#girl if this was at my high school we’d just be amazed we have two singers that fucking insanely talented

[sapphic-squid]

One of the wildest things about glee to me is these people are professional singers and what not but since they’re just playing a high school drama they have to pretend like they’re not. Like sir that is Tony Award winner Alex Newell but no in universe that’s just another mediocre high school student

[mqonlighting]

real talk in the tags for a second because i have a crush on a girl and i. a hehe. ahehehe.

will be burying this in reblogs and never touching on it again

[mylittlediarys-stuff]

Bite Back Part 9

Part 10- https://www.tumblr.com/mylittlediarys-stuff/762117460270923776/bite-back-part-10?source=share

There’s no way I did that.

She could only think about what happened last night.

That’s way too stuipd of me. What if they find me and shoot me down? Wait, I hid my face pretty well. 

“Miss Amaka, is everything okay?” Alfred said while pouring a cup of OJ for her.

“Yes, sir, everything is okay. Amazing, actually.” She was the only one having breakfast; apparently, their nighttime activities went pretty badly.

They decided to sleep in, and Tim and Damian weren’t attending school today. She also learned from Alfred even though her Father told Damian he wasn’t going on patrol he still let him. 

He’s lucky he’s the favorite. Even Jason likes him a bit, even though he won’t say it. 

A mix of envy and understanding crosses her mind, to her it wasn’t fair she was just as good as Damain but still she never gets the attention, respect, or even love she wants from her family. 

She heard people coming down the stairs, and by the sound of it, it was Damian and Tim. Ever since she got her powers, her hearing was way too good. She learned what everyone’s steps in the house sounded like.

“Speak of the devil, and he will appear,” she said quietly, as a joke to herself.

“Miss, what did you say?” Alfred asked. Right then, Damian and Tim appeared.

“Good morning, Alfred,” the two brothers said in unison.

She was actually happy that they weren’t going to school today; she wouldn’t need to be reminded she was the odd one out everywhere she went.

“Good morning to you too,” Amaka said in her most sarcastic tone.

They probarly didn’t even  notice me. 

Her usual feeling of invisibility creeping back.

Tim said a good morning in return, and Damian just ignored the girl, probably still angry at her from last night. His silence stung a bit, more than she liked to admit.

“Mr. Alfred, we must be going if we want to beat traffic.” The girl said whole getting off her seat and picking up her school bag. 

“You’re right, Miss Amaka,” Alfred turned his head to the boys. “I have your breakfast set out for you two already and Master Damian and Tim please take time to rest.”

-

“You wanna go to a party with us?” Francesca asked while taking a chip from Amaka’s lunch. “It’s at some rich guy’s house. Apparently, his parents aren’t home for the weekend, and he wants to go crazy. I heard there’s gonna be alcohol.”

A party? With actual friends? 

Amaka was taken aback. A party was the last thing she thought about going to. Even getting invited to one was a surprise; the last party she got invited to without her family being invloved was her classmate’s birthday in 5th grade. 

“I don’t know. My father would—” Amaka was cut off by Ram.

“Your father doesn’t need to know. Tell your family you want to stay at Francesca’s for the weekend. It can be a girl sleepover thing. We go to the party, sleep off the alcohol, and go home the next day like nothing happened.”

“I don’t drink,” Amaka said. “And if any of our families found out, we’d be in deep shit.”

“Like Ram said, they won’t find out, and you don’t need to drink. Just come to have some fun,” Francesca started to point at Amaka. “As your friends, I can tell you’ve been studying a lot. It’d be fun to take a break and do some teenage stuff like they do in the movies. Plus, you’re way too uptight you need to learn to lossen up.”

Would Bruce care? He would only care if I got caught doing something illegal, and then he probably wouldn’t worry about me, more about the family reputation.

It would also be nice to do something fun for once, I guess.

“Fine, I’ll go,” Amaka finally gave in.

Her friends gave each other a high five like they completed some sort of mission.

This reminds me, Damian called these two punks. Can they actually be some sort of troublemakers? And Mrs. Rosemary did give me a warning about them.

Amaka started to recall her previous interactions with the two. They did cause a bit of trouble in AP Bio, but then again, it was normal teenage behavior, and they were pretty smart, she guessed. They had pretty good grades.

How bad can they possibly be? 

She wondered as the bell rang, the question lingering as she packed her things for the next class.

Note-

Should I make a tag list?

[sturndreams]

Beautiful, Beloved

( Matt Sturniolo x y/n reader x daughters )

WARNINGS: language , mentions of sex and sensory deprivation

Me and Matt have been together since we were in high school. He has always been my best friend and my no.1 supporter through everything.

Though not everything throughout our relationship had been cupcakes and rainbows. I had fallen pregnant at 16 with twin girls, which at the time had been extremely stressful for both of us , but everything had fallen into place perfectly.

Marylou and Jimmy had asked me if I’d like move in with them as it would make things much easier , and without a doubt I did. They were very supportive throughout my pregnancy and were always there by my side , and even helped me and Matt with the girls until you both moved out.

Fast forward a year , Matt , Nick & Chris had started their YouTube Career. They were doing extremely well and in no time they had signed a contract with an agency which required them at times to fly to LA to meet with their manager, Laura Filipowicz.

This back and forth to LA had continued for a while before the boys eventually decided to get a place in LA . Myself and the girls, whose names are June and Paige , moved with them to LA , so we’d all be together at last.

Matt and I had lived in LA for a few years until the girls were 6 years old. We both then decided that Boston would be a better place to raise our girls. Matt and I went back to Boston and got our own place down the street from Matt’s parents house , while Nick and Chris stayed in LA.

Fast forward to the present day, we are still living in Boston , but now we have two 15 year old girls, who we both absolutely adore. However, a couple of things have changed. Matt and I are both working 9-5 office jobs, as Matt no longer does social media for a living as he decided that he wants to lead a more normal life for me and the girls without the chaos of fans and crazy fangirls.

Present..

It’s a Friday evening and I just dropped the girls off at their friends house for the night. I’m currently in the kitchen preparing some chicken alfredo for Matt and I. It’s nice to have some time alone with Matt , though it rarely happens when you have two daughters with great social lives.

“Baby I’m Home!” , I hear as footsteps come towards me. I turn around quickly and wrap my arms around Matt’s neck, “ Hey hunny, how was your day” I say softly. “Was great, but better now” he says quickly before smashing his lips onto mine and pulling me in closer and feeling the heat from his warm body. The kiss is full of passion and love, it was amazing and I want it to last forever, but I quickly came to my sense and pulled away from the kiss and say mumbling against his lips “let’s save that for later baby, let’s go eat dinner”. Matt pouts and holds me tighter, I notice quickly and say “cmon now, I made your favourite, chicken alfredo” he loosens his grip “fine but I better get a taste of something else later” he winks. “ oh stop it come on” I laugh, and we both sit down at the kitchen island and eat.

The rest of the evening was pretty chill , we just chatted and watched some movies while eating snacks on the couch. Then soon enough it was time for bed.

Matt was brushing his teeth while I waited in bed on my phone. I was wearing Matt’s red GAP hoodie with the hood up with a pair of his boxers and some socks. Matt comes into the room that was lit by both of our nightstand lamps , wearing just a white T-shirt and a pair of grey boxers while laying down beside me.

Without hesitation, Matt roughly pulls me toward him , both of us laying on our side facing each other as he grips my ass cheek with his left hand. He presses me in closer and there I felt the bulge in his boxers pressing between my thighs. He was desperate.

It’s not that we never have sex, it’s just when we do, we can never really fully enjoy it as we’re always very much conscious of the chance that the girls might hear us.

“How about we make another baby tonight” he says suggestively slightly raising an eyebrow. “Babe are you serious? Do you not think the girls are chaotic enough as it is?” I say in serious tone. “Naww cmon hunny pleaseee, may I remind you how good you felt when we had the girls huh??” He says grinning “Matt stop-“ I pleaded. “ Matt~ oh my fuckin god don’t stop” he teases. “Stop you’re so annoying” I say moving to my own side of the bed , he just laughs and smiles at me.

Matt always knows how to get what he wants, and what he was doing right now is working. He just looks so irresistible lying there with his messy hair and that perfect smile. I bite my bottom lip looking at him and it signals him “does this mean yes?” He says excitedly.

Though Matt Was generally a very quiet and innocent guy and though we never depended on sex all the time, we were like absolute animals in bed.

I found myself 30 mins later wearing very delicate lace red lingerie, tied to the bed by both wrist and both ankles with a blindfold covering my eyes with Matt pounding into me. Matt unties me and flips me over with my face buried into the sheets of the bed , he puts the blindfold in my mouth and hold my hands behind my back , he then grabs a plug and puts it in my ass before continuing to pound me from behind and spanking my ass every few minutes. The whole room is filled with the sound of skin slapping and my muffled moans. Before I know it Matt has painted my walls white and falls down next to me from exhaustion.

We both lay down beside each other, trying to catch our breaths. After a few moments I get up and run a bath for the both us of so we can clean up. After the bath we both change into some warm pjs as it’s absolutely freezing. We turn on the Tv in our bedroom and turn on a show, Matt is completely cuddled up to me lying on my chest as I hold him, he’s such a baby. We both peacefully drift off to sleep.

*thank you sm for reading!! this is my first time writing one of these so please lmk how I did.

* PT2 with pregnancy?

[kitnita]

jake oettinger via fanatics view   —   2024 nhl all-star media day   —   02.01.24 

[you and wedgewood are tight. i just wonder, what makes a good backup in the NHL these days? you know, it’s a bit of a changing dynamic, workload, and, you know, some teams have three goalies. like, what works between you two, what makes  scott good as that number two.]  yeah, i think, first and foremost, like, we just root for each other really hard, i think that’s, like — you can say that, you know, but not everyone really means it and you know, i know when i’m in there he means … he wants me to do my best, and he knows that when he’s in there i’m pulling for him. and we push each other a ton and … he’s just a great guy to have around, like, even — you know, if he was a — not a goalie, if he was just a guy on the team, we’d be good friends too, so, he’s just a great dude and i’m lucky to share the crease with him and we push each other a lot, we both wanna, you know, be the number one guy, so, um. you know, i know if i, you know, take my foot off the gas, that he’s gonna take over, so.  [i know you’ve been, like — say, at the program, you were there with woll, you guys probably shared, but like — you guys were younger, were you at times, like, i’ve gotta check myself and be a little bit more positive?]  yeah, for sure, i think that’s a — i mean, that’s the thing, like, about being a goalie. there’s only one net, right? so it’s … it’s a hard position, um … and for me, obviously, i want to play as much as i can and, you know — someone else doing poor doesn’t, uh, — like, help me in any way, you know what i mean? like, i know if i play my best then i’m gonna be the number one, so that’s kind of the only thing i focus on. i’ve had great relationships with every goalie i’ve played with and, um … i’m looking to do that the rest of my career. 

uh, one piece of sports memorabilia you wish you could own? 

well, for my whole career i was dying to get a henrik lundqvist signed stick and i just got one, like, two weeks ago, so it was, like, the best gift i’ve ever gotten in my life, so. 

how’d you finally get it?

uh, my guy at bauer hooked me up. he, like, had a case? a bauer thing, and i thought it was gonna be an all-star stick. and he was like, open it up, and i opened it up, and it was one of his used sticks signed and it was … coolest thing i own. 

how would you change NHL overtime rules? 

i think i would do … ten minute overtime. 

three on three still? 

three on three still. and then maybe … try that for a bit, and if it didn’t work, maybe do no, uh — ‘cause, like, it’s such a big … everyone wants to keep possession, maybe do a no over-and-back rule. 

finally – i know i’m asking a goalie this question – on a scale from one to ten, how superstitious are you? 

i’m gonna go, like … four, five. 

yeah? 

pretty low, yeah. you can ask my fiancée, my teammates, my friends.  it’s nothing too crazy, just go out there and have fun. 

i’m doing a story on PWHL minnesota team. i just think that minnesota fans are amazing, because they watch those women from all the way out here. for someone who’s from minnesota, can you tell me what that environment is like? 

yeah, it’s so special, i think, like, boys and girls high school hockey there is just, like, so important, uh … it’s kinda like football in texas, that’s what i compare it to, and, uh — i played in the state tournament, um, my freshman year in high school and that was, like, one of my favorite hockey memories of my whole career, um, so — it’s just so special, and i think, i mean … when i saw that they had 13,000 or whatever at the x it didn’t surprise me one bit, i mean, it’s the state of hockey for a reason, and, uh, just happy to see that league getting the support they deserve and the ladies getting the recognition they deserve. 

are there any minnesota female hockey players who really stand out for you? 

um, well, one i was gonna say is, i played with — when i was at BU i played with, uh, abby cook and jesse compher and they’re both in the PWHL now, and, i mean, we got to go watch them win the beanpot, and, i mean, the hockey’s great, you know — these women are so talented and, uh, deserve to have a place where they can play and, you know, get paid just like we do and, um, you know, i think minnesota’s such a good spot for it. 

[iseesound]

𝐈 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃! 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨, 𝒜𝓁𝓁 ℐ ℰ𝓋ℯ𝓇 𝒩ℯℯ𝒹ℯ𝒹

Aired 02.16.23

A journey to Egypt, through the sounds of Beach House, Spelling, Marvin Gaye, and more.

Listen in Spotify and Apple Music.

A special episode hosted and blog written by Alonso Bueno

When will I learn? 

My post-high school grad existential crisis was in full swing in the fall of 2021. After arguably one of the best summers of my life, I found myself conflicted. My friend group broke into a civil war over the prettiest of things. The girl I fancied no longer found my fear of making the first move charming. Oh, and God? Well, let's just say we aren't on speaking terms.

November 2021 rolled around and so did my trip abroad. Months earlier, a dear friend of mine invited me to see him run a marathon in Istanbul. To make our trip worthwhile, we added Egypt to the itinerary and invited other friends. Istanbul was amazing; I could literally write a book on how much I love that city. My trip to Egypt on the other hand was much more... thought-provoking. The sight of extreme poverty combined with my already ongoing existential crisis made me question everything. Whatever little clarity I had, was completely wiped away on this leg of my trip. Only the music buzzing through my AirPods could preserve any sense of sanity.

The set kicks off with “On the Sea” by Beach House. The slow fade-in of the piano is almost soothing. But the lyrics quickly turn the mood somber.

“Out on the sea, we’d be forgiven

Our bodies stopped the spirit leavin’”

As I flew over the Mediterranean I thought about how easy it’d be to leave it all behind. Maybe if I never went back home I could just forget all my anxieties. Live free.

Just like J. Cole expresses the difficulty of leaving behind his anxiety in “St. Tropez”, I too couldn’t abandon mine by traveling across the globe. They were embedded in my psyche.

I discovered Spelling through Anthony Fantano, unfortunately. Nevertheless, “Turning wheel” is a great tune. That song along with “Finally Alone” by Mac DeMarco embodied what I felt when I stepped out of the Cairo International Airport for the first time.  A sense of optimism rushed through me. I was ready to shed my boring suburban life and immerse myself in a setting entirely out of my element.

“Cien Años” by Pedro Infante is a love song, the only one on the set. We ended our first night on a boat, floating along the Nile River, eating Koshary. I was feeling romantic, oddly enough. I reminisced on the women in my life. Something that would typically torment me, ended up evoking a sense of happiness. I felt grateful to have had them in my life.

“Y sin embargo sigues

Unida a mi existencia

Y si vivo cien años

Cien años pienso en ti”

The set takes on a more melancholic tone with “Crown” by Kendrick Lamar and “Weight of the World” by Jordana. Our road trip to Alexandria was mostly made up of me reflecting. As I sat in the van for hours I pondered on the meaning of life. What is there to do about all this suffering? I felt powerless. I wanted to pray, but like I said, me and the big guy aren’t on speaking terms.

The next two songs on this set are sort of juxtaposing in a way. “How Great” by Chance the Rapper shows the side of me that wanted close my eyes, cross my fingers, and hope that God will solve all my problems. Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” shows the side of me that was forced to recognize the problems in the world for what they were. We can tackle them head-on, and make tangible decisions. But hope alone won’t be enough.

“What about this overcrowded land

How much more abuse from man can she stand?”

“Waves” by Calpurnia | “Bubba” by Jack Larsen | “Blooming” by Amulets

My last day in Egypt was spent Jeep-ing through the desert of Faiyum. I don’t know if the other group members could tell that I was mainly in a dissociative state that day. I stared at the slightly yellow-tinted sands and thought nothing. It was scary and yet kinda nice to have no critical thoughts. I almost felt like I was one with the desert.

I discovered Willie Nelson when I was in middle school and have been a fan ever since. “A Wonderful Yesterday” nicely reflects the feeling I felt at the Cairo International airport on the way back home. Despite hitting my lowest point mentally while in Egypt, I felt a sense of gratitude for the experience. It’s odd really.

Current Joys has gotten me through some tough times. In "Home (Pt. 1 & 2)" Nick Rattigan sings of him being lost in the world. Reality began to sink back in as I sat in the car on the way home from the airport. I wasn't sure where to go from there. What even is the next step after an experience like that?

"I don't know where I'll go

Don't worry about tomorrow

We'll find our way home"

When I got home I threw off my backpack and free-fell onto my bed. My cat followed behind, curling up into a ball on my chest. Suddenly, I felt a wave of relief through my body. Maybe this is all I ever needed.

[amazinggraciegurl]

Expect the Unexpected (Chapter 14: Refuge)

Wednesday July 5, 2017 (summer before senior year of high school) 1:32 pm

“Oh my fairy godmother!” Briar squeals as soon as Ashlynn answers the phone. “Ash! I have some super hexciting news!” Calls like this aren’t unusual from Briar. Pretty much everything excites the girl whose enthusiasm is unmatched by anybody Ashlynn knows. Ashlynn laughs, endearment for her friend warming her chest. “What is it, Briar?” Briar takes a deep breath. “Okay! You aren’t going to believe this, but Faybelle and I are dating!” Ashlynn’s jaw drops as shock swells through her like a wave. It takes her a moment to find her voice. “Wow, Briar! That’s great!”

Ashlynn doesn’t know what to make of the emotions swirling inside her right now. She should be thrilled for her BFFA; but all she feels is shock and confusion. The last time she saw Briar and Faybelle together, they’d tolerated each other, but in no way had they seemed like soon-to-be girlfriends. Briar did tell her that she had feelings for Faybelle, but Ashlynn wasn’t sure if that was just the aftereffects of the dream they’d shared, along with the clarity Briar suddenly had with her sexuality. “Oh my gosh, Ash! She’s just so awesome! At summer camp, we just really bonded and got to know each other better! And she’s so much deeper than what meets the eye! She’s funny and smart and loving in her own unique way! And I just--uh, she’s just amazing, Ash! I can’t wait for you two to get to know each other better this fall!” A smile brightens Ashlynn’s face at the happiness in Briar’s voice. More than anything, she wants her friend to be happy. And if Faybelle makes her this happy, then Ashlynn is all for it.

“I’m really happy for you, Briar!” Ashlynn exclaims. “And I can’t wait to see both of you this fall! Also, you and I can finally have double dates like we’ve always wanted to!” Briar laughs. “Oh my gosh! Yes! I can’t wait! Anyways, how are you doing?” Ashlynn grins, content to just be talking with her BFFA again. “I’m good! Just chilling at home. But ugh, I miss you!” “Me too! I was going crazy at camp, not being able to talk to you!” “Being roommates has made us even more inseparable than we were as kids!” Ashlynn laughs. “True!” They giggle. Ashlynn sighs happily. The bizarrity of Briar and Faybelle dating is an uncomfortable twinge in her gut, but she knows that no matter what, Briar will always be her best friend; and that alone is enough to make her extremely happy.

XXX Friday September 1, 2017 2:03 pm “Ugh!” Briar groans as she walks into her and Ashlynn’s dorm. “Faybelle, I already told you! No!” She’s talking on the phone, scowling. Ashlynn sits on the bed, watching her with concern. Ashlynn had just unpacked and was scrolling through her phone, waiting for Briar to arrive. She’s thrilled to see her, but seeing Briar upset dampens her mood. What in the world are Briar and Faybelle arguing about? “Faybelle, this is non-negotiable!” Briar exclaims. “I am rooming with Ashlynn, and that’s that! We promised that we’d stay roommates since we became ones in sophomore year, and that is not going to change!” Ashlynn’s eyes widen. Her breath stills in her throat. So that’s what this is about. Faybelle is actually giving Briar a hard time about not rooming with her? Ashlynn doesn’t know what she feels more--guilt for standing between Briar and Faybelle, or anger for Faybelle treating her best friend this way. “That’s it!” Briar snaps. “I’m not going to argue with you over this anymore! Ashlynn is my BFFA, and I would never let her down! Call me when you're ready to have a productive conversation!"

Briar hangs up, slamming her phone down on her desk. She turns to Ashlynn, breathing heavily, her face flushed. Ashlynn thinks the girl is going to cry for a second before a weak smile replaces the grimace on her face. "Hey, Ash!" Ashlynn smiles brightly, the stress from the moment before melting at the sight of her best friend, all pink clothes and exuberance and warm hugs. "Briar!" she squeals, jumping to her feet and running to her friend. They hug tightly. Ashlynn breathes in the smell of Briar's rose perfume, smiles at the warmth of the embrace. She doesn't know how long it's been before they pull away. All she knows is that she immediately wants to hug Briar again.

"I missed you!" Briar exclaims. "How was your summer?" "It was good. I mostly just hung out in the forest by my house. It was lovely to see all my animal friends again! How was yours?" "That sounds fableous, Ash! Mine was good, too! Other than the trip to Mermaid Cove that I told you about, I just chased after my brothers a lot!" They both laugh. "And you know, summer camp." Briar blushes, nervously meeting Ashlynn's eyes. Clearly, she doesn't want to talk about Faybelle right now. Ashlynn knows what will distract her. "Hey, let's find Apple, and we can all go to the Glass Slipper and shop for back to school shoes!" Briar's face lights up, her eyes widening with excitement. "Yes! That sounds amazing! Great idea, Ash!" Ashlynn smiles, glad that she could cheer Briar up. "Okay then! Let's go!"

XXX Friday October 6, 2017 4:07 pm Ashlynn groans as she walks to her dorm room. Why does Hunter have to be so dense sometimes?! She can't go to the bookball game tonight because her mother is in town, and they're going to dinner in Book End! It's not that she'd rather do that than watch Hunter play! He needs to stop getting so butthurt over everything! Okay, she reasons–maybe she would rather go out to dinner with her mother than go to Hunter's bookball game. But that's because she hasn't seen her mother in over a month! She's been to so many of his bookball games!

As she approaches her room, she hears “Teenage Dream” by Katy Fairy playing. She's surprised Briar is there and not off, setting up the aftergame party. She shrugs, opening the door. "Briar," she whines, "you will not believe how stupid of an argument Hunter and I–" She freezes as she takes in the sight of Briar straddling Faybelle on her bed, her hair tangled, her lipstick smeared. She and Faybelle look over at Ashlynn, their eyes wide. "Ashlynn!" Briar exclaims. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you'd be back yet!" Ashlynn's heart pounds, her throat feeling like it's about to close up, like when she accidentally eats food with peanuts. "I'm sorry!" she squeaks, backing away towards the door. "I'll just go!"

She runs out, quickly shutting the door behind her. She dashes down the hall, her heart crashing in her head. She doesn't stop until she reaches the bathroom. Thankfully, it's empty. She leans against the wall, burying her burning face in her hands. "Oh God," she groans. "Why, Ashlynn? Why did you do that? You should have knocked, you doofus!" She turns, lightly hitting her head against the wall. "Stupid," she mutters. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

XXX Friday December 1, 2017 6:03 pm When the day of the double date comes, Ashlynn doesn't know why she's so nervous. Her stomach flutters as she sits at her vanity, applying mascara. Briar is by her closet, pulling out dress after dress. "Ugh!" she groans. "I don't know what to wear! Faybelle says she likes me in blue, but it just clashes so much with my hair!" Ashlynn suppresses the urge to roll her eyes. If Hunter ever told her he liked her in a certain color, she'd be furious. Who talks to their partner like that?! "Well, I think you look gorgeous in every color, Briar," Ashlynn says. "You should wear whatever you feel comfortable with." A moment of silence passes. Ashlynn cringes, wondering if she said the wrong thing when Briar softly speaks. "Thank you, Ash. That's so sweet." Ashlynn blushes, looking down at her makeup palette. "You're welcome, Bri."

XXX 6:32 pm As soon as the couples arrive at the restaurant and sit down at the booth, Ashlynn and Hunter on one side and Briar and Faybelle on the other, Faybelle raises her hand up and waves a server over. "Hey, server! A strawberry milkshake for my girlfriend and I please!" Briar blushes slightly, clearly uncomfortable with her girlfriend's lack of etiquette. "We'll have a vanilla shake with soy milk please," Hunter says. "Okay," says the server. "Coming right up." An awkward silence ensues as the server walks away.

A moment later, when Ashlynn feels like she's going to crawl out of her skin, Briar speaks up. "I love this restaurant's breadsticks! We'll have to do a double order!" "Yes!" Ashlynn enthusiastically agrees, thanking the heavens for Briar's social skills. "And the mozzarella sticks that they can make with soy cheese! Amazing! Honestly, the appetizers are my favorite things here!" "Yeah," Faybelle says. "You'll have to fatten up for the bookball game this Friday, Hunter! You guys have to win this time to make sure my cheerhexing team looks epic! We've been practicing a ton of new moves, and a loss will dampen the wow factor!" Faybelle then proceeds to discuss her plans to take her cheerhexing team to the next level for five minutes. Briar smiles pleasantly, but Ashlynn can see a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "Baby," Briar says, cutting Faybelle off when Hunter begins to look nervous from Faybelle's insistence that the bookball team win, "why don't we talk about the aftergame party we're planning?! It's going to be off the page!"

Faybelle shrugs, taking Briar's hand as the girl begins to enthuse over the new decorations she ordered for the party. Ashlynn looks at the fairy, noticing the softness in her eyes. She really does seem to adore Briar. That thought comforts Ashlynn, but she still can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right with Faybelle, that she might hurt Briar. Ashlynn knows that she shouldn't be so overprotective, but she can't help it. Briar and her have been BFFAs for as long as she can remember, and she never wants to see her betrayed.

Ashlynn is shaken from her thoughts by the clink of glass on the table as a milkshake is set before her and Hunter. She looks up. Briar and Faybelle are already drinking their milkshake from two straws, their heads touching. "Thank you," she says quickly. "Of course," says the waiter. "Now, what can I get for you guys to eat?" Ashlynn and Hunter order kale salads, Briar orders spaghetti, and Faybelle orders a hamburger. Briar gazes at Faybelle, looking like she wants to say something. She probably wants to tell her to not order meat. Ashlynn and Hunter don't care if people eat meat around them. Briar still insists on not doing it, though. That's just how Briar is. Thoughtful, sensitive, caring.

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas!" Hunter enthuses when the server leaves. "I love how merry everything is this time of year! Plus, it'll snow, and we'll get to go sledding and ice skating and–oh, it's just so fun!" Ashlynn smiles, squeezing her boyfriend's hand. Hunter's childlike wonder is one of the things that she loves about him. "Totally!" Faybelle exclaims. "You should see me out on the ice! I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, to say the least!" "So does Ashlynn!" Hunter says excitedly. "She's spellbinding on the ice!" Faybelle raises her eyebrows challengingly. "Yes," Briar says, stopping the argument before it starts. "Faybelle and Ashlynn are both amazing ice skaters, and I can't wait to watch both of them rock the ice rink this winter!" Ashlynn smiles, the kindness of Briar's compliment warm and fuzzy in her chest.

When their meals come, Hunter and Faybelle demolish their food, eating like they've been starved. That's always how Hunter eats, and apparently Faybelle is just as uncivilized. Ashlynn and Briar eat slower, glancing at each other every few moments, smiling with the mutual endearment they have for their partners.

The night is chilly as they walk back to the school. Snow crunches under their boots. Hunter's hand in hers is the only warmth that Ashlynn feels as the frigid wind blows past. "You want to come up to my dorm?" he asks her, his voice low. "Dexter is having a sleepover with Daring and Hopper tonight." Briar and Faybelle walk together a few feet ahead of them. Ashlynn's stomach tingles with nervous excitement. She and Hunter have spent the night together before, but nothing other than kissing happened. From the smoldering gaze Hunter levels at her, she has a feeling this night may be different. "Sure," she says, surprised by the sudden seductive lilt in her voice. "I'd love to."

XXX Saturday December 9, 2017 12:30 am Ashlynn paces around her dorm room, her heart pounding. When is Briar going to be back?! It's 12:30! The party at the Goose & Gander Nightclub was over at midnight! She really wishes that Briar would stop going to these crazy adult parties! She's underage for kingdoms sake! Briar would've never done anything like this before she dated Faybelle! That fairy is a terrible influence on her! At least Briar hasn't drank. Ashlynn knows that Faybelle does. She gasps when there's a knock at the door. "Briar!" she exclaims, running over. She throws open the door, sighing with relief at the sight of her best friend. "Briar! Thank goodness! It's so late! What were you–" Her voice trails off as she takes in Briar's appearance. She's swaying on her feet, and where are her shoes?! "Briar!" she exclaims. "Are you okay?! Where are your shoes?!" "Don't know," Briar slurs. "Lost them somewhere. I–" She lets out a rather unprincessly belch. She covers her mouth, giggling. "Hexcuse me." Ashlynn gasps as the gears in her brain click into place. Briar is drunk! Briar Beauty, the girl with straight A's, who tutors students in Chemythstry, who video calls her family every night, is drunk! "Oh my gosh, Briar!" she shrieks. "You're drunk?! Get in here!"

She grabs the girl's hands and pulls her into the room, quickly shutting the door. She keeps a tight grip on her hands as she leads her to her bed and helps her sit. "Briar! How could you?!" she cries, panic coursing through her. "You know better!" "Chill, Ash," says Briar, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm fine. Faybelle does it all the time, and she's perfectly okay!" "I don't know if I'd call her perfectly okay!" A flash of irritation flickers across Briar's face. Guilt immediately floods Ashlynn. "Jeez, Ash," Briar says. "Tell me how you really feel." Ashlynn winces. She sighs, sitting down next to Briar. "I'm sorry, Briar. Faybelle is perfectly okay." Briar shrugs. "It's alright, Ash. Don't sweat it." Ashlynn sighs in relief. It's been so long that she can't even remember the last time her and Briar fought, and she wants to keep it that way. "Briar, I just don't want you to be peer pressured. I care about you so much, and the thought of you getting hurt. I–" She squeezes her eyes shut, forcing away the image of Briar drugged in the back of a man's pickup truck; of Briar sprawled on the wet asphalt, too disoriented to have noticed the car barreling towards her; of Briar drowned at the bottom of a lake, her ability to swim stripped away by the poison that is alcohol.

"I won't get hurt," Briar says, her words becoming more slurred by the minute. "You know me! I'm super careful! Careful is my middle name! I'm Briar Careful Beauty!" Ashlynn shakes her head, unable to suppress a laugh. "That's it, Ash!" Briar exclaims. "I love to hear that beautiful laugh of yours!" Ashlynn's face burns, butterflies suddenly fluttering in her stomach. Briar reaches over, pulling her into a tight embrace. Ashlynn gasps at the sudden impact. “You are the best, Ash!” Briar slurs, squeezing the girl tight. “I just need you to know how amazing you are and how much I love you!” Ashlynn giggles, hugging Briar back. “You're the best, too,” she says, her body heating as she runs her fingers through Briar's hair. “And I love you too."

Briar pulls back slightly. Her brown eyes gaze into hers as she gently cups Ashlynn's cheeks. Ashlynn can feel her face growing hotter by the second. “Do you know how beautiful you are, Ash?” she asks. Her warm, stale breath blows in Ashlynn's face, and the girl struggles not to recoil at the smell of alcohol. “Um, I guess…” Her voice trails off. Briar giggles. “Well, you don't have to guess,” she says. “Cause you are. You're gorgeous and sweet and caring and loyal and smart and literally everything anybody could ask for in a person!”

Ashlynn's stomach somersaults at Briar’s sweet words. A fluttery sensation drapes over her. A sudden thump as Briar jumps off the bed startles Ashlynn. She looks up and immediately bursts into laughter as she watches Briar hopping around the room, waving her arms in the air. Her long, wavy locks fly around her head like a brown tornado as she skips and bounces. After doing a full circle around the dorm, Briar bounds back over to her. She's breathing heavily, her face flushed. Her eyes sparkle as she reaches her arms out towards Ashlynn. “Come on, Ash!” she exclaims, bouncing on her heels. “Dance with me, girl!” Ashlynn glances around the room, unable to fight the grin spreading across her face. She giggles at Briar’s wide, expectant eyes, her bright, charming smile that never fails to draw Ashlynn in.

“Well,” she starts, standing and taking Briar’s hands, “with some music, I'm sure I can whip some of my moves out!” She laughs as she watches Briar’s smile expand even more. A red streak of lipstick is smeared across her front teeth. Ashlynn laughs as she takes her Mirrorphone out of her pocket and selects one of her Pandora playlists. She smiles widely as “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons begins to play. “Yeah!” Briar exclaims. “This is a great dance song!”

She starts doing her signature dance move again, which happens to be jumping up and down, embellished with some arm flapping. Briar reaches her arms out. “Come on, Ash!" Excitement zips through her like electricity as she bounds over to Briar. She laughs as Briar grabs her hands and jumps around, pulling Ashlynn with her. Ashlynn laughs harder, bouncing along with Briar. They spin in circles, gripping each other's hands tightly. Briar lets go with one hand and swings Ashlynn under her arm. Ashlynn giggles. They switch hands, and Ashlynn does the same to Briar. Briar laughs boisterously as they dance back to back, shaking their bums. Ashlynn shrieks as Briar lifts her up. She immediately bursts into laughter as Briar spins in a circle, swinging Ashlynn through the air. “Whoo!” Ashlynn cheers.

She’s still laughing when Briar sets her down. Briar wraps her arms around her. Slowly, they sway from side to side. Ashlynn sighs contentedly, resting her cheek on Briar's shoulder. “I guess we're slow dancing now,” Briar laughs. Ashlynn giggles as Briar pulls her closer. She smells Briar’s rose perfume, along with the sweat on her neck. Ashlynn registers that the song “Centuries” by Fallout Boy is playing now. “Not a very good slow dance song,” Briar says, laughing softly. “Yeah, not really,” Ashlynn agrees. She closes her eyes. She can feel the girl’s heart beating. Strands of her hair tickle her face. She doesn't mind, though. All these sensations add to the contentment that she feels, warm and fuzzy in her gut. Briar's arms hold her close, strong and gentle, a combination so perfectly Briar.

"You're beautiful, Ash," Briar mumbles, leaning heavier on Ashlynn. "So beautiful." Ashlynn's cheeks once again flush. "Thank you," she murmurs. "You are too." "And you want to know who else is beautiful?" Briar sleepily drawls. "Who?" Ashlynn asks, her curiosity piqued. "Apple," Briar whispers, her breath hot against Ashlynn's neck. Ashlynn shivers. "Apple is beautiful," she agrees. "She's the fairest one of all." She chuckles. "She's so freaking beautiful," Briar murmurs. "I miss when we were little, and I'd play with her hair. Now it would just be weird if I did that."

Ashlynn remembers how obsessed Briar was with Apple's hair when they were kids. She'd run her fingers through it and style it with bows and flowers and tell Apple, over and over again, how much she loves it. "I thought maybe you did that because she's always felt so insecure about being blonde," Ashlynn muses. "No," Briar replies, her voice weak as the exhaustion of her night out catches up with her. "I love her hair. And I love her. So much. You know I used to fantasize about us getting married?" Ashlynn's stomach jolts like she's driving on a bumpy road, and the car just flew over a pothole. "Yeah," Briar continues. "We'd live in the Snow White Castle together and rule the land together and have tons of kids." She laughs sadly. "But no. Those days are over. I got over it. It was hard. I had to watch her have the hots for Raven and not realize it. Raven! The girl who single-handedly destroyed her destiny! And then I had to watch her find out her True Love is Darling. What if it had been me?!"

She pulls back slightly, gazing at Ashlynn with wide eyes. "I would do anything for her! I would've done CPR on her if I'd known how! And if there happened to be a flash of light and a heart-shaped wisp of smoke she coughed up, would we be together now?!" Ashlynn has never been more shocked in her life. Briar in love with Apple?! Her insides feel frozen, but still she holds Briar tighter as the girl's voice starts to shake. "And now it's too late for any of that! She cares more for Raven than me, she's head over heels for Darling, and they're going to get together any day now! There's no room left on the page for me!" She sniffles, burying her face in Ashlynn's shoulder. "And I'm over her! I am! I love Faybelle! But–" her voice breaks, "I still can't help but feel forgotten, you know?" Ashlynn feels her heart shattering in her chest at the hurt in her friend's voice. Her eyes burn with tears. She wants to reassure Briar that Apple cares just as much about her as she does Raven, if not more, but she knows that the girl isn't going to absorb a word she says in her current state. "Yeah," she whispers. "I know." "It's just hard," Briar croaks.

And then the tears come, warm against Ashlynn's shoulder. Briar's body shakes with sobs, and Ashlynn just holds her close, not knowing what else to do. "I'm sorry, Briar," Ashlynn murmurs. "I'm so sorry." "It hurts, Ashlynn!" Briar sobs, holding on to her with a vice grip. Ashlynn presses her lips to Briar's head, breathing in the scent of her rose shampoo. "I know, baby," Ashlynn whispers, slowly rocking side to side. "I know." She closes her eyes, visualizing a happier place, a meadow of eternal joy with bright green grass, every type of animal in the world, and constant sunshine. A place where they can be with who they love, not bound by the cold shackles of destiny.

[fueledbysano]

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄. Takashi Mitsuya

You visit Mitsuya's parents for the first time in a while, now, with the presence of your newborn daughter. However, he is unsure of the welcome of your stay due to your circumstances.

♱ pairing: mitsuya x f!reader

♱ content/warnings: tooth rotting fluff, mentions of unplanned pregnancy, comfort

♱ wc: 1K

my piece for @arlertslove 's collab! Happy Birthday, Mitsuya! ♡

As you and Mitsuya traveled down the long, winding road in his childhood town and to his family's house for a Holiday visit, the heavy wintry air kindled a particular liveliness in the car.

The last time you met his family, you had just graduated from high school and had been dating for a year. But now, you two had been strong for five years; and have a newborn daughter.

Being parents during the last year of university wasn't necessarily your plan, yet you couldn't help but feel grateful for your little family and your new life with Mitsuya.

You two were fortunate enough to be interning at a fashion line to help support your family and take turns taking care of her. and in just a few month's time, you'll both be graduating.

"We've arrived," Mitsuya muttered as he pulled up to a traditional Japanese home's driveway. A colorful picnic table stood in the front yard, which you believed belonged to his sisters.

Mitsuya parked the car, leaning against the seat with a huff as he sat in silence, fists clenching tightly on the steering wheel. He was anxious from the anticipation of how his family would react to his small family of his own.

“Hey, we got this,” You extend a reassuring hand to your boyfriend. "We're going to have a good time, okay?" Knowing that he was concerned about whether his parents wouldn't approve of you still not being married, nor his and your current professions.

Mitsuya immediately relaxed against your palm on his arm, sighing slowly before turning to your infant, who was soundly napping in her car seat. Your smile, charm, and kindness were all present in the girl. Her hair and most facial traits, however, were similar to those of her father.

You exchanged smiles for the last time before exiting his car to retrieve your child then walk up to the front door.

It wasn't until a few seconds later until you were answered, and there stood his cute little sisters who looked up at you with amused expressions. The two girls' gazes first fell on their baby niece, then on their brother, who was holding her in his arms, and finally on their lovely future sister-in-law.

It was until Takashi's mother eagerly welcomed your small family into her home, s taking along Mana and Luna with her so you could all head inside that reeked the smell of a home cooked meal.

"My sweetheart! Come in, I missed my boy so much!" You watched as his mother cautiously wrapped her arms around him, before pulling away to glance at the newborn.

“Good evening, ma’am.” You bow before the woman,

“Hello, dear… you’re all grown up.” She smiled, welcoming you in her arms.

“I’m happy you made it here, how’s my grandbaby?” Hearing his mother's reaction warmed your heart. Mitsuya gave you an astonished glance, and you responded with a reassuring grin.

“She is doing amazing. All in one piece too.” Mitsuya’s mood was lightened, letting his mother hold your sleeping child in her arms. Mana and Luna peeked over their mother’s shoulders as they admired over their niece,

“What’s her name?” Mana whispered/

“Audrey.” You smiled.

“Hello, Audrey, it’s nice to meet you! We can’t wait to play with you.” Luna added, carefully patting the infant’s head.

“Uhm, mother, [ Y / N ] and I will graduate soon. We’d love to have the three of you to be there… We’ll be getting a regular job at the line too, so…” Mitsuya rambled as he poured you and himself a cup of tea.

“Well,” His mother spoke before carefully placing Aubrey on the bassinet.

“I’m very happy to hear that, son. You made me proud.” She offered you and Takashi a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she complimented you. “[ Y / N ], I knew you’d be an amazing woman. Thank you for taking care of my son. Welcome to the family.” She shared a sweet smile with you.

“Thank you, mom.” Mitsuya smiled.

“Girls, say goodnight to your brother and sis in law.”

“Good night brother! Good night [ Y / N ]-sama!” They waved before dashing to their room.

Mitsuya went back to his car to retrieve your belongings from the trunk, leaving you to look after your daughter. He started fussing just as you were about to put the bassinet together. You sighed as newborn cries erupted and resonated across the previously silent room.

“Darling, you’re going to wake grandma and aunties.” Before Mitsuya arranges your baggage on the bed, you speak soothingly to Audrey, desperate to encourage her to calm down and return to sleep.

“Let me, honey. Go get ready for bed.” Mitsuya insisted, extending his arms for you to reach. You carefully laid your daughter in his arms before kissing each of their noses before heading to the bathroom.

A mother's job never ends. Emotional, yet the rock. Tired, but keeps going. Overwhelmed, but never quits. Each and every day. It's what you have learned so far.

Fate was kind to you in that way, that you were given a loving boyfriend.

Audrey's cries continued to be heard from the bathroom sink, and she was becoming increasingly agitated due to her mother's absence. Mitsuya rocked the baby, hoping to soothe her without disturbing his mother. Even though he had the child's whisper and had gotten her to sleep as usual, nothing worked. The baby appears to be unfamiliar with her surroundings and has not yet settled.

Mitsuya, on the other hand, has long been noted for his inventiveness.

“Stop your crying, baby, it’s the sign of the times,” As his swaying pace grew softer, he began to croon softly, the song that sprang to mind being a Harry Styles song.

As she listened to her daddy's voice, the child's frowning face calmed and her once quivering lip parted.

Mitsuya chuckled softly, letting the infant wrap her fingers over his thumb.

“Just stop your crying, have the time of your life,” Audrey's cries came to a halt as his sweet voice poured out in a soothing whisper, instantly comforting her.

Audrey exchanged a tender stare with Mitsuya before her eyelids fell asleep from exhaustion, causing the man to understand how surreal it felt to be holding his child with you.

As he continued to softly sing, he didn't even register the sound of the restroom door closing. But when he senses your presence, he smiles sweetly and lets you rest your head on his shoulder as you swing together slowly.

“Harry Styles, huh?” You teased, earning a subtle chuckle from your boyfriend.

You soon headed to the bed and let him put your daughter on her own. He soon changed into pyjamas before crawling into bed with you, placing soft kisses over your shoulder.

Although he couldn't see it, you flash a smile, reaching behind to take his hand. But what you heard next was something you didn't expect; Mitsuya was crying.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” You turn to the opposite side, only to be met by his tight embrace.

“I’m just happy everything turned out fine with them.” He chuckled.

“You’re a good dad, you know?” You assured, stroking soft circles over his bicep before kissing his lip softly,

“I love you,”

Like said, fate was gracious enough to bestow him upon you. You sure don't know what the future brings, but with the right people, you know that you will be fine.

you may be unmarried, but you two made pretty damn good parents.

[scarlettriot]

Stood Up

Pairing: Sero/F!Reader

Summary: When you find your dating making out with someone else at a Halloween party, Hanta swoops in and reclaims your evening, rekindling an old flame.

Contains: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Demisexual Reader, Astronomy/Greek Lore Nerd Sero, Old flame

Warnings: 18+ Below the cut, Minors DNI! Swearing, Demi Problems, Praise/Smidge of Degradation, Name-calling (slut & whore), Pet names (Love, good girl, pretty girl), Car Sex, F Masturbation, Oral M Receiving (Road Head) I think that's everything

A/N: This took me much longer than I expected. It's also my first time writing Sero. Given the season, I decided to add a touch of Halloween and costumes to this one.

If you'd like to read other's in the Stood Up series, here are the links:

Stood Up - Bakugo - WC 3,502

Stood Up - Kirishima - WC 3,612

Stood Up - Kaminari - WC 2,461

Word Count Starting Below: 3,494

Denki Kaminari's annual Halloween bash was in full swing by the time Hanta had arrived. He'd come straight from patrol, wrapping himself up in his own tape making a half assed mummy costume for himself. Not like anyone would notice with the flashing colored lights, loud music, and abundance of liquor.

However, Hanta didn't even make it up to the double glass front doors of Denki's home. Not before doing a double take at the very familiar pirate that ran by him.

"Y/N?" You stopped allowing him the chance to catch up to you, "Holy shit, it is you, when the hell did you get back?"

Three years you'd been gone, working in America. Time differences and busy schedules made it so the two of you barely kept in touch. It was a shame, Hanta thought, considering how close the two of you used to be.

"I- uh- just a few weeks now. I heard you were helping out with the disaster relief after that storm."

It had to be his eyes playing tricks on him, the funny colors of the dancing lights were what made your cheeks look wet, right? Those couldn't have been tears.

"I was, yeah, but I got back yesterday. I didn't know-"

"Get the hell outta here!" His head snapped back towards the front of the house, just in time to see Eijiro, dressed in an impressive werewolf costume, literally throw someone out of the party. The guy drunkenly stumbled off, Eijiro walking over towards where Hanta was standing with you. "Y/N, you good?"

You nodded while Hanta tried to piece together what'd happened. "Sorry, it took me a second to find the bastard. Do ya wanna come back in? I'll make sure he leaves."

"No, Eijiro, thanks though. I'm just gonna head home."

The wolfman frowned but understood. "We'll have a smaller party for ya! Just the gang as a welcome home! You know Denki will look for any excuse to throw a party." He turned his gaze on Hanta. "A mummy, really?"

"You've been a damn werewolf for the last two years! You don't get to give me crap."

Eijiro poked the fuzzy pointed red ears carefully set into his spiky hair. "Mina and I worked real hard on this costume... seemed like a waste to only wear it once."

"We both know you haven't just worn those once, big man."

That got a chuckle out of you while all Eijiro could do was shrug and try to hide a shit-eating grin.

He asked you again if you'd like to stay and once more you said you were going to just head home. It was when you specifically said you were going to be walking home that Hanta spoke up offering to drive you back to your home since it was Halloween and people were creeps.

You were a damn pro hero but he still didn't feel right about just letting you walk home alone.

When you agreed he told Eijiro he'd be back soon and walked over with you to his car.

>>><<<

A part of you missed the old station wagon Hanta used to drive, not that this BMW he now drove wasn't absolutely amazing, you just sort of missed the comfort of the old car.

He waited until he'd reached the end of Denki's long, winding driveway to finally speak. "So, you wanna tell me what happened back there, or am I just supposed to pretend like Kiri didn't kick someone out on your behalf?"

"You could probably just ask Kiri and he'd tell you."

"I could, but, I'd like to hear it from you."

You knew you could tell him, there was nothing you couldn't tell Hanta. There was once a time when the man knew every single detail about your life. Sure, time and distance had put a strain on that relationship but you were back now. There was no reason why you couldn't at least start rebuilding what you and Hanta once had.

"Y/N, if you don't wanna say anything-"

"I was just casually seeing this guy. You know me and dating, how we don't always work out." You said abruptly and he quit talking, "And so, we weren't like official but we said we'd go to this party together. Well, I got here and went looking for him and found him making out with one of Hawks' sidekicks. I got a little upset when he noticed me and, well, he just said he found someone better."

Hanta actually stopped the car, pulled off to the side of the road, threw it in park, and looked right at you because he knew what found someone better meant exactly. You'd used those words in high school when that guy from Shiketsu that you'd been seeing got pissed off that you wouldn't put out and ended it with you. You went to his dorm crying because he 'found someone better', is what you told him. It took him a few hours to get the truth out of you.

You'd always been the kind of person to love with your entire heart but sexually, you'd confessed that you felt different from all the other kids your age back then. Not having the same urges and desires that everyone else seemed stricken with.

"Hanta, it's fine, really. Kiri heard the whole thing and, well, you saw what happened."

"Doesn't make it right! So, you went on a couple dates with a guy, that doesn't mean he just gets to expect you to put out for him! Even if you weren't demi, no one gets to just assume they deserve sex."

His lips were pressed in a narrow line, nostrils flared once in annoyance. He was usually so calm and laid back that you thought it rather cute when he got overprotective. "It's alright, Hants, really."

He still gave you a look that said he disagreed but then shook his head, dropping the subject for now at least.

"Still like those late-night drives?"

"I love them."

"Good."

Hanta waited for a car to pass and whipped the car in the other direction.

It wasn't long before he had the windows rolled down, conversations filling in the blanks of lost time, in between belting out choruses of your favorite songs. Minutes slipped by the further he drove, you lost track of both time and kilometers, letting him tell you all about the ridiculous antics the group had been up to.

Eventually, you caught the scent of salty air and even in the dark, you had a pretty good idea where Hanta was going. He followed a winding road, making two left turns and then a right leaving you on a stretch of road that paralleled the ocean.

You let your head fall against the seat, eyes falling shut and inhaling that wonderful smell you missed so much. Hanta had just one hand lazily on the wheel, his elbow resting out the open window, a relaxed smile was illuminated in soft orange lights off his dash.

You let your head roll onto his shoulder, not as easily done without the bench seat in his station wagon but it worked nonetheless. "Thanks."

His free hand came to rest on your knee, "Anytime."

He turned the wheel, pulling over and parking in front of a small beach access that you guys had found at 3 in the morning five years prior. Hanta kicked off his shoes, leaving them in the car to avoid them being sand-filled and you did the same with the knee-high boots purely because you longed to feel the sand between your toes.

The wooden planks were worn, parts buried beneath the sand until eventually, none remained. Breaking waves flooded your ears and you made a run for them! Before you could reach the lapping water though, tape had wound around your middle and yanked you backward.

"Not happening!" Hanta said firmly. "Last time I let you talk me into late-night swimming we didn't have a change of clothes either and we both got so sick! I think I might have actually died without Bakugo's soup!"

You chuckled, remembering being nineteen and curled up with Hanta on the sofa in the living room of the apartment you all shared for nearly a week. The sniffles didn't cease for almost three weeks.

"Okay, okay, no swimming." You flopped back down into the sand, his tape still attached meaning the cellophane hero was pulled down with you. "Tell me about the stars then, Hants. Who's out tonight?"

Astronomy was a hobby of Hanta's you learned about after moving into the dorms your first year. It wasn't uncommon to find him out on the roof most nights, laying on his back and looking up into the clear night sky littered with twinkling stars, usually with a joint pressed between his lips. It became almost a habit for him to grab you on his way up, pulling you along because you were more than happy listening to him tell you about each constellation and the stories behind them.

It was around this time of year, in your final year of high school; somewhere between him recalling the greek mythos of Aries and Sagittarius that you noticed your heart beating a little faster. You realized something had shifted between the two of you, and, holy shit, was this what it felt like to have a crush! When the hell did that happen?

You'd entrusted everything to Hanta back then, and now, laying in the sand shoulder to shoulder while he talked about Draco, that familiar feeling stirred again. You remembered what it was supposed to be like when you weren't forcing it for some random guy. How simple it was supposed to be.

You inclined on an elbow and he stopped mid-sentence. "Eh, everything alright?" You nodded but he looked anything but convinced, mirroring your position and asking you again.

It was easy for you to lean forward, to brush your lips against his for the first time in three years. And, when you pulled away, he looked about as shocked as he had the night you'd done it when you were eighteen.

"You- you still like me?"

When you left for America, you'd both agreed to put a pause on your sort of relationship. Free to date and screw whomever you pleased because three years was a long time and it just seemed like a fair decision to make. The realization that he might now have someone else special in his life dawned on you...

"Yeah but I totally understand if things are different now and I shoulda asked- oof!"

He kissed you so hard you toppled back into the sand, quick pecks, one right after another, ending them with a long one that nearly left you breathless.

"I didn't know how to bring it up. I didn't want to make you feel awkward about things or make you think I expected something. I thought that maybe since we didn't talk for a while your feelings might have changed."

"I can say with confidence they haven't."

"Thank fuck." He groaned and captured your lips in another searing kiss.

It was easy to lift his shirt off, the shreds of tape that remained were now covered with gritty sand that clung to your fingers as you traced the chest and torso you knew so well. Gliding over defined muscles, lingering on old scars and mapping out new ones he'd collected in your time apart.

His own hands were busy flicking open the brass fastenings of your corset, huffing about it being so much more difficult to get to your chest and something about it being very unfair.

By the time he'd undone the last one, bright headlights shown across the beach. "Shit."

Giggling ensued from the walkway and you both sighed, at least it wasn't the police or a hero patrol. Hanta gathered his shirt and ran back to his car with his hand in yours.

"I thought our days of being caught were over."

"At least it wasn't Mr. Aizawa this time."

A chill ran down your spine remembering the night and the lecture you'd received when your teacher had caught Hanta sneaking out of your room early one morning.

"So, uh, do you still plan on going to Denki's party?" You asked innocently enough but Hanta knew you far too well.

"I think I'm gonna miss it this year." His hand found a home on your upper thigh. "Apparently, you and I have a lot of catching up to do. Lost time to make up for and all that."

"Too bad you don't have that old station wagon anymore. If you did, we wouldn't have to wait to get back."

Dark eyes glanced over at you not so subtly parting your legs.

"I dunno. It's not too often I travel in the backseat of my own car but I've been told it's pretty roomy. Lots of legroom."

Your hand ran over your legs, dipping down to lightly brush your more sensitive parts, thankful you opted for the thin pair of black leggings rather than the dark skinny jeans. Your fingers danced again and this time you let a soft moan pass your lips. "Eyes on the road, Hants."

"That's a little hard to do when I've got you spread out in the passenger's seat." He grabbed your free hand and pressed it against the bulge in his pants. "You've got me distracted, filthy little woman."

You appreciated him testing the waters, a subtle way of checking if you liked those nicknames he used only in private with you, giving you a chance to protest if your likes had changed. They were one's that only felt right coming from him and you were eager to hear more.

Forgoing your own high, you leaned over the center console as best you could, undoing his belt first, followed quickly by his zipper letting his strained cock be free.

His grip tightened on your leg when you kissed the tip of him. "Just like old times, huh?"

A chuckle turned quickly into a moan, taking him in your mouth, pushing yourself further on his cock, fighting your gag reflex to get him down your throat. Hanta reclined his seat further, giving you more room to work with.

Your legs clenched tighter with every groan you pulled from him, wiggling your hips in the seat, letting a hand fall back between your own legs. There was an attempt of a moan around his cock when his fingers coiled in your hair. "Such a good slut. Keep fuckin' goin'." He let you continue at your own speed, needing to focus as best he could on the road rather than what you were doing but, damn, you were making that increasingly difficult.

He wasn't stopping you though. He rarely did. You'd sucked him off on countless drives before and only stopped when- "That's it." He lifted you off him by your hair at the same time he pulled off the road. There was a convenient turn-off, hidden by overgrown brush you noticed before he shut off the headlights.

Hanta took you by the chin, smearing drool. "Backseat, pretty girl." He reached into the glove box and pulled out a foil wrapper, "What do you say we test out that legroom?"

He wait to watch your smile grow wide before crawling into the back because he had to be the first to go if this had any chance of working. Once situated, pants under his thighs, he patted his lap for you to climb over.

You slid easily onto his lap, hands traveling up and over his shoulders, kissing hard while you rocked your hips against impossibly hard length.

There was so much comfort in the familiarity of him. It wasn't awkward to fall back into rhythm with Hanta, to remember that he loved the feeling of your nails dragging down his chest. And he was just as eager to get your shirt off, reach your breasts he'd missed so much, and get his tongue on your nipples.

Your head tipped backward, loving the pace he set, hips bouncing creating the perfect tug on your nipples between his teeth.

"Love, if I promise to buy you a new pair, can I rip these damn leggings? They're just so thin and-"

"Please." Your breathy moan had him smirking and with a single grunt the leggings were ruined, cool air from the vents had only a moment to touch your bare ass before Hanta's hands reclaimed it.

There was no way he hadn't felt your arousal before ripping your clothes off, you soaked through your panties and leggings, you knew that, but that didn't stop him from commenting on how soaked you were now on his fingers. "Want me inside you, whore? I think you do."

You nodded with a whimper and he slipped a finger in. "Hants, noo- I- I want your cock, please."

"You're gonna take my fingers like a good little slut first." You clenched at the words falling from his mouth. "So fuckin' tight you can barely take a finger. How'm I supposed to fit in here if you can even take a single finger? Need you to loosen up, alright." He pushed another finger in, scissoring the two inside you.

"This gonna make you cum? You need this bad, don't you? Tell me. Tell me how bad you need to cum."

"I want it. Please, please, I need it. I'm so close," You babbled and ripped the foil open with his teeth, rolling it with one hand on his cock. In an instant, his fingers had been replaced with this dick. Sticky fingers on your ass helping you ease down on him with a hiss.

"Fuck," Hanta let out a throaty chuckle, "You still fuckin' feel the absolute best." He dropped a kiss between your breasts, letting you adjust to his girth. "Perfect. Good girl. Such a fuckin' good little slut."

He wasn't about to last long. Not once you started bouncing up and down on him, your tits right in front of his face.

"Couldn't even wait for me to get you home, had to fucking tease me in the damn car." He held onto the fat of your ass, pulling you along him and slamming you down hard.

"Kinda pathetic how desperate you are. Fuck. Kinda hot too."

When the top of your head bumped the roof of the car, he scooted lower, trying to give you as much room to ride him however you pleased.

"What do you need? You wanna cum, don't you, pretty girl, what do you need?"

"Faster, faster please."

Hanta shifted even lower, making you grab onto the two headrests while he thrust his hips up into you at a rapid speed. His thumb on your clit was the additional stimulation you needed to fall over the edge. Nails clawing at the black leather as he continued to moan below you now chasing his own release.

You stayed poised above him, using every last bit of strength to stay upright until his mouth was rambling and his cock pulsed inside of you. Fingers bruising your skin before holding your pelvis snuggly against his.

He was bent in a way that looked entirely uncomfortable and yet he still smiled so widely. Reaching up to brush hair out of your eyes, "You okay?"

"Perfects, Hants. A little sore but I'm sure you are too." He moved off his lap, letting him slip out of you with a groan, "Is your neck gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Having you back, love, is more than worth a little bit of a neck cramp."

As he tied a knot in the condom, depositing it into a plastic bag he had tucked away under his seat, Hanta raised a brow, "Love, really, are you alright? Please, tell me if I hurt you at all."

"No! I'm good, why?"

"You're sitting silly."

You were sitting a little odd, perched on your knees rather than sitting on your ass because the leather was chilly and you told Hanta as much making him laugh. "Wait, I think I can help." He leaned back to the front of the car, flicking a button making it glow. Once he tucked himself back in his pants he hopped out of the car and you could see him rummaging in his trunk through the rear window.

"I keep forgetting to take this out from our camping trip a couple months ago. Guess it turned out to be a good thing." He laid the blanket down over the passenger's seat, declaring that should help a bit.

You wrapped the now toasty warm blanket around your bottom half while Hanta drove back towards the city, your head on his shoulder, his hand on your thigh.

"So, shopping tomorrow? I believe I owe you a pair of leggings..."

"It's a date."

[bushdivingbushranger]

What was going to an all girls school like, if you don't mind me asking? :)

OK anon im so sorry this is so long and so convuluted I actually got so carried away jdbKJBGKSDBGH. i'm not even sure i properly answered your question i just got overwhelmed with Love for my same-sex schooling DHGKJSDFBHG anyway, if there's anything more you want to know lmk and I will try to be concise next time 💀

Essentially, my own experience at a single-sex secondary school was fantastic—however, I know my experience isn’t universal, especially since my school was a little bit different to most, I think.

That being said, I still think that sending your daughters to female-only secondary schools is something every parent should strive to do if they can. No other learning environment will ever be as good for girls as a same-sex school.

In terms of school staff, mine was about 95% female, and 5% male. The few male teachers we had were genuinely competent men and decent teachers, they were also watched like hawks. Our principal was female, all leadership positions in the school (such as House Leaders, Year Level Co-Ordinators, Department Heads, even the chaplain) were held by women. Our school psychologists, our nurses, our library technicians, our café ladies, our career advisors, our tutors—all were women. Our school houses (think like Harry Potter houses) were named after important women in our country’s history.

I went to a co-ed primary school. And whilst at twelve you might not have the words to describe it, graduating from a co-ed space, into an all-female space is really a giant weight off of your shoulders. You don’t realise how suffocating co-education is until you’re no longer having to bear it. It feels so much more natural, so much more free! You are welcomed as you are. You can be loud and unashamed of it. We joked frequently with each other and our teachers, laughed loudly and cared not whether our laughs were ‘ugly’. I found that teachers were far more supportive than they were in my co-ed school. For example, in a co-ed school I had been told frequently to ‘pipe down’ or to ‘reel it in’ from teachers, and more vexingly to ‘shut up’ from boys due to my boisterous personality. In high school? My teachers encouraged me to audition for the play because I had ‘great projection’. In every school programme (more on those later) that I was involved in, I was the one asked to give speeches about them at assembly. I was asked to be the lead of our house chants during our sports festivals. I was asked to join the debate team because of my passionate nature, which in primary school, had me known as ‘difficult’.

Likewise, I had a friend who was by nature quiet, and loved to draw. In primary school she’d doodled on the back of a work booklet, and when her teacher returned it, she’d taken off two points and had written a comment saying something about teachers in high school not accepting work that was drawn on.

Do you know what happened when she got to high school? Our English teacher had seen the eye she’d drawn on the back of our Romeo and Juliet test and had written, ‘beautiful!’ above it. The next test, she drew a two-headed cat with witches’ hats on both heads (I remember the left head was called Turpentine and the right head was called Esmeralda). Our teacher wrote, ‘wonderful!’ above it, with a smiley face.

The next day she got an email from our art teacher that had a PDF flyer of information on both in-school and local art competitions.

Anyway, she had questions and that teacher answered every single one of them. She also personally helped her select the works she wanted to submit. She ended up having two pieces shown in the school gallery, along forty pieces made by other girls. About five years later for our final year, on that art teacher’s recommendation (and tutelage!) she took all of the visual art subjects on offer. When she graduated, her final piece was shown at a public exhibition in our state’s capital city, that honoured the best pieces done by select graduating students in the state.

So yeah. Our teachers were pretty amazing. Of course, there was the odd teacher or two you would butt heads with but that’s just a universal school experience. Our humanities classes, like history, for example, often had a unit that would focus on the female experience of a certain time period. For example, when learning about WW2, we did projects on female resistance fighters et cetera.

We had health classes that were actually focused on female health. We learnt about female anatomy (even the clitoris! Though we were all about thirteen/fourteen at this time so we found it incredibly awkward to talk about), as well as symptoms of PCOS during our menstrual unit. We learnt about contraceptive methods and devices (however, as a Catholic school they did have to tell us that whilst these methods are available, the church-sanctioned method is of course, abstinence).

Whilst the majority of the girls shaved their legs and wore makeup, as someone who did neither of those things I rarely felt judgement about it (albeit, I think there was a little for my lack of makeup, but this only lasted the first two years). A good portion of our staff also did not wear makeup, I don’t recall this ever being commented on. And, by the time we’d reached about our third year, a good portion of my year level and the ones above did not wear makeup on a daily basis. Leg hair was not looked down upon by any of us I don’t think by this year either. In fact, if you were particularly hairy often your hairless friends asked to rub your legs!

We were never short of female role-models, our staff made sure of that. We had multiple days per year when guest speakers would come and talk to us, mostly these were women who were experts in their fields—whether that be neuroscience or computer science, linguistics and literature or mathematics, politics, et cetera. The only times we really had male guest speakers was when police officers (one male one female) came to give us an assembly about sexual peer-pressure and laws around sharing nudes that was basically, “these are common (male) manipulation tactics used to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, don’t fall for them”.

We were encouraged to take STEM subjects, and those of us that had taken interest in computer programming were sent to coding programmes in the city during school hours! That’s how keen our teachers were to get more women into the field! This was the same with the girls interested in politics, who got to go to Model UN events, as well as mock parliaments in the country’s capitol.

We had a lot of programmes generally. A few overseas ones for girls who were in LOTE (languages other than English) classes. A few interstate ones, too. And of course, local programmes and excursions. Most of them (aside from the LOTE ones which focused on immersion) were volunteer programmes aimed at helping women and girls. The rest were about furthering our own skills or learning new ones. Majority of these were year-level based, but a few depended on the clubs/groups/classes you were in. For example, I was part of the Writer’s Club, and we took an excursion to the state Writer’s Festival and listened to female writers as well as feminist panels. We also had self-defence programmes every year.

In terms of peers I generally found everyone to be quite amiable by the time we’d reached our third/fourth year. There’s a common myth about all girls schools being filled with ‘catty’ girls who are constantly bitching about one another, but I really did not find that to ring true. There were a few fights and arguments in the earlier years, I was part of quite a lot lol but that’s honestly… just something that happens at school, at any school. Largely, we were good to each other. If someone was crying there was always someone who’d ask her what was wrong. If you missed the notes on the slide, there was always a girl willing to share her notes with you.

I think going to an all-girl’s school, and not having that much interaction with the opposite sex generally for that six-year period truly does something, I think, to your psyche. We are socialised to look down on our fellow woman, socialised to look down upon ourselves. But actually being constantly surrounded by women, and almost ONLY women, really helps to undo that. Even now I could not describe the fierce love I have for all those women and girls I came in contact with during my time there—even the ones I bickered with. Each and every single woman I met there enriched my life in some way or another. I think that is the effect of consistently spending time in any female-only space: developing a true appreciation for women. It is the only reasonable conclusion to come to.

I have been out of high school for two years, and in university for one. Among the many men I have met since, none of them have even been able to hold a candle to the any women and girls I know.

Anyway. TLDR: it slapped, send your daughters to same-sex schools!!

[archester-creations]

baby you’re a firework

It'd been weeks (two months and two days, exactly) since Jeremy and her had broken up. It'd been mutual and they remained friends afterward. But sometimes Candace wished they hadn't. Sure, they’d agreed they drifted apart and just wanted different things. And they were right . But. With school over and Stacy away and Jeremy gone and her brothers now in highschool, she was bored. It was like she no longer knew what to do with herself. 

She was also… lonely.

If only she could forget Jeremy. Jeremy and everyone else . Candace sighed dejectedly. “Listen, Universe,” she said outloud. Feeling like a fool. It'd been a while since she'd talked to the universe like this, and it'd never seemed to listen to her before, but she couldn't help but hope at least a little that it'd change today. After all, it's not like she was trying to bust Phineas and Ferb. “You did all these amazing things for my brothers. Couldn’t you give a girl a hand just this once and help me out this time?”

A piece of paper smacked her in the face. Angrily she pulled it away, ready to rip it up. Of course. Out of all the places the sudden wind could blow some stupid flyer or something. Of course it was into her face . Not anywhere else around her, no. It had to be her face. It was like the universe was mocking her. Then the words caught her attention. ‘Do you love busting? Join OWCA today!’ The words were in light blue over a plain, white background. There were no pictures on it. Nothing eye catching. Just a number at the bottom. But it was enough for her. Busting, you say… “Thank you, Universe,” she whispered, feeling a little bad for ever doubting it. She ran home then, flyer clutched to her chest.

Once home, she called the number.

  (“Someone’s calling about the flyer, sir.”

“What?! I thought I told you to get rid of all those!”

“I was, sir. But it was windy and well… I lost one.”

“Damn it, Carl. Who is it?”

“Candace Flynn, sir.”

“Candace… Flynn. Why does that name sound familiar?”

“She’s Agent P’s niece, sir.”

“Agent P’s niece! Well why didn't you say so? Bring her in for an interview as soon as possible. If she's anything like her uncle, we're going to want her on our side.”

“Right away, sir!” Carl chirped, immediately going back to the phone call. “Yes, we'd like you to interview with us as soon as you're available. We have a position open we think you might be able to fill.”

An excited and high pitched voice replied, made slightly tinny by the old landline. “Really?? I'll be there tomorrow!”)

  To Candace’s surprise, there wasn't even much of an interview. Really, it'd probably be more accurate to say there isn't an interview. It's sketchy at best. If she wasn't so interested in this job, if it didn't feel so much like it was made for her, she might be inclined to walk out the door. But she'd also never liked job interviews anyway. They made her nervous in a way none of her brother’s inventions ever managed to do- even the ones that looked more dangerous. There was just something about someone staring at you and questioning you to find out if you were somehow good enough. Especially when you had the knowledge built over years that, no. No you weren't. Even if your family and friends argued with it, because obviously the universe had a different opinion.

This time, she was sure she was actually good enough. Though she had failed each time with her brothers, she was persistent and plenty of other people noticed. Besides this was not a time to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Even when that gift horse said something as strange as ‘we hope you're as good as your uncle’.

Seriously, what was that even supposed to mean? The only uncle she had was Uncle Perry and he certainly didn't… whatever this actually was… for a living. And that was definitely even more sketchy, wasn't it? She didn't think anybody had mentioned what OWCA really did . Oh, she hoped she hadn't just gotten scammed.

The man she'd talked to on the phone- Carl, a boy with glasses who looked about her age- gave her a hat.

“This is your standard issue training hat, it should have just about everything you might need. Grappling hook, wire cutters, laser pointer, lock picks.” He counted the list off on his fingers. As he did, Candace looked inside the hat. It didn't seem to have any of that stuff. Maybe there was a pocket in the top and it was bigger on the inside? Phineas and Ferb had done something like that to their backpacks when they started high school. “Don't lose it.”

“Uh, yeah,” Candace said, looking back up. She played with the rim as she followed him further into the building. On the way, she froze. Was that- The agent she'd spotted took notice of her and tipped their hat. Carl made a noise that put her back in movement following him, but her mind wasn't on the walk. That had been Pinky , one of their neighbors.

There is sound from behind the door they stop at. It's muffled, so she can't make anything out, but she can tell it’s voices. They sound almost familiar. Not like anything she can actually pinpoint through the door, but voices she's heard so much that she just… knows them. Or, one of them. Carl opened the door and held it for her, so she stepped through first. The two of them entered into what seemed to almost be some type of gym. At least, that was the only word Candace could think to call it. There were weights on a rack against part of the wall, a balancing bar out of the way, multiple hoops hanging from the ceiling like the monkey bars at a playground, a punching bag, along with other things that seemed to range from ‘workout room’ to ‘playground’ with no coherence that she could see.

“This is the training room,” Carl said quietly to not disturb the current occupants. Though only two of the three seemed to actually be training. The third sat hunched on a railing, cheering on both opponents. One of which had long brown hair tied back in a braid and a confident smirk that had her heart doing a complicated and painful maneuver. Something was said but Candace didn’t hear it.

“ Vanessa ?” Dark brown eyes met hers. She served as enough of a distraction for Vanessa to get hit. The strike let her see the second opponent. “ Uncle Perry?! ” That was what they had meant? Perry was a… whatever this was? Along with Pinky?

“Candace?” Vanessa stepped toward her and away from Uncle Perry. Uncle Perry who didn’t do much who just hit her in a hand to hand duel. Neither Vanessa or Uncle Perry even looked winded, though they were sweaty. Somehow Uncle Perry’s hair was in the same tousled state it usually was, not a hair out of place, but Vanessa had flyaway hairs that curled at her forehead and Candace viciously stomped down the desire to brush them behind her ear as Vanessa drew closer. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm- uh-” Candace looked away from Vanessa, back to Uncle Perry who had the same question on his face. “Job.” She closed her eyes and restrained herself from face palming. At least she wasn't wrong . She was here because of a job. But she seriously couldn't have said that more awkwardly.

“You're going to be an agent?” Vanessa asked, and bless Vanessa for not calling Candace out on the awkwardness.

“Yep! Just like Agent P,” Carl answered for her. Candace still didn’t really know what they meant by ‘agent’. In Danville, with her luck, it could be anything. It could be ‘trash agent’ if she was really unlucky.

And she was.

But also Vanessa was here and Vanessa was uber cool. Like, ‘tall dark and handsome’ cool . The Universe would never allow someone like Vanessa Doofenshmirtz get a bad job. So maybe, by proxy, she would be lucky. Unless they both worked in different departments. This was just a tour, afterall. Both Carl and the Major (what was even up with that? Was Major some title or his name?) had compared her to Uncle Perry, afterall.

She really wished someone would tell her what this job was.

“Well, we can take over here if you have something else to do, Carl,” Vanessa said.

“Really?” Carl asked, seeming to perk up.

“Yeah,” Vanessa laughed. “We should take a break now, anyway.”

“Thanks, Vanessa!” Carl said and Candace was sure that was the brightest she'd seen him. He walked out at something incredibly close to a skip. The door closed behind him. And she was alone with Vanessa, Dr. D, and Uncle Perry.

“So. Uncle Perry?” Candace asked and Vanessa nodded.

“He's a pretty big deal here,” Vanessa said and Uncle Perry turned pink behind her, eyes looking away.

“You bet he is!” The person from behind- Vanessa’s dad, Uncle Perry’s husband- said. “He's the best of the best! Better than, even!” This time Uncle Perry groaned, a hand covering his face but not really hiding the rapidly increasing red.

“I guess that explains the lack of interview,” Candace says, a bit sardonically.

“Oh, they did the same thing to me,” Vanessa laughed. She looked around like she was checking for eavesdroppers and leaned in. “Don’t let it get to you, OWCA is kinda the worst with a bunch of things.”

Candace snorted at that- a noise that before she dated Jeremy would’ve had her cringe. (She was often glad Jeremy was her first datemate. Anyone else probably wouldn’t have been able to handle her, but he did and he was kind. Is kind. Really, all of her friends are kind and Candace knows she’s lucky to have them.)

“So, are you ready to be a secret agent?”

“ That’s what this is?!” Candace yelped. That was way cooler than what she’d expected! That was Phineas and Ferb levels of cool! Oh, she really hoped they hadn’t somehow heard her and set this all up. She loved her little brothers. Really, she did. But she couldn’t handle a game set up by them that she’d eventually have to bust and/or would eventually disappear. Not right now.

“Yeah,” Vanessa said. “The real deal.”

Candace had to pause- like, full physical pause - as she took that in. A secret agent. An actual real-life secret agent. She. Couldn't believe that. But, Vanessa wouldn't lie to her. “Really?”

Vanessa blinked and smiled softly. “Really, Candace. You're a secret agent now. Or, a trainee at least. Perry and I’ll even help train you. It'll be fun.”

Candace smiled back. Yeah, Vanessa wouldn't lie to her. “Alright.”

[aitaikimochi]

BNHA Team Up Mission Spin-Off Manga Chapter 9 Summary Translation

The Boku No Hero Academia TEAM UP MISSION manga Chapter 9 follows Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima as they team up with Shiketsu's Camie to act in a stage play at a theme park. The chapter is really hilarious and lighthearted. 

The title of the chapter is “That’s Totally Overdoing the Illusion!”

Here's the entire chapter summary! Enjoy~

Boku No Hero Academia TEAM UP MISSION

By Akiyama Youkou

Chapter 9 That’s Totally Overdoing the Illusion!

The chapter starts off with Bakugou, Kirishima, and Todoroki on a Team Up Mission at a theme park called “Future World.” They arrive at the theme park and Kirishima says the theme park is amazing. Todoroki notes that it’s really big, and Bakugou says, “Whatever, it’s just for kids.” They then are approached by Camie, who says, “Omg no way! U.A. is like, here too??”

Camie says “I’m like so totally excited to be meeting up with some hotties again, like woah!”

Bakugou says he has no idea what the hell Camie is saying, and Kirishima exclaims, “Oh! It’s a Shiketsu student from the Provisional Hero License Exam!” Kirishima proceeds to introduce himself in his intense manner, and Camie says that he kinda acts like Inasa.

It turns out that the Team Up Mission requires U.A. Academy to team up with Shiketsu at the amusement park to assist the staff with something. They meet up with the CEO of the park to figure out what exactly he needs help on. The CEO is a tiny man with a large mustache dressed up like a jester.

The CEO asks them to follow him to another side of the park, called Retro Land. This theme park is a run-down and old looking traditional theme park with barely any customers. The CEO of the theme park says that he brought them here to take part in a stage play to attract more customers.

He hands them a script, which is about a town being attacked by villains. The heroes show up and fight the villains, and the heroes end up in a pinch. However, with the help of the citizens cheering them on, the heroes are able to restore peace back to the city.

Kirishima hears the outline of the play and gets excited, saying it’s such an awesome mainstream story. Bakugou scoffs and says, “but it’s damn basic.” Kirishima then says, “Nah, I like it!”

The students then go into a rehearsal of the scene where the heroes are in a pinch. One of the professional actresses, a Dog Lady wearing a skull choker, low v-neck vest, studded belt, and long pants, says, “Oh you guys are actually heroes? Then you probably haven’t acted before?”

Kirishima then tries to do his best acting, saying “Gahh…I’m…strong….guhhh I won’t…fall down…I’ll never turn my back…because I….I….!!!” and overdoes his acting.

Camie then says “Like holy crap the Villain blindsided me, and now I’m on the floor like discarded bubble tea!”

Todoroki just falls onto the floor silently. Bakugou tries acting, screaming “I WILL NEVER FALL TO THE LIKES OF A VILLAIN!” The Dog Lady actress asks them if they were actually even trying to act, and they all say they were doing their best. The Dog Lady says she’s a bit worried about how this will go.

In either case, they need to decide which role everyone will be taking part. The Dog Lady instructs them to decide among themselves who will get what role.

Bakugou and Camie both say at the same time they want to be the lead Hero role. Camie says, “Wait, but I’m older than you so I totally should be the lead Hero role!” Bakugou gets mad and screams, “BUT I AM THE STRONGEST ONE HERE. BESIDES, I AM Q.E.D.!**”

Camie says “Damn yo, that’s the lowest of the low” and Bakugou yells, “Shut the hell up and speak your mother tongue, damnit!”

Kirishima tries to calm him saying, “Calm down guys, Camie-senpai too…!” He then notices that Todoroki is looking at a child’s playground bear spring rider, and Kirishima asks, “Oh, do you want to ride it? The staff did say we could enjoy the park as much as we’d like!” Kirishima mentions that they never really had a chance to go to a theme park ever since entering High School, and being at a theme park feels nostalgic as it brings back memories of his childhoold.

Todoroki then says, “No…I don’t have any memories of ever going to a theme park.”

Camie looks at Todoroki and says, “Uh, like no way?”

Kirishima then grabs Todoroki and says, “WELL IF THAT’S THE CASE…JUST PRACTICING OUR LINES WILL GET STALE, SO LET’S ENJOY THE THEME PARK!” and rides the bear spring rider together with Todoroki.

Camie wants to join them too, and she, Kirishima, and Todoroki go on a carousel while Bakugou gets irritated. Camie is taking a picture for Kirishima and Todoroki on her cellphone while Kirishima calls out to Bakugou saying, “Heeyyy! Bakugou, come join us!”

Bakugou scoffs, “Hmph, waste of time.”

Kirishima, Todoroki, and Camie then ride a roller coaster together and Kirishima shouts, “It’s fun you know!”

Bakugou says, “This is no time to be playing with these stupid toys…!”

Kirishima then grins and says to Bakugou “All right then, if that’s the case, let’s decide who gets the lead Hero hero role by seeing who can get the least dizzy from the tea cup ride!” This piques Bakugou’s interest, and Kirishima further taunts him saying, “If you’re not confident about it, then you don’t gotta force yourself!”

This gets Bakugou fired up and he says, “I’m going to spin this shit and kill all of you guys!!!!!!!” He sits in the tea cup next to Kirishima, Camie, and Todoroki and spins it like crazy. Camie looks like she’s going to throw up and says, “Wait…Bakugou…you’re like, turning it way too fast!”

Bakugou looks at Kirishima and taunts, “HOW IS IT!? YOU DON’T LOOK SO GOOD. GONNA GIVE UP YET!?” and Kirishima yells back, “YOU MUST BE JOKING! NOT EVEN CLOSE! TURN IT UP!!”

Bakugou then screams, “PLUS ULTRAAAAAA!!!” as he spins the cup so fast it looks as if they are not moving at all. Camie squeaks “Helllaaaaaaa…”

After they get off the ride, Bakugou, Kirishima, and Camie are wobbling around and walking unevenly, with Kirishima accidentally heading towards the direction of the girl’s bathroom in his dizzy state and Camie about to throw up on the floor. Bakugou sways and proudly points at no one, saying “You bastard, you’re all dizzy!”

Kirishima says, “Guh…did…didja see that, Bakug….erghh!” Camie says she’s going to hurl. Todoroki asks, “Uh, where are you guys even going?”

Kirishima then notices that Todoroki is completely unphased, and he asks “Todoroki…you’re okay!?” Todoroki responds, “I feel a bit uneasy…”

With that, it’s decided that Todoroki gets the lead Hero role. They then head back to the stage, and there’s a few people in the audience already as well as two camera men who will be filming this performance and uploading it online later.

All the students are ready for their performance, and as they act out the first scene, a group of people corner the CEO and threaten him. The group are land developers who tell the CEO to give up Retro Land since it’s going out of business anyway. He grabs the CEO in a chokehold, but the CEO says he won’t hand over the park to these people.

As this is happening, Camie, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima go backstage after their first act. Camie says they can take a short break until the next scene. Kirishima remarks that the camera was focused a lot on him, but Bakugou says he’s pretty damn sure he was the one getting more spotlight.

As they walk backstage, they see the group of people threatening the CEO. Kirishima, Todoroki, and Bakugou easily take out these villains, but the villain tells the CEO that they had planted a trap at the roller coaster in Retro Land where a part of the roller coaster tracks were destroyed. The ride operators did not know this, and there’s currently a cart that will be falling off the roller coaster tracks soon. The villain mentions that no one would want to go to a theme park after hearing of such a bad accident. Kirishima realizes this and rushes first to the roller coaster ride.

Meanwhile, Camie is wondering what to do because their break is over, and they’re due to be on stage again. Since the boys are dealing with the villains, she decides to create illusions of all of them and wing the performance off script with her illusion versions of Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima.

She recreates the pretty boy Todoroki illusion, who turns to the Dog Lady, who’s playing the role of the villain, and says, “Won’t you…please stop being a villain? You should become a Hero instead!” and the Dog Lady blushes and immediately falls for it, saying “YES…!”

Since Camie can’t access the script right now, she just decides to ad lib everything and make up a new story. She makes the Illusion Kirishima turn out to be the actual villain of the story, and the camera men who are in the audience wonder what happened to the original script.

On the other side of the park, Kirishima is already on top of the roller coaster tracks and uses his hardening to stop the oncoming roller coaster cart. He tries to stop it but the cart still keeps going.

Bakugou then comes behind him and steps on his back, and Kirishima looks back and says “Bakugou!”

The guy on the front seat of the ride screams “Why are there two people [on the tracks]!?”

Bakugou says that there’s not enough manpower to stop the roller coaster. He places one hand on Kirishima’s back to support him while using his other hand to set off a huge explosion, propelling them forward to nullify the movement of the roller coaster cart.

Back at the stage, Camie is doing her best trying to improv the play. Her Illusion Villain Kirishima gloats that he will fulfill his revenge. The Illusion Todoroki cries out, “No! Please stop this fight!” while a very quiet and calm looking Bakugou places his hand on Illusion Todoroki’s shoulder.

The real Bakugou and Kirishima are still trying to stop the roller coaster cart from going further, and Kirishima hugs the front of the roller coaster as Bakugou continues to use his explosion to stop the cart. They finally successfully stop the coaster, and Kirishima falls back in relief, showing a dent in the front of the roller coaster cart in the shape of his body.

Just as they saved the roller coaster cart, Camie was finished with the play as well. The two camera men who were filming the play were so moved they started crying at how good the play was. One of the camera men mentions that he wants to bring this Hero Stage play around the entire country because it was so moving.

The resolution scene shows the Illusion Villain Kirishima shaking hands with the Illusion Quiet Bakugou with the closing line, “And with that, the hero that looked the most like a Villain was able to open the actual Villain’s heart and let him turn a new leaf.”

The crowd cheers as Illusion Bakugou and Illusion Villain Kirishima continue to shake hands.

At the roller coaster, Todoroki assists the people in the roller coaster cart off the tracks by using his ice to create an emergency ladder. Kirishima then smiles at Camie and says, “Good work Camie-senpai! You did it!” Camie looks like she’s going to hurl again since she overused her quirk, saying “I feel hella sick…I like, overdid the illusions…hella…”

With that, the four students finish their training at the amusement park together. Later that week, the Retro Land Stage Play was uploaded onto a video streaming site, and the video got 1,200 likes and counting. The show was a hit online, and because of that, Retro Land’s popularity bounced back and more people started going to the theme park.

However, because of the stage play, Kirishima, Bakugou, and Todoroki also gained some new fans.

The last scene shows the two camera men hiding in the bushes with cameras while Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima are walking.

Kirishima ask them, “Hey uh…do you guys get the feeling we’re being watched…?”

THE END!

[moonlightsapphic]

I’ve always been a tiny bit allergic to weddings.

I grew up with social anxiety, and desi weddings involve days of (often quite sexist) loud, flashy, stuffy and crowded ceremonies, usually with unbelievably long guest lists of extended family, friends and colleagues. I had to be dragged to them as a child.

So whenever someone told me, “I’d love a big wedding,” I’d get skeptical. Surely no one wants to be put through an experience that horrendous?

I was nineteen and with my boyfriend of three years at the time when an older friend said to me. “You know, I used to think I hated big weddings too. But turned out, deep down I was just hesitant to think of marrying the guy I was with. Our relationship was extremely toxic. But I wasn’t ready to admit that yet. Living in quiet denial and telling myself I just wanted a court marriage was easier.”

That was just one of the many, many little signs, events and ordeals that lead to my painful, drawn-out breakup with my high school boyfriend that I’d thought I’d marry someday.

I have zero regrets. I’m glad I escaped his emotionally abusive clutches.

Right now, I’m seven months into a relationship with my best friend of three years. I was twenty and she was twenty-one when we began dating. We were no longer teenagers. We each knew what we wanted in a partner, and we found it in each other. Things just make sense with her in a way some part of me thought it would be near-impossible to find in another human being. We are undoubtedly soulmates, weirdly similar, and have always been crazy fans of each other’s successes. We make each other laugh until we can’t breathe, we make each other feel safe and wanted in terms of physical intimacy, we follow up on each other’s lives constantly around a whopping twelve-hour time difference. (Cue the long-distance lesbian relationship memes. I live abroad for university.)

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said she teaches me, with every passing day, what it is to work together to gently nurture a healthy relationship, and watch it gradually grow.

(PSA: That amazing girlfriend whom you’re too scared to be gay for? Girl, ask her out. In most cases, you’ll have more to gain than to lose.)

My girlfriend and I come from different religious backgrounds (a big no-no in our country, usually). She’s Hindu and I’m Muslim, but it’s amazing how little that matters to us. The way we personally practice our faiths, the lifestyles that we would like to have in the future are strikingly similar: vegan, as environment-friendly as possible, a couple furry friends (she’s a dog-person and I’m a cat person), a child (hopefully a daughter!) maybe when we’re equipped to have one, a cozy little home of our own in a quiet city abroad, traveling to new places in vacations, working for social welfare in the sidelines of our STEM jobs …

What I want to say here is this: If we were a heterosexual couple, we’d be mapping out our futures already, and telling our families (and friends) about each other.

But we’re not. We’re a gay couple in a country where queer people can be killed for coming out. Only two of our mutual friends know about us. We’re afraid that any more and the word may spread through town.

Neither of our families will ever understand.

We will be labeled crazy, perverted, in need of help, gone rogue from western influence, irresponsible, selfish traitors that are blind to our families’ hurt.

I still do not dream of a big wedding.

This time, I simply do not have the luxury to be able to picture it, in even my wildest dreams.

But the thought of, maybe someday, saying “I do,” to the love of my life in the quiet office of a court Justice; the thought of, maybe someday, looking into her chestnut eyes and knowing we’re going to be outcasts together, to have and to hold from that day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish—It keeps me going. It keeps my fighting through every bad day to next good one when I’ll get to tell her again I love her, and know that—even though I’m young, even though there’s such a long, uncertain road ahead of me—I have never meant it more for anyone else.

[theewritingroomm]

Happy’s Girl

Summary: Happy finally get the courage to ask out Y/N Telford, who happens to be the daughter of none other than Chibs Telford. But neither Happy or Y/N stopped to think about how Chibs would react.  Pairing: Happy Lowman x Reader  Word Count: 2,583 Warnings: Out of character Happy, kinda. swearing.  A/N: Happy is probably written out of character but I just love the ‘he’s a bad guy to everyone but her’ trope. Also, for those that wanted a continuation of THIS Happy imagine, this is the whole one shot. Tell me what you think!! Text divider by: @firefly-graphics​ 

Y/N was walking out of the garage office and making her way to her car when she heard someone calling her name. She figured it was one of the guys coming to ask her about something related to the garage or to ask her if she had seen Gemma. Which she had not. But what she was not expecting was to turn around and see Happy standing there, and not meeting her eye. It confused her, she was used to seeing the killer hold a stare with anyone and not back down.

“What can I do for you Happy?” she asked, “Need something from the office?” 

“No, I actually just need to ask you something,” Happy paused, taking a second to look around for others. Y/N waited, hoping he would continue. 

“I was just wondering if you’d let me take you out?” 

As soon as the words left his mouth Y/N’s stomach erupted in butterflies. She had never expected one of the guys, let alone Happy to be asking her out. Especially considering her father had a seat at the same table and the repercussions for dating his daughter were always great. But Y/N could handle her father and his temper, and neither were going to stand in the way of going out with the guy she had been ogling at for as long as she could remember. 

With a smile on her face Y/N replied, “Of course Hap, I’d love to.” 

A wide smile broke across his face at her words. “Tonight? I can pick you up around 8.” 

“That sounds great, I’ll see you then.” Y/N replied, the smile never leaving her face as she got into her car. 

Y/N was putting her earrings in when her doorbell rang. She let out an excited gasp as she run out of her bedroom and towards her front door. Sliding to a stop in front of it she took a moment to gather to breath before opening the door. 

“Hey,” she said breathless as the door opened to reveal Happy on the other side. 

“Hi,” he replied, nearly as breathless as Y/N had been. “You look amazing.” 

“Thank you,” Y/N mumbled as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she stepped out of her doorway. 

Happy took a step back to let Y/N lock her front door. He took a moment to admire her figure in the jeans that she had chosen to wear, thinking to himself that she was the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, with the best ass he’d ever laid eyes on. But that was something he would tell her later.

“You ready to go?” Y/N’s voice broke Happy out of his thoughts. 

Happy smiled and held his hand out for her to take. Y/N happily took it, letting him lead her to the motorcycle that sat next to her car. Happy handed her the helmet that was hung over the handlebars before mounting his bike. Y/N followed him shortly after, buckling the helmet as she slung her leg over the bike. 

“Hold on tight,” Happy said over his shoulder, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he revved the engine of the motorcycle. 

Nearly thirty minutes later Happy was pulling his bike into the empty parking lot of what looked like a bowling alley outside of Charming. As the two dismounted from the bike Y/N sent Happy a questioning look, as if to ask why the parking lot was empty. 

Happy seemed to catch on because he began to speak, “Buddy owns the place and owed me a favor. Figured we’d get a better chance to be more open if no one else was here.” 

Y/N simply nodded, knowing better than to question him as to why he was owed a favor. But she also couldn’t fault his thinking, which is why she did not argue with him when he grabbed her hand and led them to the front door. 

The door opened easily, indeed opening to an empty bowling alley. However, all of the lights were on and there was even a table set up at the start of one of the lanes piled with different types of food and drink. It shocked Y/N, as she had just been expecting a simple dinner or movie. She never expected Happy to put in so much effort to impress her. 

“Happy, this is...” she began, but was quickly interrupted by Happy. 

“It’s nothin’.” 

Y/N shook her head with a smile on her face, knowing that this man wasn’t going to accept any compliment or praise from her. And she didn’t get the chance to argue with him as he led her to the table. Once there Happy took a moment to set up the scoreboard for their game while Y/N poured them both a small glass of beer from the pitcher on the table.

“And we’re all set.” Happy spoke as he turned around to face Y/N who was unable to wipe the smile off of her face.

Nearly four hours later the two of them were walking up Y/N’s driveway and to her front door. Y/N was still unable to rid her face of the smile that she had been sporting all night. From the surprise that was the bowling alley to the good food and great company she could not have asked for a better date.

“I had a great time tonight,” Y/N said as Happy walked her to her door after what she would consider a pretty good date. 

She turned to face him when they reached the door, smiling up at him. He gave her a small smile in return, the emotion actually reaching his eyes. 

“I did too,” Happy replied, taking a step closer to her so she was less than an arm’s length away from him. He reached up to brush a piece of hair out of her face, watching her e/c eyes flash to his lips. 

Happy took that as all the invitation he needed to lean down and brush their lips together; not kissing her yet giving her the chance to pull away is she wished. But Y/N didn’t pull away, instead she placed on of her hands on the side of his face, casting one final glace into his deep brown eyes before pulling him the rest of the way to her, slotting their lips together. 

It was a soft, deep kiss. One that knocked the breath out of Y/N’s lungs and had her craving for more. Despite the feeling deep within her she pulled away, smiling as she could still feel the kiss on her lips. 

“Wow,” she breathed out against his lips, touching her forehead to his. 

Happy chuckled, pulled back a little more to look her in the eye, “You wanna do this again sometime?” 

Y/N nodded, “Pick me up next Friday at eight.” 

As the weeks went on everyone could see the change in Happy’s demeanor, but no one was complaining. They all just wanted to know what girl had Happy so whipped. So, while sitting at the clubhouse bar a few weeks later Tig decided to ask. 

“Hey Hap,” Tig started, waving the larger man over, “I’ve got to ask man, whose got you so pussy whipped?” 

The handful of men around them laughed, including Jax and Chibs. Happy looked from Tig to Chibs, trying to come up with something to say that wasn’t going to anger the Scotsman. But he soon realized that that was going to be next to impossible as the woman he’s been seeing is none other than his daughter. 

So Happy decided to bite the bullet and come clean. He’d rather Chibs knock him to the ground now rather than later, or in front of Y/N. 

“Y/N,” he mumbled, knowing that they all heard him. That much was evident by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. 

“My fuckin’ daughter,” Chibs seethed as he got nose to nose with Happy. Happy nodded as the club house went silent. “Ya’ bangin’ my fuckin’ kid!” 

“Dating,” Happy replied, not backing down now. “We’re dating.” 

Chibs shook his head, anger pouring off the man in waves. “No, end it now. She’s not dating a Son, she deserves more than this life.” 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Happy began, “She deserves so much more than I can give her, and I’ve tried to tell her than. But she’s chosen to stay.” 

Happy took a deep breath, shocked with himself for feeling so many things about this situation and his girl, he wasn’t used to it. “I think I may love her,” he continued.

The clubhouse went deadly silent. No one dared make a sound as the anger rose in Chibs, rather many of them took a step back just as Chibs brought his arm back and slugged Happy across the face, sending the larger man stumbling back a step or two. Gasps and exclamations broke out of the men surrounding Happy and Chibs, waiting to see what would happen next. Many of them expected Happy to come back and lay Chibs out, none of them would blame him if he did. But Happy didn’t do anything but wipe what little blood escaped the cut on his lip.

“I’m not gonna fight you brother,” Happy said, putting his hands up near his chest. “It would kill her to know we went at it. But I’m not gonna lie to you brother, I think I love her.”

Chibs was seething, he didn’t want to hear anything Happy had to say especially when it came to his daughter. His daughter who he loved with everything in his heart, who he so desperately wanted away from the club life, his little girl. He wanted to hit Happy again but knew that he was right it would tear Y/N up. So instead Chibs turned around in a huff and walked away from the group of men, storming in the direction of the office near the garage.

Y/N was sitting in the office with Gemma working on paperwork for the garage when the door opened. Both women looked up from their desks to look at the person who had opened the door, seeing Chibs standing in the doorway.

“Gem, can you give Y/N and I a minute?” he asked with very little emotion in his voice.

The older woman got up from her desk without a word, shooting Y/N a smirk and knowing look over her shoulder. Once the door closed behind her Chibs took a step forward towards his daughter.

“Y/N Telford, how could you not tell me?” her father growled out trying to keep himself from yelling.

Y/N was stunned for a moment. Her father had not talked to her like that since he caught her sneaking out of the house in high school. But she also had no idea what he was talking about, there was a lot that she didn’t let her father know simply because it would give him a heart attack if she did. And she let him know that.

“Dad, I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

“Don’t play fuckin’ dumb wit’ me. I know,” Chibs let out a long, angry breath. “I know your screwin’ Hap.”

Y/N looked at him stunned, “And? We’re dating, what’s the big deal?”

Chibs stood there with his mouth open, stunned himself. He wanted to yell at her but refrained, knowing there was probably already a crowd of bikers standing outside the door.

“He’s a goddamned Son, Y/N! He’s done things that most can’t come back from. He’s just no good for you.”

Y/N shook her head as she stood up from her desk chair. She wanted to meet her dads eye, show him that she’s still the spitfire that he had raised her to be.

“None of that fucking matters Dad. You’re a Son, you’ve done the same things and I never look at you any different.” She took a step closer, “So why the fuck does it matter that its Happy? He’s more than proven that he will be able to take care of me, to keep me safe. And he makes me so happy Dad, isn’t that all you’ve ever wanted for me to be happy?”

Y/N let out a shaky breath, trying to keep the tears from forming or falling. She didn’t want to argue with her dad especially not over something like this.

“Of course, I want you to be happy,” he nearly shouted, “But not with a Son, not with someone who could be putting you in danger.”

“This fuckin’ club is my family because of you and that’s why there’s always a chance that I’m in danger. So why shouldn’t I find a guy who can make me happy and protect me against the people that are after me because of you?” Y/N sighed as she looked at her father. He stood in the same spot with the same amount of rage behind his eyes. “Forget it, I’m not going to keep arguing with you.”

Y/N pushed her way past her father, catching his shoulder on her way to the door. She ripped the door open and watched a dozen men outside attempt to look busy as she stomped through the parking lot. No one attempted to stop her instead letting her storm to her car and peel out of the parking lot. Everyone cut their eyes to Chibs who still seemed to be fuming as the roar of a motorcycle’s engine roared through the air. Signaling Happy had decided to follow Y/N out of the parking lot.  

Y/N slammed her front door as she walked into her house her anger at her father coming to the surface. She was livid with her father; he had no right to be that angry at her for dating someone. She wasn’t sixteen anymore, she was an adult who was completely capable of thinking for herself and making her own decisions. She didn’t need her father to tell her want to do anymore, so why he thought he was still able to was astonishing.

“Babe?” Happy’s voice sounded through the house, reaching Y/N in the kitchen and breaking her from her thoughts. However, she did not respond to him scared that if she did she would end up crying or screaming.

“Baby,” he tried one more time as he stepped foot into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen he saw Y/N leaning against her countertop with her eyes closed, practically shaking. As he moved into the kitchen Y/N didn’t react to her boyfriend, not until he was directly in front of her and pulling her into his arms.

“Why does he have to be such an ass?” Y/N mumbled into Happy’s chest as she wrapped her own arms around Happy’s torso.

“Because he wants what is best for his baby girl.” Happy rubbed his hand up and down Y/N’s back as she tightened her arms around him. “And I’m not that.”

Y/N looked up at Happy with wet eyes, the fear of him breaking up with her running through her mind, “But you are Hap, you’re the best guy I could ever ask for even if you are a little rough around the edges.”

Happy cracked a small smile before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. As he did he thought to himself that they were going to be okay, the two of them would get through this and Chibs would pull his head out of his ass eventually.

[megumisbimbo]

Iced Americano*

Kuroo and Daichi x fem!reader

warnings: smut, fluff, oral (both receiving), protected sex, kuroo and daichi being hot

word count: 2.5k

minors pls don’t interact!

all characters are aged up!

a/n: this was very self indulgent...

Another boring day behind the counter of your college’s local coffee shop. Classes were hard but financing said classes was harder and you ended up having to take a part time job to pay your apartment rent. You didn’t hate it, it was nice meeting new people everyday, and seeing regular friendly faces. But there was one face in particular that never failed to catch your attention.

“What can I get for..you.. the usual i’m guessing?” You say, a shy smile playing across your face.

“Good to see you again y/n, and yes the usual please.” He responds, reciprocating your smile.

He was gorgeous and part of you thinks he knows that too. The way he carried himself with such confidence. He must know the effect he has on you.

“Iced Americano for Kuroo!”

He comes back to the counter and picks up his drink. He notices your eyes on him and flashes his award winning smirk. He slips a napkin across the counter and winks. You glance down at the napkin and read the small message he’s left for you. A simple “call me” with a winky face and his number below it. You couldn’t lie, you were a bit nervous to take the offer, but deep down you really wanted it. As soon as your shift ended you messaged the number.

me: Hi! Is this kuroo-san?

kuroo: It is. Is this the lovely y/n?

me: haha yes it is

kuroo: I’m a bit busy right now y/n, but don’t worry i’ll make a reappearance at the coffee shop tomorrow ;)

me: can’t wait!

Your heart was racing. This small encounter was more than enough to send butterflies rushing through your stomach. Months of pining for the handsome stranger finally paying off. For the first time in a long time, you were really excited for your early morning shift.

The next day finally rolled around and you were happy as can be. Even your coworkers noticed your chipper mood.

“y/n you’re awfully happy today. Something good happen?” Your coworker Yamaguchi asked.

“Hm I guess you could say something happened.”

“Spill. now.”

You giggled as you explained to him all that took place the day before, and how you’re super excited to see him again today. He seems a bit older than you are but you don’t mind. You’re pretty mature for your age, at least you think so.

“Is that him over there?” Tadashi asks, eying a tall “spiky haired man” that just walked in.

“Yes! That’s him! I’m gonna head to the register.”

“Hi Kuroo-san! The usual?” You ask, your eyes falling on the shorter man standing beside him.

The man smiles at you and you can’t help but notice how handsome he is as well. Two handsome men right in front of you. What a lucky day.

“Yes usual for me and a Cappuccino for him. How have you been y/n. Sorry I couldn’t talk very much yesterday, work has been hectic.” He asks leaning over the counter just enough so that you can feel his hot breath on your nose.

You smile and answer back making small talk as you punch in their order.

“Babe, can I get a muffin as well?” The shorter man asks, catching you off guard.

“Yeah which one?”

You stare at Kuroo, a confused look painting your blushing face.

Babe?

“Oh y/n, this is my boyfriend Daichi by the way. Daichi this is y/n, the girl I was telling you about.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you y/n, Kuroo talks about you quite a bit.” Daichi responds, nudging Kuroo in the side.

“y/n...if you’re free tonight..we’d love to have you over for dinner.”

“Dinner?” You ask, contemplating his extremely confusing request. The man was already in a relationship and he was asking you out on a date with him and his boyfriend in front of his boyfriend?

“Um.. Kuroo-san should you really be asking me out..when your boyfriend is uh..right there?”

“He’s interested as well. Unless you aren’t into that kind of thing! If not, we totally understand and we can pretend like this conversation never happened.”

That kind of thing? I mean a poly relationship isn’t something that has ever crossed your mind, but you weren’t against it you suppose.

“Sure I’ll join you two for dinner.” You respond, the smile Kuroo fell for playing across your slightly blushing face.

“Great! I’ll text you our address. We’ll see you tonight y/n.” He responds, giving you yet another wink. Those winks are deadly. They both walk away from the counter and over to the table across from the register, giving them both a clear view of you working.

“TADASHI YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENED!”

———

You stand outside the door of Kuroo and Daichi’s shared penthouse apartment. The building was big, beautiful, and very expensive. Your hands shake as they clutch onto the strap of your crossbody bag. You decided to wear the black bodycon dress you had bought for a blind date you never ended up going on. You were glad it was finally being put to good use. You awkwardly stand as your shaking finger presses the doorbell.

Quickly the door is opened, and the sweet face of your regular customer appears.

“Y/n! Glad you made it safely. The drive was not too long was it?”

“Actually I walked, you guys live pretty close to my apartment.”

“Oh well...that’s convenient. Come in, Daichi just finished making dinner.”

You follow Kuroo into the penthouse, your eyes taking in the sight of his multi million dollar home. You had no clue what these two did for work, but you were eager to find out. You get to the dinner table, which has been decorated with different types of food. Your mouth watered at the sight.

“Did Daichi-san make all of this?” You ask Kuroo.

“He did. He’s quite good in the kitchen, unlike myself. I can barely make a piece of toast.”

“More like he almost burnt down the building trying to make a piece of toast.” Daichi says, coming into the dining room with another plate of food.

“This all looks so amazing Daichi-san!”

“Thank you y/n, I’m glad you’re here tonight. Tetsurou has been especially giddy today.”

“Has he?...well I guess..I have been as well. I mean it’s not everyday you get to have dinner with two handsome men.” You say, blushing again. You bite your bottom lip nervously and Kuroo swears he could take you right then and there.

“So what do you two do for work, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Of course not, I work for Japan’s Volleyball Association. I’m in the Sports Promotion Division. Daichi here is a firefighter.” Kuroo explains.

Your eyes widen in wonder. They were both quite successful and obviously rich. You felt lucky they decided to ask a broke college girl out.

“So y/n, are you a full time student at Tokyo University?”

“Yes, but I also work the coffee shop job and I do a few odd jobs here and there. For the college and apartment expenses that is. My scholarship wasn’t enough to cover everything.”

You three continue the small talk, you talk about your school life and clubs you were into. You find out they met while playing volleyball in high school. Once they graduated, Kuroo mustered up the courage to ask Daichi out and of course, Daichi said yes.

Once dinner was over, you offered to help the boys out with the dishes and they insisted you relax on the couch while they finish. You obediently sit and scroll through your phone. Kuroo comes out first and sits beside you. He was close, closer to you than he’s ever been before. He turns his head towards you and meets your fear filled eyes. His eyes land on your lips as he subconsciously licks his own. A hand lands on the skin of your thigh and slowly inches it’s way up. You tense slightly at the action.

“Don’t be scared, I would never do anything you didn’t want me to y/n. But I can’t lie, I wanted to take you right there at that dinner table.”

He pushes your hair behind your shoulder and slots his face in between your neck and shoulder. He places small kisses across your shoulder leading up to your neck, finding the sweet spot that always makes you squirm.

“Kuroo-san wait- what about Daichi-san.”

“He’ll join us in a minute..y/n...may I?”

His hand slides across your lower back and grips your waist as his lips continue sucking on your neck.

“...yes Kuroo-san, please...I want you.”

Something inside Kuroo snapped upon hearing your words. His fingers find the zipper of your dress and slowly he unzips, taking in every small gasp that comes through your parted lips. You looked divine, the most delicious dessert he could have ever asked for. Soon you feel the couch dip on the other side and you whip your head around, Daichi’s sweet smile greeting you.

“Can we make you feel good y/n? We’ll be gentle.”

“Daichi-san..please...more.”

Daichi immediately latches onto your mouth, his tongue prodding at your lips begging for entry. Kuroo trails kisses down your back, following the trail the zipper makes.

“Let’s take this to the room.” Kuroo suggests, both you and Daichi nodding in agreement. You follow the pair down the corridor and into a dimly lit room, a king sized bed adorned with red silk sheets sitting right in the middle. The room was minimally decorated. They must not spend much time in here, that or they’re busy...doing something else.

Kuroo leads you to the edge of the bed. You stand in front of it as Kuroo slips off the rest of your dress. You’re wearing a black set of lace lingerie underneath, and both men are enamored by how stunning you look splayed out on their dark red sheets.

“I want her pussy first.” Kuroo growls.

You sit up quickly as both men crawl towards you as if you were prey and they were starved predators. You felt Daichi’s body against yours first. You scoot back into his chest and lean your head against him. Kuroo’s fingers lock onto the waistband of your little lace panties, which are already thoroughly soaked. He pulls them down and off of you. He bunches it up and stuffs it into your mouth. A finger swipes up your unclothed pussy and you moan into your panties, drool pooling in the bottom of your mouth soaking them even more. Daichi’s hands find purchase on your chest. He gently massages your breasts as you throw your head back onto his shoulder, moans spilling out of your stuffed mouth. Kuroo continues his attack, licking long stripes up your entrance. His lips latch onto your clit sucking and massaging it. His tongue dips into your entrance as the coil in your stomach tightens. The stimulation was overwhelming. Between Daichi fondling you and Kuroo’s work on your pussy, you release faster than you had ever before. Their soft lips and big hands were much better than your small, unskilled fingers. Kuroo diligently laps up your release and sits up. He leans toward Daichi and gives him a sloppy open mouth kiss. You watch in awe as the two make out, Kuroo pulling away first.

“Can you taste her on my tongue?” Kuroo asks, smirking at both of you.

“She’s delicious.” Daichi responds, kissing your neck. He takes a bit of your skin in between his teeth and bites and sucks until he’s sure he’s made a lasting mark. You moan, leaning your head against him, his hands still groping your sensitive tits.

Kuroo leans forward and takes the panty stuffed into your mouth with his teeth, spitting it out on the bed next to you. He slides a condom over himself and lines up his cock, pushing it slowly into your slick entrance. His cock was not very thick but it was long, and it didn’t take very long for him to bottom out completely. Kuroo presses your stomach, feeling the outline of his cock.

“Can you feel that y/n? Can you feel how well I fill you up?”

“S’good Kuroo-san- hngg too much-“

“You can take it baby. I know you can. You wanna be a good girl for us right?”

His thrusts were slow but forceful, each one perfectly hitting your g-spot. The way you clamped down on Kuroo’s cock sent him into a euphoric whirlwind. He gave a few more thrusts and spilled his seed into the condom as your second release gushed around him. Daichi was drooling at the pornographic scene unfolding between his legs. Kuroo pulls his softened cock out, and you whine at the loss of contact. You lean back onto Daichi’s shoulder once again as he leans down to capture your lips in a sloppy kiss.

“Daichi-san..wanna suck you off-please...”

Daichi chuckles at your eagerness and obliges. With the help of Kuroo, you turn around and lean down into his lap, his hardened cock standing tall and leaking beautifully. Kuroo’s arm wraps around your waist keeping you steady, as his lips leave a hot wet trail down your spine. You give the tip of Daichi’s cock a few kitten licks, eliciting a deep groan from the back of his throat. You take the tip into your mouth, your tongue swirling around it while Daichi’s hands grab a fist full of your hair.

“Just like that y/n-mmm...such a good girl.”

Daichi ruts up into your mouth, the tip grazing the back of your throat causing you to gag. Your nails dig into the flesh of his massive thighs, the pain only adding to his pleasure.

His cock feels hot and heavy in your mouth and each bob of your head makes his balls tighten. The feeling of your hot mouth around him sending him over the edge, he can’t take it.

“hnggg- y/n m’coming.”

Soon your throat was painted with thick ropes of hot cum. You swallowed as much as you could, licking your lips as some dribbles down your chin.

Your body went limp landing flat on Daichi’s chest. His hand rakes through your hair as you start to fall asleep.

“We gotta clean you up y/n, don’t fall asleep yet.” Daichi says.

“Let her sleep, we’ll wipe her down for now and wash her in the morning.”

A warm damp cloth meets your sore body as Kuroo wipes you down. Daichi diligently wipes away at your face and mouth giving soft kisses on your hair. Once clean, you were laid down in between the soft silk sheets you were previously clutching. Both men get in on either side of you, massaging the sore muscle of your hips and thighs. Looks like you’ll be skipping class tomorrow.

[penaltbox]

tell me what you want - jack ahcan/roman ahcan

i really hope you guy like this!! thank you to my anon for this amazing idea. if you like it let me know! i’m really interested to see what people favorite parts are. let me know what you think!

word count: ~11k

__

You swallow hard and look over your shoulder again, feet dangling above the water over Prior Lake. You grip the edge of the dock as you mumble just loud enough for your best friend to hear you, “he’s doing it again.”

Claire’s head whips around as she practically drops her sandwich into the water, food muffling her fiery response, “I’ll rip his dick off, I swear. Just give me the word.”

You laugh at her crude phrase but she knows you’d never give her the go ahead. She knew about the ups and downs though that your relationship had been through in the short time you two had been together. Roman had a hard time adjusting to the dating life whereas you went in full force. Opposite ends of the spectrum for very opposite people. 

“We’re not beating anyone up today. Plus, I don’t think Brock would appreciate you seriously maiming someone on his property. Not the way to get a date with him, I’m guessing.”

Claire’s cheeks redden despite the slight sunburn they had and she knows she’s caught, “who said I wanted a date with Boeser? He’s gone half the year anyways.”

You smirk as you nudge her immediately, “you’re such a liar! You cry about how much you love him every time you get drunk and any time we’re here late at night you sit right by him. You two drunkenly flirt more than my boyfriend and I flirt period.”

“Yeah, well maybe if you’d dated the right Ahcan brother then we’d both be happily taken by now.”

Your jaw drops but your argument gets stuck in your throat. She gives you a look that dares you to tell her she’s wrong but you can’t. Jack was taken when you started dating Roman though so the opportunity wasn’t even there. Nowadays though… you let yourself look over at the aforementioned boy and watch as he laughs easily with Brock and a couple of their other friends. 

Your own cheeks burn hot when he glances over and catches you staring, but he only offers a smirk in return. He looks for a second longer than he probably should, but eventually turns back to his own conversation. The little uptick in his smile let’s you know he’s aware you’re embarrassed and he loved every second of it. 

“What the hell was that?” Claire asks, flicking your shoulder, “I was just kidding when I said it, but what the hell was that?”

“I… I have no clue. That’s never happened before,” you whisper, voice too stuck to say it any louder. 

You turn around again and face the lake. You needed to brush it off. He was your boyfriend’s brother and that was a serious no fly zone. Even if he was more mature and nicer than the one you called your own.

—

“Why are you mad now?” You ask, rubbing your hand on your face. 

You’re aware of how defensive your stance is but you really don’t care. You’re leaned back against the counters in Brock’s house, arms crossed over your chest, and staring down the boy standing across the island from you. You had no idea why he had an attitude and you really weren’t in the mood. He’d been difficult all day and you just wanted to relax. 

“Why am I mad? You’re kidding, right? You don’t pay attention at all. I’m glad you live in such a daydream while I’m out here trying to be social and explain to people why my girlfriend doesn’t even hang out with me at my own brother’s house,” he explains, or so he thinks. 

You scoff and look away from him, trying to keep your patience, “you’re mad because I didn’t follow you around like a puppy today? Is that seriously what this is about? And I’d be willing to bet no one asked you why I’m not hanging off you at every minute of the day.”

He jaw clenches as he realizes you’ve caught the embellishment in his story, “you hardly said a word to me.”

“The street goes both ways, Roman.”

He knows he has no upper hand and shakes his head, coming around island suddenly. You’re not sure what he’s going to do, but he moves toward you and opens the fridge to grab another drink. He looks like he’s about to say something as he closes the door but opts for a kiss to the side of your head before making his way to the backyard again. It was always a whirlwind with him. 

You sigh, closing your eyes and letting your head drop forward. You were pretty sure dating wasn’t supposed to be this tiring, but you didn’t really have much reference either other than a high school boyfriend who broke up with you because you were “too much smarter than him”. 

The sliding door opens again and you look up quickly, trying to pull yourself together. No one needed to know how often you and Ro fought. Jack happens to be stepping in and he gives you a soft smile, taking in your demeanor immediately. 

“You okay? You look a little upset.”

He realized it far sooner than his brother ever could and something about that makes your heart stutter for a second. You shrug though, trying to play things off. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Maybe a little too much sun today but I’ll be alright,” you smile, watching as he makes his way to the fridge like his brother had just done. 

“Did you need another drink? Water, white claw?” He pops his head back out, noticing you didn’t have anything in hand. Of course he was nice enough to offer and think of someone other than just himself. 

“I’d love a white claw,” you nod, pushing off the counter and dropping the black cloud Roman had left over your head. Lake days were short enough and you weren’t spending any more of this one moping around because of what he’d said. 

Jack hands you a drink, grabbing his own and squeezing by you. Except there was plenty of room and he easily could have gone around the island the way he’d come from. He lets his hand brush your hip with a whispered “excuse me” as he retraces his steps towards the door. He slides it back open but looks over at you again. 

“I’m guessing my brother’s the reason you’re all holed up in here. I know he’s an ass, but try and shake it off. We all know you’re a good girl who tries hard in that relationship. Now, you coming along? We just got the fire going.”

You shiver a little at the phrase he calls you but you pray he didn’t notice it. You do note that he always seemed to have endless patience and you wonder if he took it all when he was born and left none for his younger brother. 

You smile as you sneak by him but he politely keeps his hands to himself this time. You find yourself wishing he wouldn’t though and mentally scold yourself. The bonfire is double what it had been and you stop two steps out onto the deck. 

Jack’s hand finds the small of your back as he leans down near your ear, “come on, if he’s a dick then you can just hang out with me.”

You look at him skeptically, not sure why he wanted to hang out with you so much suddenly, so the bold part of you questions it, “are you sure? I don’t want you to have to worry about me all night.” 

He smiles and holds up his pinky, “yes, I’ll even pinky promise. Just shoot me a look and you’re all mine for the rest of the night.”

“Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Jack,” you smile back at him finally and head towards the bonfire, spotting your boyfriend. 

He has a slightly sour look on his face as he stares at the fire from where he’s standing. His words from earlier bounce in your head so you make your way over, wrapping your arm around his waist and taking the spot next to him. 

“Sorry for blowing up in there,” he mumbles, wrapping an arm tight around your shoulders. 

You lean your head against him and stare at the fire, knowing it wouldn’t be the last time, “it’s okay.”

But was it? You find yourself thinking it over, tossing the words he'd said and the past fights he’d picked around until it all jumbled together. He shifts after a couple minutes and you’re brought back to reality, only to find yourself locking eyes across the flames with Jack. 

He raises his eyebrows, a question for you, but you give him a soft smile in return. You were good… for now. It doesn’t stop him from constantly glancing over and checking in the rest of the night though. You were glad someone was at least. 

—

You luckily never needed that pinky promise rescue from Jack and Roman seemed to mellow out after that for a couple weeks. 

It was deep in the heart of summer now and the days were as long as you could possibly stretch them. Your tan was darker, your hair lighter, and you didn’t want anything dragging you down. Going to the bar for the night seemed like a great idea so you’d agreed easily. 

Getting ready was easy. Meeting Roman at his house and talking with his mom for so long that you were almost late getting to Brock and Jack’s place to all leave at the same time was easy. It all seemed like the night would go by easily and you’d have plenty of fun. 

You just didn’t expect to have such an easy and fun night with the person you ended up with. 

You’re glad you didn’t have to drive and you take a deep breath before the group of you enter the bar. Roman had seemed to shift into party mode in the car and you know that means he’ll be out all night. You see an opportunity right before you though. 

“Jack!” You call him, watching as he turns around with a smile. 

“Yes?”

You try to bite back your smile as you hold your hand out in front of you, pinky first. He laughs and wraps his finger around yours, turning and pulling you along the sidewalk behind him. You giggle a little and fall into step next to him, letting go first. 

“Yeah, I got you. Just give me the look,” he reminds you, reaching forward and holding the door open, “ladies first.”

“Thank you,” you say, blushing a bit for reasons you’re completely unaware of as you duck into the bar. 

It’s not a bad night by any means. Everyone is in a good mood and getting along, but you manage to get tired quickly. Your stomach rumbling is the final straw and you turn to your boyfriend, lacing your fingers in his to get his attention. 

“Yeah, baby?” He asks, leaning closer so he can hear whatever you’re about to say. 

“I’m hungry. Can we leave?” You pout a little, hoping it’ll win him over easily. 

He groans, giving you a glimpse at the attitude he’d dropped the last couple weeks, “I really wasn’t ready yet. We haven’t been here that long.”

“They don’t have food though…”

“So why didn’t you eat before we left then? You knew we were going out tonight,” he says, looking at you like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

You’re about to plead your case again when you look across the group and catch Jack’s attention. The lightbulb seems to go off then and your eyes go wide. You nod slightly towards his brother and he moves quickly, heading your way. 

“Never mind, I’ll make Jack take me.”

Roman laughs but it’s cut short when his brother steps in front of him, giving a quick punch to his shoulder. 

“You two behaving over here?” Jack asks, having no clue what you’d just said to Roman. 

“I’m hungry,” you blurt out, “and someone isn’t ready to leave.” 

“I can take you. I’m not really feeling it tonight anyways,” Jack shrugs, looking to his younger brother for permission. 

Roman’s eyebrows furrow a bit but sending you with someone he trusted probably wasn’t the worst idea, “yeah whatever. We’re staying at your place tonight anyways so we’ll end up in the same spot.”

“Have fun, okay?” You turn Roman towards you, leaning up to kiss him quickly. 

Jack looks away as you do, not wanting to see it for some reason that night. He finishes the last sip of his water you had no clue he had and sets the cup on the high top table next to him. Roman hands you off to his brother but not before giving you a quick slap on the ass. 

“Not in public,” Jack corrects him, pushing Roman square in the chest gently. 

The younger boy lets out a laugh and swats his brother’s hand away, “she doesn’t mind it.”

You bite your tongue over how wrong he is and push Jack’s arm until he starts moving towards the door, looking back at Roman as you do, “I’ll see you later. Try and behave please.”

He throws a wink your way and let’s you go without even thinking twice. You’re glad you thought to make that deal with Jack before walking in and you’re equally thankful that he could tell you needed help when you did. 

“Where to? What are you hungry for?” He asks, grabbing his keys from his pocket, but opening your door for you. 

You’re happily surprised by his action but you slip into the front seat regardless. He makes his way around and takes the driver's seat, giving you an expectant look. 

“I have no clue, Jack. Just pick somewhere,” you giggle, buckling up and settling into the seat. 

“Taco Bell it is,” he smiles as he puts the car into drive. 

You gasp a little, excited that he picked there of all places. You take advantage of being the front passenger and lean forward, turning the radio on to a low volume. The music floats through the space and makes you feel more calm than you have been in a while. 

You glance over at Jack, “can we all go skating this summer? I know it’s a weird time to go but I haven’t skated with you guys since we were kids.”

Jack smiles over at you, his heart thumping from the innocent question, “yeah of course we can. Brock has some extra ice time at one of the rinks by my parent’s place.”

You sit back, happy and a little buzzed, feeling on top of the world. Jack drives smoothly and you try not to watch his arm flex as he turns the wheel with one hand. 

The night is almost too easy after you leave the bar. Jack doesn’t force conversation and you’re surprisingly happy to just hang out with him whether you’re talking or not. He refuses to let you pay for your food and when he parks the car, the two of you end up talking for hours after. 

You both end up having to sneak back into Brock’s house, but luckily for you Roman never wakes up when you slip into bed that night. 

—

You kick yourself the next morning, wondering why you were wide awake at 8am. You’d only gotten five hours of sleep, if you were lucky, but somehow your body decided that was enough. You sigh and slip out from under the covers, tossing your hair in a bun before heading for the kitchen. You were well versed in where Brock kept the coffee. 

You quietly make your way to the kitchen but you’re greeted with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and your boyfriend's brother in nothing but shorts and a sleepy smile. You suck in a breath and offer a smile back, heading right for the coffee pot he was standing near. 

“Good morning,” Jack mumbles, his voice sounding as sleepy as he looked. He runs a hand through his hair quickly but it does him no good. 

You laugh quietly, pulling a mug out of the cupboard and filling it up, “morning, sleepy head. You sure you’re ready to be up?”

He lets out a little giggle that makes you turn and look at him. It was so unguarded and cute that you don’t even stop yourself from trying to block it out of your memory. You want to remember that one. 

“I’m not sure why I’m up so early but if I am then coffee and dock fishing it is.”

You nod, not the least bit surprised at his plans, but you can appreciate the simplicity of them in the early morning hours. The fridge holds the coffee creamer you loved and you wonder if Brock even realized it when he bought it now or if it was just habit. Regardless you put some in your cup, knowing Jack was watching your every move. 

“Jack,” you say suddenly, a little smirk dancing across your lips as he looks at you with raised eyebrows, “I’ve been meaning to ask you this. I heard Roman used to always beat you in skating races. Is that true?”

He’s just about to take a sip from his mug when you ask but he hesitates, shooting you a wicked grin, “he’s a liar. He didn’t always beat me.”

“Oh, not always?” You tease, not sure where the tone even comes from, but you like it. 

He matches the energy easily though, quipping back, “I’m older though so I’m better… at everything.”

Your brain blanks for a second but the way he looks at you pulls a thousand thoughts forward at once. You blush instantly, turning your attention to your coffee mug that suddenly had the most interesting design on it. 

“Can dish it but can’t take it, huh? I see how it goes,” he nods, finishing his drink before you’d even taken a sip of yours. His comment strikes the competitive side in you quickly. 

“Oh I can take it,” you say, blushing all over again as you hear the phrase come tumbling out of your mouth, “Uhm, I mean… just stop giving me that look! You know what I meant!” 

He shrugs, trying to bite back the smile that was on his face, “hey, you started this. I just came through to finish it.”

Your jaw drops a little, ready to argue, but you’re not in time. He rinses his mug and sets it to the side. He keeps his eye on you as he heads for the back door, giving you one last big smirk before leaving you alone to watch him through the window as he heads for the dock. 

You realize it sounds like a stupid scene out of a movie. You’re standing there, sipping coffee, watching a cute boy through the window, and having thoughts that you probably shouldn’t about him. A creak on the stairs brings you back to earth as your boyfriend’s arms wrap around you. 

“Hi, beautiful. How’s your morning?” 

—

You couldn’t lie and say you’d been on your game since that morning in the kitchen with Jack. He’d shook you up somehow after that but what was worse is that he seemed to be keeping to himself any time you were around. You couldn’t help but wonder if you’d done something wrong but Roman was making up for it at least. 

A knock on your apartment door gets your attention a week after the “kitchen talk” as you’d dubbed it to your friends. Claire had all but lost her mind over the story and you had to reel her back in, begging her not to say a word to Brock. 

Opening the door gives you a happy surprise when you find Roman on the other side with flowers and a coffee. You can’t help but smile at him and lean in to kiss him quickly. 

“What’s all this for?” You ask, taking both things and heading for your kitchen. 

He follows along, looking incredibly proud of himself, “you just have seemed off so I was hoping it might boost your mood a little.”

It’s a sweet gesture and you’re thankful that he still notices how you’re feeling even though the two of you had some bumps along the way lately. You set everything down without even bothering to grab a vase, opting to turn around and give him a big hug, wrapping your arms right around his neck. 

He squeezes back, rubbing a hand up and down your back. You let out a deep breath you didn’t know you were holding and lay your head on his shoulder. 

“I did need this. Thank you,” you say quietly as he sways the two of you back and forth. 

He kisses your shoulder and keeps you close, “how was food with my brother the other night? I thought I heard you two in the kitchen the next morning.”

You’re glad you aren’t looking at him because your eyes go wide at what he must have heard, “oh, it was good. We got Taco Bell so I was pretty happy after that. He was up in the morning though, yeah.”

“I’m glad you two get along. I know he’s still figuring out how to be single again so sorry if he’s been bugging you lately. I don’t blame him for wanting to hang with you.”

You press your forehead against his shoulder, rethinking a lot of the time you’d spent with Jack lately. He was just trying to replace the whole his ex left. He had no real interest in you and you needed to remember that. 

“He’s a cool guy. I don’t mind having him around,” you pull back, giving Roman a smile to let him know things were all good. 

“Why don’t we just hang out here today? My plans are clear for you today,” he suggests, leaning down to kiss you. 

You agree, knowing it was probably best to spend some time with your own boyfriend rather than his brother for once. 

“Oh, we’re going ice skating tomorrow night by the way. Jack said you suggested it or something.”

You freeze, realizing that you had indeed asked. You just hadn’t expected him to remember or deliver on that promise. And just like that, you know you’ll have to play it cool again around him. 

—

You had less than 24 hours to mentally prepare yourself to skate with the guys. You knew you couldn’t ignore Jack, and you really had no reason to, but you were nervous about seeing him again for some reason. You had been so distracted in fact that while you were cutting up chicken for your lunch earlier in the day you’d cut your finger bad enough to need a pretty decent sized bandaid right on your pointer finger. 

You realize what a pain in the ass that is as you’re sitting on the bench at the rink, trying to lace up your skates and struggling with it. Roman had slipped his skates on quickly and you usually had no problem doing the same. Your finger hurt though and the bandaid kept getting caught up with the laces, causing your patience to start wearing thin. You’re ready to give up on it all when a familiar body sits next to you and pats your knee. 

“Put it on my leg,” he says, seeing the struggle you were going through. 

You look over at him and duck your head out of embarrassment, “I can tie my own skates. I’m just having some trouble.”

Jack laughs a little, grabbing your pant leg and pulling your leg over his thigh, “I know you can tie your own skates but it’s okay to ask for help every now and then too.”

You can’t even argue with that, opting to watch his hands quickly work your laces into place. You bite your lip, trying to pull your mind out of the gutter, but it doesn’t work very well. He finishes one skate and has the second one done sooner than you’d have liked it. 

“You ready to get out there? I haven’t seen you skate in years,” he smiles as he stands, grabbing his gloves and stick from the bench. 

“I’ve still got it,” you smile, picking up your own equipment and following him out onto the clean ice. 

Not two strides out there and Roman stops hard in front of you, hitting you with enough of a snow shower to coat part of your pants. You look up, ready to smack him, but his brother beats you to it. 

“Are you five years old again?” Jack reprimands, “give the girl a second to get her feet beneath her before you start acting like a jerk.”

You can’t help but laugh, covering your mouth and looking away. You’d never heard Jack talk to him like that and even Roman has a shocked look on his face. 

“Don't agree with him!” Roman pouts at you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and giving you a fake headlock. 

You giggle, pushing him off and jokingly hiding behind Jack, “no way! At this rate you’re going to end up checking me into the end boards.”

Roman shakes his head as Jack lets out the same laugh you’d heard in the kitchen that may or may not be on a small loop in your head some days. You peak around Jack, knowing Roman wouldn’t do anything. You’re met with his smirk and his next words make your heart skip a little. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know you like Jack better than me so you’re just using him as your defense. Don’t be mad if I score on you guys later though,” he shrugs and turns to skate off. 

Jack turns to look at you and you just know your face tells the little scare you’d just had. He gives you a matching look and shakes his head a little. 

“He’s just kidding. We’re good,” he tries to reassure you but it does the complete opposite. 

He skates off then and you’re left standing at the blue line wondering what the hell he meant when he said you two were good. Good about what? You two hadn’t done anything wrong technically. You take a deep breath and start to skate, knowing you had to play it off. Things were fine. 

—

“My team sucked, it’s not my fault!” Roman complains as he tosses his stuff in the trunk of Brock’s car. 

You put your own stuff in after, reaching for his hand when yours are free, “it’s okay, Ro, we can’t all be winners.”

He turns and meets your grin with a tiny one of his own, “oh you’re all full of trouble today aren’t you?” 

You nod and lean up to kiss him quickly. The little skate had turned into a competitive pick up game that had you all exhausted afterwards. Brock invited everyone over after and you jumped on the opportunity. 

“You love it when I’m like this,” you mumble, leaning against him. 

“Hey, don’t be gross in the parking lot,” Brock calls, “get in the car, kids.”

You blush at getting caught and climb in the backseat quickly. Jack turns around from the front seat and gives you a look you can’t quite place, but it makes you squirm a little. Roman is quick to put a hand over on your thigh once he gets in and you lace your fingers with his to try and ground yourself again. 

The ride back feels like a blur but you suddenly remember what you’d packed in your bag. You tap the back of Roman’s hand and wait for him to turn his attention to you. 

“Can we do a face mask when we get back?” You ask, knowing he probably won’t but it was worth a shot. 

He makes a face, “do I have to? They feel weird.”

You’d maybe scarred him last time when you’d used a not so great charcoal mask and it had stuck to the end of his eyebrow pretty bad. You get his hesitation on it. 

“It’s a different kind this time! It won’t hurt.”

He curls his lip up a little, still not believing you. You’re about to plead your case one more time when Jack turns around. 

“I’ll do it.”

“Oh thank god,” Roman sighs, giving you a bashful smile. 

“Deal. I just don’t want to do it alone,” you smile at him, thinking it would be just fine. 

And it is. Until Brock suggests a late night fishing venture and Roman jumps all over it. Jack is two seconds from agreeing when you stop in your tracks halfway up the front steps, realizing they’d be leaving you instead of joining your impromptu spa night. 

“You guys are fishing?” You ask quietly. 

They all turn towards you and the three of them deflate when they see how sad you look. Immediately they all start talking at once, apologizing, suggesting that you do it a different night, and more that you can’t even make out as they all try and talk at once. 

“I’ll stay,” Jack says, his phrase breaking through the most. Brock and Roman stop and look over at him. 

“Are you sure, dude? We can just hang back tomorrow night and do that,” Roman reasons with him, knowing he loved fishing more than anything. 

Jack nods, seeming sure of his decision, “yeah that’s okay. I said I would so I’ll stay back and do it.”

You can’t help but smile at the fact he’s willing to keep up his end of the deal. Brock turns and keeps heading into the house, still keeping his plan of fishing. Jack follows as well, but Roman holds back. He comes back down two steps until he’s even with you. 

“You sure you want to stay here with Jack and do that? I can do it tomorrow if you want to wait,” he offers, his hand grabbing your waist. His expression is soft, letting you know he actually would if you wanted to the next day but you’re just in the mood for it. 

“I’d rather do it tonight, if you don’t mind. Especially after getting all sweaty from skating,” you shrug a little, hoping he’s okay with it. 

He nods and kisses your forehead, “if it makes you happy then go for it. If he complains that he didn’t get to fish enough once summer is over though we’re blaming you.”

You laugh, knowing Jack would end up saying that even if he went every single day. You’d accept that blame for one night of staying in and decompressing. 

With that, Roman heads into the house, making his way to Brock’s side as a small cooler gets packed for the two of them. You toss a couple waters in when they’re not paying attention, knowing they’ll want them eventually. 

A quick kiss and a ‘be careful’ leaves you alone with Jack one more time. The kitchen was quickly becoming the spot you two had the most alone time and something about that feels too homey. 

“You ready for this?” You ask, turning and looking at him. 

He smiles and nods, “ready as I’ll ever be. I haven’t done one before.”

“Oh even better then! Come on.”

You make your way up the stairs, Jack following closely behind you and grabbing your bathroom bag from the spare room. Like a puppy, he follows you through the rooms and halls, leaning against the door frame when you finally put your stuff on the bathroom counter. He watches carefully as you pull out the masks, eyeing it up. 

“Do you want to watch me do it first?” You meet his eyes through the mirror, suddenly very aware at how closely he was watching your every move. 

He nods, taking a couple steps closer and looking over your shoulder as you open the container up. He frowns when he sees the color of it, making you laugh right away. 

“Don’t make that face already. You haven’t even felt it,” you gently elbow his side and he moves out of the way, standing behind you instead. 

You look up and catch his smile in the mirror. He looks too cute as he stands closer than you thought and you feel yourself blush suddenly. You pull some of the face mask from the jar and apply it evenly on your own face. You finish it in no time and Jack makes an unsure noise behind you. 

“What if I mess it up?” He asks, his face pinched with confusion, “you were so fast with it.”

You laugh and turn around towards him, “it’s not hard. You just have to get it even.”

“I don’t think I can do it.”

“Do you want me to do it for you?”

He nods quickly and you shake your head. Maybe he and his brother weren’t so different. You motion towards the toilet, knowing it would be easier to apply if he sat. 

“Okay, no fidgeting,” you tell him quietly, pulling the jar over with you and putting some on your fingers. 

He gives you a nervous look as you step between his legs to put it on him. He blinks hard and starts leaning back immediately, making you start to laugh. You move quickly, putting some across his cheek, but it doesn’t go as planned. He jerks back, yelling about it being cold, and you reach for him immediately. 

“Why is it cold?” He bellows, only stopping after you’d smeared some of the mask in his hair. 

“Jack, don’t! Just sit still! Now you got it in your hair.”

“Get it out! No wonder Roman didn’t want to do this,” he whines. 

You put your clean hand on the back of his neck and pull him back closer, “just trust me okay. It won’t hurt you.”

He takes a deep breath and looks up at you, leaning forward. You leave your hand on the back of his neck just in case he decides to flinch again. He seems to relax after a second as he lets his eyes close. He seems to subconsciously lean back into your hand, but not to pull away. You realize you’re standing much closer than you’d expected to and you’re suddenly grateful that you’re in an empty house together. 

“You’re all set,” you whisper, “well except the stuff in your hair.”

“Will you get it out?” He mumbles, eyes fluttering open as he looks up at you. 

Your breath catches in your throat, a nod the only answer you can give him. You step away to grab a washcloth and find yourself looking back at him right away. His eyes follow your moves again, but the silence is comfortable. You wet the cloth, making sure the water was warm, and step back over to him. 

“Why does it feel tight?” He asks, frowning a little. 

“Don't frown. You’ll make it crack,” you put a finger under his chin and tip his face up towards you. 

You start to wipe the spot near his temple that had gotten the mask on it and it cleans off easily. You almost step away from him but you hesitate for some reason and turn your attention to him then. He’s staring back and it makes your stomach flip a couple times. 

“Jack…” you whisper, the air starting to feel heavy. You couldn’t do this. You knew your feelings were fading fast for his brother but you couldn’t just jump over the way you wished you could. 

“I know.” 

It’s the only explanation he offers but it sets your mood at ease. He gives you a tiny smile and pushes you back a step, hands on your hips, and stands up. 

“Now how long does this stay on? It feels like cement,” he jokes, turning to face the mirror. He leans in and starts poking at his face, earning a smack on the shoulder from you. 

“Don’t pick at it.”

He turns and looks at the shoulder you’d just hit and then at you, “my goodness, you’re bossy today.”

He smiles immediately, ruining the mask and reaching up to scratch his cheek right away. You roll your eyes playfully, handing him the rag you’d already wet. 

“You can take it off, you big cry baby,” you tease, watching him start to clean his face. 

He gets it mostly cleaned and starts to rinse his hands off but he suddenly smirks at you as he catches your eye in the mirror. You frown for a second, confused about his sudden demeanor change. He turns suddenly and throws half a handful of water at you, splashing you right on the front of your shirt. 

You let out a surprised shriek, jumping from the shock. He starts to laugh hard and you realize he’s distracted enough for you to step in and throw water at him. It hits him and he realizes what you’ve done, reaching to do the same again but you grab his wrist and try to pull him back. 

“Don’t you dare!” You laugh, trying to push him away from the water. 

He’s bigger and stronger though so he uses his other hand to reach around you on the opposite side, this time only flinging a little up towards your face. You squeal and try to duck away but quickly realize he’s got you backed against his chest and you’re stuck. You’re both laughing so hard you can barely stand and when you look at him in the mirror you realize what the two of you were doing. 

You slowly loosen your grip around his wrist and clear your throat, “truce, okay? I need to clean my face off.”

He sees your mood shift and steps back with a nod, “I’m, uh, I’ll be downstairs if you want to hang out. It’s getting kind of late though so I might head to bed soon.”

“Okay,” you say quietly, letting his wrist go when he steps back.

You watch him hang his head as he leaves the bathroom and you grip the counter. You were being irresponsible around him and you couldn’t risk getting caught by Roman. You have to check yourself before you got yourself in trouble. 

You clean up in the bathroom, wiping the counter off from all the water you’d flung around and heading back to the room you’d share with Roman that night. You’re up all the way until he comes back, smiling when he crawls in next to you. He immediately curls up around you and you have to swallow hard. 

He wasn’t always a bad boyfriend and you’d been friends for a long time before you dated. You may not see eye to eye every day but you didn’t want to hurt him ever. Especially not when it was his brother who was involved. 

—

“Are you sure you want to go over to their place tonight?” You tease Roman as he lays on you, head resting on your stomach as you play with his hair. 

You hadn’t been back to Jack and Brock’s in two weeks and summer was quickly drawing to a close. You only had about a month left and it felt like you’d blinked and time disappeared. You wanted to go, but you were hesitant too. Especially after last time you’d been there. 

“Yes, my brother gave me shit for being holed up with you for the last couple weeks. He said I need to share,” he laughs, likely not thinking twice about the comment Jack had made. 

You nod to yourself, glad he wasn’t looking at you, “I’m okay with going if you want.”

He leans up then and gives you the same trouble maker smirk that made you fall for him in the first place, “you just want to see Brock’s dogs, huh?”

You laugh,your heart having skipped for a second at who he was going to say, “of course I do. They’re the cutest boys I know.”

He shakes his head and you hope he can’t tell how quickly you’d almost panicked over the possibility of him bringing his brother up again. He leans up and kisses you, surprising you with how gentle it was. He usually wasn’t much for romantics in the middle of the day but apparently this was an exception. 

“Let me grab a different shirt and we can go,” he kisses your cheek quickly and pushes himself off the bed. 

You’re almost mad at yourself for how quickly your brain gets scrambled at the thought of Jack. You get up and head to the bathroom to fix your hair while simultaneously hyping yourself up for the night ahead. 

You find yourself 3 drinks deep some odd hours later when a chill runs through your body. You shiver immediately, despite being in front of a bonfire, and the cold seeps in through the long sleeve shirt you’d worn. You didn’t think it was supposed to get cold but apparently the weather had other ideas. Go figure in Minnesota. 

“Ro?” You ask, gently grabbing his forearm to interrupt his conversation with Jack. 

“Hmm?”

“I’m cold and I forgot a coat,” you frown, crossing your arms and rubbing them for emphasis. 

He shrugs slowly, nodding his head towards the fire, “I don’t know what to tell you. Stand closer I guess.”

“You ass,” Jack smacks his shoulder, “You better be nicer or I’ll tell mom. Come on, we can go get you one.”

Roman scoffs, “you better not! It’s not even that cold out.”

You hesitantly start to follow Jack as he makes his way towards the house, shaking his head as he goes. He was obviously annoyed with Roman, that much you could tell. You weren’t sure if it was your best idea to go in alone with him after last time but you figured this was a tight timeline kind of situation. 

Jack is surprisingly quiet the entire way up to his room, but he opens the closet and steps in, motioning at the hangers, “whatever one you like. Most of them are from St. Cloud though.”

You smile and start to look through the row of sweatshirts, well aware his eyes were on you. You can feel the blush that starts to dust your cheeks and you can’t help but glance over at him. He smiles as soon as you do and finally looks away. 

“Do you have a preference on it? I don’t want to take one you really love.”

“No preference. I know how to get it back if I need to,” he smirks, making you take a deep breath and turn back to the fabric that was still in your hand. 

You tug the sleeve farther to get a view and realize it’s one from Providence this year. Something about it with his number on the chest stands out and you pull it out. 

“This is okay?”

“I think it’ll look great on you.”

You slip the black sweatshirt over your head and you’re immediately washed over with warmth. You dig your hands into the front pouch and smile at Jack, knowing it was probably two sizes too big on you. He can’t help but smile softly at you in his clothes. He had to look away to remember you still very much weren’t his. 

“Don't let Roman give you shit for it either. I’m still telling our mom what he said to you,” he elbows your gently as he walks by. He knows not to spend too much time there with you. He knew better but he was only human. 

You snort, “she’s gonna rip him a new one. She always does when he’s mean to me.”

“We all like you a lot,” he looks back at you, his words saying more than he initially spoke, but you hear it loud and clear. 

You nod, reaching forward silently right before he hits the top of the stairs. He glances down and sees, extending his hand and grabbing yours. He squeezes tight and makes his way down to the first floor. As he hits the last stairs he lets your hand go and you ball your hand into a fist instantly. It was over sooner than you wanted it to be. 

He opens the door for you as always and follows an extra half step behind you. You find Roman quickly and he looks guilty for a moment before he sees what you’re wearing. 

“I’m sorry about before. I’m definitely going to start bringing a sweatshirt though wherever we go. You don’t look good in his number,” he scowls, but reaches for your hand. 

You take his but quickly find yourself comparing it to the boy who’d just held it inside. You kick yourself and tuck in closer to Roman’s side. You couldn’t keep playing these games. You had to make your mind up soon. 

—

The bonfire was fun, both you and Roman ending up in a game of beer pong later that had you drinking more than you’d planned, so bed was a welcome sight the night before. You’d pulled your clothes off and stole the shirt he kept tucked in a drawer in the spare room you always stayed in, not thinking about it at all. 

You wake up far too early, as always, the next morning and immediately crave a cup of coffee. You were already thinking about taking the dogs down to the dock with you to enjoy it and you happily head downstairs, not even considering the fact you had no pants on. 

The sight you find in the kitchen makes you freeze, almost running right back up the stairs, but he looks up at you just in time. His eyes widen a little but respectfully looks up at you. You can’t even force a word from your mouth before he’s sliding a cup of coffee onto the island. 

“I made coffee. Here,” he smiles softly, watching as you make your way closer to him. 

You peak over the rim of the mug and see the color of it. A little creamer just the way you liked it. You give him a soft smile immediately. No one but your mom ever knew how you liked your coffee. Sure, Roman knew your Starbucks order, but the way you took it at home in the quiet morning hours meant way more to you than one store bought version ever would. 

“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” you pick up the warm mug and take a sip. It was perfect, possibly even better than when you did it, and you let out a sigh right after. 

Jack can’t help but watch. You look so content and happy, even with your hair a mess and a smudge of mascara under your eye from the night before. He wasn’t sure when he became so interested in you’d but it had hit him like a tidal wave the night before. Apparently seeing you in his clothes really got him thinking. He squints a little at the shirt you’re wearing and smirks when he realizes what one it is. 

You hardly notice, too lost in how good your coffee is, so you hop up onto the counter next to where he’s standing and squeeze his face gently, his smirk turning to pursed lips with the tiniest smile on them. 

“This coffee is amazing. Thank you,” you smile at him, finally a little taller than him for once. 

“You already said that,” he laughs, pulling back from your hand and stepping in front of you. 

You don’t know why you do it but you let him step between your legs, making room for him to get closer. He sets his own mug on the counter before taking yours from you and placing it next to his. You’re silently thankful because the last thing you needed was to drop hot coffee on the two of you. 

His hands come to rest on each side of your thighs, his right hand rotating in until his fingers are gently dancing up and down your bare skin. Goosebumps break out immediately and you bite your lip to stay quiet. 

“You know whose shirt that is right?” He asks, his voice so low you can barely hear him even with how close you two are. 

His hand stops as his thumb rubs deeper circles into your skin and you have to grab his shoulders for support. The air is so charged you feel like you could snap with one wrong movement. 

“It’s Roman’s,” you whisper, wondering why he was asking. 

He shakes his head just the slightest bit, “no, we both played for Cedar Rapids. That’s mine.”

You frown, not believing him. How would he know it’s his when there was no way to tell? He can tell you’re unsure so he makes the move on his own accord. His slips his hand from the spot it had been massaging on your thigh up your side and under your shirt. 

“Jack,” you gasp, hands quickly moving to squeeze his biceps. 

He lets out a low chuckle and grabs the tag inside the shirt. He flips the shirt up, exposing half your side and tugs the tag out to see. There, in black sharpie ink, is a little J. You stare at it hard, suddenly feeling like you’d done something very wrong. Technically you had been for the past month or so when you started letting him in your thoughts so much but now it was heavier, more real. 

“We can’t…” you mumble, looking at him again. 

His hand lets go of the tag and settles back on your bare side under the shirt, “I know, but answer this truthfully. Do you really like him? Does he treat you the way you want to be treated?”

“We’ve grown up together. I know him so well. I know your family so well. He and I were just easy to start.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Do you really like him? Because I know you’ve only been together three months but has it been worth it?”

The way he’s looking at you makes you feel oddly calm. You know no matter what you tell him he’ll respect your decision. He won’t ever push farther than you’re comfortable. You take a deep breath and answer him the right way. 

“I think I liked the excitement of having him at first, but I don’t think he and I are right for each other,” you admit, pulling your hands from him and tangling them on your lap. 

Jack nods, pulling his hands back and gripping the counter, “it’s up to you then what happens next. I’ll never be mad at you either way so don’t worry about me. Do what you have to.”

“Thank you,” you say for the thousandth time that morning, but you really did mean it. 

He leans forward and kisses your forehead, all the air seemingly leaving your lungs at once. It’s so gentle you barely feel it but it burns your skin at the same time. A good burn, you decide. You cup his cheek when he pulls back, running your thumb gently across his skin. 

“Are you hanging out here today? I think we’re having another bonfire,” he leans into your hand, the soft smile on his face seemingly permanent. 

You shake your head, “your brother comes first tonight. He wanted a movie night.”

The words seem to shock Jack for some reason and he stands up fully, taking a step back, “I gotcha. Hopefully you come back around soon then.”

You slide off the counter, shorter than him all over again, and reach for your coffee mug, “I’m going to refill this and take Coolie down to the dock with me.”

You glance towards the living room and see the pup lift his head from the plush bed he was laying on. Jack looks over too and laughs a little. 

“We know who the favorites are here, huh?” He calls the dog who quickly scurries over. 

You refill your cup while he pets Coolie, smiling when you glance over at them. You’re struck with an odd sense of comfort from it and you give yourself an extra moment to watch. You don’t hesitate too long though, tossing a goodbye over your shoulder and leaving Jack in the one place that always led to trouble between you two. 

Jack hardly has a moment to breathe before Roman comes pounding down the stairs, a grin on his face. He didn’t hear a thing luckily, Jack can tell that much. Roman looks out the window above the sink, seeing you heading across the yard. He smiles a little and turns to Jack. 

“Did you ever think we’d end up together?” He asks, genuinely wanting his brother’s input. 

Jack winces, shrugging a little, “not really. We’ve all known each other so long and you two are so opposite. 

Roman nods, looking back out at you again, “yeah that’s fair. I feel like she’s been off the last couple months though.”

“She seems fine to me,” Jack defends you, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“I’m sure you’d know all about that. You’ve been hanging off her side all summer. Listen, I know you haven’t been single in a while but you don’t have to hang out with my girlfriend all the time.”

“Maybe if you treated her better she’d hang out with you more than me,” Jack argues back, kicking himself as soon as the words slip out. 

Roman’s jaw tenses for a moment, “you don’t know anything about how I treat her or our relationship.”

“I know a hell of a lot more than you think.”

He’s surprisingly calm as he says it, so much so that Roman even hesitates to think about it. Jack had been the one in a long term relationship and Roman usually talked to girls for a bit and moved on. He files that away for a different time to ask you how you felt about it. 

“I don’t want to sound like a dick,” Jack mumbles, “I hope that doesn’t come across wrong. You know you're my brother and I’d do anything for you.”

Roman nods, knowing he’d only said it with everyone’s best interest in mind, “no, you’re right I think. As much as I hate to admit that.”

Jack smiles at him finally and pushes his shoulder. Roman shrugs it off but knows what he needs to do before your movie night later that day. 

—

You should feel cozy. You’ve got comfy clothes on, you’re under a blanket on your own couch, and there’s a movie queued up and ready to play. Except Roman can’t seem to sit down and he’s all keyed up. You feel the emotions rolling off him and finally you snap. 

“Would you sit down? Or at least tell me what’s got you all worked up?” You sit forward, reaching for his hand. 

He looks over at you, seeming shy suddenly, “do you think I treat you okay?”

“Uhm,” you stutter, instantly taken off guard by his question. You think for a moment, trying to get your thoughts in order before you follow up, “what makes you think you don’t?”

“I was just thinking about it earlier today. You’d call me out on it if I wasn’t, right?” 

You nod slowly, “I mean I think so? It’s kind of an awkward thing to bring up to someone but I’d let you know.”

“Okay, good. You deserve to be happy so I want you to be treated well.”

You smile, feeling a little at ease when he finally sits down next to you. You settle into his side for the movie but your brain is spinning in overdrive. You’d heard murmurs from Jack when Roman does something to you that he doesn’t fully agree with. He wouldn’t have said anything though, would he? A week ago you would have said no way, but after the kitchen incident that morning… you weren’t sure of anything now other than the way your heart had flipped from Jack’s touch. 

—

The movie night ran so long that you and Roman ended up sleeping on the couch. The only reason you get up that morning rather than staying nestled in his arms is the fact you need a bathroom break immediately after waking. You’re careful to untangle from him and before you go back, you start a pot of coffee. It was better when you woke up to someone having it ready for you, but you were independent. You could do this. 

You end up staring at the pot as it brews, jumping when Roman comes behind you and wraps his arms around your waist. 

“I’m sorry,” he laughs, kissing your shoulder. 

You don’t put your hands over his arms like usual, but you do pat them for a second, “sorry, I was zoned out.”

“I see that. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“Too much,” you laugh, trying to play it cool. 

“You want to darty with some of the boys today?” He asks, letting you go and reaching for a cup to get water. 

“Not really,” you answer honestly, “I wanted to get some groceries and clean up around here.”

He frowns immediately, “why are you such a buzzkill? Why can’t we ever have fun?”

“Why do we always have to party, Ro? Why can’t we relax for one day? I can’t keep up with you,” you shake your head, instantly aggravated by his mood shift. 

You take a deep breath, finally losing your cool, “we haven’t even dated for three months, Roman, and all we’ve done is fight. What are we even together for if we can’t get along?”

You were tired of it. You were so tired of always fighting over differing opinions. You and Jack barely disagreed but his brother could hardly make it a week without an argument with you. Roman doesn’t expect the bluntness but he’d been asking himself the same thing lately.

“We do fight a lot, huh?” He sets the still empty glass down on the counter. 

You feel guilty then, knowing you shouldn’t have blown up like that, but you couldn’t hold it in anymore, “I’m sorry.”

He steps back over to you and turns you towards him, “no I’m sorry. I think we tried too hard to make this a thing when we should have just stayed friends.”

You nod, laughing a little, “of course the time we agree so easily is when we’re calling things off.”

Roman laughs too, shaking his head, “yeah, go figure. Is that what you want then? You want to go back to just friends?”

“I think it might be for the best. I don’t want to lose you as a friend, too.”

He pulls you into a big hug and you swear you couldn’t hold him any tighter. It’s an odd finish but you don’t feel any hard feelings from either side. He kisses the side of your head as he pulls away, giving you a gentle smile. 

“You know if you ever need anything to just call me, okay? I’m still here for you.”

“Thanks, Ro. Same for you,” you nod. 

He grabs the few things he had sitting around and slips his shoes on. An awkward wave is all he leaves you with and suddenly you’re all alone in your apartment, but you don’t feel alone. You feel an odd sense of calm instead as you go about your morning. You had no worries now. Well, none except for a certain brother of someone you’d just let walk out your door. 

—

You spend two weeks doing your own thing. Whatever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want. You saw friends more that week than you had all summer and you were out to eat at least half the days of the week. You were having fun and enjoying the last little bit of time before summer ended and the real world set back in. 

You felt amazing from the reset. It’s not that Roman had suppressed you by any means, but there was something about knowing you wouldn’t be fighting with anyone that made your chest feel lighter. 

You’re happily cleaning up after dinner, singing along to the song that played through your speakers, when your phone buzzes on the counter. Your heart always stops for a second before you check the name. Part of you may have hoped it was Jack, but in the two weeks since you’d had your moment that changed things in the kitchen you hadn’t heard anything. You figured things only changed for you and not him. You were silly to think you could go from one brother to the next. 

Your friend had texted you about brunch the next day and you quickly tap a reply before skipping the current song you had on. You finish loading the dishwasher and dry your hands on a towel, looking around to make sure your kitchen was all cleaned up. 

You’re about to pour another glass of wine when a knock on the door gets your attention. You pause your music and check the peephole, quickly opening the door when you see who it is. 

“Jack?” You're surprised, shocked even, but he smiles like there’s not a problem in his world. 

“Hi, stranger. Haven’t heard from you in a while,” he answers. 

“What are you doing here?” You question, not having expected him, but realizing you wouldn’t have wanted to see anyone else standing where he was. 

“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong? I heard what happened.”

His question has you reaching for him and pulling him inside quicker than you have time to think, “What could you possibly have done? If anything you got me to hang on longer than I thought I would.”

His worried expression doesn’t drop when you pull him in and he’s quick to shut the door behind him. 

“Hang on longer? To what?” He asks, a little confused but also trying not to get too excited about how quickly you’d reached for him.

“If it weren’t for you, I maybe would’ve given up the fight a little sooner than I did. But you always see the good in people and it made me want to see the good in my relationship, but then I realized maybe I was hanging on for the wrong reasons… for the wrong brother. I wanted to keep my ties with you as much as I did him.”

Jack is shocked by what you say but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy to hear it, “the wrong brother? That’s a big statement right there. Are you sure?”

The thought was scary and you had no clue what the fallout might be from it, but you knew you liked him. You liked being around him, spending time with him, and keeping each other company.

“I definitely picked the wrong brother I think,” you laugh nervously. 

He had every right to shoot you down. You had just broken up with his little brother after all. When you really thought about it, which you had been doing a lot lately, he was the one that was always looking out for you, making sure you were comfortable and happy, always someone who could make you laugh despite whatever had led to making you feel like you could cry. Jack knew the situation could be messy considering who you had just broken up with but he couldn’t deny that the way you fit in his life wasn’t something he was willing to give up.

He can’t help the little smile that comes onto his face even though you look so nervous you could cry, “I always knew Grant would win one of these days.” 

It’s so ridiculous that you do let out a couple tears but you’re laughing so hard you almost double over. Jack matches it, but starts to move a little closer until his hands find your hips. 

You take a deep breath and grab onto his arms, “would your mom hate me? I really miss her already.”

“I’m probably 99% sure my mom loves you more than any of her actual sons,” he shakes his head, but it wasn’t a lie. She thought the world of you, “you know she pulled me aside the other day after Roman told her about you guys. She said I needed to look out for you still.”

Your face shows the shock you feel but there’s something else with it too. A sense of excitement that you hadn’t messed up a major part of your life by dating a childhood friend and having it go wrong. 

“Oh she did?” You finally ask, smirking up at him. 

“That’s a troublemaker’s look if I’ve ever seen one from you. What are you thinking?” 

You shrug, but quickly look down at his lips before looking back up, “I can think of a few things.”

“I leave soon though. Two more weeks and I’m back to Providence,” he warns but neither of you pay attention to that. 

“Make it worth it then.”

“Oh I plan on it. Now we can actually do this without sneaking around in kitchens,” he smirks. 

You laugh and pull him closer, wrapping your arms around his neck, “no one I’d rather sneak around with.”

You knew it wasn’t ideal and you’d have to be careful with how fast things went but you knew he’d treat you the way you deserved. He’d always treat you better than anyone else.