron’s baby. Baron.

“G-get Baron. Please.” You mumbled your request. The doctor nodded and stuck his head out of the room. You heard him ask someone to find Baron before he came back, crouching in front of you.

“Are you okay?” He asked, resting a hand on your knee.

“Pregnant…” You muttered.

“Yes.” He nodded, watching you closely with concerned eyes. “I’m guessing this is not exactly planned.”

You shook your head. You wanted kids of course, but thought maybe in 5 years, 10 years. After you were married at the very least. Not now.

“Is there anything I can get you? Water? Do you need to lie down?”

You shook your head in response. The doctor stopped trying to talk to you, you were clearly not in the right mind frame to absorb any information. Your thoughts were swimming.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Baron’s voice cut through the fog as he ran into the room. You reached for him and he dropped to his knees beside you, hugging you closely. When you didn’t answer him, he turned to the doctor. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“The blood work from the wellness test…” The doctor trailed off, realizing through Baron’s stern glare that he was less interested in the details. “It appears the two of you are expecting.”

“Expecting?” Baron snapped. “Expecting what?”

“A baby…” You whispered.

“A ba-” He started to question before the shock started to hit him. “Did you just say…”

You nodded in response, pulling back far enough to look at his face. As scared as you were, you needed to know how he was feeling. With the news being so fresh, there was nothing but absolute shock on his face.

“I’ll leave the two of you for a minute.” The doctor, who you had honestly forgotten was there, bowed out of the room, closing the door to give the two of you privacy.

“You’re pregnant?” Baron asked, his voice so quiet. Baron wasn’t a quiet guy, his booming voice usually dominating whatever room he was in. It felt wrong to have him sound so small.

“I guess so.” You breathed.

“But we always…” Baron trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Nothing is 100%.” You shrugged. The silence sat heavy in the room while the two of you tried to figure it all out.

“What do we do?” You finally broke the silence.

“Well… what do you want to do?” Baron asked.

“Me?”

“It’s easy for me to make a decision. It’s not my body or career on the line.” He pointed out.

“Are you saying…”

“I’m with you, whatever you decide.” He promised, a burning passion replacing the glazed look of shock in his eyes. “I fucking love you, and I’ve been pretty sure for a while that you’re it for me. I want to have a family with you but if you’re not ready, it can wait.”

“Baron…” You breathed, feeling the tears pooling in your eyes.

“We don’t even have to decide now. We have time, right? That’s how these things work? Let’s think about, okay?” He continued, running his hand through your hair. “It’s heavy… holy fuck, it’s a lot…” His eyes wandered away from you, the wheels in his head clearly turning as he thought about all the responsibilities that came with having a child.

You brought his attention back to you by cupping his cheek. “I love you. I love you so damn much right now.” You gushed, feeling the tears spill over. He pulled you into a deep, soothing kiss.

“We’ll figure it out.” He mumbled against your lips.

“We’ll figure it out.” You agreed.

“Daddy!” The little boy shrieked in happiness as Baron appeared through the curtain. The angry scowl he’d had on his face for the cameras melting in an instant.

“There’s my little man!” He crouched down, holding his arms out. You let go of Ryan’s hand so he could scurry into Baron’s arms. Baron scooped him up easily, holding him on his hip as he walked towards you.

Since Ryan’s birth you had made various random appearances, both in ring and backstage. You’d been a surprise entrant to two Women’s Royal Rumbles as well as appeared in promos as a part of a few of Baron’s storylines. THe WWE Universe knew the two of you were together, although they were beginning to compare you to John and Nikki: together for years with no wedding in sight.

Baron had proposed when you were 6 months pregnant, but you denied it. At first he’d been devastated, but you felt like he was proposing because you were pregnant. He understood and warned you he’d ask again. He did, the night of Ryan’s second birthday party. You were so exhausted -  the normal day-to-day of a mother, plus Baron being back on the road, and adding on the party planning - you outright refused and called him selfish for asking. You felt bad after you’d gotten some sleep, but still didn’t feel like it was the right time.

“What’d you think, babe?” He asked you, pressing a kiss to your lips before you had a chance to answer.

“Yuck.” Ryan stuck his tongue out as he watched his parents kiss. Baron laughed and pressed a kiss to Ryan’s cheek in retaliation. The four year old laughed and tried to push Baron away.

“Well, don’t hate me but…” You trailed off, biting your lip. “I kinda missed the match.”

“What? Why?” Baron looked disappointed, a frown taking over his face.

“Wellness test.” You shrug.

“The joys of returning to The ‘E.” Baron joked.

“Well, that’s the thing…” You trailed off, fighting to keep the grin off your face.

“What are you trying to say, babe?” Baron asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

You couldn’t stop the smile as you purposely glanced at Ryan, then back at Baron. “What do you think I’m trying to say?”

“Again?” He breathed in disbelief.

“Again.” You nodded. Baron laughed and pulled you into a deep kiss, Ryan protesting and making gagging sounds the whole time.

“You gonna be knocked up everytime they test you?” He questioned you, a wide smile on his face.

“It takes two to tango mister, this isn’t just my fault.” You scoffed, batting him on the chest.

“I do love to tango.” Baron agreed with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“What’s a tango?” Ryan asked, tired of being ignored.

“It’s a dance, sweetie.” You told him, ignoring the glint in Baron’s eye.

:”I wantsta tango.” Ryan declared.

“Not until you’re 30.” You joked, kissing your son on the temple.

“16.” Baron scoffed.

“You gonna stick to that rule if this one’s a girl?” You challenged, holding a hand over your stomach.

“40.” Baron corrected. “Maybe never.”

“That’s what I thought.” You grinned, shooting Ryan a silly look as he rested his head on Baron’s shoulder. The boy was clearly getting tired.

“You know,” he stated, catching your attention. “Two kids… I think it’s about time you let me put a ring on that finger.”

You rolled your eyes good naturedly, but then you took a second to think. Here you were, pregnant with another child, putting your career unexpetedly on hold for the second time. Maybe there wasn’t a ‘perfect time’ in the cards.

“Maybe you’re right.” You shrugged, smiling brightly when you saw the surprise on Baron’s face. He’d clearly been expecting you to deny him again. “Make a proper proposal of it and we’ll see where it gets us.”

“I already wasted two good proposals.” He pointed out, adjusting Ryan on his hip. “You’re not gonna make me waste a third, are you?”

“I could tell you, but what’s the fun in that?” You teased lightly, knowing you would say yes. You were damn ready to be married to this man. “Third time’s the charm, right?”

“Better be.” He grumbled, smile still on his face. He tilted his head towards Ryan, whose eyes were staying closed longer and longer every time he blinked. “Let’s get this one to bed, then we can celebrate.”

“Celebrate? I haven’t said yes yet.” You pointed out as the three of you made your way through the halls.

“Yet?” He smirked.

“Dammit!”

[themarchblessing]

EPILOGUE

Dos  Años Más Tarde...

COREY

“Oh..Elle!” I called out. Hopping off the last step I made a quiet advance toward the kitchen. When I stepped inside I instantly went to the pantry. The door is cracked and I can see the pink glitter from Elle’s slippers surrounding the bottom of the door. I decided that I would play with her a bit longer just so she thinks she’s gotten over on me.

“Oh princess Ellena! Where is my beautiful princess?” I called again. Faint giggles from the kitchen almost made me burst into laughter. I’ve come up with all kinds of silly names for Elle and she loves them all. Her favorite is princess. She giggles up a storm when I call her that. And if I call out to her in a funny voice, she’ll definitely laugh.

I stumbled around the house for another ten minutes winding back up in front of the pantry. “I wonder where she is.” I mumbled. Dramatically pulling the door back I spotted Elle holding her jar of cookies, crushing them. “Well would you look at that. The princess got hungry huh?”

She turned her head up at me and did exactly as I thought she would. “Ow me.” she cheesed, pushing her hair out of her face.

“Oh yeah I found you alright. You gonna share some with me? You gonna share with papa?” I asked, leading her out of the closet. Closing the door I took Elle out to the back porch. We lay in the hammock watching people walk down to the beach.

“Daddy..” She said.

Looking at her I opened my mouth to accept the cookie she was giving me. She used my head for support as we took in the beautiful view from here. Seeing my daughter grow up before my eyes over these last two years has really turned me into a soft ass man. Elle gets whatever she wants from me because she’s the baby. Just like her mother and Zay I buy it all. If Elle asks, she gets. I can’t say no to her. Sabrina and sometimes Zay have to step in and be the enforcers so the balance of power is just right.

I’ve also gotten extremely close with Izaiah over the last year.  He’s been curious to know about his childhood and how he got here. Sabrina faced one of her biggest fears and had that talk with him. Zay had a lot of questions and Lori provided him with more than enough in response. He still gets a little upset every now and then when he realizes that I wasn’t around to watch him grow up for so many years. Like when Elle said her first word, took her first steps, stood up on her own, and things like that, Zay will distance himself from us.

I never take his anger to heart but I do empathize with my son. And I also feel angry with myself at times for the same reason. All I have been doing is reminding my boy how much I love him, how proud of him I am, and that I promise to be there for him until I’m no longer living. When Zay does get in one of his moods, Sabrina gets really emotional because she blames herself for it all. She puts all the blame on herself for Izaiah and I building our relationship when he was six instead of when he was a baby. I then have to remind Lori that the way our lives ran its course is not her fault.

We’ve both had numerous conversations about accepting our separate journeys for what the are. Neither of us can change the past but we are learning to live with our paths in life.

“Papa, is mama?” Elle asked, sharing the other half of her cookie with me.

“She’s out shopping but she’ll be back soon. You miss mama?” Lifting my hand I ran my hand over and through her curls. She and Zay both have hair like their mama. Sabrina has these pretty, deep set shaped curls that never lose their shape. In fact after she had Elle, her hair got even curlier, kinkier too. Izaiah has much looser curls that he shockingly still doesn’t want to cut off. And Elle, well her locks are kind of a mix of Zay and her mother. She’s the lightest of the family, complexion wise. Diane is definitely the reason behind my daughters skin tone.

“Yeah.” She nodded.

Elle and I chilled outside for a good while enjoying this weather. Izaiah came home and was in a super good mood so I took the kids to the beach. Elle loves playing in the sand. She always asks me to pick up seashells with her and of course I help her. Every time we leave the beach with new shells I clean them, dry them, and set them in this big glass vase in her bedroom. She’s got these shelves on her wall that we house her favorite things on. Her seashells being one of her top favorite things in the world. I’m sure she’ll ask to count them all out some day.

Because Elle is evolving as a child so rapidly we often let her pick out her outfits now. She likes having a sense of herself when she gets dressed. As her parents, Bri and I feel it’s important to give her the chance to choose what she wears. Two days out of the week she will only wear this one particular set of pajamas all day long. Ravyn came to visit for Elle’s birthday last year and gifted her a set of footie pajamas that have bunny ears and a fake tail. Elle instantly asked for Sabrina to change her clothes. So in the middle of unwrapping her gifts she got changed into her bunny pajamas.

Another big change aside from her trying to talk more is that she’s teething really bad and we’re in the potty training stage. Her gums have been so inflamed for the last couple of weeks because she’s got more teeth coming in. So being that she’s in so much oral pain I give her a lot of soft foods. Yogurt, peaches, bread, grapes, macaroni and cheese is her favorite now, ice cream and just anything that won’t hurt her gums more.

Bri hates that I let Elle eat the way she does but nothing else helps to soothe her mouth. When she starts crying Bri will try and use this safe to swallow ointment that Elle’s pediatrician gave us but lil mama can’t stand it. We hate seeing her fuss about her incoming teeth so we just let her eat all the soft foods she likes. As far as the potty training goes baby girl is getting the hang of it pretty well. I cry sometimes watching her reach certain goals. She’s our little girl and the sight of her growing up scares me.

By the time we got back in the house it was well after sunset. Izaiah ducked off to take his shower leaving me the time to bathe Elle. She more so ended up playing with her toys for the first half of the bath. Then she started fussing about how cold she was so I made her put her toys up so she could get clean.

Picking up her nightgown I fitted it over her head, fanning out the fabric around her little body. Elle went into another one of her baby rampages where she mentioned food and some other things I didn’t quite understand. Once her hair was brushed and she had her favorite princess shoes on, it was dinner time.

I still cook most of the time and I still don’t mind. Truthfully I enjoy cooking more today than I ever have. Being able to feed my family brings me the greatest sense of pride and happiness. Elle and Zay are in the kitchen with me every time we’re about to eat. Elle usually watches us while she plays with her makeshift kitchen toys.

Sometimes Sabrina is down here with us and other times she’s sleeping. Ever since we broke Elle off from breastfeeding, Lori has been napping a lot more. Seeing Elle come off the boob was a huge milestone for us as parents. Sabrina expected to breastfeed for at least a year but that went on to being one year and ten months. Sabrina feels like her old self again not having to share her body anymore. Except with me of course. Now that our kids no longer need their mama to supply them with nutrition, I get all of my wife back. Every square inch of Sabrina Delores Howard is mine and I’m thrilled. She makes constant jokes about how I used to get jealous when Elle wanted to feed for hours. Technically her body was Zay’s first, then it became mine, and then Elle arrived but she’s all mine again.

“Guys!” Mommy’s home. Elle sat upright and turned around looking for her mama. “Donde estan todos!” Bri sang cheerily.

“Mama..” she mumbled. Her arm was outstretched as she kept a lookout. I couldn’t help but smile at how badly Elle wants to see Lori.

“Sit still baby so you don’t fall. Zay, I got this. Go make sure she doesn’t try to jump off the counter.” I can handle dinner by myself right now but I need to make sure Elle won’t hurt herself waiting to see her mom. Zay stood directly in front of Elle to keep her entertained for the time being. Although she realized her brother was the distraction she enjoyed the attention.

Izaiah adores the hell out of his baby sister. She is the perfect child in his eyes. For a boy he doesn’t mind letting Elle play in his room all day long if she tries. He reads to her, watches movies with her if me and Bri are too tired or I’m working on a project or something. He’ll help her eat, brush her hair, and whatever else she wants to do. For a kid who’s on his way to going through puberty in a few short years, he’s not a dick to her. Which is a good sign on Lori’s and especially mine’s behalf. My dad didn’t allow me to be that stereotypical angry black boy. He made sure I used my manners, respected family, worked for everything I wanted and was always kind to loved ones.

The same way my dad was with me, I’m like that with my son. He’s always been a nice kid but the influences of today’s world and kids his own age could change that. Not with who Izaiah’s parents are. We aren’t raising a dickhead for a son.

Lori rounded the corner looking as beautiful as always. The lights caught her rings and then I noticed she did something to her hair. She had her hair blown out looking dark brown with blond-ish highlights fading out towards the end of her hair. Putting the bread in the oven I shut the door and went to take these bags off Bri’s hands.

“Thank you, this stuff is heavy.” She said right away.

“What you got in here anyway?” I asked. Bri kissed me softly and began getting comfortable.

“More pull ups, a few cleaning supplies, and some groceries. You’re cooking early?”

“Thank your daughter. She was getting ready to throw a fit after her bath so I went ahead and got started. She’s been waiting on you. You changed your hair. What for?” Putting only the groceries she brought away I washed my hands and went right back to cooking.

“Yeah..I wanted to do something a little different. I’ve never colored my hair before so I took a risk. You like it?” Looking up from the cutting board I nodded.

“Yeah I like it. It’s different but it suits you.”

“Thank you. Three hours is how long I sat on my butt for her to do this.” She huffed, going over to where Zay and Elle were. “Hi mama’s babies. I missed you guys so much.” They soaked up every second of Lori’s affection. Zay talked her briefly as he came back over to join me.

“When is it due?” Bri asked picking Elle up off the counter.

“Next month. My teacher is giving us three weeks to work on it but I’m already half way done.” Zay checked on the bread first and then he went into the refrigerator to take something out.

“You smell so good my love. You have fun with your daddy and bubba?” Bri smothered lil mama in kisses as she sat across from me.

“Yeah.” Elle nodded.

“How’s your mouth, baby? Is it still hurting?”

“Yeah.” She replied again sounding sleepy.

“Can mommy see?” Elle let Bri check inside her mouth to look for any new signs of teeth.

“Nothing yet?” I spoke up.

Bri told Elle to close her mouth since she was all done. “No sign of her back molars yet but I can tell where they’re going to come in. Her bottom gums are red again.” Bri took out some applesauce and began feeding it to Elle. “I hope this doesn’t last much longer. I hate seeing her in pain.” Bri complained.

“It’ll pass. And besides all her teeth are almost in. She’ll be okay as long as you keep that stuff out of her mouth.” I warned in reference to that cream.

“I know she hates it but that’s what it’s for Corey. She used to be okay with it.” Bri frowned briefly letting her face settle after about a minute. “Here baby..” spooning more applesauce into Elle’s mouth Bri picked up a nearby rag to place over her clothes. Elle can be a messy eater in this terrible two stage that she’s in.

We’ve had enough outfit changes from feedings alone to supply four families with for a whole winter season. That’s how badly Elle can ruin her clothes. And it only happens when she tries to consume too much at once or when she feeds herself. She’s getting much better with getting the spoon in her mouth with all the food on it though. I do give her that.

“How’s your mom doing? Is she ready to move down here?” Bri’s mom has to move close to us due to her health declining. Bri puts a brave face in front of the kids but when it’s just us, she breaks down quite often.

Sighing deeply, Bri finished feeding Elle in silence. I saw what me asking did to her mood so I put that conversation on the back burner until we get alone. I don’t want her to be upset about her mom in front of the kids so I changed the subject. Izaiah noticed and jumped in to help me out.

Sabrina didn’t say much when it was time to eat. She was silent setting up our table, fixing Elle, Izaiah’s and my plate. When we all sat down she was completely tuned in to assisting the baby with her food. Every so often she would respond to something that one of us said so she didn’t mentally shut everyone out. She was on her way to helping Zay with his school work until I stepped in. I let Bri have some time to herself hoping that by the time I get in the room she’ll be in a better mood.

“Is mom okay?” Putting away his art supplies for his project Izaiah sat back on his bed.

Sitting forward with my elbows on my knees I cupped my hands over my mouth.

“Dad?” Zay called quietly. He carefully got off the bed not wanting to wake up lil mama. It’s past her bedtime and if she wakes up it’s going to be damn near impossible to get her down again. Zay closed his door and stood in front of me. “What’s wrong with mama? Is she mad at you?” He asked.

“Nah. She’s not mad at anybody. Your grandma is moving down here to be closer to us. However, it’s the reason behind grandma’s move here that has your mom so upset.” I explained.

“Is grandma sick?”

“Yeah, she’s not doing too well. She’ll be here by the end of the month and it’s scaring your mom. So if you ever see her get really quiet or distant, or she looks like she’s about to cry, be her shoulder. Do whatever you have to to ensure that your mom knows you love her. I’d never wish anything bad on anyone we love but if something does happen to your grandmother, mommy is gonna need a lot of love. From me, you, and Elle. She needs us right now.”

The tightness in my chest and that massive urge to throw up hit me like a ton of bricks. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. I never ever wish any negativity on those I care about. But the reality of the situation is the that Diane isn’t as healthy as she used to be. Losing her husband did her in. That’s when she started to go downhill emotionally. Sabrina’s father dying really affected Diane to her core.

I guess talking about my mother-in-law hit more nerves than I thought. I didn’t start crying in front of my kids because I fought the urge with all my might. I talked to Izaiah for a while about how he can help comfort Bri if she starts to lose it. Elle is back in her bed sound asleep. Now it’s time to check on Sabrina. Walking down the hall I stepped in the room sensing a lot of weird energy.

“Bri?” I said. Turning the corner I walked to the bathroom to find Lori standing in the shower, motionless. She was facing the backyard letting the water pour out over her head. I gave her company whether she was prepared for it or not.

I stepped behind her tracing over her tattoos. She noticeably relaxed under my touch. Seeing her react to my sense of touch hit me deeply, making me understand just how much of an effect on my girl I have.

“I can’t lose her Corey.” She sniffled. “I can’t lose her too.”

I knew this would happen. I knew mentioning her mother earlier on would cause her to break down once she wasn’t in front of Elle or Izaiah. It’s not in my nature to sugar coat but the first thought that came to mind would hurt her feelings. Now is not the time for me to blunt but I can’t mask my honesty.

So rather than causing my wife more hurt I said this instead, “you’ll never lose her. She’s always gonna be with you Sabrina. Always. Just like your dad. Everyday since he’s been watching over you, helping to guide you and protect you.”

“My tio said she’s happy to be moving down here. I however thinks she’s in denial about the meaning behind her relocation. I just hope she can handle this transition okay. After all she’s leaving behind her home and the life she’s known for so long.” Bri threw her head back, squeezing the bridge of her nose with her eyes shut.

Using my hands to gather her hair I set it over her shoulder leaving me plenty of area to play with. “She’s gonna be okay. She’s got a hell of a daughter looking after her. And I know she loves you so much.”

“I just don’t know how I’m gonna deal with losing another parent. And I don’t need you to tell me that death is inevitable because I know that. But that doesn’t make loss any less painful.” Bri turned around to face me. I could see the pain in her eyes as she decreased any space between us. Her head fell to my shoulder, one arm she threw behind my back, and the other across my free shoulder.

“Why are you thinking about losing her already? I could see if your mom was laid up in a hospital but she’s not. She’s still in her prime and you have to believe that. Stop getting ahead of yourself and just live in the moment.” I advised hugging her back. As we stood here chest to chest I thought over possible ways to make Diane’s move easy for us all. After all these years of being in the states, mama Guerrero is coming back to live in her home country.

Somewhere deep down inside I know Lori is happy to have her mother close to her again. It was my idea to get Diane a house just twenty minutes from ours to begin with. The idea came from Lori storming in the house, screaming about her mom going to the ER. This was on the first of this month. She was beyond panicking. Sabrina was all “we have to go” and “we can’t stay here anymore”. Basically saying we need to move to California.

I was against it only because of Izaiah and Elle. Izaiah has moved around and switched schools enough. Even though Ellena is still very young I couldn’t bare the pain of turning her world upside down. A move would only confuse and upset her. I didn’t want to put our kids through a drastic change in lifestyle regardless of how young they are. Sabrina and I have worked very hard on our home and to maintain the lifestyle we’ve grown so accustomed to.

“No matter what happens Lori, I got you for life.” I vowed. Lifting the arm she had on my shoulder I kissed her hand and each of her fingers.

Bri fingered the back of my neck melting in my embrace. “And I thank you. You know you’re never leaving me right?” She stated. Her sass does nothing short of turn me on.

“Why would I ever want to? You ain’t going nowhere either. You’re stuck with me forever. Your soul wouldn’t be able to rest without mine anyways so be ready for the rest of our lives and afterlife to be just like this. I was the first and the last to ever put a ring on your finger and give you beautiful babies. Ain’t no nigga other than me raising my kids.” I joked.

Lori fell out laughing cause she knows I’m right and seeing her happy is all I ever want.

“Ay, eres un pesado..” Standing up right Lori ran her fingers through my hair. The act was relaxing enough to make me close my eyes. “Your mom told me that I’m the best partner she’s ever seen you with. And we both know there have been a lot of women.”

“A hell of a lot of you.” I nodded. She slapped my shoulder because of what I said.

“Anyways...she’s very proud that you quit hoeing around and settled down. So is your dad.”

“I wasn’t hoeing around. I wasn’t content keeping any old girl around. Settling is not my style. Maybe testing the waters and seeing what else is out there but never settle.”

“What about me?”

Opening one eye I saw how serious she was. Quickly I looked at her through both eyes and told her, “you my love are an exception. The difference between you and the rest of them is that I didn’t have to find you. You were always there and I couldn’t be happier for it.”

She smirked. “Oh yeah?”

“Mhm. We’re gonna last. I know that for sure. But you will always be my best friend Lori. First and foremost. That’s not gonna change for anybody or anything.” I have no doubts that Sabrina and I will be each other’s last. No doubts whatsoever.

The End.

[amylillian22]

“Everything’s Going To Be Just Fine “ - Brett Talbot and Scott McCall AU Imagine

Requested by @supercarricat - Hello lovely writer, I want to request an imagine (english isn't my first language, so sorry for grammar mistakes): Can I request an Imagine where Y/N and Brett transfer to Beacon Hills High School and she sees Lydia flirting with him and gets jealous. And she confronts Brett an they fught? just fluffy happy end (with the happy end it can be as sad as you like in the middle. But please, happy end :D) Thank you very much 

Requested by Anon: Oooh. Could you please do a Scott imagine during S6 and the reader is a celestial kitsune and isn't affected by the ghost riders? Maybe during the lacrosse game or something. Its up to you but mainly like, fight scenes?? Or when Theo comes back. Thank youuuuu

Word Count: 2,993

Warnings: reader being stabbed

Author's note: Okay, because I was struggling to come up with something long enough to read for both of these two requests, I decided to put these two together. Especially since the person who sent in the Scott request didn't specify if the reader was a love interest for Scott or not. I decided to have them be best friends and the reader is romantically involved with Brett. I hope y'all don't mind with the changes I made for this imagine. Happy reading!

[My Teen Wolf Master List]

When my best friend, Scott, called to tell me The Ghost Riders were in Beacon Hills, I knew transferring to Beacon Hills High was the perfect solution. I’m not a werewolf like Scott and Liam, a werecoyote like Malia, or a banshee like Lydia. However, I am pretty savvy with a sword and know martial arts, the perks of being a celestial kitsune for 500 years.

When I explained to my boyfriend, Brett, why I was transferring schools, he didn't like the idea at first. He knew Scott was a great True Alpha and had a pack that always seems to beat the impossible, but he refused to let me out of his sight. He transferred with me, as he is very protective when it comes to my safety. You'd think I would find it sweet, or even romantic, but lately it's been annoying to have someone on your heels of every second of every day.

I was walking down the hallway, looking for Brett to let him know what the plan was for tonight during the lacrosse game. Liam and Mason had two different ideas to catch a Ghost Rider and Scott decided to come up with a plan to do both since they were both good ideas.

I turned the corner of the hallway to see Brett leaning against the lockers while talking to Lydia. I was never in Scott's pack. I was in Satomi’s like Brett. Luckily, she was kind enough to understand why I wanted to transfer and help Scott.

I never really got along with any of the girls in Scott's pack. Truthfully, I never got along with girls in general. They're always vicious with their backstabbing and putting others down, thinking they're superior. I was more of a guy's girl. Boys were more laid back and didn't care about the same things girls did. It's simpler to hang out with the guys than to go shopping with the girls while pointing out someone’s flaws in the dressing rooms. Right now, Lydia was proving why I dislike girls as she's giggling and twirling her hair in front of my boyfriend.

I walked towards them, trying not to let my blood boil under my skin. It's moments like this where I wish I was a werewolf with incredible hearing. Brett's head snapped in my direction, no doubt hearing my heartbeat ready to explode and my chemosignals radiating with rage. Lydia turned around to see what suddenly had Brett's attention.

"Excuse you, but what the hell do you think you’re doing?" I asked angrily as I curled my hands into tight fists.

Brett pushed himself off the lockers. "Baby-" 

"We were just taking," Lydia interrupted Brett.

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, you and I,” I pointed my index finger between us, “are talking. I'm not smiling in a flirtatious matter or battling my eyes at you like you were with my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

"Clearly, you weren't thinking," I snapped at her. "You know Brett's mine and not yours. So back off, Lydia." I held my gaze with hers before turning on my heel and walked away from them.

"Baby, it's not what it looked like," Brett said, trying to keep up with my pace.

"Whatever," I mumbled as I reached the double doors that led to the courtyard.

"I'm serious," Brett grabbed my wrist and turned me around to face him. "If you were a werewolf with hear-"

"That's the problem, right?" I yanked my hand from his grip and took a step back from him. "I'm not a werewolf, Brett!” I whispered yelled at him. “You never fail to remind me I'm not as awesome, powerful, or as strong as you. I'm just a girl with a stupid sword."

Brett immediately shook his head, disagreeing with me. "No, baby-"

He reached out for me as he took a step forward. I quickly took another step back away from him. "Don't," I hissed. "You know, I came looking for you because I needed to talk to you, but it seems to me you don't have a problem talking to girls who know you're taken and still flirt with you." I turned around and walked away from him.

"What did you want to talk to me about?!" He yelled out. 

"Doesn't matter! I'll handle it myself. I don't need you!" I said over my shoulder as I walked over to the athletic building. As soon as I walked into the girls' locker room, I pulled out my phone and texted Scott.

Me: Spoke to Brett. We'll be there tonight. See you then.

I lied to my best friend. Something I had never done before and I hated that my anger towards Brett made me do this. The truth is I don't need Brett. I can help Scott on my own.

I grabbed my lacrosse uniform and gear before stuffing it in my duffle bag. I doubled-checked I had everything I needed before I headed home to get my sword and get ready for tonight. There was nothing that would stand in my way. I was ready to finally prove to Brett that I don't need him by my side all the time. There are some battles we’re better off fighting on our own.

As soon as I parked my car in the school parking lot, I noticed everything was calm. No one was running away in fear. Instead, they were all sitting in the stands, talking to each other or eating popcorn as they waited for the game to start.

I quickly grabbed my duffle bag and walked towards the field. I noticed Scott, Liam, and Corey were talking amongst themselves in front of the team bench. I dropped my bag next to the bench before walking up to them.

"Where's Brett?" Scott asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "And I really don't care. We got this."

Liam furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, "But we need all the help we can get." 

"We don't need him," I said slightly annoyed. "I can see them too, remember? Corey and I can tell you when they're coming." 

"She's right. We might not be the kind of supernatural creatures like you guys are, but we're just as useful and powerful. You guys have us, that's two sets of eyes instead of one, having both of us together only makes us stronger," Corey defended me as I gave him an appreciative smile.

"Okay, let's do this then," Scott said just seconds before the wind picked up and a flash of lighting appeared at the end of the field.

"They're coming," Cory and I said as we saw several Ghost Riders approaching us on their horses.

The Ghost Riders charged towards us, people from the stands stood up once they saw them. The closer the Ghost Riders got, the more people started panicking and rushing off the lacrosse field. We gathered the lacrosse team and protected them as we stood in front of them. It was Scott, Liam, Corey, and myself. We were outnumbered, but we weren’t going down without a fight.

Scott and Liam shifted, not caring about revealing the supernatural in front of our teammates. I whipped out my sword as Corey placed a hand on Scott and Liam's shoulders, as he turned invisible, letting them see The Ghost Riders charging our way. 

Scott and Liam charged toward The Ghost Riders as Corey and I tried to protect everyone else. One of them came toward my way. He wasn't on a horse, which would be easier for me to fight against. Lucky for me, he also didn't have a gun. He had a whip, which he tried to hit me with. I ducked to the side, missing the whip by a couple of inches.

I swung my sword at The Ghost rider, but he was quick to knock it out of my grip with his whip. I squatted quickly and slid my leg across, hitting his legs and knocking him to the ground. I quickly jumped back up and ran for my sword. When I turned around, The Ghost Rider was already back on his feet and walking towards me. This time he had a buddy with him. The second Ghost Rider shot his gun. With my quick reflexes and my savvy skills with the sword, I hit every bullet out of the way before it could hit me.

"You're not taking me today," I gritted as I hit the last bullet to the side. The Ghost Rider put his gun back on his belt and threw a punch. I ducked and repeated the same move as earlier, I squatted and slid my foot, knocking him from his feet. I quickly got up to take care of the other Ghost Rider, the first one with the whip, but before I could hit him with my sword, the Ghost Rider on the floor used my move against me and knocked me down. 

I grunted as the fall knocked the wind out of my lungs and a shooting pain was throbbing on my lower back. The Ghost Rider stood above me, staring down at me. It should have frightened me, but it didn't. My hand searched for my sword, but The Ghost Rider with the gun kicked it away from me as his friend lifted his whip. 

I stared him down. "Do it," I dared. "You take me and I promise you, I'll find a way to escape and free everyone you've taken."

The Ghost Rider tilted his head, as if he were weighting a decision of whether or not to take me. In a matter of seconds, he quickly lifted his whip and hit me. Except, it didn't take me like it should have. Instead, it gave me a huge gash on my torso. Then the other Ghost Rider grabbed my sword and shoved it in the gash his friend gave me. I screamed as the silver blade slide though my lower stomach. I looked down and blood was quickly seeping through my lacrosse jersey. I placed my hand on top of my tank top underneath my jersey, putting pressure on my wound to stop the bleeding. I looked up and The Ghost Riders disappeared. I looked around and noticed they were all gone, along with a couple of my teammates. 

Corey rushed to my side, Scott and Liam following right behind him. Scott made his way through and kneeled down by my side.

"No, no, no," he repeated as he pulled me into his arms. His hand wrapped around the arm I had underneath my jersey, trying to take away my pain. "Y/N, I need you to stay with me," he told me. I looked up into his broken brown eyes and I knew what he was thinking. "This can't be happening again," he mumbled to himself.

I shook my head. "Scott, you've been like a brother to me-"

"Don't-" he interrupted with a shaky breath. 

I ignored him. He couldn't take my pain away and that only meant one thing. I had to say goodbye while I could. "And I love you, but if anything-" I continued, only to get interrupted again.

Scott shook his head as tears streamed down his cheeks. "No, don't do this... please don't do this. I need you... if you di-"

"Don't blame yourself, okay?" I quickly said, already knowing Scott would beat himself up over my death. "It's not your fault." 

"Yes it is. I should have protected you," Scott sniffled as he tried again to take my pain.

"It's okay," I whispered. "If I died protecting you guys-"

"No, no, no," Scott mumbled repeatedly as he shook his head.

“It’s okay,” I repeated. I swallowed hard as I began to feel weaker by the second. "Tell Brett I love-"

"No!" Brett yelled as he rushed over next to Scott. Scott slowly unraveled me from his arms and let Brett hold me. Brett looked upset but his eyes were filled with sadness. "You don't get to tell someone else your last words for me because those aren't going to be your last words, you hear me?" 

"Brett... I'm sorry," I apologized for everything, for acting like a jealous person earlier and not telling him about the plan for tonight. 

He shook his head as tears fell down his cheeks. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "No, I'm sorry."

I looked into his eyes and mustered out the last three words I wanted him to hear before everything faded to black, "I love you."

I gasped as I quickly sat up straight. My eyes quickly scanned the room. Brett, Scott, Liam, Mason, and Corey all stared at me with wide eyes. Their heartbeats were beating fast. They were reeking with a combination of relief and worry. My eyes widened at the sudden realization that my senses were heightened.

"Oh no," I whispered. I looked down at my body. Nothing about it looked different, but I felt different. I felt stronger somehow, like I was invincible, or in this case, supernatural.

I lifted my shirt up and noticed my stomach looked perfectly normal. As if nothing had happened when there should have been stitches or a scar from the wound The Ghost Riders gave me on the lacrosse field. I pulled down my shirt and fiddled with the hem.

"Baby?" Brett whispered softly but to me it sounded like he was talking through a microphone. I winced, as I wasn't used to having such excellent werewolf hearing.

"Yeah?" I whispered back.

I heard someone swallow hard. I didn’t know who it was, but I could tell they were nervous, reeking with anxiety.

"Are you okay?" Brett asked softly.

"Why did you do it?" I mumbled.

"He didn't." I looked up as Scott finally spoke up. He took a small step towards me as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

I shook my head at Scott. "I mean I know you gave me the bite, but Brett why did you make him do it?" I turned around to look at Brett, who shook his head at me. “You knew I never wanted this.”

"It was all my idea. I didn't want to lose my best friend the exact same way I lost Allison. I couldn't bare the thought of having to go through all of that again. So I took a chance and gave you the bite. Is it selfish? Yes. Do I regret it? No." Scott explained.

"I'll admit though, I had no objections to his decision. It was a chance to save you and if he hadn't done it, I would have taken you to Satomi myself," Brett intertwined our fingers together. Our fingers. I looked down at our hands. I've always loved the way his rough hands felt against my soft hands, but the feeling was more intense. With my werewolf senses I was more aware of his touch.

"Can I have a minute with Brett?" I asked. Everyone nodded their heads before walking out and leaving Brett and I alone.

“First question,” I started. “How did you know where I was?”

“I was leaving the library when I found Mason running frantically down the hallway. He was telling me that Parrish was the answer to The Ghost Riders problems, but before we could call or find Parrish, I heard your scream. I left Mason behind and ran looking for you.”

I nodded. Brett sighed as he cupped my cheeks and pulled me up to look at him. "I know what you're thinking-"

"You do? Is telepathy a werewolf super power I didn't know about?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him, remembering if I somehow missed that important information.

Brett chuckled as he shook his head. He stood up and spread my legs apart so he could stand in between them. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me. My eyes flew to his chest as his heart beat quickened. I smirked before locking my eyes with his. "That's interesting."

"What is?" He asked confused.

"You've always told me you love listening to my heart beat like a maniac," I placed my hand on his broad chest, above his heart. "I can see why you love it," I smiled at him.

"It's the best music," he smiled before leaning down, meshing our lips together. My heart exploded against my chest as sparks shivered down my spine, all the way down to my toes. It wasn't the butterflies I used to get. This feeling was more intense and powerful, and I loved it.

“Wow,” I said breathlessly as I pulled back and rested my forehead against his. “That was kind of amazing.”

Brett chuckled, “Just wait until we have sex.”

My eyebrows shot up and gave him an ‘oh really?’ look. I smirked as I wrapped my hand around his neck, ready to pull him in and see what he was talking about. Brett chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled away from me. “We can do that when you get everything under control.”

My hand dropped as I sighed. I looked down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “Brett, you’re going to help me with this, right?”

He lifted my chin, locking his eyes with mine. “Of course. I’m going to help you, every step of the way.” 

“But how is that going to work? I was in Satomi’s pack, but now I’m in Scott’s, and you’re still in Satomi’s… won’t that be kind of hard?” I asked.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing we haven’t already done before. Satomi understood why you transferred schools and why I moved with you. Yes, I’m still in her pack, but you’ve always somewhat been a part of Scott’s because he’s your best friend. You’re always helping him and Satomi is okay with it. I think it helps that Scott and Satomi have an understanding, and I think they’ll let us be together and be in different packs without having some sort of conflict.”

“You’re right,” I sighed as I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head against his. Brett held me tight as he kissed my forehead, reassuring me everything would be fine and work out.

Scott walked in with a small smile. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” I smiled at him. “Everything’s going to be just fine, Scotty.”

[writingevil]

Myra’s New Brother

by E.L.B

Myra was put into foster care when she was six years old. She could still remember the day CPS came to her house. Her mother had been out drinking again and she was in the bathroom trying to take care of her little brother, Andy. Her mother was passed out among empty bottles on the couch and the stove in the kitchen had a pot of water on it that Myra had put up there so she could make mac’n cheese for dinner. The now boiling water was long forgotten about after her brother had came in from playing outside covered in mud. She was trying to wrestle the rambunctious toddler into the bath when a knock came at the front door. She froze, knowing that she was not supposed to open the door for anyone in case they saw her mother passed out and a six year old taking care of a three year old. She waited until the knocking stopped before continuing to get her brother cleaned up. 

Thirty minutes later the knock came again, this time booming and echoing throughout the house. Myra stopped where she was in the kitchen cleaning up the spilled water from the over flowed pan.

“It’s the police! Open up!” came from outside the door. 

Myra tiptoed past her mother and peaked out the window and saw the flashing lights of two police vehicles. She knew that she had to open the door but figure out some way to get them to go away. She opened the door to two female police officers standing on her porch.

One kneeled to her level and smiled kindly. “Hi there, I’m Officer Grant with CPS is your mommy home?”

Myra shook her head, thinking maybe they would leave if her mother wasn’t home. 

“How old are you?”

Myra held up six fingers.

“Where’s your brother?”

“Playing in his room.” she said softly.

“Can you go get him and bring him here for me? We are going to take you two someplace safe until your mommy gets back.”

Myra looked down knowing that she had messed up. It was too late now, better just do what the cops said. She went and grabbed Andy and his blanket and teddy that he had to have with him at all times. The officers from her porch talked to the ones that were still in their cars. Myra only caught words like ‘search’ and ‘house’. 

Officer Grant walked back over too her. “Are you sure your mommy’s not home?” Myra started to cry knowing she’d been caught in her lie. “It’s okay if she is we just need to know before we leave.”

“She’s asweep on da couch. Smells bad.” Andy babbled holding onto his sisters hand.

“Okay, we’ll just get you two safe until trying to wake her up.” Officer Grant led them a way from their home and it was the last time Myra ever saw it.

Four years later Myra sat next to her Social Worker, Anna, in the car and stared out the window.

“So, how’s Andy doing?” She asked softly.

“He’s in a nice place right now. The family has another boy his age and they’re really close. You’ll see him at Christmas.” Anna said.

“That’s months away. Summer just started.”

“You excited about your new foster parents?”

“No, I don’t understand how you claim to take children from their parents for their own safety but then give them away to people that are dangerous. At least my mother wasn’t racist.” Myra said.

Anna sighed. “These people will be good for you. They’ve adopted a son and a daughter already. The son should be around your age and the daughter’s in high school.”

“And if anything happen’s I’ve stolen your phone so I can call you.” Myra smiled softly. “Kidding.”

“You better be.”

They pulled up to a house with two cars in the driveway and a dog running across the lawn with a boy chasing after it. Two men and a teenage girl sat on the wrap around porch. The men stood when the car pulled in. Myra got out and took a moment to scan her surroundings.

The house was on a dirt road with trees surrounding it. Myra noticed that the girl had her head buried in a book. She was about to grab her bag from the back when the dog knocked her down and started attacking her face with kisses. 

“Rufus! Don’t attack the new girl!” the boy yelled but Myra laughed sitting up and petting the fluffy mutt.

“Aw, you’re just adorable aren’t you? You didn’t mean to hurt me you just don’t know your own strength. Good puppy.” She cooed.

The dog jumped off her and ran around, excited to have such a nice human here. Myra fixed herself and grabbed her back pack and gym bag from the car. The gym bag was the easiest thing to store clothes in since suitcase’s take up space. Anna was already on the porch talking to the two men. Myra walked over calmly noticing the boy follow her and stare. 

“This is Myra, ten almost eleven.” Anna said, putting her hand on Myra’s shoulder. Myra nodded to the two men.

“I’m James and this is Corey.” shorter of the two men said pointing too himself and then his husband. “That one’s Micheal and the bookworm is Amanda.”

“Micheal’s 8 and Amanda’s 16.” said Corey and James nodded.

Myra looked at the two kids. Micheal had blonde hair and blue eyes, the typical angel type. Amanda had small narrow eyes and dark skin but not as dark as Myra’s. The puppy sat as Myra’s feet and looked at her.

“That’s Rufus. We just got him yesterday.” said Micheal with a grin.

“Let’s get you set up inside.” said James reaching to take her gym bag.

“I’ve got it.” She said softly and hefted the bag onto her shoulder. Myra followed the two men into the house, into her new home.

It took Myra three days to get settled and stop jumping at every noise. She had to make this work or else she’d be moved again. Rufus had attached himself to her. He slept at the foot of her bed and followed her around the house. She had already found that the only way to get complete peace and quiet was to lock her bedroom door, which was not allowed. 

The rest of the family was going out to the grocery store but Amanda and Myra were left at home alone. Myra sat in the living room sitting and playing with Rufus and making him chase the laser pointer around.

“I’ll be reading upstairs. If you need anything let me know if not just leave me alone.” Amanda said walking upstairs with a glass of water and two large books. Myra found Amanda to be quiet and closed off towards her but she had noticed her being sweet and kind to Micheal. 

Myra grabbed Rufus’ leash. “Wanna go for a walk, boy? Do ya?” 

Rufus freaked, spinning in circles and jumping up and down trying to lick her face. “Gross puppy. Calm down.”

She walked Rufus to the edge of the forest and looked in. There weren’t any noticeable paths but there didn’t seem to be any ivy of thorns keeping her out. She walked in. Myra found a trail soon enough and tied her bandanna around one of the tree’s so she would know how to get back. Rufus was sniffing everything, barking and freaking out whenever a leaf moved on its own or a twig snapped. Myra decided to follow the path upwards instead of down. She theorized that down meant there might be a stream or a river nearby and she didn’t want Rufus getting wet. 

Following the path brought her to a small rock formation almost like a small cave. She dug around in her pocket for her flashlight. Rufus began sniffing around but there didn’t seem to be anything in the cave. She decided this was an adventure for another time, when she had more light. 

Two day’s later she got another opportunity to go explore the cave on her own when James and Corey took Micheal to the doctor. She grabbed a bright lantern from the closet by the stairs and found her way back to the path with Rufus in the lead. Setting the lantern in the middle of the cave lit all sides. She spent a while just exploring around but couldn’t find anything.

“This place is ours, Rufus. All ours.”

Myra went back to the house and grabbed her personal collection of books and an old blanket. She got back late and the sun was setting. Everyone had just got back.

“Myra, you’re a mess. What have you been doing all day?” Corey asked her, brushing twigs out of her curly hair.

“Nothing, Rufus and I were just going on an adventure and he had a bit too much fun in the dirt.” Myra smiled innocently like she’d seen Micheal do to get what he wanted.

“Okay, you two go get washed up. We’ve got pizza and Micheal is tired.” Corey said with a soft sigh picking up the sleeping boy and carrying him into the house.

Myra started to make her own little nest for her and Rufus in their little cave. She had old blankets and books piled up and it was really cozy. She and Rufus followed the path the other way and found a lake which Rufus had way too much fun in. Corey and James were getting suspicious of her antics but weren’t pressing for information. Micheal was too tired normally to be able to bother her. Amanda had tried to follow her once out of curiosity but left before she made it to her world. 

Myra’s World, that was what she decided to call her little hide out. Rufus got his own water and food bowl eventually and that was Rufus’ corner but other than that it was Myra’s World. Eventually Corey pressed her for information on where she was going everyday.

“It’s my own little hideaway. Mine and Rufus’. It’s quiet and I like it.” Myra said defensively.

“We just want to make sure you’re safe.” Corey said sitting next to his husband.

“I raised my brother from the time I could walk properly. My father left us before I turned five. My mother started drinking whenever she wasn’t working. My house wasn’t a safe place. School was just a distraction until I had to go back home to my crying brother.” She looked down. “Since, we left our mother never tried to get us back. My brother and I were split and the only time we get to see each other is Christmas. I’ve been passed from home to home each time with Anna promising me this one would be it, the safe place I’ve been looking for. My first home was just a woman trying to get the money for kids from the government. The older girls didn’t like me much so I ran away. The next home was a group home and I shared a small room with three other girls. If we weren’t cleaning we were wrong. When I was eight I got moved into a home with a couple who had a biological son. Apparently CPS never informed the husband I was black because he was very obviously racist. I was beaten in that house for nothing more than the color of my skin and Anna had the audacity to tell me that it was just a mistake and it wouldn’t happen again. I need a place that’s completely my own, where no one can come find me, where I can kick and scream and fight away memories of my past, and where I can cry about my baby brother whose seven now and thankfully doesn’t remember our father leaving us or our mother drinking away the pain.

“People have been trying to make sure I’m safe since I was six and taken from my family. I’m waiting for them to realize that I’m the only one who can make me feel truly safe.” Myra stood and left the gaping family in the living room. She went upstairs and looked out her window at the stars and the moon. She sat curled up for a while until a knock came at her door. It was Micheal. 

“I’m going to go catch fireflies but Amanda’s too busy reading. Will you come with me?” Micheal’s hair had been shaved off because of whatever he kept going to the doctor for but he still had those pleading blue eyes. Rufus sat at his feet looking at Myra imploringly.

“Sure. Do you have a jar to put them in?” Myra asked standing.

“No. I just let them crawl around on my hands and then let them go. It feels wrong to trap them.” Micheal said taking her hand.

She and Micheal ran around the yard trying to catch the glowing insects. Micheal got tired after a while so she brought him some herself. He rode on her shoulders into the house. 

“Can we do something fun tomorrow?” He asked. 

Myra smiled at the small child. “I have just the place. Let’s go see if anyone else wants to go.”

Micheal ran into the living room. “Myra’s gonna take us someplace tomorrow does anyone else want to come?” He smiled happily.

“Oh, honey. Your papa and I have to work tomorrow and I don’t think Myra can handle an eight year old by herself.” said James picking up Micheal. 

Micheal looked sad and looked at Myra apologetically.

“I’ll go with them.” Amanda said not looking up from her book. “I’m more than capable of handling an eight and ten year old.” 

And so it was settled. Myra told them to be ready with bathing suits and towels in the morning. She then led them into the wood, Amanda complaining along the way about bugs and trees. Micheal followed her eagerly down the path to the lake. Amanda sat on the edge of a rock with her feet in the water as Micheal and Myra swam around and Rufus kicked up dirt and water. 

“Amanda!” Micheal yelled at his sister.

“What?” She shouted back.

“Are you going to be boring all day or are you gonna have some fun?” Myra yelled.

“Did you just call me boring?” 

“Yes she did!” Micheal yelled with a smile. “Even Rufus thinks you’re boring.”

“Well, I never.” 

“You never what? Have fun?” Myra laughed and splashed her before pulling the screaming girl into the lake.

“I’ll get you both for this!” Amanda yelled. 

Myra swam away with Micheal holding onto her. They spent a while just running away from the teenager before the three of them began floating around and listening to Rufus play with the fish. Myra carried the tired eight year old back to the house on her shoulders and Amanda ordered them to take showers. 

The next day she and Micheal swung on the swing set. He would laugh and tell her jokes. Rufus seemed to take a liking to Micheal again, not following Myra everywhere and instead going off to find the boy. She started reading him stories at night. 

“- and then the cat fell asleep.” she finished and closed the book.

“Myra?” said the sleepy kid.

“Yeah?”

“Can I call you my sister?” he yawned.

“Why would you want to do that?” Myra asked. 

“Because I love you. You’re already pretty much my sister and I think you’d be the best sister anyone could ask for.” 

“Sure.” Myra said uncertainly.

After that Micheal called her his sister and Amanda started to do the same. The three came back from the lake one night to find there dad’s home with pizza.

“Hey Papa, can you hand me the plates?” Myra asked Corey. Corey almost dropped them when he handed them to her. 

James came in with groceries. “I got it, Dad!” Myra said grabbing two of the bags from his hands. The two husbands looked at each other then at Myra and then smiled. 

Micheal asked about Andy a lot. 

“Do you think he’d like me?” He asked her one night when they were looking at the stars on the grass.

“I think so. He’s very rambunctious. When he was little he would always be playing in the dirt.” Myra said fondly.

“Will I ever get to meet him?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, you’re my sister so that like makes him my brother right?”

“Sure.”

“I love all my family and I want to meet all of them.” Micheal said with a smile as bright as the sun. “I want to tell him all the things he’s missed about having you as an older sister. I want to show him how Amanda can ignore everything around her when she’s reading. I want to show him how Dad likes to play with Papa’s hair when they lay on the couch together. I want to show him all the happy things in our life so he never worries that his sister is sad.” 

“I think he’d like that.” Myra said smiling to the little kid. 

“I sure hope so.”

It was another day at the lake when it happened. Micheal was sitting on a rock and he passed out. Amanda freaked out and grabbed her brother getting him out of the water before he could drown. She laid him on the ground and put her ear to his mouth.

“He’s not breathing. Myra, Myra listen to me. Run back to the house and call nine one one then call Papa. Then wait for the ambulance and lead the EMT’s down here. Myra, do you understand?” Amanda said. Myra nodded numbly and watched as Amanda began to start compression’s and counting softly to herself. 

Myra ran inside and picked up the phone and dialed in the three numbers drilled into every child's head. “Nine-one-one whats your emergency?”

“My brothers not breathing! He’s down by the lake. Please send some one quick.” Myra rushed out. 

“Can you tell us where you are?”

Myra listed off the address. 

“Is CPR being preformed?”

“Yes my sister is down there. She’s trained.”

“Do not move him unless absolutely necessary.”

“Yes sir.”

Myra called Corey next. Her breathing was fast and she was in tears. 

“Hello?”

“Papa! Micheal’s passed out he’s not breathing.” 

“I’m on my way call us if you go to the hospital. I’ll call your Dad.”

The ambulance came in a flash of lights and Myra led them through the woods to where Amanda was still doing compression's with tears streaked down her face. The EMT’s took over and whisked Micheal away. Amanda and Myra rode with the police officers who called Corey and James to let them know they were on the way to the hospital.

Myra and Amanda waited away from their fathers. Amanda held Myra’s hand like a vice grip and jumped whenever the door to the doctor’s side of the waiting room opened. Myra was confused but couldn’t bring herself to ask what was going on.

A female doctor entered and walked over to their fathers and Amanda walked stiffly over dragging Myra with her.

“He’s stable but we don’t think we can allow him to leave the hospital. He just doesn’t have much time left.”

“What do you mean time left?” Myra shouted.

“Myra.” Corey said softly.

“He’s just a little kid! He should have more time left than anyone here! Papa whats going on?” Myra shouted, tears streaming down her face. 

James got level with Myra and looked her in the eyes. “Micheal’s got cancer. We’ve known for a while that the treatments weren’t working. Micheal made the decision to quit.”

“But he’s just a little boy.”

“Sometimes bad things happen to even the youngest of us.” James said softly.

“I’ve already lost one brother, now I’m going to lose two!” Myra yelled and kicked James in the leg to get him to let go of her. She ran into Amanda’s arms and sobbed. She cried big ugly tears that made her face feel like it was melting. Amanda just held her unsure of what else she could do.

They were led back to Micheal’s room. Seeing her brother hooked up to all those big scary machines made Myra want to run up and punch cancer in the face. But cancer wasn’t big enough for her to punch in the face. Cancer was just big enough to take the life of an eight year old boy. 

Micheal woke up after a day and he was talking to them over the beeping of the machines.

“Papa,” He asked Corey, his voice wavering. “Am I gonna die?”

“We don’t know, bud.” Corey said softly.

Micheal nodded. “I don’t wanna die. I wanna live. I want to see Myra smile again. Even if it all hurts.”

Myra sniffled and held onto her brothers hand which looked so tiny on the white sheets. 

The family sat and talked for a while. Mostly about nothing but it meant everything to Myra. After a few minutes of silence after their dads had fallen asleep and Amanda had left to get some water.

“Myra?” 

“Yeah?”

“Tell Andy... I took care of his sister ... for as long as possible.” He coughed. 

“No, Micheal you can tell Andy that yourself.” 

Micheal just smiled and the heart monitor slowly went into one monotonous beep. 

“Micheal? Micheal! Brother!” Myra yelled waking her fathers. “Somebody, please help!” 

“Micheal?” Corey asked softly, running over to the bed. 

The doctors came in and pushed them out. The doctors did all they could but Micheal was gone. Amanda cried for day’s cursing cancer and god and doctors. Myra was right beside her crying as well. Their dads moved about like Zombies, numbly doing whatever needed done and prepping for the funeral. 

Myra called up Anna after three days.

“Hello?”

“Anna? I need to talk to Andy soon. I need to tell him about my brother.”

[omgmissmillie-blog]

Need you (Here)

A/N - hello, I had a bit of trouble while writing chased and more ideas started flowing in so i’m gonna see if trying to get some other stuff out can help my creative juices flow to figure out my missing key in the story. Please enjoy!!!!

A BIG ASS SPECIAL THANKS TO MY BOOTHANG SHANNON ( @screamersdontdance ) I LOVE YOU . YOU CONTRIBUTED A HUGE PART TO THIS AND UGH YOU SUFFERED WITH ME SO THANKS LOVE ❤ (Caps are literally our thing lmao)

It does switch between reader and Baron so PAY. ATTENTION.

Warning: angst, swearing, BIRTH (MMK IT HAPPENS) Word Count: - 2,750 Tagging: - @wrasslesmut @hardcorewwetrash @hiitsmecharlie @wwelover22 @lavitabella87 @justtookawaii @daintymissdevitt

So like… Listen i tagged a very few of you and im sorry if you don’t like i won’t do it again don’t kill me 😅 .

——

I couldn’t be more excited for Baron to come home today. Our child is healthy and she can be here at any moment. Baron and I have been growing a distance but he promised to come home and treat me which i’m excited for.

I had fallen asleep on the couch, I looked at the clock to see it was 1am but Baron still hasn’t come home. I grab my phone and dial his number, it had lead straight to voicemail. Usually Baron would call and tell me if something was wrong which made me uneasy. I was quick to dial Corey’s number until the lock had turned. A drunken Baron had walked in slowly with a wobble in each step. I couldn’t control my emotions as anger bubbled inside me. “Baron! What the hell, you didn’t call me or text me to let me know you weren’t coming home.” I planted my hands on my hips and glare at him. I knew this wasn’t going to work, he stared back at me but nothing came out of him. I huff and walk to the kitchen and grab a glass and filled it with water. I march back over to him and shove the glass into his hands. “Drink it and then shower. Now. Sober up because we’re going to talk about this.” I sighed with frustration.

I sat on the couch and waited for him to come out of the bathroom. He finally emerged as he dried his hair, I stood up and motioned for him to sit on the couch. I started to pace around until I began to speak. “Baron.. You promised me you’d be here.. Clearly drinking seemed to be more important.” Disappointment was filling up my words as I spoke quietly. Baron rubbed his face roughly as frustration washed over him. “(Y/N) sometimes shit happens, you have to get over it.” I stopped and looked at him, I wasn’t sure if I was angry or sad. “When you make a promise to someone usually they stand by it Baron sorry that its apart of keeping a promise.” From what was once was a silent filled room escalated into loud arguing. “What is your problem Baron? There’s this distance thats been growing between us, do you want to explain it?” My heart pounded hard against my chest as I waited for Baron to respond.

“I’m not ready to be a father (Y/N)! This is all very scary to me and i’m not scared of anyone but this i’m not ready for.” Baron stood up and ran his hands through his wet hair. I didn’t get it, I can understand him being scared but what about me? “Seriously? Baron i’m not ready to be a mother. Did you think I ask for the condom to break? Did you think I asked to carry this child? I thought I was on the safe side! So don’t come at me with you being scared because i’m scared as well. Being here for months practically alone…I’m fucking terrified.” My heart pounded faster as I shouted back at him, a sharp pain began to line my stomach. I quickly bring a hand to my tummy and try to lightly shift it, the pain had only gotten worse as I fell to my knees. I whimper as the pain had gotten more violent and unbearable. The contractions began only recently but it was a struggle to move from one spot to another. Baron immediately got down beside me and tried to soothe me only making me more angry, “Don’t fucking touch me Baron, you said you were too scared, back off. Scarier stuffs about to happen.” l shouted as clenched my stomach, I tried to stand and move but shortly my legs gave out as I gasped. Baron scooped me up into his arms, I tried to struggle against his hold, he carried me out of the house towards the car. I finally wiggle out of his grasp landing on my feet luckily. The pain became more unbearable, I look over at baron whose fishing in his pockets for his keys “You’re not driving me….anywhere you’re still… wasted and you’re risking it..” I panted as I lean down. “You’re clearly in pain (Y/N) stop being so fucking stubborn” Baron shouted back.

Headlights turned the corner and stopped in front of us, Corey had stepped out. “(Y/N)? What’s going on? are you okay? I got your call but i couldn’t pick up” He sank down to my side and tried to help me up. “No, I think theres something wrong.” I began to cry, Corey picked me up and brought me to the passenger seat of his car. Baron sat in the back seat and placed a hand on my shoulder, I was in too much pain to shake him off or fight with him anymore tonight. We made it to the hospital, Corey helped me out and guided me to the building. Baron trailed behind slowly, as we enter the building several nurses roamed around in a quickened pace. A small petite nurse walked up to me and Corey, “Hi ma'am, what brings you in tonight?” Her voice was light and soothing. “She’s fine but me, I was blinded by your beauty” Corey winked at her. I glared up at Corey, I was ready to go on a rampage if I didn’t get some help soon. Corey chuckled nervously, “She’s having very intense pain and shes 9 months so far. It may be time” The nurse went to my side and guided me into an empty room. “Can you get up on the table and wait for just a second?” The nurse left me in the room alone.

I use the little steps to lie on the table, a soft knock disturbed the silence in the room. “Come in” I tried to say as calmly as I could. Baron came in slowly and sat in the chair beside me, I turn over slightly and look at him. He stared straight ahead, as angry as I was at him I needed him here, Its better than handling this alone. I whimper quietly as the pain began to rise again, “ow ow.. Baron” I cried quietly. Baron stood up and pressed my head against his tummy. “It hurts Baron, so much..” I cried harder as I gripped lightly onto his shirt, “shh it’s okay babe you’ll be okay” Baron brought his other hand to stroke my hair. The doctor rushed in along side the nurse with a wheelchair, “(Y/N), Hi let’s skip formalities my name is Kelsie i’m your doctor for the night my nurse told me you were 9 months, expecting at anytime well today is your lucky day your baby is coming out tonight.” I looked at Kelsie in shock as tears continued to fall. “We’re going to have to bring you to the maternity unit asap we just need to wheel you there right now and get you all set up.” Kelsie came around to Baron and helped me stand and walk to the wheelchair.

I continued to pant and cry in the wheelchair as she pushed me through the halls to the maternity unit. “It’ll be okay (Y/N) we’ll try to get your little one out soon. If she’s facing the direction we need her to it’ll be easier.” Kelsie pushed the double doors that read “Maternity Ward” open, we turned the first corner and went into the first room.

“You, help her get undressed and on this bed now! You, make sure my tools are clean, You over there! I need you to get the baby on the screen now we need to see what direction shes in.” Kelsie shouted to the nurses, they worked like bees and got things done quickly, I was undressed and assisted on to the table in position. Baron remained quiet the entire time but sat in a chair near by to hold my hand.

The screen showed my baby girl, Even though I was a mess I was so glad to see her I wanted to hold her in my arms immediately. Kelsie scooted her chair in front of me as she began to prepare herself, she looked up at the screen and nodded to herself as she pulled her mask up. “(Y/N) shes in the right direction i’m gonna need you to push okay?” I didn’t trust anyone but kelsie right now, I followed what she said and immediately grab ahold of Baron’s hand as I cried out in pain. “I know …I know..you’re doing great babe” Baron kissed the top of my hand.

The last push couldn’t be anymore painful, I reached out for the baby but kelsie handed her off to the nurse, “Where are they taking my Baby?” I panic. Kelsie looked slightly worried and whispered something to Baron and left the room. “Baron. Where’s my little girl.. I want to hold her.” I began to shout, I knew from the movies when they took a baby away nothing good was happening. “They had to bring her to the NICU, she needs assistance breathing” Baron balled his hand into a fist out of frustration. My breathing picked up, I began to put my legs over the bed. “WOAH what are you doing?” Baron blocked me from getting down. My heart pounded against my chest, “Baron please… go check on our little girl please.. Go follow them.. Go…” I pushed him towards the door, walking on his own he took on a jog around to look for the NICU.

I slowly walked back and climbed up on the bed praying and hoping my little girl was going to be okay. I was completely drained after using my last bit of strength to push Baron out. I wanted to sleep but I needed to know whats going on with my baby.

****

My heart pounded hard against my chest as I looked for the NICU, Finally stumbling upon it Kelsie finally stepped out with a sigh. “Doctor Kelsie, Is she okay? Well will she?” I swipe off my beanie and run a hand through my hair.

“As of right now we are unsure. She isn’t breathing on her own. We will give it until overnight. I will personally stay and watch if you are alright with this.” Kelsie clipped her pen back onto the clip board. “Y-yes please..” I sighed and turned back to head towards (Y/N)’s room.

I open the door quietly, her eyes fluttered open. While yet she was like this she looked beautiful.. I was proud of her, I was shitty and I knew it. I had to make it right not for just us..but for her. For our little girl.

****

“What did they say?” I lick my lips everything felt dry, my throat and mouth just completely dry. I watched Baron pulled the chair to face me. “She’s on a tube at the moment. Kelsie is going to watch over her tonight and let me know if anything happens.” Baron sat back and bounced his leg.

“Listen, (Y/N) i’m sorr–”

“Baron..please.. Not now…we’ll talk later..I think I’m going to rest..I don’t want you to stay the night please.. Just go..” I close my eyes and ran my hand through my hair. He sighed quietly and stood to leave. Even though this was the moment I needed him in I was still upset with him, I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep.

****

I shut the door quietly and headed out to the main lobby, I noticed Corey sitting scrolling through his phone. I sit beside him with a sigh, he put a hand on my back and patted it.

“Explain everything in depth and detail” Corey crossed his arms and looked over to me. I rubbed my face in frustration, “This is my fault Corey, we had big argument, she refuse to let me drive, you came along luckily…now our little girl is in the NICU and (Y/N) doesn’t want me to stay up there with her.” I look down as a tear fell from my eye. “Look, I know YOU know because even I know how stubborn (Y/N) can be you gotta shut her up first before she shuts you up, what ever happen apologize and forgive honestly. Secondly why are you blaming yourself for something out of your control? You can’t prevent what happen so if shes in the NICU you have to let the doctors do what they do so that she’s okay. Lastly you and (Y/N) are gonna have to make up whatever is going on the last thing you want is for a newborn baby to probably hear you guys argue. It may not matter now because she won’t remember but listen to me you need to squash it now.” Corey stood up and held his hand out to me. I grip it and pulled him in for a hug, he was an amazing best friend always giving me the best advice and I had to follow through.

The dawn dragged in as the clock striked 6am we still sat and waited. Kelsie appeared from the corner and walked over to me. “Good news, your little girl is breathing she’s sleeping right now but at 6:30am we unlock the nursery door just bring this card up and they’ll bring her to you…have a lovely night Baron” Kelsie placed a hand on my shoulder and walked off to the doors. I was happy I can hold my baby girl, Corey and I stood up and headed back to the maternity unit.

By the time we made it the nurses were checking the babies and feeding some. I knocked softly on the door and hand the card to the nurse, she smiled and roamed over to a bassinet she slowly picked the baby up and began to walk back. My heart pounded before I even saw her, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see her. The nurse stopped and moved closer to me and placed her in my arms, Corey peeked over and put his finger in her tiny hands.

I was a tough guy but my own daughter.. I was happy to see her and i’ll admit it I had a few tears to shed. “We should go find (Y/N) and see if shes awake..” Corey began heading towards the main hall. I walked slowly as I tried to take in my little girl’s features. Her cheeks were small and round just like her mom’s, her skin was light and soft. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

****

I could hear cooing noises but i thought I was still asleep. My eyes open slowly and the cooing continued, I sat up quickly and my heart dropped. Baron sat against the wall and played with our baby girl in his arms. Tears began to flow from eyes, Baron looked up at me and carried her to me. “Shhh….(Y/N) hold her” Baron placed her in my arms and kissed my forehead. “ I love you and I love her.. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t be mad at him anymore.. I knew he meant it.. We created this child i’m holding and I needed him as much as he needed me and our baby. I couldn’t be happier. “One more thing (Y/N)” I look over to Baron who had stepped back and pulled out a box, kneeling down he opened it and reveal a diamond ring.

I looked at him shockingly and nodded speechless as more tears fell. He stood and place the ring on my finger as I held the baby close. I smile up at him and pull him down for a quick kiss. “Corey wanted to know whats the baby’s name, by the way we clearly haven’t decided one…” Baron kneeled back down and laid his head against the bed. He was right we haven’t decided a name for her, closing my eyes and think for a second. “Emersyn Hope Corbin” I look up at Baron for approval, smiling big he nodded. “I love it..” I look down and continued to play with Emersyn.

[deepdisireslonging]

Family Found Part 25: Trick or Treat (Evolution)

The first-ever women’s PPV, Evolution, is a hit. The amazing moral of Raw continues as everybody gets ready for Survivor Series. A warning comes from an old rival and it brings the rosters together for a unique match.

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, angst, cousin-fluff, some underhanded flirting

Word Count: 3890

Note: I am super excited for this chapter because it’s one of the major chunks I had in mind during the early stages of series development. Pretty much everything about Survivor Series is why I wrote this series. There have been some changes in that plan because of Roman’s announcement, and I will not be using Joe Anoa’I illness as a plot point. I will be mentioning it enough to move Dean forward, but it won’t be a focus. Thank you guys for sticking with me this far. Enjoy this next chapter!

Part 1: Welcome to the Team

Part 24: Shattered (TLC)

Evolution – October 28, 2018 - Uniondale, New York

The monumental night began with a title match. Natalya stood in one corner. In the other, Rhonda stood with the title swung over her shoulder.

When the bell rang, both women took one more second to observe her opponent before rushing in for the headlock. They had learned well from each other. Natalya was using some holds that were more likely to be seen in a UFC fight than a squared circle. And Rhonda was taking time to breathe. She would rush in, all speed and aggression, but when something didn’t work she was able to take a step back and clear her head.

They danced around one another, occasionally smiling. To some of the woman watching in the back, the match looked like a typical sparring match. That couldn’t last forever.

Natalya twisted Rhonda underneath her in a sharpshooter. How many times in sparring had Rhonda been able to crawl to the ropes? Or to turn opposite of Natalya’s force and make it out? It was beginning to frustrate Rhonda that she couldn’t do any of those things. She grit her teeth and was able to move a few inches closer to the bottom rope. With a few more she would be able to grab it. The bottom rope faded into the distance as Natalya dragged her back into the center of the ring and deepened the hold.

With a growl, Rhonda had to choose the stability of her body over her reign.

The women both crumpled to the canvas as the bell rang again, ending the match. They hugged one another, even as the ref struggled to bring Natalya to her feet. He eventually raised her hand in victory and was quickly replaced by Rhonda. No hard feelings; just a great match.

But Evolution had to continue.

***

Trish Stratus and Lita made their grand entrance to the loud welcome of the WWE universe. The crowd was full of women who had grown up watching their matches, and new fans young and old who were coming into the WWE at the best time. Every girl and woman sitting or standing around the arena was ready for the first of many PPVs showing off the best female talent. Lita eagerly welcomed several girls straining over the barricades with handshakes and a bright smile.

In the ring, things were a little grimmer. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James attacked early before the ref’s signal, rushing action from the legends. All four woman took turns having the upper hand, and wondering if they were going to make it out of the pin. Trish caught Alexa with a Stratusfaction, bringing their match to a close.

The night continued with the last round of the Mae Young Classic, the NXT Women’s championship between Kari Sane and Shayna Bazler, and then with the all-woman battle royal. More legends came out, and some hopeful future legends from NXT like Dakota Kai and Nikki Cross. The past met the future over and over again as participants went over the top rope. In the end, only one could stand by herself. And at this Evolution, it was Ember Moon.

***

Evolution ended with the match of the year. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Fair gave their all in the first ever Last Woman Standing match. Throughout the war, both women tried to use their submission moves on the other. During any other match, a submission would have been admitting that the other was the best wrestler. That she was right. But tonight, the last woman standing meant she had more drive, more power, and more right to the title than the one left in a heap.

Charlotte twisted in the air off a ring post. Becky was wobbling on her feet on the floor below. The last several counts had danced dangerously close to ten.

At the last second, Becky turned and flattened herself against the ring. Charlotte landed hard on the floor. She crawled around, gripping at Becky’s boot as her former friend rolled into the ring. Becky stood in the center, staring at her opponent as the ref counted.

Eight. Nine. Ten.

No matter the cost, Becky Lynch had retained her Smackdown Women’s Championship and proved herself to be the stronger woman. The one with the drive. That she was right.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – October 29, 2018

The Titantron lit up with your name and your colors. You entered with a smile and made your way to the ring, mentally giggling as heavy footsteps followed. Braun used his longer stride to get ahead of you so he could sit on the ropes and help you into the ring. He had made it clear that what happened last week with taking Dean and Roman’s titles with Bray Wyatt, now Dr. M, did not extend to you.

“Welcome to Monday Night Raw!” You smiled brightly. The welcome was never going to get old. “Evolution was a fantastic success. I got to meet some women last night that I never dreamed I would never see in person. And our ladies did an amazing job putting on the best show possible. I know it will not be the last of it’s kind.” You took a deep breath and looked back at Braun.

“But that was Sunday,” you continued. “Starting tonight, it is officially Survivor Series season. And that is why Braun is being my shadow for the evening. Because of… last year’s events leading up to Survivor Series, we thought it was best if I had a little extra security. I don’t want to end up in a match.”

“You have to say the thing.”

“What?”

Braun growled with a smirk. “You have to say the thing.”

No. His good-natured glare heavily suggested you should, but you tried to get out of it anyway. “I don’t want to. It’s too soon. I don’t want to be sick of it before the night’s out.”

He tilted his head. “But it’s Survivor Series Season.” When you grit your teeth, he chuckled. “You know we get a bonus every time we say it, right?”

Well in that case… “As you all know,” you said, smiling at him, “Survivor Series is the one time of year when Raw and Smackdown go head to head in competition.” You sighed. “This better be worth it.”

Braun just laughed and gave your back a hard pat, making you stumble forward.

“Our superstars will meet their superstars for each of the titles, and then also for the five on five tag team matches. We will start the process of selecting those team members tonight with two women’s matches and two men’s matches. And in new news this year, the champions of NXT and 205 Live will also go head to head. It might be a little rough for the NXT champion since War Games is the night before, but William Regal is sure his champion will triumph.”

The audience seemed to take the news well. You were able to let your shoulders relax.

“On that note, let’s get the show started with our first elimination member matches.”

On the way out, you quietly promised to split the phrase bonus with Braun since he was the one who told you.

***

Up first for the elimination match, Liv Morgan and Sasha Banks fought for their position. Ruby and Sarah Logan had accompanied their teammate into the arena, but she waved them backstage. They all knew Sasha hadn’t been having a good run. In Liv’s mind, tonight was going to be nothing different.

Unfortunately for her, it was.

Sasha was tired of sitting on the sidelines. Tired of missing opportunities. And tired of people assuming she was done. So after taking several minutes of Liv’s aggression, she flipped on her own. Harsh kicks and rapid-fire punches. The losses that had piled up were several too many. Headlocks and body slams. The way other wrestlers looked at her when she walked by was done. Jumps from the top ropes. With a battle-cry, Sasha grabbed Liv by her pink hair. She was thrown across the ring. Sasha caught her bouncing off the ropes and flipped back into a Bank Statement.

Liv submitted, giving the first spot on the women’s elimination team to Sasha.

***

Next was the first men’s spot match. Drew McIntyre proudly made it down to the ring and patiently waited for his opponent. His smug grin turned sour at the sound of Dolph’s record scratch. They didn’t waste any time. A position was next on Dolph’s list of goals, and it had a similar position for Drew. But instead of showing each other off, they did their best to crush one another. Drew tried several times for a Claymore. It was always evaded. Dolph attempted to use his small form and speed to tire out his former partner but was often brought to a halt with some submission hold.

Renee piped up in commentary, “I think this is more than about a spot on the Raw team. These men were practically attached at the hip to achieve a goal. Dolph wanted a match between them after obtaining a championship, but that never happened. This is the match we would have seen, for who can be the best man. But now it’s for who is right. Either Dolph in his ambitions, or Drew in his.���

Not even Corey could disagree with that.

Dolph jumped for a Zig-Zag, but Drew saw it coming and was able to flip him around. By the time Dolph had scrambled back to his feet, he was met with a Claymore. Drew stood over his unmoving body for a few seconds before moving in for the pin. He didn’t celebrate. Nor did he give Dolph’s glare a backward glance.

***

Bayley and Ruby were up next for the team spot. The Riott Squad leader did not make the same mistake as her teammate. Sarah Logan was ringside for the whole match. Any time the ref’s back was turned, she was on the apron looking to distract Bayley and give Ruby an upper hand.

When Sarah couldn’t interfere, Bayley was struggling to keep Ruby from keeping her shoulders terrifyingly close to the canvas. The hugger used her skills to flip their positions, and then her power to rain blows down onto her opponent. Ruby desperately blocked her face and kicked her feet, trying to get out. Finally, Ruby was able to catch Bayley in the ribs with a hit, sending her rolling across the ring.

She couldn’t waste the chance. She returned the favor, catching Bayley in her own trap, even when she grabbed hold of the bottom rope and the ref counted to four. Only at the last second did she let go.

Sarah moved to dip between the ropes while Ruby argued with the ref. She was quickly knocked to the floor, but Ruby was there to push the ref aside and roll Bayley up for the pin.

The Riott Squad made their quick exit, smirking all the way.

***

“Dean, wait up!” You hurried to catch up with your cousin’s receding form. “Where are you going? You’ve got a match later.”

He looked away at the ground. “I don’t think I need to be on the team,” he muttered.

“What?” You shook your head. “Why? You’re one of the best guys here and we need you. And I’m not saying that ‘cause-“

“I can’t Y/N. Find someone else for that match.” Dean shied away from your outstretched hand. “I’m the reason why… Roman and I lost the tag titles because of me. And then he… he left. I’m not… I can’t-“

“Dean,” you gently placed your hand on his shoulder, ready to snatch it back. When he leaned into the comforting touch, you took a deep breath. “He’s going to come back. In the meantime, I thought you’d like a fun fight. Your elimination spot match is with No Way Jose.” You bit your lip as he didn’t react. “Just make it to the ring. Then we’ll go from there, okay? No pressure. No promises. What happens is what happens… and you are still my favorite big cousin either way. Please?”

Dean winced a grin. “Sure, Ladybug. I’ll get there.” Then he calmly removed your hand from his shoulder and walked away.

***

As there were new tag team champions, Braun and Dr. M wanted to prove that they were the best team to face the Smackdown tag team. So you had set up two triple threat matches between the other Raw tag teams, the first one tonight. Dr. M and Braun watched from backstage, with you close by so Braun could keep a close eye on you.

The B-Team, the Authors of Pain, and the team of Heath Slater and Rhyno met in the ring. To keep things interesting, one member from each team would be allowed in the ring at a time instead of the usual two. This lead to some odd mini-alliances depending on who was the most dangerous wrestler in the ring at any given moment. Like Bo Dallas and Rezar against Rhyno. Or Curtis Axel and Heath against Akam, before they flipped to attack Curtis.

In the end, the general consensus that the Authors of Pain were the biggest threats was correct. Rezar pinned Bo while Akam held Rhyno in the corner behind the ref’s back. They posed at the top of the ramp with Drake Maverick, who spat warnings to the new champions that they wouldn’t champs for long.

***

When Dean walked into the arena, he had to laugh. No Raw before Halloween was complete without a Trick or Treat Street match. No disqualifications, and no promises. You were probably going to get flack for making an elimination spot match so frivolous, but Dean’s smile made it worth it. Besides, who didn’t want to see Jose conga-dancing with a skeleton?

There were, of course, candy corn kendo sticks, pumpkins, and bowls of candy that both men gleefully emptied into the crowd. When they got down to it, Dean was more than willing to participate. What he wasn’t expecting, was to laugh to much in a match for something so important.

The match could have gone either way. They were both having so much fun, neither was too insistent to pin the other but there was a goal to achieve. A Dirty Deeds into a mess of mutilated pumpkin parts did the trick.

As Dean pinned Jose, he nodded. You were right. He needed this match. And you had picked the perfect opponent that would have made Raw proud had he lost. They shook hands and shared a candy bar on their way out of the ring.

***

After the commercial break, Finn was standing in the ring with his Universal and a mic.

“Last year I was part of the elimination tag-team for Raw. This year I am battlin’ with my title against one of the best in the business.” He smiled. “My title. On Sunday Natalya won back her ability to say the same thing. My title. She’s goin’ to face Becky Lynch, a ‘nother incredible woman who has fought and clawed her way into bein’ able to do this.” Finn lifted the red and gold belt high above his head with his right hand. “There have always been incredible fights to that right. Always will be. But Survivor Series is different.”

He thumbed at his lip in thought. “Survivor Series is about seein’ who is the best between Raw and Smackdown. It’s about pride and cementin’ your stamp on wrestling deeper into the history of this ring. It’s more than just your legacy. It’s making it stand higher than another great name.”  

“I agree.” The Titantron flickered to life. AJ Styles was sitting in front of a blue screen with his WWE Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder. “Thank you for that compliment. I concur that my legacy stands the highest in the WWE. I’ve been carrying this title for a while, and I have been carrying Smackdown for even longer.” He paused. “What is your legacy, Finn? An injury and a title you can’t defend without help from… a darker version of yourself?”

Finn smiled and sucked on his teeth. “Not like you can defend your title without almost losin’ it. Now that I’ve got it back, it hasn’t been at risk of changin’ hands. Unlike...” he pointed at the screen, where AJ curtly shot him a look.

“Are we going to do this like last time?”

Finn shook his head. “Nah. This time around I’m more int’rested in havin’ a man versus man fight.”

“I might make you regret that decision.”

“If you say so, AJ. But no one has made me regret being tha man I am. This man is the one who bested the demon in the first place. Took his crown. Shaped ‘im into what I needed. Finn Balor as a man is just as great a wrestler as tha Demon King. But I guess you’ll be findin’ that out in a few weeks.”

“I’ll be seeing you before Survivor Series,” AJ said with a smirk.

“Is t’at so? Lookin’ for a practice-match, phenomenal one?”

AJ shook his head. “Not quite. Trick or treat.” Then the screen went black.

Finn scoffed, unbothered.

***

Elias strummed. “Tonight, I take back what was stolen from me.” He thought for a moment, absently playing a tune that dropped and attacked the air around him. “Baron Corbin is going to walk with Elias and find that he is not gifted enough to stand to me. The Intercontinental Championship is going to be on my waist at Survivor Series, and I will defeat Shinsuke Nakamura. And then they will both know what all of you people here know and that is that WWE stands for?”He hooted as the audience gave the correct response. There would have been more, but Baron wasn’t the most patient person on the roster.

The Intercontinental Champion strutted out onto the stage, making sure that the gold on his title caught the light just right. He begrudgingly handed it to the ref and smugly bounced in his corner while Elias glared at him from the other side.

They fought hard. It was looking like Elias had the upper hand when there was a banshee-like screech. Baron retreated to the side of the ring furthest from the stage, while Elias stumbled for a closer look.

“Paige?” he read on the screen.

Baron took the moment to roll Elias up, latching his fingers into his belt loops for that extra leverage. Elias chased him out of the ring, where Baron was hastily handed the title.

You passed him on your way down the ramp. Braun was a few steps behind and stayed on the floor while you got in the ring for a better look around the arena. He joined you as Paige came in through the side stage entrance and the Smackdown roster filed down the stairs. She gave you a sweet smile before climbing through the ropes.

“Paige.”

“Y/N.”

“I would say it’s good to see you, but… I have to wonder what you’re doing here.”

She laughed. “Oh, sweetheart. Tis the season. Just thought we ought to come for a little visit-“

“And repeat what happens every year, rough up my roster? Come on Paige, you’re smarter than that.”

“I don’t really think you’re in a position to say so.”

Now it was your turn to smile. “Oh?” Making a big show of it, you raised your fist in the air and snapped. Raw wrestlers streamed in from all sides. Down the ramp. From the crowd, blocking Smackdown’s exit. They were backed up against the ring as they were surrounded. “What was that, sweetie?”

Paige cocked her head, acknowledging the strategic move.

You interrupted before she could say anything. “How about something new this year. We’ve got dozens of talented wrestlers, and we’re going to see the best spectacle of that in a few weeks. But tonight, I think we should give the Universe a match that won’t be happening at Survivor Series. Something unique.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“Champion versus champion. Someone you think embodies the ‘land of opportunity’ spirit of Smackdown. And I’ll pick mine. Well… actually, mine is already picked.”

“You planned this?”

A giggle escaped. “It all depended on your actions, Paige. A game of chess.

She shook her head. “It’s not much of a game if your obvious answer is already in the ring.” She nodded in Braun’s general direction.

The two of you shared a look. “That’s not a guarantee. I have a whole roster full of champions. Can you say the same?”

“You know I can.”

“Then do it. We’re in showbiz. Let’s put on a show.”

Paige looked past you, then reestablished eye contact with you. “Fine. I choose Sheamus.” The ring bounced as he entered the ring. You remained still, trying to keep your emotions under control. “I hope that’s okay.”

Sheamus stood between you. “I’ll make the match quick. Perhaps you should pick one of your B-list wrestlers? It would be a shame to embarrass one of your A-listers this close to Survivor Series.”

You chuffed. “This is Monday Night Raw. There is no such thing as a B-list wrestler here. But I thought you would have known that, having been moved to Smackdown this year.”

On the floor, Dean and Seth shared a smile watching you sass back and forth with Sheamus. Seth was enjoying every second of it. Dean was too, but he was also making a plan of attack if Sheamus tried anything.

Turning to your circle, you motioned for some to leave. The ones that did left up the ramp and brought chairs out onto the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen,” you said, “if you could please. We don’t want any shenanigans back stage, so you guys are going to get a front-and-center seat.” The rest of the roster shooed the blue-brand wrestlers to their seats. “Paige, you and I will be joining the commentary table. And now for our champion. As you said, they are already in the ring.”

Braun took several large steps forward, coming nose to nose with Sheamus. Then he stepped aside to reveal Ember Moon. She straightened her fire braids and turned towards her corner. Braun sat on the rope so you and Paige could exit, then he followed.

The night ended peacefully, all things considered. During the match, the rosters stayed where they were supposed to, and you and Paige got along well.

In the ring, Sheamus was pleasantly surprised at how well Ember was able to keep him on his toes. He may have towered over by what seemed like two feet, but she was nimble. And her height made it difficult to properly perform a Brogue kick. Her favorite way to avoid it was to shift just barely to one side, then send him a snide look. But he had an advantage too. When she had him staggering, Ember jumped for a Full Eclipse. Sheamus caught her.

Instead of throwing her backward for the advantage, he gently returned her to her feet. Then he held out his hand. “I stand corrected about the prowess of the Raw brand. Pax?”

Ember took his hand. “For now.”

  Part 26: Missing

Series Masterlist 

Masterlist 

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @hallemichelles @laochbaineann @lavitabella87 @ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @southsidebucky @tinyelfperson @zuni21798

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[themarchblessing]

PARA CHOCAR Y QUEMAR

SABRINA

Izaiah is officially a second grader! He finished his first year of school out smoothly and I’m so very proud of him. I cried the morning I sent him to school on the last day. It was an emotional day for me and a milestone for him as a young man. Regardless of how easy the material was for him, his grades never shied from being great and he always put his best foot forward. His school put together a graduation ceremony for all of the students and oh my goodness I cried during that too. Today Ravyn and I are throwing my baby boy yet another party but this time to celebrate his accomplishment.

My mom and uncle were supposed to come up here but my mom got sick the day before their scheduled flight. So they had to stay back in Chino but I promised to send them a ton of pictures. Zay was super bummed out that his grandma and Manny couldn’t come and I had to explain to him that his abuela is sick so she can’t fly. Not only that but my moms been having health issues lately so flying is not the best option right now. Maybe I’ll plan a trip to fly back to Cali next month. It’ll be a surprise to my mom because I wouldn’t even tell her Zay and I are coming. For now it’s just a thought though.

Curling the last few pieces of my hair I turned the wand off looking around for this new hair fragrance. Spraying the mist all over my head I then set the bottle down to run my comb through these curls to loosen them up. The sound of my doorbell ringing and people’s voices downstairs made me hurry up and finish in the bathroom. I still can’t seem to get ready any quicker these days and I’m really hoping Ravyn or Izaiah don’t give me a hard time.

“You’re a real life princess I swear.” I heard Corey say from my bedroom. Spritzing on some of my perfume I stood up from the vanity and met him by my bed.

“Shut up.” I huffed walking into his awaiting arms. My arms found their way around his neck and my lips met his. “I’m glad you could make it.” I mumbled against his warm lips, feeling his hands gravitate down my back.

“I wasn’t gonna miss. I was on the phone with Zay the entire drive over here.” Corey said as he kissed my cheek.

“I love how close the two of you are. You’ve been great with him since we go here and I’m so happy that he’s comfortable with you.” As I captured his lips again I let the moment linger, feeling that fire ignite inside of me. I crave this man every time he’s near me. That itch to feel him inside of me in any of the numerous ways possible makes me feel so lifelike inside. Corey really takes me breath away in the right ways. Not to mention that having sex every other day has my skin glowing like crazy, my energy levels, appetite and metabolism going berserk! I’m not complaining though.

It’s like the more sex we have the hungrier I become for food.

“I should’ve known the two of you would sucking face. Bajar ahora! Los huéspedes están viniendo!” Ravyn exclaimed from the door.

Shamefully I broke away our kiss and looked around Corey to see Ravyn tapping her foot on the floor. Her large hoop earrings bounced off of her cheeks as she stared me down with squinted eyes. I smiled with guilt because we got caught but I’m loving this green and white dress that she’s in.

“Estamos llegando. Estás Zay listo?” I asked, chewing on my bottom lip trying to fight off Corey’s wandering hands. “Babe stop.” I chuckled lightly, glancing at him quickly.

He grinned at me devilishly, roughly smacking one side of my behind, gripping it firmly.

Ravyn nodded and motioned for us to follow her before walking back downstairs. Standing tall I looked down seeing Corey sporting a full on erection tempting me in so many ways. Just staring at it is causing my mouth to water but I kept my composure. “Dame una hora y prometo ocuparme de esto.” Licking my lips slowly I took a little risk wanting just to touch it. Running my hands over the massive bulge in his pants I sucked on my bottom lip wanting nothing more than to take him in my mouth.

“I’ma hold you to that one hour shit. And if you don’t come through I’m gonna fuck you up.” Corey promised gripping my chin delicately, kissing me tenderly.

“Of course.” I moaned, putting space between us. Corey fixed himself and together we left the room to entertain these guests.

“Mom! Finally!” Izaiah came out from behind me hugging me almost making me fall. I stood my ground and turned halfway around hugging him back.

“You’ve been waiting for me huh?” Bringing him around to stand in front of me I did a once over of his appearance loving the outfit he and Ravyn put together.

“Yeah. Titi was mad because she had let everyone in.” Zay shook his head greeting Corey in their own signature way.

“Don’t worry about that woman. She’ll be alright.” Corey shrugged, taking Zay off my hands. I went around the house greeting Zay’s friends and their parents, mine and Corey’s friends, a couple of nice teachers from his school and Rochelle. I’ve got a full house today and boy will this be a challenge and a first for me. Last time we used Rochelle’s house but this time we’re using mine and I did not mentally prepared to have so many guests in my home. But today is about celebrating my son and not at all about me so I won’t dare to complain.

Ray and I welcomed in the caterers that she and Rochelle hired to feed everyone. Brian, Carli, Tori, Angie and their men all showed up making this one big house party for the adults. Zay, his friends, their parents and Rochelle are all out back taking full advantage of the beautiful weather. Everyone else including myself were spread out making conversation, laughing, etc.

“Bri..Julian is here.” Ravyn spoke lowly in my ear. Looking over my shoulder and avoiding Corey’s stare I rubbed his shoulder softly leaving the group to go let Julian in. I’m nervous to see him because a lot of shit has changed since we met up for dinner almost three months ago. I’m in a relationship and I’m engaged which will be a major shock to J. Or maybe it won’t.

Opening the door I put on a good face for good faith. “Hey.” I said stepping aside to let him in the house.

“Hey.” He smiled back. “You look good. How are you?” He quizzed giving me a quick hug.

Being appropriate and polite I hugged him back, stepping away quickly. “Thank you, I’m fine. As long as my baby is happy, which he is, then so am I. I’m glad you made it. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.” Pulling the sides of my blouse closer together I used my knuckle to wipe the corner of my lip.

“Oh no I wasn’t gonna miss his party. I just got tied up at work. Where is he? Out back?” J looked around the house.

I too looked around my vision landing on the window that creates a view to the backyard. “Yeah he’s out back with his friends doing God knows-“ When I felt J touch my hips and his lips damn near touching  my my own I pushed him back a little harder than I intended. “What the fuck is your problem? Are you trying to end up in the hospital?” I growled feeling my chest heave out of adrenaline.

“What the fuck are you talking about? What’s changed?” His eyebrows squished together as did mine as I racked my brain wondering where his went.

“What’s changed? A lot has changed since that last time I saw you Julian. A lot. I’ve told you on several occasions that we would never be what we used to. I told you three months ago that all I wanted from you was to be around for Izaiah’s sake. I don’t know where you thought this was gonna go but let me remind you one last time. We are over. We have been since before Zay turned a year old. Don’t ever try anything like that again.” Taking a deep breath I pulled my top together again looking around to make sure Corey didn’t see anything. He will send Julian to the grave most likely for trying to push up on me and I don’t want anyone to see Corey mad because it is not a pretty sight.

“Is he here?” J spoke. I looked him in the eyes feeling nervous to even respond. “Ahh..I see why a lot has changed.” He pointed to my left hand and crossed his arms over his chest.

Glancing at my engagement ring I folded my arms over my chest too, hiding my ring.

“Let me guess..I know him.” Julian guessed, dropping his head and laughing to himself.

“I only asked you to come here so you can be supportive of your son. I didn’t ask you to come here for me. Do us both a favor and don’t try to start any shit ok? I’m not in the mood and today is not the day. Excuse me.” Storming off with my tail between my legs I scurried to find Ravyn and bumped into my fiancé himself. Go figure.

“What’s wrong?” Corey made me look at him square on, already reading my facial expression. “What happened? Did he try anything?” He asked being spot on.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Just come outside with me.” I sighed, walking into his arms. I buried my face in his chest no sure if I want to cry or if I want to turn around, find Julian and slap the mess out of him. “I slept with him. About three months ago. The day after Zay’s birthday, we went to dinner to talk about Izaiah and I had a little too much to drink and I fucked him. It was way before you and I slept together and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to think less of me. I’m sorry.” I rambled out of nowhere. As soon as I stopped talking I felt dirty and I began to hate myself. I waited for Corey to react negatively or even push me away but he didn’t.

Instead he hugged me tightly, making me feel somewhat worse for withholding this information. But in the same breath he made me feel safe and okay.

“I love you girl. I’m not mad.” He muttered, kissing the top of my head. Backing away from him I searched his eyes not understanding.

“Why?” I whispered, swallowing the massive lump in my throat.

“Because then I would be a hypocrite for getting mad at you for something that happened in the past. Am I happy about what you told me? No, and I say that because you slept with him in particular but I respect your honesty. And besides that was before you and I, just like you said.” He explained, cupping my face in his large hands.

The comfort of his fingers gliding over my ugly scar and his lips kissing me with such passion gave me butterflies. “I think it’s been an hour..” I moaned quietly holding onto his hips.

“Still feening for some dick in your mouth huh?” He laughed just as his tongue met mine.

Reciprocating that same desire and passion I closed the distance between us getting very hot and bothered. “Go to my room. I’ll meet you up there.” We allowed the moment to linger before we separated. I turned around to watch him walk up the stairs in a hurry, “You’ve got my nose widen open Corey Howard.” Shaking my head I walked back towards the living room looking for Ravyn and Brian.

Wiping my lips to ensure my lipgloss did not smudge too much I walked closer to where the action was, spotting Ravyn and Devontae laughing and carrying on. “Ray!” I called catching her attention. She whispered to him and stood up to met me by the kitchen counter.

“What’s up?” She breathed loudly with a Corona in her hand.

“I’m gonna go upstairs for a bit. I need to lay down. Julian tried pushing up on me and I need some quiet time before I fucking snap. Can you hold it down for me and look out for Zay? I’ll be back in a little while. Please Ray..” holding her arms softly I looked deep into her green eyes for comfort.

“Damn girl okay. I got you mami. Go ahead. I’ll come get you if I have to.” She rubbed my arm and turned to go out back without another word.

Leaving the party I jogged upstairs holding my chest finding Corey looking at the pictures on my wall.

“You still look the same. Short and sexy as hell.” He complimented not breaking his concentration.

Smiling in comfort that he’s not at all mad about what I told him downstairs I shut and locked my door. Next I unbuttoned my shirt and kicked off my sandals. Closing our distance I stepped in front of him, unbuttoning his jeans in such a hurry. Pushing them down I brought his face to my level, kissing him with adrenaline pumping through my veins. His hands moved my shirt aside, gripping and squeezing my breasts hungrily.

We always find ourselves entangled in each other no matter where we are or what’s going on around us. I love our sexual chemistry. He excites me and completes me. And he makes me feel so much better about myself whether I’m clothed or fully nude. I whimpered from his gentle touch parting my lips and closing my eyes at the feel of his hands between my legs. Getting back to what I set out to do I took his hand out from my skirt, licking and sucking his fingers clean of the pre-cum my body created.

In a ladylike manner I dropped to my knees in front of him bringing his pants with me. Not wasting another second I wrapped my lips around the tip of him, swallowing his shaft easily. Giving head has never been my favorite activity but the more sex Corey and I have, the more I welcome the act. Seeing him so relaxed and at ease brings me a new sense of pleasure and happiness.

“Ahh..” he groaned, tangling his fingers in my hair. Working up a slow pace I closed my eyes to enjoy pleasing him until he shakes.

“How in the hell do you keep winning?!” Tori, Dave and Devontae yelled at once. Throwing down my final set I watched in satisfaction as their faces plummeted in sadness. My little group and I have played three rounds of spades, placing a higher bet each time. And luckily I’ve won every game. I pocketed the cash reminding myself to deposit every twenty into Izaiah’s account.

Shrugging coolly I turned around to see Izaiah walking toward me with two other boys hot on his tail.

“Mom..can we cut my cake now please?” He plead toying with my hair.

Laughing at how badly he’s sucking up I nodded curtly. “Yes. Give me one second and bring everyone into the kitchen.”

Izaiah’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. He and his friends ran outside making me laugh.

“That boy is too precious Bri.” Angie piped up. Turning to smile at her I got up from the table and walked to the kitchen. Placing the cake on the counter I searched for a knife and went to wash my hands. I got the cake set up and as everyone gathered around the kitchen I did a quick scan of the room. Corey, Brian, Ray, Carli and Rochelle we’re surrounding me some of them taking pictures.

“Come here baby..” reaching for Zay’s hand I placed him in front of me holding onto his hands from behind. “As most of you know, this gathering is to celebrate Izaiah’s advancement to a second grade along with his other friends too. Thank you all for coming out here to revel in my excitement as I watch Izaiah grow up and do great things.” I began my speech seeing the adults hold up their cups in unison to salute my little boy.

COREY

Holding my stomach I leaned into Ravyn trying to contain my laughter but I couldn’t. Brian should’ve been a goddamn comedian versus a computer technician because this nigga is funny as shit!

“Idiot! He’s an idiot I tell you!” Ravyn laughed holding me up as well as herself.

“That nigga is a damn fool. I told him he couldn’t handle three Coronas and three shots of Patron but he never listens.” I chuckled, watching Brian’s head spin in a slow circle.

“Somebody get this boy a water or Advil or something.” Devante said standing up to make Brian stand up from the couch.

“Get off me man, I’m good.” Brian complained swatting at Devante nearly missing his head.

“Nigga, if you don’t control them hands..” D warned, dropping Brian back where he was sitting.

Carli tried getting him to drink some water but he refused.

“Brian, drink the damn water!” Carli exclaimed.

Tori tapping my shoulder made me look over to her. “What’s up? You okay?”

“I’m fine but I can’t find Bri. Do you know where she went?” She questioned looking around.

I did the same suddenly becoming curious as to where Lori dipped away to. “That’s a good fucking question T.”

“Stop! I’m not talking to you about this shit again!” Sabrina yelled out of nowhere. Everyone in here stopped talking and listened to whatever was happening.

“The least you can do is let me have him for a weekend! How many times do I have argue with your crazy ass about the same fucking thing!” Julian yelling at her raised so many red flags for me.

“Izaiah never asked for you to come here! I did because you should be here for him! The only reason you’re standing in my house is because of me! So for the last fucking time no you can’t take him anywhere because he doesn’t want to be anywhere with you! Get that through your thick ass skull and get the fuck out of my face Julian!” She hollered with her voice cracking towards the end.

“What the hell is going on?” Ravyn asked looking to me.

Getting up from the couch I went to check on Sabrina to make sure she doesn’t snap. I rounded the corner seeing Julian a little too close to Lori for my comfort and hers. I can see how uncomfortable she is just by looking at her.

“Bri, you good baby?” I spoke up watching her look away from him and over to me. She shook her head in silence walking away from the scene altogether.

“Aye, I’m not done talking to you!” Julian snapped charging after her. I put myself right in the middle of their shit grabbing this nigga by the back of his shirt. When I had his attention I got in his face as much I needed to.

“Watch how you talk to her bruh I’m only gonna tell you this once.” I threatened feeling a hand grasping my arm.

“Corey stop.” Bri advised in a much softer tone. She stepped in front of me to break us apart just as a small audience formed in the doorway of the kitchen. “Don’t do this right now. Please.” She plead once more. I stepped around her not wanting her to be caught in the middle if anything popped off.

“Stay out of this Corey. This shit is between me and her. Sabrina, I’m not done talking to you. We need to finish this conversation now.” He muttered eyeing me up and down pressing all of my buttons so quickly. With one hand I snatched up the front of his shirt which I’m sure pissed him off.

“I warned you already not to talk to her like that. You need to leave. Now.” Shoving him backwards I felt my jaw tighten and my fist close up. It’s been years since I’ve been in a fight but that doesn’t mean my ability to hold my own has dwindled by any means. If pushed too far or just with the right motive I can easily put a nigga to sleep.

“Nigga this ain’t yo house! How the hell are you gonna tell me I have to leave!?” Julian got bold, attempting to hit me but Sabrina just had to step in the middle again. I blocked her from getting hit because I swear on my son’s life if this nigga would have harmed Bri to get to me, it would’ve been over for him.

“Because I can now get the fuck out! You’re not needed or wanted here. If I have to tell you again I’ll make you leave. You got a choice to make and don’t take all day either.” Grabbing Bri’s arm I moved her behind me to get her out of the way.

“Corey come on..don’t be like that.” She mumbled quietly.

Meeting her tired eyes I could sense my face pinch together. “Nah he needs to go. This nigga don’t have no business here. This ain’t his family. It’s ours.” Oh shit. I didn’t mean to let that slip out.

“Is this dude delusional? Sabrina, you might want to rethink who you’re considering to marry. He ain’t all the way there.” Julian spat angrily.

Turning around I tried to count to ten but I went off anyway. “If anybody’s delusional it’s you. I’m not replaceable by any means necessary, remember that. I’m not going anywhere but you can. You can go nigga!” I argued.

Sabrina stood in front of me with this line in her forehead indicating that she’s confused. “Corey, what you are talking about? He does have a right to be here. I asked him to be here for Iza-”

Shaking my head I glanced around the room stopping at Brian last. He slowly nodded giving me the encouragement that it’s time for me to come clean.

“Corey? Look to me..” Bri took a hold of my hand, using her opposite one to cup my jaw. She turned my face down to her and out of nowhere I just got the worst feeling. “What did you mean by this isn’t his family? What did you mean this is our family?” She sniffled softly.

“There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you Bri..” I spoke in a quiet tone only for her to hear. My heart is pounding in my chest the more time it’s taking for me to just spit it out.

“What is it?” Bri shook her head confused as she has every right to be.

“I made a mistake at your party seven years ago. I was really fucked up and in order for you to still have the baby you always wanted I made that happen..just not the way you planned.” My hand grew cold as Bri took a step back from me.

“Corey, what the hell are you talking about?” The tone in her voice changed from soft and curious to serious and uneasy.

“I switched it. I dropped the little cup that was for your procedure and replaced the..you know with mine. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I forgot all about it up until recently. That’s when I met with Eva to figure this shit out. I’ve been trying to tell you but there was never a right ti-“ I shut up quickly seeing Bri draw her hand back for me to not speak.

“Yooo! This nigga is mad delusional! Do y’all hear this bullshit? Sabrina, please tell me you don’t believe this fake ass story?!” Julian speaking managing to piss me off all over again.

Stepping around Bri to try and get this nigga I felt myself getting heated all over. “THIS IS NOT A GAME MOTHER FUCKER! THAT’S MY SON, NOT YOURS!” I belted reaching forward and successfully punching him in the face. Brian and Devante rushed over holding me back as if I was some wild animal who needed to be tamed. “Get off me!” I yelled trying to push B off me but he didn’t budge.

“Relax nigga! You ain’t acting like yourself.” I heard D tell me.

I tried pushing them both off but they would not let me go. “Yo..get the fuck off me bruh! Let me go!”

Julian held onto his face standing up on two feet looking like he was ready to get me back at me. “You a bitch you know that? How you gonna come at me like that? I didn’t do shit to you!”

“I warned you not to speak to my girl like you’re crazy and you didn’t listen. Next time, take my advice bitch.” I spat.

Julian came for me this time. Devontae had no choice but to let go of me. That’s when I took my chance. I managed to get one more hit in and that’s when Brian put me in a fucking head lock. If he were any smaller he wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.

He squeezed the hell out of my neck and as an instant response I hit him. “Chill out, don’t start something you’ll regret finishing. Calm yo ass down. You want Zay to walk in and see you like this?” He paused to ease up on me. And instantly it’s like I was back to normal. I’d never want my kid to see my when I don’t have control over myself. “That’s what I thought. Come on let’s go outside.” He suggested.

“Wait..How did you do it?” Bri asked stopping us from leaving.

“I called in a favor.” I replied without hesitation. Brian loosened up the reigns but still held me close by just in case. He’s like my brother in a way so that’s the only reason I allowed him to touch me like that.

The look of sheer disgust and anger settled across her face as she stared at me while shaking her head. I knew this wasn’t going to go over well. I told Brian over and over again.

“You called a bitch I barely know to help you get a nut off so you can replace Julian’s..” Sabrina chuckled angrily and began walking away.

“I’m good.” I shook Brian off and maneuvered past him and D to go after Bri. Just as I didn’t see it coming as much as I did she spun around and laid me out. Her small hand went clean across my face creating a very loud sound. A few gasps and ‘oh shits’ went around the room.

“AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?!” Sabrina hollered, smacking the hell out of me yet again. “I can’t fucking believe you Corey. You’re a coward. You pick Izaiah up from school every goddamn day, make love to me multiple days out of the week and you don’t think to tell me that he’s your kid?!” She was snapping in all the ways she needed to in order to get out all of her frustration.

“I’m sorry Lori I wanted to tell you I swear that I did.” I defended not caring who all was watching.

“You had plenty of opportunity to tell me! How long have you known?” She spoke to me in a semi calm manner for the first time since asking me what I meant by my first slip up.

Shaking my head as I didn’t want to tell her it’s been damn near three months I saw her making a third advance to hit me. I caught her in time before she could only pissing her off more. She didn’t step to me this time, she just snatched her arms away from me.

“¿Desde cuándo lo sabes?” She sniffles, wiping away a tear that fell.

“Tres meses..” I sighed feeling ashamed of my actions from seven years ago up until this very moment.

“Of all the stupid things you’ve done in all the years I’ve known you, this is by the far the dumbest. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. You had me walking around here still thinking that hijo de perro was Izaiah’s father. I told you about what happened the night after Zay’s party feeling so ashamed of myself and here you are confirming how stupid I was. Stupid to believe you were any different from the rest of them.” She ranted.

A symphony of footsteps broke my concentration and when I looked over at the door I saw Izaiah standing there. He practically had a question mark stamped on his forehead as he walked through people to get to us.

“What’s going on? Why are you guys yelling?” He asked innocently having no idea what’s happened.

“Tell him.” Sabrina demanded.

“Tell me what?” Zay retorted looking to me for answers.

Running my hands down my face I motioned for him to come closer and he did with no second thought.

“Corey, what’s going on?” His eyes bore into mine breaking me down in so many ways I never thought were possible. I squatted down to his level trying to find an easy way to say this. “Why is your face red?” His tiny palm cupped my cheek, tenderly rubbing the spot his mom hit me in.

“Don’t be a coward now! Tell your son how you didn’t know he was yours for seven years!” Julian exclaimed out of nowhere.

While the scene behind Izaiah was intriguing to watch as Julian got bullied out of the house I kneeled in front of my son wondering how I let this all happen.

“I know you don’t like Julian very much and that’s okay.” I began never losing his eyes. He nodded. “You don’t have to worry about him being in your life anymore.” I muttered feeling someone behind me.

“He’s not my dad is he?” Zay quizzed getting right to the point.

Shaking my head I couldn’t decipher the way he feels about all this. His eyes still hold that cloud of confusion but off of instinct I think he got the feeling that he wasn’t mad. “No he’s not. I am. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you either Zay. I am so sorry.”

“Do you have to leave?” He asked.

“Yeah. Your mom’s not gonna let me stay. Promise me that you’ll take of her for me. Promise me Zay.” I sternly advised.

“I promise. When will I see you again? Will I ever see you again?” All these great questions he’s asking made me laugh on the inside because I’ve always loved how curious he is about life. And now is no different.

“I don’t know man. Do you still have that iPad I gave you?” Lowering my voice so no one outside of us would hear I sighed in satisfaction seeing him nod yes. “I put my address and number in there as well as Brian’s number, my parent's numbers and Ravyn’s. Did you memorize them like we practiced?” I did a little scheming for this moment just in case Sabrina doesn’t let me anywhere near him.

“Almost. I still have trouble with Brian’s number.” He shrugged.

“Memorize it. He’s your best bet at trying to come see me since I know your mom bring you to my house. Look I gotta go before your mom comes back and kicks me out.” Before I could stand up and leave Izaiah hugged me unexpectedly and tightly.

“I love you.” I heard him mumble quietly.  

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I hugged him back. For a minute I had to block everything out to force myself not to completely break down in front of these people. I heard things being thrown around upstairs along with Sabrina doing what I can’t. Crack. I can’t lose myself right now. Not here.

“I love you too man and I always will.” I sniffled, kissing the side of his head. “Do what your mom tells you and make sure she eats, gets her sleep, and doesn’t drink. Take care of her better than I ever could, you hear me boy?” Izaiah nodded furiously, somehow hugging me tighter. This is the moment that I dreaded all long yet prepared for in the back of my head. I wanted to finally have my family together and now I don’t have anything.