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avaf00rd · 1 year ago

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Australian kinda Christmas

Leah Williamson x Arnold!Reader

ava what is that shitty header photo job…

tumblr fucked up its quality

anyways I’ve been thinking about writing this one for ages now

enjoy <3

——————————

“C’mon love” you groaned at your 10th attempt to get your girlfriend up from your Power Nap. You pair were already late as it is “Don’t you wanna shower before you can’t for a whole 24 hours?” You asked, her head still buried in the pillows. She stayed like that, contemplating for another second before getting up and heading to the bathroom “Don’t be long” you said before tapping her butt just as she opened the bathroom door.

You got a text from your sister Mackenzie telling you that she was already at her lay over flight and would be boarding again in an hour. This year you pair didn’t get the same flight over for the Christmas break. But it was the first year you would both be bringing your girlfriends with you.

You and leah had been together 4 years now. The second year you spent Christmas with Leah’s family, last year you and mac both went with your parents overseas for Christmas. And this year you would both be bring Leah and Kirsty.

Some how an hour and a half later you were just passing security only just and were going to get some small snacks for the plane. Leah, with the food palate of a 6 year old. Got some watermelon gummies “They help with feeling sick on the plane” she tried to convince you as you glanced over the packet she said was holding.

“4 years and not once have you been sick on a flight” you said

“The headaches” she shrugged and smiled at you. Of course you were gonna grab them off her and buy them for her. You grabbed some random chip snack you found at the front counter and shorty paid before handing the bag to Leah to put in her carry on. You were both absolutely beyond excited. This would be her 5th time in Australia, so she’s been heaps. But you would be staying at your family’s new place on the Gold Coast, QLD. You both sat in the lounge near your gate as you took a photo of Leah as she threw a Lolly into her mouth while smiling. Quickly adding it to your instagram captioning ‘see you soon 🇦🇺’

———

After 26 hours of travel. And your sleepy girlfriend who was currently clinging to your bicep as she slept. It was asked to put on your seatbelts as you went for landing. You slowly woke Leah up slightly so she would be ready for it.

You held hands as Leah started giggling about her funny dream. You looked out the window and squeezed your girlfriend’s hand extra tight as you saw the coastline of Australia.You squealed like a little girl due to your excitement as Leah pressed a kiss to your lips. “Welcome home love” she said before laying back in her seat. You took photos and sent them to your dad and brother to let them know you would be at GC airport in about 45 minutes so they could you pick you both up. You also texted your mum just out of excitement before putting your phone away.

Once you and Leah had gotten off the plane, you walked your tired asses over to the baggage collection. Before you felt someone tap your shoulder. You turned to find your smiling dad and brother. You quickly clung on to them both in a huge hug “oh how i missed you oh my gosh” you said into your brothers neck with a sigh of relief. You also felt small hands tug your sweat shorts, you didn’t realise one of your nieces would be here too.

“Hello beautiful girl!” You squealed pulling away from your brother as you picked up your niece and spun the giggling girl around.

“I missed you so much!” She said before quickly clinging to your neck.

“I missed you so much more” you smiled back. You hadn’t seen the small girl since the World Cup back in August.

You held her on your hip as you turned around to see your girlfriend finally hugging your dad and brother Sam with a big smile. After struggling to get both of your large suitcases off the conveyor belt while you had your mini family reunion.

“Aunty Lee!” You niece squirmed in your arms as you put her down so she could run to Leah.

“Hello you!” Your girlfriend smiled and she knelt down to give her a big hug. It melted your heart the way she was with your nieces.

Leah handed you your suitcase as you pecked her cheek before you rolled it out the airport with your smiling niece riding on top.

“Hello” you yelled out once your dad unlocked the front door to your parents home. You were met with your mum, 2 nieces, Mackenzie and Kirsty all rushing around the corner at the sound of the front door.

You and Leah gave all of them bone crushing hugs and chatted for a little while, had some of the left overs that was left from their dinner since you told them not to wait. It was already 10pm. It was convenient for your girlfriend and you so you could just get yourselves straight to bed.

——————————-

After multiple days of walks down on the beach, family dinners, more surfing lessons for Leah, lots of jet lag, swimming pools and relaxation for you and your girlfriend. It was officially Christmas Eve night and you couldn’t have been more excited if you had tried.

You, leah, Macca and Kirsty were all on the living room floor carpet wrapping presents. Everyone else was in bed. But the four girls in their twenties were not as prepared as everyone else and still had to do all their wrapping.

The holiday played on the TV in front as you had about 40 gifts to wrap for people. For everyone in your family besides the people in the room with you currently. “Stupid wrapping paper argh!” You groaned knocking your head back in frustration as the huge cut of wrapping paper you cut wasn’t large enough by a few centimetres.

“See you didn’t even need to get that gift in the first place” Leah laughed. As you were wrapping your 20th gift for your parents, you comepletely spoil them every year.

You dragged Leah around the large shopping centre to get more gifts for people. “Baby you bought your mum the same scent candle last year i remember you showed me” she grinned as you looked at the box before putting it in your trolley. “Yeah but it probs ran out. That’s the thing with candles lee” you debated back as she shook her head with laughter.

“Sorry I’m just so nice to the People i love” you said to her.

“And you absolutely are, beautiful. But I don’t think we will be able to get return flights anymore once we leave here” Leah said.

“I make alright money Leah Williamson. Plus if you think this is a lot wait till you open your presents.” You smiled at her

“There’s only just a few things I want” she grinned at you as you both walked to the car

“What would those be baby” you smirked back.

“You…and that pop corn machine thing I showed you”

“You showed me that just yersterday! How am I supposed to get that” You panicked. When it came to gifts you were amazing at giving them. Everyone knew that and got excited to receive one from you. If they weren’t perfect for them you would always worry.

“I’m only joking…” she laughed as she kissed your head “at the second one”.

Once you were finished you cuddled up next to Leah on the floor against the couch to watch the end of the movie. Before heading upstairs to your room “night love you” you yelled out softly to mac and Kirsty “goodnight!” They replied before shutting their door. Leah changed out of her normal clothes that she strangely got into after her shower earlier in the night.

“Please match baby” you pouted, sitting on the edge of the bed holding up the Christmas Pajamas that matched yours.

Leah laughed as she saw them, “when did you get those” she said before cupping your face and kissing the tip of your nose.

“Back in London. I forgot I had packed them. Anyways here” you shoved them into her chest with the wide smile of a toddler.

“Of course I will” Leah skipped away to her dresser to change quickly. You giggled getting under the sheets before Leah jumped on top of you just as you were leaning over to plug your phone in. You laughed as she wrapped her long arms around you and placed kisses all over you shoulder.

“I’m so excited to for tomorrow” you smiled looking down on her.

“Me too” the English girl replied as she rolled over so you could cuddle into her side. That’s how you slept every night. It was just the best way that your bodies melted into each other. “Love you baby” she whispered.

“Night beautiful” you smiled before drifting off to sleep.

——-

Christmas morning started with slow cuddles in bed with Leah before very hyper toddlers came running down the bedroom door. They had forced you to come downstairs because they weren’t allowed to “open presents until everyone is awake”.

Leah gave multiple gifts to everyone in your family. Even though she hadn’t met some of them heaps. You gifted Leah a new designer tote bag, some belt she wanted, 2 new Apple Watch bands, YSL perfume, and Tiffany earrings along with other small gifts. She spoiled you loads as well. You two spent a long phone call with her mum before lunch started.

The afternoon was still hot. As the rain cleared, you dragged Leah, your sister and everyone down to the beach.

You were putting on sunscreen in the long mirror in your room. Leah had just done up her bikini before coming up behind you “let me help” she grinned as you were reaching for your back for the sunscreen. You gladly let her as she took the bottle from you. She rubbed gentle circles into your back with the cream, you groaned when her hands made their way up to you shoulders.

“That’s nice” you breathed out as she massaged your back. She sent a grin to the mirror.

“Let’s go” she said before tapping your butt and heading out the door, sunnies on her head. You laughed to yourself as you followed her out. You carried two of your nieces the whole Walk down while talking with Leah and Kirsty. Talking about Kristy mewis’s new transfer to their club.

“I don’t want to jinx anything. But I had a dream last night I did my ACL” you blurted.

“What-“ Kirsty laughed as you said so

“That’s not funny” Leah said

“And then…I died from it. Is that possible?”

“No it’s not. And you’re not going to do your ACL alright?” Leah reassured

“Shit who’s done their ACL?” Mackenzie said catching up to all of you with your third niece on her shoulders.

“Maybe me”

“What!-“

“No!” Leah said putting her towel down in a mess on the beach. You jumped on macca’s back as she ran down to the water. Leah and Kirsty slowly following down after.

“Come here!” You yelled, arms wide open for your niece to jump into them as you took her to the deep end. Leah laughed taking a photo of you and the small girl. “Get in Lee!” You yelled out to her

“Yep soon hang on” she said typing something on her phone. You rose out of the water, putting the child in your arms down near Mackenzie as you ran up to your girlfriend. “No no no” she said backing away.

You somehow, caught up to her and threw her over her shoulder

“No no I have my phone y/n!” She yelled. You muzzled it out of her hand and slowly put in down on the sand next to you.

“Down we go” you sung. As you carried the laughing girl into the water. Before completely dumping her in fully.

“Your done” she huffed as she pushed the wet hair out of her face. You swam and hid behind your taller sister as she just grabbed you by the shoulders and placed you in front of her, right in target for Leah.

“Thanks” your girlfriend said before pushing your shoulders under. The water was actually cold for the humid weather outside.

————

It was late at Christmas night. Technically very early Boxing Day. And even though at 1am, there was light Christmas tunes playing on the radio tv.

Everyone including Leah was asleep in the house. You came down for a midnight snack. You had been for the past few nights here.

“Shockers” a soft voice was heard a long with footsteps. The presence of your older sister brought a smile to your lips. You stuffed the last bit of pavlova in your mouth. “Anymore of that?” She pointed to the dessert.

You just giggled implying you at the last bit. “Again shockers”

“Oi”

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a year”

“You never got back to me about meeting back in London. And you missed last camp” you implied

“I know sorry. Promise to try more”

“Stop you do try. You were just injured” you said softly as you poured both of you a water. “Are you planning on going with Kirsty to her family next year?” You asked curious.

“Yeah most likely I haven’t been there for Christmas before. What about you?”

“Yeah I’ll probs stay in London with Leah. I told you Caitlin brought Katie and Jordan here?”

“Yes. I’m shocked about Jordan. Not Katie. Oh I love her” she said sipping her water then refilling it

“They’re just really close as a three. Caitlin said today Sam is heading back to America in 2 days to go back with Kristie”

“Damn maybe she’ll finally feel jet lag for once. And did Caitlin call you?”

“Yeah. Just to say merry Christmas and all that”

“She didn’t call me” Mackenzie said joking in a sour way. You poked your tongue out at her as she yawned.

“Ok I’ll go back to bed. I’ve been up since 5”

“5?!”

“Yeah. The girls woke us up first. Proof I’m the favourite?”

“Maybe I’m the favourite and they just respect my beauty sleep more”

“Keep dreaming. Night. Get to sleep so your not cranky” you sister said, back to her bossy self. You heard more footsteps coming back down 1 minute later.

“Love come back to bed” said your love in a croaky voice. You turned to find Leah in her short Pyjama set and her hair everywhere.

“Hello. Looks like you slept well” you said pointing to the sheet marks left from her pillow on her check las you quickly pecked her all over her face.

“Yes I did. And I would like to get back to it. With you” she tugged you slightly back up the stairs.

“I think I’m still a bit jet lagged” you said as your body stayed leaning against the bench. Eating the strawberry punnet you grabbed out of the fridge earlier before.

“Ya think” she giggled now pulling out a kitchen stool to sit with you. The faint sound of The Christmas song by Nat King Cole was played over the radio.

“C’mon dance with me, then bed I promise” you put both your hands out the help her get up and slow dance with you.

“Only cause I get to sleep” she smiled taking your hands. You slowly started dancing with her as she put her head in the crook of her neck. The dance slowed into a long hug with each other’s embrace in the middle of the kitchen.

“I love you” you mumbled slowly into her hair

“Love you most. And again thanks for bringing me” she pecked your shoulder

“Wouldn’t miss the opportunity for the world”

——————

So this was supposed to come out ages ago. And it’s shorter than I hoped. But hope it was alright. Luv u all❤️🎄

#woso #arsenal women #caitlin foord #katie mccabe #auswnt #mackenzie arnold #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson imagine #leah williamson #leah williamson one shot #woso x reader #woso community #woso imagine #christmas #matildas #l

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ladykailitha · 1 year ago

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The Magic of Christmas Part 1/8

Here it is, guys! My first Christmas steddie story. It was a blast to write even though sometimes it was struggle to get words down being so close to the holidays.

Summary: Steve doesn't play D&D, not really. But he's been a fan of Eddie Munson's artwork for Wizards of the Coast for years. So after he inherits the business from his dad, he decides the best use of all his dad's money is spend it on a five piece painting for the Party of their characters fighting a purple dragon. So he hires Eddie to do the work, but because it's so labor intensive, Steve offers to pay all of Eddie's bills plus any expenses he has for the paintings. How is Eddie to say no to that, so he doesn't try. He also doesn't try not falling in love with Steve. Will Steve reject him or will Eddie get a little magic for Christmas?

Words: 17012 CW: none Rating: Teen for swearing mostly Relationships: Steddie, background Buckingham, Jancy, Eden/Argyle, Dustin/Suzie, Lumax, and a surprise later in the story. Mike and El aren't dating in this, but neither is Mike and Will. They're single.

Also, Steve comes off as mildly autistic in this. He's based on a lot of my own experiences, so I hope this doesn't scare you off.

Essentially this is Eddie falls first, Steve falls harder over the course of six months. June and July aren't strictly mentioned, but you know it's happening during those two months.

***

Eddie walked into the high rise office building feeling a little out of place. All right, maybe a lot of place, if he was being honest with himself.

Here he was in a faded leather jacket and ripped black jeans in an actual fucking glass elevator to the top floor.

The doors opened up to warm outer office. It was dark woods and deep reds and golds. He had been expecting it to look like the rest of the building. He skipped forward to the woman at the desk a little unsure if he was in the right place.

“Hey, um...” he began, tilting his head. “I think I might be in the wrong place. But I’m Eddie Munson and I have a two o’clock appointment with Steve Harrington?”

She blinked up at him in shock. “This is Steve Harrington’s office, let me look at the schedule. I vaguely remember him making sure I didn’t schedule anything for this time.”

Eddie handed her the card that had Steve’s name on the front and the date and time on the back. She took it from him and nodded. He bit his lip nervously as she fiddled with something on her computer.

“All right,” she said, “I do see that he has an hour of time blocked off, but let me call him.”

Eddie nodded.

“Steve,” she said into the receiver. “I have an Eddie Munson here for you.”

“He’s here?” Eddie could hear the excitement in the person’s voice. “Send him in!”

She smiled. “Will do.” She hung up the phone. “Looks you’re good to go.”

Eddie smiled back. “Thanks.” He leaned over the desk for a moment. “I’m guessing you don’t know what this is about anymore than I do.”

She shook his head. “Nope. But he sounds excited to see you so you should really do that.”

He nodded back and skipped over to the door where it swung open as he reached it. He turned back to her. “Neat trick.”

She grinned back.

Eddie walked through the door and found that the inner office was very much the same as the outer one. All warm and cozy. And...well. Friendly.

Behind the desk leaping to his feet to greet him was the most gorgeous human Eddie had ever laid eyes on. He had floppy dark golden hair with hazel eyes behind neat glasses. His smile was easy and infectious.

“Eddie!” the Greek Adonis in a smartly tailored suit said brightly, sticking his hand out to him. “I’m so glad you came. When I spoke to your agent I got the impression you don’t usually do commissions.”

He half shrugged taking the outstretched hand and shaking it. “It’s been a slow year and I don’t taking the odd commission when it intrigues me.”

Steve blushed. “I intrigued the great Eddie Munson, I’m flattered.”

Eddie raised both eyebrows. “I didn’t realize you were a fan of my work.”

Steve nodded eagerly. “Oh hell yeah. I managed to get a picture of that lovely mural you did to cover the gang signs in the neighborhood before the cops destroyed it.”

Eddie blinked. Well fuck. He didn’t realize anyone had known that was him.

“You didn’t tell the cops it was me, did you?”

Steve laughed, clear and bright. He sat down and gestured for Eddie to do the same. “Rule number one. Don’t tell cops shit.”

Eddie sat down with a thud. “That’s good to know.”

Steve grinned wickedly at him and pulled out a picture of the mural from his desk drawer. He handed it to Eddie for him to look at.

“Usually it’s on my desk,” Steve said. “But I didn’t want to come across as too much of a fan boy right away.”

Eddie ran his fingers over the glass. It was of a pack of wolves howling at the moon rising over a tall mountain range.

“It’s nice to see that it’ll be remembered in some small way,” he murmured.

“I’ve got an photographer friend who can make a copy for you if you’d like,” Steve said softly.

Eddie’s head shot up. “You’d do that?”

This time it was Steve that gave a little half shrug. “I mean I can tell it was important to you so...”

He grinned. “Thanks, man. So what’s this commission you’re wanting me to do?”

Steve blushed again. “Do you still do illustrations for Wizard of the Coast?”

Eddie’s jaw dropped. That’s where Steve knew his art from, fucking D&D? This day couldn’t get any weirder.

He cleared his throat. “Like, sometimes. Right now I’m not happy with them for trying to take the game away from little homebrew gamers like me and my friends. But yeah, beggars can’t be choosers.”

Steve nodded. “God, I wish we could go back to the days were stupid rich people would hire poor artists to paint for them for a year or whatever. Free paint, free room and board.”

“Lack of freedom of expression though,” Eddie laughed.

Steve laughed with him. “Not if you’re sleeping with the mistress of the house.”

Eddie laughed harder. “Sorry, I’d be more likely to be sleeping with the master than the mistress.”

Steve smiled with a little shrug. “I’d probably end up doing both if they were hot enough.”

Eddie’s eyebrows went up. All right, noted. “Though I suppose in the scenario you’d be the master, so you’d be sleeping with the artist and the mistress.”

Steve grinned. “Well that’s certainly true.”

Eddie needed to get this meeting to move on before he leapt over the desk to fuck this gorgeous man senseless. “You want to be paint something in my D&D style?”

Steve lit up and Eddie had bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying something stupid like how hot he found that look on Steve’s face.

“Yeah, I have these...” he said, “well they aren’t kids anymore. But they were when I first met them. They’re really big into D&D. In fact Dustin, the one I’m closest to is the one that got me into your art. They were so well done in the books and then found out you had a website and well...” he blushed. “I really liked the fantasy stuff.”

Eddie smirked. He knew exactly what Steve was talking about. There was a section on his website where you had to put in your credit card information to even view it. Did he know that kids stole their parents’ credit cards to view that part of his site? Sure. But at least it made sure most of the time that the viewer was over the age of eighteen.

There was more to fantasy then elves or dragons. Eddie smiled.

“Did you now?”

Steve blushed deeper. “Not that I want you to do that for this!” he said waving his hands. “They maybe adults now, I’m not that insane! But they have these characters that they’ve had since they were twelve and I was hoping you could paint them fighting a dragon. Especially a purple dragon. Because they are so cool.”

Eddie ran his tongue over his teeth thoughtfully. “What were you thinking in terms of size?”

Steve pulled out another picture and slid it over to Eddie. Eddie picked it up and looked at it. It was one of those wall paintings that were split into separate pieces but if put together it would form a cohesive picture.

“I was thinking 10x18 for the side pieces and 18x24 for the middle piece which would have the dragon,” Steve explained.

“And each of the side pieces would have a different character?”

Steve nodded. “I was wanting it by Christmas, would that give you enough time to do it?”

Eddie sat back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m mean, I guess. A month for each of the smaller ones and two months for the larger piece. It’s doable. If it’s the only thing I work on for the next six months. So I would require at least half the payment up front.”

Steve nodded and pulled out a piece of paper from a leather folio on his desk and handed it over to him.

Eddie started reading and was about half way down when he realized it was a contract. He usually had his own contract to give clients, especially for projects this big. But looking over Steve’s contract, not only was it better worded, it was a lot better offer for Eddie.

“Do you mind if I take this and show my agent before sign?” he asked.

Steve smiled. “No, of course not. Be my guest. In fact, I insist.”

Eddie relaxed. “Thanks!”

Steve ducked his head bashfully. “I really hope you’ll do it. You’re my favorite artist. Dusty’s too.”

Hoo-boy did Eddie know that look. It was the look of someone who was used to being shut down for their interests because they got too excited talking about it.

It was starting to look like regardless of what Chrissy thought about contract, he was going to do it. Because fuck, no one should have to feel like they were too much.

He stood up and shook his hand. “Is the end of the week okay?”

Steve’s head jerked up in shock. “What?”

“For the contract?” Eddie said, holding up the piece of paper.

“Oh!” Steve murmured. “Yeah. That’ll be a fine.”

Eddie got up and shook Steve’s hand. He walked to the door, but paused at the doorway. He turned back and tilted his head down and around. “You don’t have to limit yourself with me, okay? You can be yourself with me.”

Steve’s jaw dropped. “What? I don’t know what you mean...”

“The look on your face when you were talking about me being your favorite artist,” Eddie explained. “It’s something I see all the time with my friends and even myself. You close yourself off because you think you’re going to be shut down and told to shut up or at the very least dial it back. And I’m saying you don’t have to. Not with me.”

Steve blushed and ducked his head again. “You just want to me flatter the hell out of you.”

Eddie laughed. “I won’t deny that flattering works on me. But I mean it, okay? Don’t limit yourself. The people that mind don’t matter and those that matter won’t mind.”

Steve smiled. “Dr. Seuss. I’ll try to remember that.”

“See that you do,” Eddie said with a laugh. He tapped his hand on the door frame and then walked away.

He was almost to the elevator when the secretary said, “I heard what you said just now. About him not needing to hold back with you. Thank you.”

Eddie paused in his step. He whirled around and then skipped up to the desk. “You don’t need to thank me for that. He deserves to gush about the things he loves.”

“His parents would shut him up every time he would gush about anything,” she said. “Even sports. Which you would think would be the one thing that a boy should gush about, but nope.”

Eddie nodded. “Bastards.” He cocked his head to the side. “You are more than just his secretary aren’t you?”

She laughed. “Best friend and soulmate, Robin Buckley.” She stuck out her hand.

Eddie shook it with a wide smile. “Please to meet you. I’m guessing you’re president of the Steve Harrington Appreciation Society. Where can one sign up?”

Robin laughed. “Signing that contract will do the job I think.” She jutted her chin up at the paper in his hand.

He shrugged. “I got have my agent look at it before I sign anything. She’d murder me otherwise.”

“Fair.”

“See you around, Birdie,” Eddie said with a salute.

She frowned. “Birdie?”

He made a bird with his hands or at least tried with the contract in his hand. “Robin. Bird. Birdie.”

“Oh god,” she sighed. “You’re one of those.”

Eddie threw back his head and laughed. “Yup!” He skipped into elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor. He waved as the elevator lowered him down.

***

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk @a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #christmas #artist eddie #businessman steve #autistic steve harrington

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cheriladycl01 · 11 months ago

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Our European Yacht Holiday - Kimi Raikkonen x SpanishOlympicDiver! Reader

Plot: It's summer and Kimi finally is in his off season and you've just competed in the summer Olympics getting a gold medal, what better way to prepare for the next by going around Europe on holiday!

"Okay, are you doing this with me yes or no?" you ask Kimi whose to your left. You were currently on your husbands private yacht, in the off season of Formula one, you'd decided to sail round Europe. Right now you were currently in the seas of the coast of Monaco.

It was you, Kimi, Sebastian Vettel his wife Hannah and their three kids who you and Kimi were god parents too.

"No!" he exclaims looking over the edge of the boat. You shake your head with a laugh.

"Come on, your such a wuss!" you exclaim looking towards him. You were both currently at the roof of the boat. You'd been diving off all afternoon, practicing of course and Kimi had come up saying he wanted to jump off too.

"I am not!" he tells you.

"Come on, you drove cars at 200mph and now your saying you cant dive off the boat with me?" you ask him, you pull on your swimsuit strap to make sure it was fully up over you shoulder.

"It's so high, and it's really really deep here!" he says looking around. In actuality it wasn't that deep, you'd swam here many times and you'd also gone scuba diving and free diving as part of training to keep fit.

"Okay, well I'm going to jump!" you scream before diving into the deep water. You hold your breath just as your body goes into the water hands first soon followed by your head. The rush you felt from your body when you went diving was the whole reason you got into it in the first place.

It's the reason why most athletes love their job, that adrenaline you get when performing.

You resurface padding around by the edge of the boat.

"Y/N! Y/N! I want to jump in!" one of Seb's children says coming up to you. You smile and swim up to them.

"Yeah, is your dad okay with it?" you ask clinging onto the rope that dangled of the back of the boat while you were docked up.

"Daddy, can I jump in with Y/N?" they shout back to Seb whose laying on the upper deck on one of the sofa's with Hanna.

"Have you got your arm bands on?" he asks leaning over the edge, you wave up to him and he nods knowing you'd keep them safe.

"Yeah!"

"Then you can, but you listen to Y/N at all times okay?" he says before laying back down.

"You know, i want to be just like you!" he says, smiling at you. You grin back and wait for him to jump in but he looks a little scared.

"I'll catch you, you trust me right?" you ask and look at the little boy above you. He nods and gulps down the anxiety, he walks back a little before running and jumping into the water right into your arms.

You were an exceptionally strong swimmer due to all the diving you do so holding the little boy up while treading water was no issue.

"Did that look cool?" he asks in delight rubbing the salty water out of his eyes.

"The coolest! I'll teach you how to dive soon!" you grin, and you both swim about a little bit more. You show him how to snorkel using the little mask Hanna had brought and how he had to keep his head at a certain angle so that no water got in the tube. Eventually you hauled him up onto the back of the boat before climbing back on yourself.

Your husband was stood there holding a towel out for you knowing it was slightly cooler now the sun was setting. He placed a light kiss on the top of your head, waiting for Sebastian and Hanna to leave with their son up to the top deck.

"You are really good with kids, we should think about having one!" he says to you suddenly making your head turn to him.

"Yeah?" you ask with a little smirk on your face.

"I think you'd be able to teach them so much!" he smiles genuinely pulling you into a hug and another kiss.

"Come on, we better doc the boat, I'm starving!" you say, giving him once last kiss before running off and hoping down the stairs to shower and change into a nice evening dress.

Later that night, you all went out for a meal in one of Monaco's finest, and being such a small city you bumped into some of the other drivers who couldn't help but ask how you were.

You were sad to see Seb, Hanna and the kids leave but now you and Kimi could sail away to Greece, the next destination for your little holiday away.

y/user

Liked by kimimatiasraikkonen and others

y/user: Sailing across Europe, getting ready for Paris 2024 with the best people ever! <3

Tagged: kimimatiasraikkonen sebastianvettel hannaprater

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kimimatiasraikkonen: Are you proud i jumped in the end?

-> y/user: yes it took lots of convincing though! <3

-> landoswife: no because we need the story behind this

-> vettelredbullera: no for real, was she trying to get him to dive?

Your Instagram Story Caption:

He wouldn’t dive from the boat with me :(

Taglist:

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#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 #formula one #formula one fanfiction #kimi raikkonen x you #kimi raikkonen #kimi raikkonen x reader #kimi raikkonen imagine #kimi raikkonen one shot #kimi räikkönen x reader

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saturnbellfromhell · 19 hours ago

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Roasting your Moon Sign

Welcome back everyone to a little silly goofy post. I haven't been on the app for a long time because of my school, work and internship, but now I can proudly say I've finished a big chapter in my life and can't wait to be back writing, posting, chatting! Hope you all enjoy this easy-going post and don't take it to heart, it's just a fun time, not a serious time.

〰️ If you're easily offended by jokes and giggles don't read this post, most of my friends, family and people I know are some if these signs, so don't take it so far. In the end I will ne roasting myself as well. :)

➰️ARIES MOON

Why so explosive all the time? I know your emotions run wild, but being so dramatic won't get you anywhere. Take a nap sometimes will ya. No nobody thinks you're annoying all the time, just sometimes. We still love our divas.

➰️ TAURUS MOON

Sleeping again? Shopping again? Fighting over food with your significant other, aren't you? No, you can't get that puppy, you're too lazy to take care if it. Also, we get it, you love art and have the best taste in movies. You do have a nice decorated house, I'll give you that.

➰️GEMINI MOON

Yes, you're so different. Yes, we are all boring in your eyes. No, it's not cute to have an avoidant attachment style. Yes, your shoes are amazing, no, I wouldn't wanna go shopping with you. Why are you constantly buying new apps on your phone? Did you forget about your old friends again because you found a new group of people?

➰️ CANCER MOON

The moody bitch you are, always complaing about how stressed they are even though they cried 2 years ago. Do you always wake up and remember what food you didn't eat in a long time? I know for a fact you would be mad if I showed up at your house without an invitation. Do you also hate traveling because you're too scared to leave the safe place of your house or because you hate leaving your house?

➰️LEO MOON

We get it, you're always right. Yes you are loud yes you are annoying at times, but lovable aswell. Does everybody need to know your bf/gf treats you like a princess? Stop buying so much gold jewerly! You're moving in with a celebrity?

➰️ VIRGO MOON

So how was your day? No,no not work, not the new cleaning appliance you bought, how was your day? O the Turkish eggs at brunch were too cold when served and your dermatitis came back? And you deleted your "sad girl playlist? Damn that's harsh, but your eyeliner is still phenomenal, hope you have a good week even though I know you haven't had a normal week in a long time queen.

➰️LIBRA MOON

No I can't remember all your situationships, boy toys and playboys and wasn't Mark your ex in fucking elementary school, how'd you find him again? I know you're into pilates, you told me that 5 times already. No I don't want to get botox after 2 shots of tequila. Tramp stamp tattoos are cute, sure.

➰️SCORPIO MOON

Ok...yes your ex was a whore and that ex best friend really did lie to you. No don't get in your car and crash it into their house and than set it on fire and watch the flames feather out. Stop looking at me with those serial killer eyes! No, we will not stalk your boss because you think she's having an affair. Yes your knife collection is hot.

➰️ SAGGITARIUS MOON

We get it...you love porn. Yes we get it, you're so loose and easy going and so open and so talkative. No, blondy at the bar is not staring at you, she literally is sitting with her husband...You're moving to Malta? And you got a job in Thailand? And you're 2nd wedding is on the coast of rural Australia??

➰️ CAPRICORN MOON

Is your favorite movie still American Pyscho? O really, you still have the same routine as him, interesting. We get it, yes, you're an introvert. Yes people are gross, yes your cat is amazing. You got into Harvard Law?? On a random Tuesday and you got your Masters? Still fighting with your dad eh...yea, he's a cunt.

➰️AQUARIUS MOON

Can you stop being in your head for 10 minutes damn. And also can you stop talking about your feelings and just start you know...feeling them? Still trying to figure out why society is weird and you feel left out? You spent all your money on your library cards, are you serious..

➰️PISCES MOON

You broke up with your dismissive,back stabbing, crazy ex again? That's the 10th time this month. No, you don't love her, she's literally using you. No, we are not doing MDMA at a carnival to forget everything. Where have you been, why were you taking a walk for 5 hours?

That's all for now, hope you giggled a little. Love all my signs at the end of the day, we are all a little too much at times. Can you guess which I am...😅

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t4tlottie · 2 months ago

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I love the anon who sent thoughts about mermaid!Lottie because now I can't stop thinking about mermaid!Nat and looking at my moodboard of her

https://www.tumblr.com/theprismyyy/758982146787606528/mermaidnatalie-scatorccio?source=share

Mermaid! Natalie would definitely be a half-human child, as if her mermaid mother had gotten involved with her human father (I'm getting Merlia Summers in Barbie vibes). Maybe she could shapeshift into a human form like the girls in H2o, but she doesn't really do that... like, she lived part of her childhood as a human but it didn't work out for her, so she went to the sea where she feels most at peace.

Mermaid! Natalie has a golden orange tail like the girls in H2o...maybe with slight purple patterns that are kind of chromatic, because I imagine each of the girls having different colored tails. The colors of mermaids' tails can indeed be repeated and I think the most common color would be navy blue, while the rarer colors would be orange/gold (like Nat's), slightly grayish purple with details in shades of white and baby blue (like Lottie's) and green with details in blue and purple (like Shauna's, her tail would be similar to Ariel's).

Mermaid! Natalie whose main fun is to make fishermen's lives hell, but not just any fishermen, for example she doesn't do anything to those who do it respectfully, without dumping trash and respecting marine life, without catching more than necessary and stuff like that... now, she loves to make the lives of illegal fishermen a complete hell :)) she's just a little devil with a tail who will tear their nets, pull their fishing rods so hard that they can't pull back and they break or get released, sometimes she just takes the bait off the hooks and leaves them there like idiots😭 she would also scare away the fish nearby and steal any item left on the edge of the boat while they were distracted ;)

Mermaid! Nat likes to peek at the coast of islands and watch people hidden, she finds it fun and I can easily see her appearing to some poor unsuspecting child who was watching the sea😩 she would first scare the child by suddenly emerging from the water, but soon she would start talking to him and stuff :))) some children leave crying with the scare, others leave totally enchanted screaming for their parents to warn them about the "magical mermaid", others are little cheeky ones who engage in a fun conversation with her and ask to touch her tail after promising not to tell anyone <3 in all cases she has so much fun with these little pranks.

Mermaid! Natalie would also steal items forgotten on the sides of any other boat, like a silly hat left by a snobbish old lady on the side of a speedboat :))) Does Nat need this? No, but it's fun and there's always something that ends up interesting some of the girls.

I'm a huge fan of H2O: Just Add Water and I can't stop thinking about this whole AU taking place in the same universe as the series, just in a different time... maybe modern?? Whatever, but think about all the mermaid girls living in the dormant volcano pool on Mako Island😩😩😩 imagine that still around the island there is an entrance to a much larger sea cave that is where they actively live and it's so big and cool<3

Something like this, but completely decorated by the girls with everything they find cool or interesting:

I love mermaids and I clearly got excited

YESYESYES!!! mermaid nat my beloved <3 mermaid nat whose tail can change colors based on how she's feeling? like when you first spotted her, she was kinda surprised and shy, so her tail blushed with hot reds and dark oranges.

maybe reader whose dad is one of those fishermen nat hates??? you go along with him one morning because you really have nothing better to do and you HAVE been wanting to fish for some time. she spots him and scowls, but she tilts her head curiously when she notices you. i think she'd still fuck with you a lil, probably splash some water or hold onto the hook and suddenly let it go so you stumble 😭 but she's just a menace with your dad. he definitely ends up in the water at one point. thinking of spotting her while you're cleaning up and kinda just staring at each other for a moment before she scurries away.

and UR SO REALLLL i loved h2o as a kid bro.....literally top 10 shows ever. thinking about scuba diver!reader who somehow gets injured underwater near the cave and mermaid nat who rescues you!!! dragging you by the fins too because she's kinda apprehensive. maybe she was supposed to be out looking for food and the yjs joke about how it's too early to resort to humans when she brings you 😭 they all help put you on the surface and try to fix your wound, and nat kinda gets attached? idk. thinking of her slapping the other girl's hands away when they try to touch your face or arms because maybe they've never been this close to a human and are curious.

GAHHH. thinking about dates with her in the cave???? nat shoving all the girls out because ur swimming over 😭 bringing a lil picnic basket and a towel to put on the sand so you can lie on ur belly and face her since she'll be in the water and you on the surface. she'd probably decorate the cave with whatever she could find in the ocean and it's so cozy and cool looking 😞

okok i remember the full moon like fucking with the girls powers in the show..... mermaid!nat who turns into a SIREN during the full moon????? thoughts??? suddenly she's so clingy and possessive and maybe she goes onto the surface for the first time in years just to show up at your house.

#theprismyyy #mermaid nat #natalie scatorccio thoughts 💭#natalie scatorccio x reader

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the-yandere-arcade · 2 months ago

Text

family information

Yandere Emperor Quentin comes from a long like of emperors and empresses dateing back hundreds of years. His father passed some time ago his name was Tyson His mother is still alive though very old her name is Esme. She is a very sweet women and will give you tips on things her son likes He also has two younger sisters twin girls called Daisy and Delia . They are identical in all ways but Daisy has a beauty mark under her left eyes whilst Delias beauty mark is above her lip

he is very close with his sister's and has been known to let them do his makeup and paint his nails something his darling will never know.

Yandere detective Xavier comes from a poor background he only knew his mother and was an only child. So he doest have much family His mother is a hardworking siren known for being the most successful on their hunts for sailors her name is Heather . She raised Xavier on the coast of Australia a place where she deemed safe enough to raise her young son.

Yandere Model

West doest have any family . He was born to teen parents who gave him up when he was five as they couldn't look after him of course back then he was a girl. He moved from foster home to foster home never being able to settle anywhere. He came out as trans when he was 13 , but that was often ignored by his foster family's. He aged out the system at 18 and has worked hard to get where he is at today.

There is one person he classed as a brother despite them not being related and that's his best friend Ryan (oc). The two of them are very close despite being total opposites West being a famous model whilst Ryan is a professor but despite and the fact they are not related in their eyes they are brothers.

Yandere online friend

Domino is the complete opposite of West. He has a big family, with 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

His father is a hardworking business man by the name of Recce

His papa is a man with a heart of gold names Eric His oldest sister is a force to be reckoned with who is called June. His other sister is very much like there papa she is called April. His oldest brother is a musical loving man by the name of Alexander. His other brother is the typical nerdy kid by the name of Chase. His youngest sister is a sweet ten year old who loves dolls by the name of May.

Yandere Bully

Tyler has a smaller family he lives with his Dad and twin brother. His dad is mostly absent being a pilot means he is away most of the time . His name is George. His twin brother is the opposite of him. He is more of the nature type who is always found in mud looking at different animals . His name is Robin

Yandere serial killer

Angel can't remember his family , he doest know them but he has two 'adopted' brothers. They share the cave together and are all killers Lucifer (oc) is a deer hybrid who befriended Angel around 500 years ago and they have always called themselves brothers. Levi (oc) is the last brother . He is a cat hybrid who was picked up by Lucifer , levi was raised by angel and Lucifer since he was only a toddler when he was found. They all class eachother as brothers and looks after eachother

sorry for the late post I got a throat infection so I am struggling to breath and all that

#yan #yancore #yande.re #yandere #yandere oc #yanblr #yandere x ftm reader #yandere x male reader #yandere x reader #yandere headcanons #Yandere oc headcannons #Yandere serial killer - Angel #Yandere bully - Tyler #Yandere detective - Xavier #Yandere Emperor - Quentin #Yandere model - West #Yandere online friend - Domino

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jjmaybankswh0re · 2 months ago

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𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 ~ 𝐎𝐁𝐗 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂

Part 2!

Blurb ~ Kalani thought Midsummers was the hardest thing to shake, but the Pogues’ new adventure plunges them into deeper chaos. Sunken boats, cryptic messages, and John B’s quest for gold lead them to the eerie Crain house, a place steeped in dark legends. As tensions rise, especially with John B’s kiss with Kiara, secrets and dangers unravel.

The revelation that Ward Cameron is John B’s guardian shakes the group, but they press on, following a map to the Crain property. Amid creepy tales and an overgrown yard, Kalani takes a fall, and JJ’s unexpected concern sparks a new, unspoken connection between them. As the mystery deepens, so does the strange bond forming between them, unnoticed but undeniable. ~

Read part 1!

Master List

Word count: 10,011

I woke up groaning, my head pounding, the dull red glow of my digital clock screaming 7:34 AM. Way too early for someone who spent the night tangled in chaos. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling, but the memories of last night wouldn’t let me rest. They played over and over, each one a knot in my stomach.

After ditching the suffocating Midsummers party—and good riddance—the Pogues and I headed to Rixon’s Cove. That’s where we belong, not at some Kook circus with crystal champagne glasses and fake smiles. Kie showed up, too, leaving behind her “perfect” world for the one that actually matters. We all just wanted to chill by the bonfire, forget everything for a bit. But, of course, John B had other plans.

He told us he’d made another discovery about his dad. Another one. Ever since Big John disappeared, John B’s been on a mission, collecting clues like his life depends on it. And maybe it does. His dad’s been gone nine months. Nine months of nothing—no calls, no sightings, just silence. Two months ago, the cops decided to close the case. Told him to sign the papers and declare his dad officially dead. He refused, obviously. Said he wasn’t going to let them write the final chapter when he wasn’t even sure the story was over.

For the longest time, I thought it was just his way of coping. Building theories, imagining his dad out there somewhere, alive. We all did. But last week, something happened. Something real.

It started right after Hurricane Agatha. We took the HMS Pogue out, exploring the marsh, and that’s when we saw it—a sunken boat. A Grady White. It was shiny, new, and way too expensive to be floating half-buried in the mud. Seeing it there, abandoned, gave me chills. It felt wrong, like a secret begging to be uncovered.

Curiosity got the better of us. Of course it did. We dove into the murky water, swimming down to see what secrets it held. John B stayed down the longest, and when he came back up, he wasn’t just holding his breath. He was holding a motel key. The kind with a plastic tag and a room number, straight out of some shady movie.

Not just any motel key either. It belonged to the one motel on the island, the kind of place people go when they don’t want to be found.

We thought about calling it in—reporting the boat to the Coast Guard—but when John B tried, they didn’t even let him talk. Told him to get lost. That’s when we decided to handle it ourselves. We went to the motel, figuring out which room the key opened. Me, JJ, and John B snuck in while Pope and Kiara covered for us. Inside was like something out of a crime novel. A safe with stacks of cash, a gun, and an aura that screamed don’t trust this. JJ claimed the gun immediately, of course. It’s JJ.

We didn’t have much time to process what we’d found before the cops showed up. And not just any cops— Shoupe and that other lady he is always with, the ones who seem more interested in us than in actual criminals. We barely made it out, slipping through the shadows and running like hell.

Later, we learned the boat belonged to Scooter Grubbs, a guy who had no business owning something as fancy as a Grady White. A dirtbag who always seemed broke but suddenly had cash to burn. And now, he was dead, found after the hurricane.

After the body of Scooter Grubbs was found floating in the marsh by a fisherman, everything shifted. The cops suddenly perked up, acting like they cared about what was going on out here on the Cut. They were out there now, combing the marsh, looking for the sunken boat we’d already found. But so far? Nothing.

It’s almost laughable, the way they stumble around trying to piece things together. We’d been there, seen it with our own eyes, touched the secrets buried beneath the surface. But we can’t say a word. Not now.

We went back to the marsh to find the sunken Grady White the cops were searching for. JJ convinced John B to steal scuba gear off Ward Cameron’s yacht, The Druthers. Since John B works for Ward, he could sneak it out without raising suspicion. Once we got to the wreck, John B dove down and returned with a duffel bag.

On the way back to the Chateau, we noticed a boat tailing us. At first, we thought it was nothing, but when they started shooting, panic set in. We pushed the HMS Pogue to its limit, speeding through the marsh, but they wouldn’t back off. Kiara saved us by throwing a fishing net into their propeller, giving us just enough time to escape.

Back at the Chateau, we opened the duffel bag, and out fell an old brass compass—John B’s dad’s compass. It felt like a gut punch. Why did Scooter Grubs, a random fisherman, have something so personal to Big John? John B showed us a hidden compartment in the compass with “Redfield” carved into it, written in his dad’s unmistakable handwriting. It wasn’t random. It was a clue.

A few days later, John B and JJ went to see Lana Grubs, Scooter’s widow, hoping for answers. When they arrived, the same men who’d chased us were tearing apart Lana’s house, demanding something Scooter had. After they left, John B and JJ found Lana in bad shape. When John B asked about the compass, her fear was palpable. She told him Scooter didn’t have the compass and warned him not to let anyone know he did.

John B made the connection between the name “Redfield” and his great-great-great-aunt, Olivia Redfield, whose tomb was hidden in an old graveyard on OBX. We followed him there, through a maze of crooked stones, to a weathered grave. John B found a crack in the stone tomb, climbed inside, and emerged with a small parcel addressed to him from his dad.

Inside the parcel was a voice recorder and a map of the coastline. John B clicked play, and his dad's voice crackled through the tiny speaker: "There she is, kid, the Royal Merchant."

The map had a black "X" marked near the lighthouse, a few miles off the coast. The Royal Merchant is one of the most famous shipwrecks in history—sank with $400 million worth of gold. And John B's dad had been part of the search for it. He found it. Not the gold, but the wreck itself.

Then last night, at Rixon's, John B dropped the bomb that he was meeting Sarah to get an old plat map from her. He’d found a letter from Denmark Tanny, and he explained that if we could get an original map of the island, we’d be able to find the location of the gold. But then he blindsided us with news about Sarah, and Kiara lost her cool—honestly, I couldn’t blame her. That whole mess got worse when we went to the Hawks Nest, where John B and Sarah had planned to meet up. He told us to stay back, wanted to do this on his own. Bad move.

Topper—drunk after Midsummers—decided to push John B off the top of the Hawks Nest. I heard Sarah scream for help, and we ran from the Twinkie, straight to her. John B was unconscious, laying on the grass, and out of nowhere, Sarah kissed him. It was like everything stopped for a second, and then we had to rush John B to the hospital.

Now, it’s 7:34 AM on Saturday, and I can’t shake the images of last night from my head. The chaos, the danger, and the way everything’s unravelling. I keep replaying it all, wondering how much longer we can keep this up before everything falls apart.

I could already feel the weight of the inevitable lecture coming my way from my parents after ditching Midsummers last night, so I had to get out of there before they even had a chance to wake up. I rolled out of bed. I grabbed a white halter top with a low V-neck that hugged my chest, then flared out loosely at the waist. It’s the kind of top that’s cute but still feels laid-back enough for my usual chaos. I pulled on a pair of distressed denim shorts in a dark wash, the kind that were perfectly worn-in and a little frayed at the edges. To finish it off, I slipped on my dirty, worn Converse high-tops—comfortable and a little beaten up, just like me.

I kept the jewellery from Midsummers on, each piece a reflection of a world I was born into—polished, perfect, and just a little too much.

I adjusted the gold necklace with the small sun pendant, feeling it rest against my collarbone like a quiet symbol of something I couldn't escape.

I reached for my perfume, Good Girl Blush Elixir by Carolina Herrera. It was my scent, the one that lingered with me long after I’d left a room. I spritzed it on my wrists, neck, and behind my ears, the soft floral notes a small comfort in the chaos of my thoughts.

Slipping my phone into the back pocket of my denim shorts, I glanced around my room one last time. With a sigh, I stepped out into the upstairs hallway, trying to shake off the lingering tension from the night before and whatever was coming next.

I slid into my car, the engine purring to life as I made my way to the chateau. I had no idea if John B was home, but JJ would probably be there. He usually was. His home life was a disaster—his dad Luke, a piece of work, always causing trouble—and so JJ spent most of his nights crashing on the pull-out sofa bed in the chateau's living room. It was his escape.

When I pulled up to the chateau, everything was eerily quiet. No music, no voices, just a hollow stillness hanging in the air. It felt off. John B always left the back porch door unlocked, so I figured I’d let myself in. I walked around the old, creaky shack to the back porch and made my way up the stairs. The door gave a protesting groan as I pushed it open slowly, peering inside.

The familiar sight of the kitchen and living room hit me. A chaotic mess—empty beer cans, fast food wrappers, half-smoked joints scattered about like confetti from some never-ending party. I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me with a soft click.

My eyes drifted to the living room, landing on the pull-out bed where JJ was sprawled out, deep in sleep. Told you. He was shirtless, his chest rising and falling gently as soft snores escaped his parted lips. His body was tangled in the sheets, half in, half out, like he hadn’t even bothered to get under them properly.

I reached over and tapped JJ lightly on the back. "JJ?" I said, my voice soft but insistent.

He groaned in response, shifting on the bed with a disgruntled frown as he rolled over, still half asleep.

"What?" His voice was thick with sleep, a little annoyed but nothing I hadn’t heard before.

I rolled my eyes, sitting down on the edge of the pull-out bed, careful not to get too close. "Where’s John B? Is he still at the hospital?" I asked, glancing at him while he kept his eyes shut, barely acknowledging me.

“Yeah, Sarah’s probably with him,” he muttered, throwing his arm over his eyes like he was trying to block out the world.

I hummed, a small frown on my face as I started absentmindedly fiddling with the rings on my fingers. "Kie was so pissed last night," I said, more to myself than to him.

“Mhm,” JJ mumbled, sounding like he was on the edge of falling back asleep. "John B’s in a lot of trouble."

I couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. "Yeah, a lot. You think Topper caught them kissing up there or something?" I asked, half-curious but also just trying to distract myself from the mess of it all.

JJ gave a lazy nod. "Probably. I mean, Sarah is cheating on him," he said, like it was the obvious conclusion.

"Yeah, she is," I replied, my voice quiet as I processed it. I hadn’t even made the connection until now, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. “Well, John B is fucked,” I muttered, feeling the weight of it. He had no idea what kind of mess he was about to be in.

JJ sat up, dragging a hand down his face, his movements slow, almost reluctant. “You know, John B kissed Kiara a few days ago,” he muttered, like it was just another piece of gossip. But the way his gaze darted to the floor right after? That gave him away. He wasn’t supposed to tell me that.

I froze, staring at him as the words sank in. My jaw dropped, and before I could even think, the word was out of my mouth—loud, sharp, and disbelieving. “What?!”

JJ flinched when my voice shot through the air, his hand coming up defensively. “Jesus, Lani,” he muttered, shooting me a half-hearted glare before looking away. “Yeah, they kissed. But Kiara shut it down, told John B she didn’t like him like that.”

My jaw stayed slack as I tried to process it, the room feeling too small all of a sudden. Kiara shut it down. That sounded like her—always knowing exactly what she wanted, or in this case, what she didn’t want. But still... John B had kissed her?

I rolled my eyes, letting out a dry laugh that barely masked my disbelief. “So, in the last week, John B has kissed Kiara and Sarah?” I said, mostly to myself, the words dripping with sarcasm as I pieced it all together. “Lovely.”

“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone I told you that,” JJ said, pointing at me with a sharp look, his face uncharacteristically serious. “Seriously, Lani. If John B finds out I told you, or if Kiara finds out John B told me—” he shook his head for emphasis—“they’ll both kill me. And you too. So shut your mouth, got it?”

"Your secret’s safe with me, JJ," I said, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. But honestly, it was true. I wasn’t about to go telling anyone about this.

JJ nodded, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips, clearly relieved that I wasn’t going to spill the beans about John B and Kiara. He swung his legs off the side of the pull-out, stretching as he let out a loud yawn that echoed through the room. I barely had time to process it before my phone buzzed in my back pocket, the sudden vibration making me jump a little.

I pulled it out and saw the notification: a message from John B.

John B: Meet @ the wreck, now.

Kalani: You're alive? Thank God.

John B: Yeah, yeah. Just get your ass here, it’s important.

Kalani: K, omw.

I slid my phone back into my pocket and looked up at JJ, who was still sitting next to me, his expression expectant.

"John B just messaged," I said, "He wants us to meet him at the wreck."

JJ raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "What? Why?"

I shrugged and made a half-hearted "I don't know" sound, then got to my feet. "He said it was important, so put a shirt on and let’s get outta here."

He let out a small groan, but stood up anyway, stretching his arms. He grabbed his shirt from the pull-out and pulled it over his head. It was an old, worn blue muscle tee, faded with the logo of the marina, and definitely showing its age. As he adjusted his cap backward, I stood up and walked toward the door.

I stepped outside, walking around the chateau and to my car. The morning air was sticky with humidity, but it wasn’t enough to deter me. I leaned against the car, crossing my arms as I checked my phone again. I wasn’t sure what John B had gotten himself into now, but with the way things had been going lately, I knew it couldn’t be good.

A few minutes later, I saw JJ round the corner of the chateau. His shirt was on, cap in place, and he wore those black worker boots of his, the rolled-down black socks barely visible beneath them.

I looked up at JJ, giving him a smile before opening the drivers side door and getting in. I slid into the driver’s seat, feeling the familiar cold leather beneath me as I stared at the dashboard of the Audi Q3. Every time I get in this car, it’s like stepping into another world—a world that isn’t mine. The high-tech touch screen, the sleek leather, the polished chrome details—it all feels so... perfect, like it’s meant for someone else. Someone who’s not me.

I never asked for this car. When my parents first asked me what I wanted for my 16th birthday, I had it all planned out. I told them I’d pay for half of a second-hand car myself. I’ve been working at the boutique in town since I was 14, and I’ve saved up a good chunk of change. Enough to cover at least half of a decent, second-hand ride. I didn’t care about fancy new cars or anything. As long as it had Bluetooth, I’d be fine. But they shot that idea down without even letting me finish. No explanation, just “No.”

So, imagine my surprise when I walked outside on my birthday and saw this Audi Q3 sitting in my driveway like it was a joke. It wasn’t a joke. It was their idea of a gift. A fully decked-out, brand new, high-end car that felt like something straight out of a Kook’s playbook. I stood there in complete shock for a moment, staring at it. What was I supposed to do with this thing?

I was grateful, in a way. I mean, who wouldn’t be grateful for a brand-new Audi, right? But the thing is, it wasn’t what I wanted, and it wasn’t what I needed. It was theirs, not mine. It was a Kook car, and no matter how grateful I tried to be, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong in it.

But what could I do? My parents, with their Kook mentality, had decided this was the car for me, and honestly, I felt like I couldn’t even say no. They’re the ones who pay the bills, and they’ve always overdone everything for me, in ways I didn’t ask for. So, here I am, driving a car that feels like a constant reminder that no matter how hard I try to fit into this world, it’s never really going to be mine.

JJ slid into the passenger seat and tossed his cap onto the dashboard with a loud thud. "Nice car, kook," he said, his grin wide as he slammed the door shut.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "Don’t start," I muttered, hitting the button to start the car—no key, just a button, because of course, that’s how these things work.

JJ chuckled, watching me with an amused glint in his eyes. I unlocked my phone and connected it to the car’s Apple CarPlay system, the sleek head-up display flashing on. I handed the phone to JJ, Apple Music already open. Yeah, I know, Apple Music is kind of lame, but it’s what my parents pay for, so I use it.

“Here, you can pick the music,” I said, leaning back into the seat as I shifted the car into reverse, slowly backing out of the gravel driveway.

He raised an eyebrow as he scrolled through my playlists. "What the—why do you use Apple Music?" JJ asked, swiping through the endless options of songs and playlists.

I shrugged, not caring enough to explain further. “Dude, I don’t know. It’s what my parents pay for.” I turned the wheel, heading down the street toward the main road that would take us to The Wreck.

He laughed, tossing a quick glance at me. “Your parents are rich as fuck. They’d probably pay for Spotify too.”

The first notes of “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon started blasting through the speakers.

I shook my head, laughing a little. “Yeah, they probably would,” I said, the irony not lost on me. It’s not like I had a say in any of it, but sometimes, I guess you just roll with the punches.

The rest of the car ride was mostly silent, with JJ selecting a few songs while I hummed along, my mind running through everything that had happened. JJ tossed in a joke here and there, and I half-smiled, half-rolled my eyes at his usual antics. It was easy to get lost in the familiar rhythm of the drive, especially with everything else weighing on my mind.

The Wreck was the only halfway decent restaurant around OBX, though Kiara’s parents owned it, which meant it wasn’t exactly our go-to place. They didn’t love the Pogues, and we definitely didn’t fit into their “upscale” crowd. But it was still a good spot, and the tourists made it a cash cow for them.

I pulled into the parking lot, which was still mostly empty since it was only about 9 AM. The only other cars I could spot were the Twinkie (obviously), Kiara’s car, Pope’s truck (the one he borrows from his dad), and a few other cars that were probably from customers already inside. I parked the Audi, the engine quieting as I cut it off, then turned to look at JJ.

He glanced back at me, that familiar smirk tugging at his lips.

“Ready?” I asked, my voice casual, though I was already feeling the tension start to creep in.

He gave a quick nod, then jumped out of the car without saying anything else. I followed behind him, my footsteps heavier, though I didn’t rush to catch up. JJ never waits for anyone, and today was no exception.

The inside smelled like coffee and fried food, a little bit of the greasy, touristy charm The Wreck had going for it. I spotted John B, Pope, and Kiara sitting at a table by the window, and JJ slid into the seat next to John B without a word. Kiara’s face immediately tightened into a scowl, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. I didn’t blame her; I was feeling it too. I took the seat next to her, not saying anything yet, just waiting for John B to drop whatever news he had.

John B cleared his throat and looked around the table, like he was about to give us a serious briefing. He had that look in his eyes, the one that said something was coming, and it was going to change everything.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here, I need to fill you in on something,” John B said, his voice heavy.

The rest of us leaned in, our attention on him, trying to read his face. I caught a glimpse of the cast on his arm, a reminder of how close we had all come to losing him last night.

“So, Ward Cameron has signed papers to become my legal guardian… foster parent thing, I’m living at Tannyhill” John B said, his words cutting through the room like a knife.

For a second, no one said anything. My stomach dropped at the thought.

I glanced at Kiara—she looked like she was about to explode, her jaw clenched so tight I thought it might snap. I couldn’t blame her. We were all trying to process it. Ward Cameron, of all people, now had some kind of power over John B? My heart was pounding in my chest. This was bad, really bad.

Kiara’s voice snapped through the air, dripping with frustration. “I’m sorry. You’re staying where?” she demanded, her eyes wide as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Tannyhill,” John B replied, like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Kiara shot him a look, her eyebrow raised. “So, you’re living with Sarah Cameron?” she pressed, not letting him wiggle out of the question.

John B raised his hand to his forehead, rubbing it like he was trying to ease the headache coming on. “Okay, look, the only reason I’m staying there is because her dad bailed me out, all right? And it’s better than foster care, which, by the way, I was about to end up in if Ward hadn’t—”

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Pope cut him off, leaning back in his chair with that smirk of his. “So, do you have a membership to the clubs now? You, uh, joining the country club scene or what?”

I had to bite my lip to hold back a laugh. I glanced at JJ, and I could see he was trying to keep a straight face too. Kiara, however, was all business. No smile, no joke—just that hard, focused expression she wore when she was trying not to lose it.

John B’s patience was wearing thin. He shook his head. “I don’t know, Pope,” he muttered, voice laced with annoyance.

JJ jumped in with his usual teasing. “What about those little golf carts they get to drive around? You get one of those?”

I had to look down at my feet to hide the grin forming on my face. JJ’s timing was perfect.

Pope wasn’t done either. “Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?”

Kiara rolled her eyes, sitting up straighter in her chair, clearly over it. “Look,” she said, her voice level but tight, “you promised.” She shot John B a pointed look. “You said you weren’t with her.”

John B froze. He’d been knocked out cold the night Sarah kissed him, so he had no idea that Kiara had seen it. He was totally oblivious to the tension in the air.

JJ gave him that look of disbelief. “Bro, just own it. She gotchu,” he said, grinning like he knew exactly what was going on.

I couldn’t help but feel the same. “Look, if you want to hang out with her, that’s fine,” I added, my tone casual but carrying that edge of “don’t drag me into this.” I wasn’t about to get caught up in Sarah Cameron’s mess.

Kiara gave me a sharp look of agreement. “Me and Kalani aren’t doing anything with Sarah,” she said firmly, and I nodded, my lips pressed together. There was no way in hell I was involving myself in anything that had to do with Sarah Cameron.

John B, finally starting to get irritated, rolled his eyes. “Do you guys see her here?” he asked, looking around The Wreck. “No, right? Okay, can we focus here for a second?” He motioned to the table in front of Pope, where an old plat map was spread out. “We’ve got the map, right?” It was the one John B must’ve gotten from Sarah, all folded and crinkled at the corners like it’d been carried around for a while.

“It’s all outta whack ‘cause the guy was ganja’d when he drew it,” JJ says, casually tossing out his explanation like it was the most logical thing in the world.

I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. “It’s ‘cause the coast has changed,” I corrected, the words coming out a little sharper than I intended.

JJ blinked at me, his mouth opening slightly in a surprised “ooh” kind of way. He gave a nod, clearly playing it off like he knew that, like he wasn’t a second away from looking clueless. “Right… duh, I totally knew that” he muttered, as if trying to save face.

Pope, never missing a beat, leaned over the map with a furrowed brow. “So, we just have to look for landmarks that haven’t changed,” he said, analysing the worn-out map with a serious focus.

John B, who had been staring at the map with a look of frustration, suddenly brightened. “What about the old forts?” he asked, pointing to a section of the map where the fort sites were marked.

“Battery Jasper,” Kiara piped up immediately, her finger tracing the spot on the map. She didn’t hesitate for a second.

I leaned forward, glancing at the map to make sure I wasn’t missing anything important. The landmarks around here were all familiar in a way—places we had all been to a million times.

We all crammed into the Twinkie, the familiar creak of its ancient hinges and the hum of the engine filling the air as we drove out toward Battery Jasper’s lookout spot. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts as we bounced along the uneven roads toward Battery Jasper. The faint smell of salt air hit us as we got closer to the lookout, mingling with the engine’s faint whine.

When we arrived, it felt like stepping into a different time. Battery Jasper was one of those places you almost forgot existed until you were standing in its shadow, surrounded by overgrown brush and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Battery Jasper stood as a quiet, forgotten monument to the past. It felt oddly fitting—us digging through old maps and clues, chasing something that probably wasn’t even ours to find.

JJ had already climbed up onto a large rock, perched there like some kind of pirate lookout. He was scanning the horizon with a casual air, but I could tell his mind was working overtime. Kiara, of course, was wandering a few feet away, crouching down every now and then to inspect a plant or two. Classic Kie. And John B? He was just standing there, staring out at the waves, looking like he was waiting for some divine revelation to hit him. He was about as helpful as a flashlight with dead batteries.

Pope spread the map out over a large, flat rock, his movements careful as he tried to smooth out the creases. His face was a mask of concentration, eyes flicking between the map and the landscape in front of us. “If this is Parcel Nine…” he started, his finger circling a faint marking on the map. His brows knit together as he tried to piece together the lines from decades ago with the current view in front of us.

I leaned over his shoulder, squinting at the map as if staring harder would make it any clearer. “So, Parcel Nine has to be northeast of here,” I said, pointing toward a stretch of the coastline that seemed to match the general direction of the map’s markings. My voice sounded sure, but in my head, I wasn’t entirely convinced. Everything looked so different now compared to the map’s decades-old sketch.

“Somewhere over there,” I added, pointing out to where the land curved and the horizon seemed to shift. Gesturing toward a cluster of trees and rocky terrain.

“Right,” Pope agreed, nodding like he was trying to solidify the idea in his mind.

JJ was still up on his rock, squinting into the distance. “Over there? Guys, that’s not Tannyhill—that’s a subdivision,” he said, gesturing vaguely with one hand like the answer was just going to fall out of the sky.

John B, who’d been staring out at the water like he was trying to will the answers to come to him, crossed his arms. “Tannyhill plantation used to be the entire island,” he shot back, his tone sharp.

I crossed my arms, looking up at JJ with the sun glaring behind him, forcing me to squint. “It got sold into smaller pieces over time,” I added, my voice softer but no less firm. It was weird to think about how much the island had changed—how much had been carved away and sold off.

Pope’s finger hovered over a spot on the map, a section marked with a faint stone wall that cut through the property like a scar. “So, we’re just looking for an old stone wall,” he said, his voice steady but edged with the realization of how impossible that task might actually be.

I looked out at the endless stretch of coastline, the sunlight reflecting off the waves like shattered glass. The enormity of it all settled in my chest like a weight I couldn’t shake. It wasn’t just about finding a wall or following a map. It was about finding something that could change everything for all of us.

We piled into the Twinkie again, settling into our usual spots like puzzle pieces fitting into a well-worn frame. Pope took his place up front with the map in hand, acting like our navigator, while John B, ever the captain, was behind the wheel. Kiara and I slid onto the long, beat-up bench seat in the back, the cracked red vinyl underneath us telling its own story—every rip and scratch like a roadmap of adventures past. JJ, naturally, claimed the oddball seat in the corner. It wasn’t even a real seat, more like a half-hearted addition someone thought might be a good idea. It wobbled if you leaned on it too hard, and the vinyl was just as battered as everything else. Still, JJ perched there like he owned the place, his hat pushed low over his face.

As the van rumbled northeast, the road stretched out ahead like a promise we weren’t sure would be kept. Pope leaned forward, pointing out the windshield. “Okay, the road should split up here,” he said, his tone confident but a little tense.

John B nodded, hands steady on the wheel. “Got it.”

Kiara was beside me, staring out the window with a distant look in her eyes. The soft strumming of Mess is Mine by Vance Joy hummed through the van’s speakers, blending with the steady drone of the engine. The atmosphere felt quiet, like we were all lost in our own heads—until JJ decided to stir things up.

He was sitting directly across from me, and we’d somehow fallen into a game of sticks. My fingers were spread out—three on one hand, two on the other—while JJ held four on one hand and two on the other. It was my turn, and I leaned in, tapping his hand with two fingers to knock out his four.

“You’re cheating!” JJ exclaimed, his voice breaking the calm like a rock tossed into still water.

I burst out laughing. “Am not! You’re just a sore loser,” I teased, grinning at him.

JJ rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up like he was ready to declare war. “No, you definitely cheat,” he muttered, but his smirk betrayed him.

“Sounds like someone’s salty!” I shot back, my voice playful.

The bickering escalated from there, a back-and-forth filled with muttered insults, laughter, and a few not-so-gentle kicks under the seat.

“Will you two shut up!” Pope suddenly snapped from the front seat, whipping around to glare at us. His expression was pure exasperation, like a parent trying to keep a car full of rowdy kids in check.

JJ shrugged, turning to face Pope. “It’s her fault,” he said, his voice full of mock innocence.

I rolled my eyes and gave him a light kick in the shin.

“You little shit,” JJ growled, twisting back toward me.

“Oh, please. You started it,” I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him like a five-year-old. JJ reached over and slapped my knee, a little too dramatically.

“Hey! That was uncalled for,” I said, pointing an accusatory finger at him, my face scrunched into an exaggerated scowl.

JJ leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms, and muttering something under his breath, pretending to sulk.

“Shut up,” Pope repeated, his voice sharp and final as he turned back around in his seat, clearly done with our nonsense.

Kiara snorted beside me, trying to hide her amusement.

“All right. You’re gonna take a left,” Pope says, pointing out the next turn. John B jerks the wheel sharply, the Twinkie bouncing down the uneven dirt road and tossing all of us around like ragdolls. I grip the edge of the bench seat, glaring at him. “Smooth driving, Cap,” I mutter under my breath.

We pull up alongside a mossy, crumbling stone wall, its edges barely visible under a blanket of overgrown bushes and weeds. Pope sighs, leaning forward. “This is it,” he says as John B shifts the Twinkie into park.

“That looks like a stone wall to me,” JJ says dryly, peering out the window.

I give him a sideways glance. “No shit,” I reply, turning back to take in the sight.

It’s hard to tell where the wall ends, and the wild growth begins. The vines creep along like they’re trying to swallow the thing whole. Beyond the wall, I can make out the faint silhouette of a house through a gap in the trees. My stomach drops as I realize where we are.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper, stopping dead in my tracks as the others start walking toward the wall.

“Not the Crain house,” John B mutters, the tension in his voice unmistakable.

Of course, it’s here. Of all the places on the island, it had to be here. My feet feel rooted to the ground, dread clawing up my spine. JJ steps up beside me, his jaw tight, his gaze locked on the house ahead.

“Worst-case scenario,” he mutters under his breath. His voice is steady, but his hand flexes at his side like he’s ready to bolt.

“Why’d it have to be here…” Kiara murmurs, barely loud enough for me to hear.

“Of all places?” I add, shaking my head as my pulse quickens.

“I heard Mrs. Crain buried her husband’s head on the property,” JJ says casually, as if he’s commenting on the weather.

I whip my head toward him, my face scrunched in fear. “Don’t remind me.” The island’s been full of creepy stories about this place for as long as I can remember, but that one always stuck with me.

Kiara’s voice cuts through the rising tension. “JJ, shut up,” she snaps, her glare sharp enough to silence him for once.

“Are we going over?” John B asks, gesturing toward the wall like scaling it is no big deal.

I shake my head, but the rest of them nod like it’s just another day in the OBX. Typical. With a sigh that feels like it comes from my soul, I mutter, “Guess so,” under my breath.

We take turns climbing over the wall, the rough stone scraping against our palms. I land awkwardly in the overgrown yard, the dense weeds clawing at my ankles. The house looms ahead of us, shrouded in shadow and silence. Its dilapidated facade seems to watch us, daring us to step closer.

The wind rustles through the trees, and I can’t help but glance at JJ. “If we die, I’m blaming you,” I say, my voice barely steady.

JJ flashes me a grin, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Noted,” he says, stuffing his hands into his pockets as we move toward the ominous silhouette of the Crain house.

Kiara takes the lead, her shoulders squared as she pushes through the tangled mess of overgrown bushes and weeds. I follow close behind, brushing aside stray branches that snag at my shirt. JJ is right on my heels, muttering something about poison ivy, while Pope and John B bring up the rear. The yard is eerily quiet, the only sound the crunch of our footsteps against the dead leaves underfoot.

Me and Kiara keep our eyes locked forward, trying not to dwell too much on the reality of what we’re doing—trespassing into the front yard of Mrs. Crain, the island's unofficial boogeywoman. She’s probably inside right now, totally oblivious to the fact that five teenagers have just vaulted over her stone wall and are trudging through her overgrown front yard, all in the name of hunting for gold.

The place looks untouched, like time forgot about it. Small, moss-covered statues peek out from under the wild greenery, half-hidden like eerie little sentinels. There’s a birdbath that’s cracked down the middle, its basin filled with murky rainwater and a couple of drowned leaves. The once-pristine yard is now a jungle of neglect, but it’s clear this place used to be something else entirely.

I glance around, the ghost of a memory tugging at me. When I was younger, maybe seven or eight, back when I still hung out with the kook kids my parents pushed me towards, we used to sneak into this yard. Back then, it was spotless—perfectly trimmed hedges, vibrant flowers in neat rows, the statues shining bright without a speck of moss or grime. We’d play hide and seek for hours, darting behind trees and crouching behind the garden sculptures. Back then, the Crain house was still mysterious, but it wasn’t this. It wasn’t haunted by the stories of murder or madness.

I slow for a moment, my fingers brushing against the rough bark of a tree as I take it all in. The yard is unrecognizable now, swallowed up by years of neglect. Mr. Crain’s death—or murder, depending on which version of the rumour mill you believe—changed everything. After he was gone, Mrs. Crain stopped caring for the place, or maybe just couldn’t anymore. She’s too old now, and it shows in every vine that’s strangled its way across what used to be a manicured paradise.

It’s sad, really. This yard used to have life, like someone loved it enough to keep it beautiful. Now it’s just... forgotten. I shake off the thought, hurrying to catch up with Kiara as she ducks under a low-hanging branch.

“Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?” I say, looking over my shoulder at the boys behind me still keeping my pace as I walk behind Kie.

“Oh, yeah. No, I do.” JJ says.

“Look- Honestly, I don’t really believe the stories of this place.” John B says, his voice a little too loud.

Pope turns around and shushes him louder than John B was talking.

“What?” John B says a soft whisper that’s barely audible over the soft crunch of leaves and grass beneath our feet.

JJ catches up next to me, walking alongside me rather than behind me I keep my eyes forward as I continue behind Kie. It’s not until JJ starts talking that I look at him.

“Which stories did you hear?” JJ asks me.

We continue to walk through the overgrown front yard, “The one where she killed her husband with an axe.” I say like it’s obvious my voice tight with (add something here) “And that shes been holed up ever since.” I say, looking back at Pope and John B as JJ continues to walk next to me.

“On certain nights, when the moon is full…” I turn to look at JJ, walking backwards, “you can see her in the window!” I drop my voice to a soft whisper lifting my hands up and wriggling my fingers in JJ’s face in a “creepy crawly” kinda way.

“No, Lani, it’s not funny,” JJ says as I turn around making a “Waah!” noise as he continues to talk, “cause its all true.” JJ says from behind me.

“I swear to God, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis.” JJ continues, looking back at John B and Pope. We walk into a more open area of the yard, it’s a cleared space but still overgrown. There is a statue of a lady and as JJ turns back around, “Jeez!” he says, lifting his arms up, ready to punch.

This causes all of us to jump.

We all stop walking for a second, “Wait, you knew hollis Crain?” Pope asks JJ.

“Yeah, dude.” JJ responds.

Pope puts his hand on JJs shoulder, pushing him back a little, “Dude, how do you know Hollis Crane?”

“She was my babysitter, man.” JJ says, “She told me all about it.” His voice drops to a low whisper, “Told me the truth… about her mother.” JJ says, we all stand around him, looking at him with disbelieving eyes, “About what happened in this house.” JJ says, jerking his head towards the house in front of us.

JJ continued, telling us about what Hollis Crane, JJ’s babysitter and Mrs. Crains daughter, had told him… apparently.

“So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and… she was a murderer and all.” JJ says, looking around at us, “Hollis didn’t believe it… until that night.” He says, ominously looking down at the grass.

“What night?” Kie asks, raising an eyebrow.

JJ turns to look at Kie, his eyes boring into hers, “It all came back to her.” He says.

JJ turns to look at the house behind him, “When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs.” Sounds familiar, I think to myself.

Kiara is looking around, like as if she is paranoid something or somebody is going to pop out and jump us. My eyes stay locked on the house as JJ recounts his story, my eyes flickering between the various windows to see if I can see Mrs. Crain staring back at me. Nothing yet.

“So, she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink…” JJ takes a step forward to John B, “Full of blood.” He says his voice strong.

John B looks away from JJ, his face is saying everything he is thinking: “Bull shit.”

JJ continues, “Her mother just says that she cut her finger.” Popes eyes are wide like he is believing every word that is leaving JJ’s mouth. “The next morning, she says her father and her split up.”

“But then, Hollis noticed something.” JJ says, looking at John B again. “Her mother going into the parlour. Constantly. In and our and in and out with plastic bags.”

“Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse.” JJ continues, my eyes are still locked on the windows of the house… Hold on, I think I see somethin’ lookin’ at me through dat window. Oh, nevermind, its just a curtain. Ha, Ha, Ha.

“And as she’s using it, she looks down,” JJ pauses for a moment looking down, dramatic effect, I guess. His eyes are still glued to John B like he is trying to convince him that all this is real, he has me, Pope and Kie convinced, that’s for sure. So far, anyway. “And there, in the outhouse,” He looks back up at John B, “is her fathers head,” He points his fingers to his eyes, “Looking straight back at her.” JJ says, emphasising his words.

John B throws his head back, looking up at the sky and JJ looks confused as to why John B isn’t quite understanding the importance of what he just told him. “God, you are so full of shit.” John B says, shaking his head.

“Do you guys even know whose house this is?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder at the boys trudging behind me, my pace steady as I follow Kiara, pushing through the mess of overgrown bushes.

“Oh, yeah. No, I do,” JJ says nonchalantly, as if we’re walking up to the Wreck for a basket of fries and not trespassing on the infamous Crain property.

“Honestly, I don’t believe the stories about this place,” John B pipes up, his voice just a little too loud, like he’s trying to convince himself it’s no big deal.

Pope spins around and shushes him sharply - louder than John B was talking. “What?” John B hisses, his whisper barely louder than the crunch of dead leaves and grass beneath our feet.

JJ picks up his pace, falling into step beside me instead of behind. He’s always like this—itching to turn tension into a story or a joke. “So, which stories did you hear?” JJ asks, his voice dipped in curiosity, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I let out a short breath as we push through another tangle of overgrowth, the damp leaves brushing against my legs. “The one where she killed her husband with an axe,” I say flatly, my tone tight with discomfort. “And that she’s been holed up ever since.” I glance back at Pope and John B for a moment before turning my attention back to JJ, who’s nodding like this is all completely normal.

“And on certain nights, when the moon is full…” I turn, walking backward now so I can face him, dropping my voice to a stage whisper, “you can see her in the window!” I wiggle my fingers in front of his face in a mock-spooky gesture, barely holding back a grin.

JJ swats my hands away, rolling his eyes. “No, Lani, it’s not funny,” he says, his voice trying to sound serious but failing because of the grin creeping up. “Because it’s all true.”

I spin back around, throwing my hands up dramatically. “Wooooo, scary!” I say in a teasing voice, earning an exasperated groan from him.

JJ doesn’t let it drop. “I swear to God, guys, this is real. I knew Hollis.”

That pulls my attention back. My brow furrows as I glance at him. “Wait—you knew Hollis Crain?” Pope asks, stopping to turn toward JJ, his expression a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

“Yeah, dude,” JJ says, as if this is just another casual fact.

Pope puts a hand on JJ’s shoulder, giving him a gentle shove back. “How the hell do you know Hollis Crain?”

JJ shrugs like it’s the most casual thing in the world. “She was my babysitter, man.” He pauses for dramatic effect, glancing at each of us like he’s about to deliver a mic drop. “She told me everything.” His voice drops conspiratorially, his tone low and chilling. “Told me the truth… about her mother. About what happened in this house.” He jerks his head toward the looming shadow of the house behind us.

“Everything?” Kiara echoes, her voice tight as she glances nervously toward the looming house ahead.

JJ nods, and we all freeze for a moment, the weight of his words settling over us like a heavy fog.

JJ launches into the story, his voice low and deliberate, drawing us in whether we want to hear it or not. “So, as a kid, she heard all these rumors—that her mom killed her dad, that she was a murderer. But Hollis didn’t believe it… until that night.” JJ’s voice is calm, almost too calm, as he looks down at the ground, like he’s pulling us deeper into the story one word at a time.

“What night?” Kiara asks, her voice tight, her eyes darting nervously toward the house.

JJ meets her gaze, his own eyes dark with the weight of the tale. “It all came back to her. When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs.”

The words hit me in the chest, unsettling and weirdly familiar. I glance at the house, my eyes scanning the windows, half-expecting to see a face staring back at me. So far, nothing.

“So, she went to check it out.” His voice drops, and he takes a step closer to Pope. “She finds her mom at the sink. Washing her hands. In blood.”

“Her mom told her she cut her finger,” JJ says with a shrug. “But the next day, her dad was gone. Just… disappeared.”

John B scoffs softly, shaking his head, but JJ keeps going, undeterred.

“And then,” JJ adds, stepping closer to Pope and lowering his voice, “she starts noticing her mom going into the parlour. Constantly. In and out. Always carrying these plastic bags.”

A chill runs down my spine as the story twists darker, the tension in the air thick enough to cut. my eyes are still locked on the windows of the house… Hold on, I think I see somethin’ lookin’ at me through dat window. Oh, nevermind, its just a curtain. Ha, Ha, Ha.

“Weeks later, Hollis goes to use the outhouse,” JJ continues, his voice hushed. He pauses dramatically, glancing at each of us before finishing. “She looks down. And there… was her father’s head. Staring straight back at her.”

The silence that follows is thick, suffocating. For a moment, none of us move, the weight of JJ’s words settling over us like a heavy blanket.

John B groans, throwing his head back. “God, JJ, you are so full of shit.” He looks back down at JJ, his voice tight.

JJ’s face falls, genuinely offended.

“Dude, I swear to God, man.” JJ mutters, breaking eye contact with John B, his gaze flicking to the ground. JJ always had a thing about eye contact, like it made him too vulnerable or something.

Pope steps in closer to him, his voice low and cautious. “Did she call the police?”

“She didn’t have time—” JJ starts, but John B shoves himself between them, cutting him off.

“Wait! Hold on—dude!” JJ snaps, grabbing John B’s arm and spinning him around.

“What!” John B barks, and yeah, he’s pissed now.

JJ hesitates, glancing at me like he’s searching for backup, then back to John B. “Are you sure you wanna do this? She’s an axe murderer. You got a cast on, dude,” JJ says, gesturing to John B’s injured arm.

John B narrows his eyes, his voice a sharp whisper. “I don’t give a shit if she’s an axe murderer, okay? I’ve got nothing to lose, right?”

They stand there, locked in a tense stare-down. Pope shifts awkwardly beside them, his eyes darting between the two like he’s watching a tennis match.

“You comin’, or what?” John B says, before turning and stalking off. Kiara and Pope follow close behind him without hesitation.

JJ stays rooted for a second, scratching at his arm. I walk up next to him, nudging his shoulder. “Come on,” I say softly, jerking my head in the direction of the others.

He looks down at me, his face unreadable, then finally sighs and falls into step behind me.

We creep through the overgrown yard, ducking lower as we approach the house. The shadows feel heavier here, stretching out across the ground like claws. John B stops abruptly, motioning for all of us to gather closer.

“Hey, come on. Come here,” he hisses.

I quicken my pace, closing the gap between us. JJ moves up behind me, his presence a comforting weight, even if he’d never admit he’s as freaked out as the rest of us.

John B leans in, lowering his voice. “So, here’s the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water, like it said in Denmark’s letter.”

Right. The cryptic message we decoded back at Rixon’s the night before. “Wheat” meant gold. Simple enough.

“Okay, but, like, what kind of water?” Pope whispers, his forehead creased in concentration. “Like pond water?”

JJ snickers, never one to miss an opportunity. “Bong water?” he quips in a lazy, exaggerated stoner voice.

I roll my eyes and glare at him, Kiara and Pope doing the same.

“Seriously?” I mutter under my breath.

John B’s patience is clearly hanging by a thread. He sighs, exasperated. “No. It—it just said ‘look for water,’ okay?”

Kiara crosses her arms, raising a skeptical brow. “That’s the shittiest secret message ever.”

“You wanna complain a little more, Kie?” John B snaps, his tone sharp. “Nobody said it was gonna be easy.”

They peel off from the group, leaving me, Pope, and JJ standing awkwardly in the clearing.

Pope turns to us, his expression all business. “I’ll search the northeast quadrant. You two take the northwest quadrant.”

My eyes widen in protest, but Pope walks off before I can get a word in.

“The decapitation quadrant,” JJ mutters under his breath, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Great,” I grumble, my voice barely audible.

JJ glances at me, his smirk softening just a fraction. “Come on,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me along through the tangled mess of greenery.

I don’t resist, but as we move deeper into the yard, the air feels heavier - charged, like we’re trespassing on something more than just property. And for once, JJ’s silence doesn’t feel like a joke waiting to happen. It feels like he knows it, too.

“Were you serious about all that stuff with Hollis?” I ask JJ, my voice low but sharp, as his grip on my arm pulls me through the jungle of weeds and crumbling statues.

He glances over his shoulder briefly, his expression unreadable. “Most of it, yeah,” he replies, shrugging like it’s no big deal, before turning his attention forward again.

“Most of it?” I repeat, my tone incredulous. “So, what parts were you not serious about?”

JJ doesn’t even slow down. “The part about her seeing her dad’s head,” he says flatly. “But that’s it.”

I freeze for a second, staring at his back. “Oh, great. Super comforting, JJ,” I mutter, shaking my head as I quicken my pace to catch up to him.

His lips twitch like he’s fighting a smirk. “Relax, Lani. You’ll live,” he says, tossing a glance at me before stepping over a fallen tree branch.

I didn’t even see the branch—it came out of nowhere, or maybe I was just too lost in my thoughts. My foot caught on it, and before I could steady myself, I was falling. JJ’s grip on my arm tightened, but he didn’t have enough time to pull me back.

I hit the ground hard, knees colliding with jagged dirt and rocks. A sharp sting spread through my leg as I felt the scrape.

“Shit! Lani!” JJ’s voice was urgent, panicked, as he crouched beside me in seconds.

I shifted, moving to sit on my butt, lifting my knee to inspect the damage. Blood was already pooling in the scrape, a nasty mix of dirt and raw skin. I winced, letting out a quiet, “Ow.”

“You okay?” JJ’s hand landed firmly on my shoulder, his blue eyes flickering between my face and my knee.

I nodded quickly, even as my face scrunched up from the sting. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. It’s just a scrape,” I said, trying to sound tougher than I felt.

“You sure?” JJ asked, his hand sliding down my arm in a gentle but searching way, like he wasn’t convinced.

“I’m sure,” I said, looking up at him. A small smile crept onto my lips, hoping to reassure him.

For a moment, his eyes locked onto mine—those stormy blue eyes that always seemed to be either full of trouble or, like now, concern. Then he stood, brushing the dirt off his knees, and held out his hand.

“Come on,” he said.

I took it without hesitation, his grip steady and strong as he pulled me to my feet. My knee stung like hell, but I wasn’t about to complain. JJ still held my hand for a moment longer than necessary before letting go.

“Next time, watch where you’re going, klutz,” he teased, but his voice was softer than usual.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, brushing off my shorts and trying to play it cool. My cheeks burned a little, though, and it wasn’t from the fall.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬, and I hope you are enjoying it so far 😏! Please give this post a like so I know you guys are enjoying it, again thank you so much, part 3 will be out soon 💞

Also... I hope you enjoyed the small Lani and JJ moments I have sprinkled in there 😘

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