#gonna post the first chapter later tonight

[naffeclipse]

Deep Dreams...

2

[todayisafridaynight]

About Judgment: In short, I think RGGS was intending to continue the series. There were indeed rumors at one point that the series would end at Lost Judgment due to a disagreement with Kimura's agency, Johnny & Associates, about porting the games to PC--I'm unclear on why, there was speculation but I don't think it was ever stated. Obviously the PC ports are out now, so either that wasn't the issue or they moved past it. There's also just general disbelief around there being a third entry simply because there's this idea (joke?) that Kimura never does three of anything, which isn't true at this point. It is true RGGS historically hasn't done three of anything in terms of spinoff series (Kurohyou, Mobile+Kizuna, and arguably Kenzan+Ishin), but it's also true that none of their past spinoffs have been as successful as Judgment, and we're seeing a lot of "firsts" from the studio lately. The fact is that Yokoyama himself said something along the lines of "and of course, we won't forget about Judgment" (not literally, just the closest English expression I can think of that can be misinterpreted in the way I'm about to explain) while talking about future works. But for some reason, people took it as if he meant it "in mourning" rather than an obvious confirmation of more to come, I guess? A TV show was also announced, so I really don't get why they'd invest so much into a series they were going to end. I know Kurohyou got a show too, but this seems different. Anyway, that's the most recent information, but it's from some years ago. There is a major new development, however: J&A talents' contracts are being cancelled left and right as of the last couple of months due to the agency's dogshit handling of and response to an investigation into Johnny Kitagawa's serial abuse of allegedly hundreds of his talents. That's been going on since the man died in 2019, basically, but a lot's happened this year.

This has left the talents with the incredibly tough decision of either remaining at an agency that refuses to even change its name and is rapidly breaking down or leaving. It has historically been very difficult to do the latter. On top of what you'd expect, J&A controls their talents to an insane degree and has leveraged their control of the media to suppress the careers of those who leave.

Broadly, in terms of how media companies have responded so far, I understand not wanting to associate with J&A and that J&A would likely benefit from the contracts more than the talents, but it still feels like the talents are the ones being punished... I have to imagine at least some of them were victims, so to be victims of the blacklist on top of that... That, and some of these companies kept the truth from coming out for decades.

With J&A losing its foothold in the media, though, there may be no better time than now to leave the agency. I don't know if Kimura will--rumors have been circulating ever since his idol group were forced to break up years and years ago, but while they all went independent, he never has--especially because a lot of seniors like him feel a responsibility to stay and change the agency for the better. As of right now, I'm not aware of Kimura's contracts getting cancelled, so I can't say one way or another if that'd have an effect.

I don't know what happens from here. I'm not sure if RGGS will look at it as collaborating with J&A or with Kimura or both, and how they'll factor in what's going on right now into working with him. Hypothetically, it would be possible to continue the series even without Kimura (any of the other mains do or would make great protagonists), but at the same time, Judgment is hugely reliant on Kimura's charisma. That's why people who play the dub (or people who don't like Kimura) often come away with the impression Yagami's kind of a dick or doesn't stand out much.

So... that's the state of Judgment right now. We won't know until we know, I guess.

OHHHHH OK saucy... sucks about J&A- it'd be cool if yk. they could face the consequences of their actions LMAO but that Could involve displacing hella workers now wouldnt it

[hwaslayer]

the space between us three (jyh) | six.

⇢series masterlist | series playlist

⇢summary: while juggling the demands of life, yunho continues to do his best to raise his independent 11 yr old daughter, seora. throughout the years, they've built a strong foundation, an unbreakable bond— one that consists of late night talks and food runs, father/daughter dates, and sideline cheerleading at her basketball games. so when you unexpectedly come into their world, things shift. despite the uncertainty and the fear of stepping outside of their comfort zone, yunho and seora eventually learn how to open their hearts and learn how to rebuild a home where three can thrive together.

⇢pairing: single dad!yunho x f. reader

⇢genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, single dad au | fluff, angst, eventual smut

⇢word count: 6.6k

⇢chapter content/warnings: cussing, mature language, seora spends time with her uncle mingi, first date <33, yunho opens up about his parents to oc, holding hands, good conversations & just a bunch of cute simp shit, goodnight kisses 🥰, i swear things will get a lil spicier next chap lmao

yunho: goodmorning. 😊

This morning had been one of those mornings. You had gotten up a little later than usual, feeling tired from the exhausting week. On top of that, you turned down Yunho's offer to bring you to work so that you wouldn't have to take the bus over; afraid you'd be asking for too much since he was gonna be driving around later tonight. Had you known the bus would be running late, you might've taken him up on it. But, with it being Friday, you were just excited to get your day over with so that you could hang out with Yunho one-on-one.

It was a blessing and a curse that it was busy as soon as you walked in this morning. A blessing because the day would breeze on by. A curse because you didn't even get a chance to respond to Yunho's cute lil text before jumping right into your task list. Until, your desktop computer decided to be stubborn and stop working properly— setting you behind even more than you already were due to the commute.

you: hi, goodmorning ☺️

you: i'm sorry for the late response! i'm having quite the morning. i have so much to do, but my desktop isn't working now. i feel so incomplet and useless. 😭

yunho: it's okay! not like i thought you forgot about me or anything .. 🥲

you: lol sorry, never!

yunho: wdym it's not working?

you: it won't stay on. keeps going on power save mode even though my settings are adjusted to never go on power save mode.

yunho: interesting. where do you sit in the peds hospital again?

you: 4th floor, M103.

yunho: i'll be over in a sec.

you: yunho?? you don't even support our unit 😭

yunho: and? lol. i have time. brb!

"What?" You mutter to yourself as you set your phone down, a little worried about Yunho getting in trouble or pushing off his work to help you. You shrug it off, scribbling in your planner and working through emails on your laptop until Yunho swings by.

Which, didn't take him long post-reply. He was at your cubicle about 15 minutes later.

"Hey." Yunho says softly.

"Hi." You shyly laugh. "How did you even get in here?"

"IT has access everywhere, believe it or not." He smiles before pointing at your desktop. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Go for it." He pulls up an empty office chair nearby and drags it over to your desk, sitting comfortably as he presses the power button. He presses it a few times and clicks away at your mouse until the screen pops up. 

"Hm." He hums. "Took awhile."

"It's gonna shut down on you."

"Is that what's been happening?"

"Mhm. Just now actually. When I get it back up and running, it'll let me work for a few minutes before it shuts off and goes into power mode randomly." He's click-clacking away on the keyboard, forehead tightly knit as he eventually rests his elbow on the desk— hand hovering over his mouth, with the other on the mouse.

"How old is your computer?"

"I don't know, maybe 8-10 years old? It was passed down from the previous project manager when I stepped into her role."

"Yikes." He laughs. "I'll try a few things, but might also be a good time to consider getting a new one." He starts pulling up the terminal and plugging in some code— language you definitely don't understand.

"Yeah, I know."

"You actively push data or other work to the cloud, right? So you have a backup and can pull it up anywhere?"

"Mhm."

"Good." He gives you a small smirk. "Then, getting a replacement wouldn't be so bad. You deserve it." You laugh.

"Hope the department thinks so."

"I mean, you do need a working computer to get your things done." He sits back in the chair and crosses his arms, slightly slumped in his position. "I just plugged in a code to mimic the movement of your mouse so the computer thinks something is always happening. If you look closely at the pointer, you can see it twitching a bit." You look up close on the screen and manage to see what he's talking about.

"Woah. Okay, genius."

"Not even." He laughs. "If you don't mind me being in your space for a little longer, I wanna see if this keeps your computer awake."

"As long as it isn't taking up unnecessary time and making you behind."

"Never." He smiles at you. "So."

"So." You mimic him. "Where are you taking me later?"

"For me to know and you to find out." You snort.

"Clever. Am I dressed enough for the occasion?" Yunho eyes your outfit, running a finger across his bottom lip while he smirks at you. 

"Yeah, you look good. You always do." You playfully push him on the bicep, making him laugh. "What? I can't be honest?"

"Hey— oh? Oops. Hi Yunho." Noeul gives you a look before slowly walking away. 

"Hey Noeul." 

"I'll come back later." She mouths out as Yunho gives off a small chuckle. Suddenly, he shifts his attention back to your computer when he notices the screen go black, and he's back to sitting up again. 

"Damn." He tries fiddling with the mouse and keyboard again. "Guess that didn't work. I think this is a hardware issue now, but .." He turns to you with the same smirk he was sporting earlier when he was spitting out those compliments. "Since your computer is pretty old, I can't say it won't act up again if you get this serviced."

"So, you're saying a new computer is definitely the way to go." He nods.

"You deserve it." He stands as he reminds you. "You should think about getting a 38" monitor instead of having two. It's basically the equivalent and helps with productivity."

"What are some good ones?"

"I can send you some recs in a bit. I'm sorry you'll have to work from your laptop for now. But, whatever you order, I can help make sure it gets to you ASAP and I'll help set it up."

"Yunho." You slightly pout as he's slowly walking out of your cubicle.

"No but's. I got you." He looks down at his watch. "Anyway, gotta head back."

"See, don't tell me you have tons of stuff to catch up on now because of me?"

"I doooon't." He almost whines with a small laugh. He totally does. He's actually kinda swamped, but he made it over anyway because seeing you is nice. "See you later?" You nod and giggle. "I'll text you when I'm all wrapped up on my end."

"Okay. Thank you again."

"No worries." He playfully sends you a wink before walking off and out of the office area. Noeul finally comes creeping up to your cubicle, squealing at a low tone.

"Stop, he's so into you."

"Don't start." You bite onto your bottom lip as you continue to keep your eyes glued onto the tiny laptop screen.

"Where is he taking you? Did he say anything?"

"Nope. I am completely in the dark."

"Those are the best kinda dates. He's gonna take good care of you."

"I just wanna get out of here." You whine as your place your head down on your desk for a few minutes.

"You will! And the wait will be worth it!" You look up at her and let out a small sigh, nodding your head.

"You're right. Let me tackle all of this so I can get outta here sooner than later."

"And hang out with your man, yes!" She leans against your desk. "By the way, what'd he say about your computer?"

"Oh, this thing is done with. I need a new one. I'm just waiting for Yunho to send me some recs."

"Been telling you that."

"Well, it kept me going for some time." You pat the top of the monitor screen. "It was nice while it lasted."

"I love this for you, you know that? Upgrading your computer, your love life. This era is cute." You chuckle and shake your head.

"Go. I gotta get back to work." You push her along, making her giggle at how obviously flustered you are over the topic.

yunho: some recs for the boss lady!

You see Yunho's Slack message come in, along with links from the IT catalog. 

yunho: this CPU should do you good, along with the 38". 😮‍💨

you: haha, thank you. 😊 i'll place my order right now!

yunho: can you send me your ticket number so i can keep an eye on it?

you: maybe....

yunho: ☹️☹️☹️☹️

you: you have too much other work to worry about!

yunho: including your ticket, yes!

you: you're unbelievable. 😂

yunho: you can always opt out for tonight (ouch) ..... 😖

you: never! lol. i'm excited actually. ☺️

yunho: i am, too. 

You smile to yourself during the brief pause in between messages, unsure how to respond to Yunho without sounding like you're doing too much or saying something crazy. But, the Slack notification goes off again—

yunho: okay, i actually gtg and help jihoon with something.

yunho: seriously send me your ticket number after you're done, pls!

Pause.

yunho: can't wait to spend time with you, y/n.

And all that overthinking goes straight out the window.

you: same. 😌

Seora had a long day at school— her day filled with a bunch of tests and pop quizzes, damn near dragging herself out of the classroom and into the gym afterward. She happily talks with her friends as they change into their practice gear, joking around and being the typical girls they are as they get out onto the floor with their water bottles. After equal wins and losses, the coach decides to continue running and improving plays to push the team forward to the playoffs and hopefully, a championship win. 

When practice wraps up, Seora grabs her things and finds her other favorite uncle talking to some of the parents outside of the gym; sweat still on her face, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. When his eyes finally land on hers, he gives Seora's hair a good ruffle before taking her bags from her.

"Ace!"

"Uncle Mangi!" She copies his tone and laughs.

"How was practice?"

"Tiring. I'm pooped. I can barely feel my legs today."

"Working hard, atta girl. On our way to the WNBA." He tosses her bags in the backseat before hopping in. "Hope you don't mind, I gotta stop at the grocery store really quickly for our dinner."

"Only if I can grab some snacks."

"Course you can. Don't spoil your appetite for dinner, though. I'm gonna make some galbijjim."

"Yum! One of my faves."

"Exactly." He laughs. "How was school today?"

"The usual. Nothing too special."

"Nothing too special? Nothing happened at all?"

"Nope. Too many tests and pop-quizzes. I did get an A on my math test, though."

"That's something." She nods as she looks out the window.

"So, my dad's got another team dinner?"

"Mhm." He hums.

"Impossible." 

"They've been working really hard on a lot of different things across the hospital lately. Helps relieve stress, I guess." One thing about Mingi is that he will never out Yunho the way Seonghwa unintentionally does. If Yunho's got a team dinner, Mingi will stick to the story down to the T. Maybe even throw in his own details and dramatics to make it more believable.

"He barely used to have team dinners."

"Well, maybe their goal was to have more!"

"Are you hiding something, Uncle Mangi? Cause Uncle Hwa accidentally spilled the beans last time and said dad was on a date."

"Why would your Uncle Hwa do that? Should I fight him?" Seora laughs and shakes her head. "He wasn't on a date."

"Uncle Mangi." He looks at her.

"Mhm?"

"Lying is bad."

"I'm not lying!" She continues to squint her eyes at him before finally giving up her case and settling back into the seat. 

"Fine. What about you then, Uncle Mangi? What's new? How was your trip to Japan?"

"Nothing much. But, it was good. Nice to be in different sceneries from time to time."

"Dad keeps saying we'll tag along one day, but we haven't yet. I wanna go soon."

"I'll let him know, don't worry."

"They must have soooo much cute stuff. Don't they?"

"Lots." Mingi pulls up to the grocery store, driving into a spot near the entrance. "You'd definitely love it there."

"Where else have you been, Uncle Mangi?" She follows alongside of her towering uncle while he grabs a cart and heads into the store.

"Everywhere and nowhere all at the same time." She laughs.

"Seriously."

"One place I'll always remember is Switzerland. It's beautiful there. Probably one of my top places I've been to."

"I'm sure. I've only seen it in books, but it looks really pretty."

"It is. Those textbook pics definitely don't do it enough justice." Mingi sorts through the meat packages while Seora quickly wanders off into an aisle to grab her favorite chips and cookies. She drops it into the cart, with Mingi barely noticing.

"I have a random question for you."

"Try me."

"Do you think it's better to lock yourself up in a grocery store like this during a zombie apocalypse or keep it moving?"

"Well." Mingi continues to slowly walk down the aisles, making sure he doesn't miss any ingredients on his mental grocery list needed for tonight's dinner. "I'd say keep it moving."

"Why? You'd have everything in here."

"That's if no one raids the store, which would be impossible at that time. Plus, it can only keep you safe for so long before zombies find their way in or another group comes around. You could quite literally die before you even have a chance to try and survive."

"You'd have to take a break at some point though, right?"

"You could, but always best to keep it moving, ace. Never leave a trail for people."

"Okay, touché."

"Cereal first or milk first?" Mingi suddenly asks as they go through the cereal section.

"Cereal."

"What? No. Did your dad teach you that?"

"What kind of planet are you living on? Isn't that how it normally is?" Mingi stops the cart and looks at her. 

"Warm or cold milk then?"

"For cereal?" Mingi nods. "Cold?!"

"You and your weird ass dad." Seora laughs loudly. "Did anybody want a child? Cause this one is not mine—" Seora pinches her uncle's bicep, causing him to yelp as they push through the remaining aisles.

"You soggy cereal lover." Seora points out.

"That's literally the best way to have it."

"Ew, you're like eating mushed up cardboard." Mingi sighs.

"You're very lucky I love you and that your dad is my bestfriend or else I would've blocked him."

"You're so dramatic." She throws more snacks into the cart just as they're about to head to the registers.

"Any more snacks or you're good?"

"I'm good! I'm excited for dinner." Mingi laughs.

"I am, too. Too bad I gotta cook it first."

"You're a great cook, Uncle Mangi. I always enjoy the food you make." She tugs on his sleeve.

"I do try my best." She helps her uncle load the groceries onto the belt, pulling the cart towards the end to help bag up their things and throw it back in. Mingi taps his card to the reader before helping Seora with the heavier bags. Once they've gathered all their things, Mingi pushes the cart over to the car, loading it up in his trunk while Seora plops into the front seat. "Ready to head home?"

"Yeah, dying to shake a shower." Mingi starts up the car and begins the journey home.

"Yeah, you need it." He teases, causing Seora to lightly punch him on the arm.

"You're mean!"

"Kidding!" He laughs. "So, what's on the agenda tonight? We eat, you do homework. Watch some shows? Talk a walk around the neighborhood?"

"Sure, whatever floats your boat. I kinda have a bit of homework so I dunno about that walk. Plus, I'm pretty sore already."

"Okay, we'll play it by ear then." On the way home, Seora continues to tell Mingi about the staycation her father took her on and the new dog café they visited. She talks to him about her friends and how one of her friends started having a crush on one of the boys in their class. Mingi playfully gasps before lecturing her about boys and how icky they can be [coming from an honest heart]. But Seora laughs it off and tells her uncle that she's not really worried about that stuff.

All Mingi can say in response is 'you better not be.'

When the two finally get home, Mingi immediately sets himself up in the kitchen to get dinner going, while Seora throws her backpack down in the living room and heads straight to the shower. She takes a good, long shower before throwing on her pajamas and brushing through her wet hair. She sits on the living room floor and gets going with her homework while waiting for her uncle to finish cooking dinner.

Meanwhile, Yunho makes his way over to the peds hospital— happily stepping into the elevator to make his way back up to your office. When he gets there, he realizes most people have already clocked out and left for the day, only leaving you and a select few heads working away in the cubicles.

"Hey. Ready?" You smile as you look up at Yunho, sending one last meeting invite for next week before closing down your apps and shutting off your laptop.

"Yeah! I thought you were gonna text me so I could meet you halfway."

"Um, no." Yunho laughs. "I would much rather come get you so we can walk to the car together." 

"That's sweet." You throw on your coat and slide the bag strap over your shoulder. "So, how was the rest of your day?"

"Good. Not too crazy, at least."

"Did the offers go out to the candidates you were planning on hiring?"

"Oh, yeah! They actually signed earlier this week and they'll be starting next week. They were able to get the background checks cleared out in time."

"Aw, that's awesome! You guys will finally get help." 

"Yeah. It'll be busy for awhile getting them onboarded and trained."

"Yunho's gonna go MIA."

"Yunho is not gonna go MIA." He laughs. 

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, of course." He chuckles. "I'll always make time."

"You say that now."

"And I'll say it tomorrow, and the next day, and so on." He pinches your cheeks. "Don't trip." You smile feeling his warm touch against your skin. "Well, I didn't think it'd be so cold this evening. Are you okay with your coat and all? Is it enough?"

"It is."

"Okay, well just let me know. We'll be inside for the most part, but I want you to be comfortable."

"Thank you." You continue to walk alongside of Yunho until you get to his car. You give him the ins and outs of your day besides the whole computer issue that he tried to rescue you from while he grabs your bags and gently sets it in the trunk of his BMW and pops the door open for you. When you slide in and get comfortable, you notice how spotless his car is and how it smells like a hint of his cologne, along with laundry detergent and the fresh car smell. There are a few colorful hair ties lining the bottom of one of the cupholders, along with a hoodie in the backseat and a basketball. Yunho laughs and apologizes for Seora's mess— he also hasn't gotten a chance to bring in her things simply because he doesn't think much of it.

It almost feels like Seora is with him one way or another and he finds comfort in that.

On the drive over to dinner, he asks a bit about what other days look like for you and if you anticipate other big projects to come your way. You talk about a new project that was already mentioned to you by your manager, which involves remodeling one of the levels to a study/meeting area. You also tell Yunho it isn't a high priority, but you've already started the conversation with some of the facilities coordinators that can help rope in the appropriate vendors for certain tasks.

He transitions by telling you a few of the little projects he's been working on with his team, along with figuring out how to upgrade systems and all that jazz. You find that Yunho and his team are constantly working to support so many different departments, and it amazes you how well Yunho is able to delegate and keep himself afloat. You ask if he's ever had to work late because of really urgent issues and he says he's only had to do it once or twice— most can typically wait until the morning.

"Okay." He says, pulling into a tight, narrow street to start looking for parking. "We're here."

"I have no idea where we're at."

"Oh." Yunho laughs. "That's good then. More of a surprise for you. But, please keep your expectations down cause I didn't do much."

"Stop. Don't say things like that. I'll love it either way." Yunho smiles as he turns another corner and finds a spot right away. He parks flawlessly next to the curb, shutting off his car before turning back to you. 

"Ready?" You nod quietly, watching as Yunho hops out and does a light jog over to open the door for you. You give him a smile and tug on your coat while Yunho locks his door and leads the way next to you, hand on the small of your back. The walk isn't too far, the restaurant being down on the opposite end of the street, across the block. To your surprise, Yunho brings you to one of the new conveyor belt sushi restaurants. He greets the host and he immediately takes you back to a little booth near the belt. It's snug enough to fit two people. 

"I'm excited." You look at Yunho and he laughs.

"Same, I could eat. You like sushi, right? Please tell me I didn't fuck up." He looks concerned for a moment.

"No, no. I love sushi. I actually haven't had it in so long." You rearrange your set up so you can eat comfortably, the waiter taking your order for drinks. You both ask for water, but before the waiter can walk off, Yunho suddenly asks for two glasses of hot sake. 

"Thank you." He says, giving the waiter a curt nod.

"Sake?"

"Our little celebration for getting through the week."

"Wow, okay. Touché. I can get behind that." You look at him. "My birthday's coming up. You should come out with Mingi and Seonghwa. We're heading out to the club." You pause before shaking your head. "Or, actually, I'm being forced to go to the club to celebrate."

"Forced, hm?" He laughs. "That sounds fun, though. Send me the details. We'll definitely try to celebrate with you."

"Might be fun. We can be a fun group of people."

"Yeah?" Yunho likes that, you're down for things and he can tell you go with the flow. He likes someone who can just have fun with him. Someone who can just be with him; it wouldn't matter where they go or where their relationship takes them.

"Mhm. And I can tell you guys are fun." You laugh. "Seora must love having you as her dad."

"I hope so." Yunho laughs along. "By the way, feel free to start digging in." He gestures towards the moving conveyor belt and you happily start exploring your options as they come— taking a fresh plate of salmon nigiri to start off. The waiter quickly comes back with two glasses of hot sake, making Yunho smirk at you. He sets his chopsticks down and slides your glass over, raising his while you take yours. "Cheers? For getting through the week."

"Cheers!" You say cheerfully, tapping your glass against his before taking some of the hot sake down your throat. It burns, but the heat brings more warmth to your body on this cold evening. "Speaking of Seora, where is she right now now?" You drink a bit more before taking another plate off the belt.

"Spending time with her Uncle Mingi."

"That's cute." Yunho grabs a few plates and sets them aside while he decides which one he'll tackle first.

"She had practice and I had him go pick her up. I think they were heading to the grocery store to buy some ingredients for dinner before heading home last time he texted me."

"What did you tell her?"

"Mm." He hums. "I hope you don't take it personally or anything, but I told her it was a team dinner."

"No, of course not."

"I just, yeah." He chuckles a bit. "It's just easier to go with that."

"I believe it." The both of you continue to eat away at the sushi, small, empty plates piling up on the side of the table. Small conversations continue about day-to-day life; you and your friends, what you've been doing for yourself lately. Suddenly, you dwell on the fact that you don't know much about Yunho besides his day-to-day life with Seora and work. You know about his friends, his coworkers. But, you don't know anything deeper about his personal life.

His parents.

You didn't wanna be nosy and pry, but you wondered why his parents weren't the ones watching Seora. 

Was it too much of you to ask?

Was this considered a real date if you two weren't trying to get to know each other? What were the boundaries?

"Yunho?"

"What's up?"

"Can I ask you something more personal?"

"Anything."

"I hope I'm not crossing boundaries here, but what about your parents? How come they don't watch Seora?"

"You're not crossing any boundaries." Yunho reassures you, but shakes his head before dipping into his next plate of sushi. "Uh, it's complicated. Things kinda just fell apart when Eunha passed." You slowly nod. "When my parents found out Eunha was pregnant, they didn't want us to continue with the pregnancy cause we were, what? 20 years old when we found out? Still in the midst of college. But, that's not what we wanted. They almost got to Eunha but we pushed through in the end and we had Seora. It was really hard for a long, long time, but Seora was worth every bit of it. My parents obviously didn't like the fact that we went against their wishes, so they kept their distance. It's been that way ever since, even when Eunha passed. I think it got worst, actually. Plus, I never had the best relationship with them from the get-go. They only see Seora once in a blue moon. They're the grandparents that just send the occasional bouts of money, birthday and holidays cards. Seora always wonders about them, but I can never give her an answer as to why her grandparents aren't around." 

"I'm sorry, Yunho."

"Don't be sorry." Yunho smiles a bit.

"W-what about Eunha's parents?" You wanna ask about Eunha too, but you know this isn't the time.

"Uh, they're the same. They—" He pauses. "They cut off ties when she passed because it was too hard for them."

"Oh. Yunho." You say sympathetically, feeling incredibly bad for having brought it up in the first place. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to be such a debbie downer during dinner."

"No, it's okay. I promise. I've.. gotten used to it at this point. It used to be hard for me, but I've accepted everything."

"Still doesn't mean it doesn't get hard for you."

"I've learned to manage." He gives you a tiny, toothless smile.

"I hope you know you're doing an amazing job balancing everything and for being a great father to Seora."

"Thanks." 

"I'm also glad you have Seonghwa and Mingi."

"Me too." He laughs. "They're a pain in my ass, but they're my bestfriends. I don't think I would have been able to get through a lot without them. And they're good to Seora."

"That's good, I'm glad." You eat a bit more before you feel yourself getting content and full.

"Full?"

"Damn near. I think I ate too fast." You chuckle. "I'm almost done with my sake."

"Bottoms up?" You nod, tapping your glass against his before the both of you take it to the neck. Yunho finishes up a few more plates before he sits back and gulps his water down, causing you to giggle to yourself. "Fuck, I'm full. Overdid it, for sure."

"Was worth every bit of it, though. Maybe we should walk it off?"

"Yeah. Let's head to the next stop. I think you'll like it. And we'll get our steps in." He pulls his wallet out of his pocket, calling the waiter over.

"Can I split with you?"

"Absolutely not." Yunho says, handing over his card directly to him.

"You're already driving me everywhere and taking me to another location after this. The least I can do is chip in."

"Nope. The least you can do is just enjoy yourself with me tonight." He smiles sweetly just as he grabs the receipt handed to him by the waiter, signing off and tucking his own copy swiftly into his pocket before looking at you. 

"Couldn't even let me see the receipt."

"Nope." He repeats and stands. "Ready to go, pretty girl?" You feel the heat rise to your cheeks as you stand and nod, leading the way out of the restaurant with Yunho in tow. He answers your questions on the way to the car, giving you hints about the next location. It still leaves you stumped in the end, deciding to let Yunho continue taking matters into his own hands with you. He opens the door like the gentleman he is, slipping into the driver's seat as he rubs his hands together and immediately turns the heat on when he starts the car. "All good? Too hot?"

"Just perfect."

"Good." You sit back comfortably as Yunho sets off for the next destination for tonight. "So, how was the sushi? Be honest."

"It was so good!" He looks at you when he comes to a red light, almost as if he's trying to read you, really read you, and you giggle. "What?"

"Just making sure."

"That I'm not lying?"

"Maybe." You laugh even more.

"I would never. If I didn't enjoy it, I would've given an honest review."

"Mmkay, I believe you." He laughs. "I want you to have a good night with me."

"I am already." You look at him with a soft expression. "And I'm sure the next part to this will be just as fun. If not, more. I trust you."

"Do you?"

"I do." Yunho smiles, wanting to hold your hand so badly while he drives. But, he doesn't. He holds back. He feels like there could be a better opportunity.

One that'll feel right and set the mood for the remainder of the night.

For this entirely.

After a good 20 minutes of driving down south, Yunho exits off the freeway and takes an immediate right down towards a large-sized building with all modern exterior designs. He parks in the lot next to it, doing his gentleman deed of helping you out of the car and leading you towards the beautiful building.

It's one of the city's biggest museums, and the event they're hosting for a couple of weeks is called Spirit House. It focuses on Asian American and Asian diasporic artists that are showcasing art pertaining to horror, spirits, haunted houses, reincarnation, different dimensions and other themes along those lines. You continue to read the pamphlet before Yunho looks at you with a small smile on his face.

"Wanna walk around?" You nod.

"How'd you know I'd be into this stuff?"

"It sounded cool, so why not?"

"You're good, Jeong Yunho." You giggle and continue into the first part of the exhibit. The atmosphere is dark and dim, the artwork on the walls screaming afterlife. Death. Souls. Horror, fear. You're so intrigued that you find yourself slowly moving from work to work; trying to take in all the details of the images in front of you. You didn't even realize Yunho had been watching you from behind, snapping photos every chance he could before moving onto the next room to get a preview of what's to come.

"Hey." Yunho says from behind you. "Wanna show you something in the next room." 

"Okay." You look down at the hand he puts out, waiting for you to take it. You gently slide your hand in his, fingers intertwining before he guides you to the next exhibit and it feels incredibly natural. It's a room full of mini fixtures— almost like miniature set-ups of old fashioned homes and other buildings. He shows you one that has the artist's own adaptation of Junji Ito characters spread across levels of an old, haunted house.

"Oh my god, I love it." You peek down to get a closer look, hand still laced with Yunho's. "I love Junji Ito. And the work in the other room reminded me of Takato Yamamoto. It's amazing."

"Made for you." You chuckle, tugging him along as you both look at the next miniature setups alongside of it. Yunho doesn't even mind one bit. He's enjoying the exhibit, but he's enjoying it even more with you here— holding his hand every step of the way. You snap a few photos of the art before Yunho directs you to stand near one of the exhibits where the lighting falls on you perfectly. He takes a few more photos— more candid ones from behind you especially— just so you have photos to look back at when you wanna reminisce on your first date with him.

The next room of the exhibit is an interactive light show; the  room is completely dark, with different lights projecting things around the room. The background music is mysterious, creepy; fitting the vibe all together. You continue to walk with Yunho while snapping photos of your silhouettes in the mirrors. Yunho gets silly and makes a bunch of poses, making you laugh loudly in the process. At one point, you've found yourself standing near the corner of the room, watching all the lights come together to project a beautiful show onto the walls. Yunho comes next to you, admiring the same view— but you, mainly. You look up at him to tell him how amazing the event is, but he's already looking down at you with fondness and endearment sprinkled in his big brown orbs.

You almost.. wanna kiss him.

But, you shake off the thought quickly by dragging him to the next exhibits— loosely holding his hand throughout the rest of the event.

Too bad he would've kissed you back, had you known.

No, he needs to be a gentleman and he needs to do right by you, Yunho thinks. He can't just kiss you on the first date or else he runs the risk of you thinking he only wants you for one thing.

Like Ara; but, that situation is a little different.

"Yunho! That was so fun." You smile at him the way you do, and it melts his heart. "Thank you for taking me to this."

"Of course. I think it ends after the weekend, so perfect timing." You quickly scroll through some of the pictures you took. "I'll send you the pictures I have later."

"Okay." You look at the buskers on the opposite end of the street, along with a food cart nearby. "Yunho, let's go check it out really quickly!"

"I'm down." He nods, noticing it's only about to hit 10pm. Seora must be waiting for him, but he knows she'll sleep until he gets there and Mingi hasn't made a peep. He feels like he's in the clear.

He holds your hand tightly as you both cross the street safely, stopping near the food cart first while lightly bouncing to the live music nearby.

"Want a snack?" You nod and cling onto his arm.

"I could use one. Museum took up my energy." He laughs. Yunho buys some custard-filled bungeoppang for you two to snack on while observing the buskers. You bounce along next to him and he starts to dance in his own way, making you laugh at how cute he's being with you. You snap a few photos of him that you'll share later, not knowing Yunho had a bunch of your photos to share as well.

You and Yunho sing along to some familiar songs before the buskers end the first half of their performance for a tiny break.

"That was cool. They did really well!"

"They were so good!" You toss in some cash into the guitar case. "And I didn't know you could sing!"

"I— no." Yunho laughs.

"I wanna hear more of your singing." You pout as you tug on his arm on the way back to the car.

"Maybe."

"Yunho." You whine and he laughs.

"I promise you it's nothing that great."

"Very much the opposite of what I think, just so you know." He stands by the passenger door, allowing you to hop in but he doesn't close the door right away. He stands and looks at you and there's something in his eyes that you can't really read.

"I hope you enjoyed it."

"I did. A lot." He licks his lips, and you can tell he's having the same internal battle you had not too long ago in the light exhibit. But, he brushes it off by tapping the door frame before shutting your door gently and hopping into his seat. 

The drive home is as expected; with you and Yunho talking about your similar music tastes this time and Yunho being a bit more open about his vocals. You look at him as he sings a tune or two, explaining that his dad is the one with the vocals in the family. You tease that next time, you two should go to a karaoke bar to end the night and he smirks.

At least you're thinking about next time's just like he is, too.

When he pulls up to your apartment, you find yourself not wanting to part from him. You know he has to go home to Seora though, and it breaks your heart knowing she's been waiting for her dad to come home. You step out of the car and tug on your coat, the night colder than it was a few hours ago.

"Welp, this is me." You both look at the apartment building, with Yunho tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Let me walk you up."

"No, it's okay. I promise it's right there." You point at your apartment before chuckling and turning to him completely. "Goodnight, Yunho. Thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome, Y/N." He watches as you lean in to give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushes, and he loves the initiation, but he freezes. Completely. 

"I'll see you next week, hm? Get home safely." You smile toothlessly at him before turning on your heel to walk up to your unit. Just as you're about to make it up the steps, Yunho is chasing after you with long strides, causing you to turn and raise a brow. "Did I leave something?"

"Mm, maybe." He says with a tiny smirk on his face. Suddenly, his large, warm hands come up to cup your cheeks— lips capturing yours in a sweet goodnight kiss. "Goodnight." You smile up at him as his thumb caresses the surface of your right cheek.

"Night." He steps back, biting his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling too big. He lingers around until he sees you successfully slip into your unit and hears the door shut close.

What he doesn't see is the way you squeal and dig your face into your hands, incredibly giddy and happy from the turn of events.

You really liked Yunho.

And he does, too.

So much that the smile doesn't even fade when he pulls up to the house, Mingi's car leaving enough room for him to park in his usual spot. Yunho can see the faint flickering of the TV lights through the kitchen window, and he knows Seora is probably on the couch waiting for his arrival.

When he steps through the door, Mingi is placing some food into the fridge before returning his attention to the remaining dishes in the sink. He quietly greets his bestfriend before nodding towards the couch— signaling that Seora had fallen asleep while waiting.

"Has it been long?" Yunho asks lowly.

"A bit, yeah. She said practice was exhausting today." Yunho chuckles before crouching down in front of the couch and brushing her hair back.

"Ace." Her eyes slowly flicker open.

"Oh, finally. You're back." He laughs.

"Let's get to bed, hm?" She sleepily nods, sitting up before walking to her bedroom. "Say bye to uncle Mingi."

"Love you, ace!" Mingi calls out as he watches her sleepily walk across the living room.

"Love you too. Goodnight." She mutters and lazily waves before dragging herself into her room and shutting the door. It isn't long before Yunho sees her shut off the lights, causing him to turn the volume down on the TV before helping Mingi clean up.

"So, how was it?" Yunho smiles.

"Good." He avoids eye contact as he blushes, setting the dry dishes into the cabinet.

"Good?"

"Yeah."

"Meaning?" Mingi rests against the corner before smirking at him. " I have time."

"I really, really like her."

⇢taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @nopension @curse-of-art @thechaotictheoryy @likexaxdaydream @dalsuwaha @enha-stars @yasuraokaa @professormingisglasses @yunyunrin @pommelex @astral-trashcan @laura1399 @domfikeluva @tournesol155 @hwaskookies @yusalterego @hwa-stars @hyukssunflower @chngbnwf @jaytheatiny @lucid-galaxys-world @chaotic-floral @sofkloster @honeyrecommends @hwashua-luv @luvv4bby @spicxbnny @pandyandy71 @sanniesaurus @angel-hyuckie @wolviejex @purpleyou7x

[daphwritesworld]

Chapter 3— Fool.

a/n: welcome back to the Be My Baby series! Sorry y'all, I left with some with friends and it went on waaaaay longer than I thought it would lol. I'm gonna break this chapter up into 2 parts so I can get it posted tonight. So an extra chapter will be added!! Chapter 4 will just be the part 2 of this one, and after that it'll be back on schedule. Oh and don't worry— chapter 4 will be out tomorrow btw!! that's where the big boy angst comes on. so y'all are safe until then. thank you for your support and happy reading < 3

(p.s. sorry I didn't proof read this again, lol. I will later & edit any details that need touching up. Again sorry this is late, but I hope getting part two and the Keira fic tomorrow will make up for it haha.)

content: sick!Reader, caretaker!Leah, straight up no smut (CRAZY I KNOOOOOW), mostly fluff, and some angst.

warnings: talks of not hydrating & eating properly, the flu, A&E/ER, confusion caused by sickness

synopsis: You wake up sick and you call the only person you can think of for help.

word count: 3.0k

Series Masterlist: here.

!! 18+ MINORS DNI !!

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The sound of your alarm doesn’t jolt you awake this morning. You’re already lying wide awake before it rolls around this time. You’d woken up early and your mind drifted to Leah, your whole situation together, barca, and the inevitable moment when they all come crashing together like a high speed train accident. Is it severely toxic and self destructive? Oh for sure…but who’s gonna stop you?

You stretch out your limbs as you set up in bed, turning off your alarm as you settle back into your own skin. There’s a rolling storm of anxiety filling your gut, and as your feet touch the ground it flies up to your throat. You run to the bathroom and barely make it to the toilet in time, emptying out your stomach contents. Which at the moment is just your bile. The sweating must’ve started when you were in bed; because you quickly notice the dampness of your shirt from the temperature drop in the bathroom. The cold tiles seep through Leah’s sweats and chill your body down. You shiver after a few minutes, staying seated on the floor as you take a moment to catch your breath.

You make quick work of going to grab your phone and sending your boss a quick message. As soon as it's sent you make your way to the shower. It's only when you bend down to take your pants off that you realize how sick you truly are. Your vision goes blurry and your head starts floating in and out of dizziness. You slowly lower your body, your hands making contact with the floor as you set yourself down. It's then that the headache starts— like your brain is pounding against your forehead on repeat. It's sharp and never ending, leaving you to crumble down into tears.

You don't have a car, and even if you did— you are in no state to operate a vehicle right now, and you definitely don't feel confident enough to order a taxi like this. So you are left with one option. One you know you're gonna regret when you're not sick and delusional, but it's the one thing your broken mind can think of…You call Leah. You crawl across the tiled floor and get your phone off the counter, dialing her number as you pray she picks up. And of course she does, because by the third ring her voice is greeting you through the speakers. "I knew you couldn't resist me, darling. I've just been wait—"

"Le…" you cut her off with a sob of her nickname. Your head is painfully throbbing now, and your mouth is so dry your throat is scratchy. She can tell just from the small amount of your voice she hears.

"y/n, hey— what's wrong? I'm on my way, alright? I'll be there soon, just stay on the phone with me," Leah's moving before the first word even leaves her mouth. She's leaving her breakfast on the table as she slips mismatching shoes on her feet. Running out of her flat with nothing but her keys and her phone in her hands.

"Something's wrong, Le. I'm sick and I-I..I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to call," your voice breaks at the end. It's like a knife plunging into Leah's heart as she hears it; the absolute brokenness of your words. She knows there's a deeper meaning behind your them, but she won't push it. Leah knows any of the girls would come to help you in a heartbeat, so what's got you believing otherwise? Or maybe the better question is, who has you believing otherwise? She'll investigate that later.

"Hey, hey, calm down. You're alright, love. Take a deep breath for me, okay? I'll be there before you know it, and we'll get you to the doctor," Leah's voice would normally calm you down, but your brain is still running a million miles per minute…and it's only making you feel worse. It's like you can't focus on a singular thought, and the confusion only fuels your distress. Leah presses down on the gas pedal when she doesn't get a response from you. She can only hear your cries filling up the empty space of her car. She gets to your building in record time, and only then does she realize she didn't bring her wallet.

"God dammit," she chastises herself under her breath, trying to not let you hear her frustration as she searches for a on-street parking spot. She just had to forget you live in a fancy ass building with paid parking, today of all days. "I'm parking now, love. I'll be up in a few minutes." Thankfully she gets one across the street, rummaging through her center console for some change coins. She puts way more than needed in the parking meter, but that's not her main priority right now. "I need you tell me if the door's unlocked, okay? I know you don't feel well, but can you unlock it if it is?"

You close your eyes as you take a deep breath, gathering all your mental strength to answer her. "N-No. There's a key under t-the welcome mat though…I don't think I can walk by myself. I-I'm so sorry, Leah," you can't stop the embarrassment from filling your body. You hate having to ask people for help— especially when you need it the most. It makes you feel weak, helpless, and like a burden. It's a deep seated insecurity you can't seem to shake, but it's not like you've really ever tried to correct it. We all know Leah's stubborn, but you? You can be even worse than her. It's not like you mean to be, but you're just…broken. In more ways than even you would like to admit.

Leah sees right through it though— she always has. She is the one person in your life that sees you for who you are. Not the persona you put up for the rest of the world. You two may of only spent a short time together that year ago, but oh what an impact it made. Spending every waking second with a person for weeks on end does something to a person. You either ending up hating each other, falling in love, or whatever the fuck you two got going on.

"You don't need to be sorry, y/n. You definitely need a better hiding spot for your spare though, that's just bloody awful! You're asking for a break in!" Leah feels herself get a little frustrated as she retrieves your key. Her voice picking up into a scolding tone as she jiggles with your doorknob. You whimper out as you move the phone from your ear, the slight rise in her voice making your head hurt more. "Too loud," you say as she walks into your home. She makes sure to shut the door lightly, before smacking herself in the forehead for raising her voice with you. "I'm sorry, love. I just worry about you. Now which room are you in?"

"My bathroom," your voice sounds so small now. Like a child getting in trouble.

"I'm on my way to you now, okay?" Leah says as she climbs the stairs. Her eyes flit over your walls and she notices the lack of pictures. You have bare hallways and they look so, so lonely. She walks into your bedroom and she sees the void of no decor or really any of your things at all. It makes her sad, but mostly it leaves her wanting to ask more questions. Questions she knows she can't ask right now, but will get the answers to someway.

Nothing could have prepared Leah for what she sees behind the wooden door of your bathroom. You're clad in a mist of sweat, all the color drained from your face, and you're shaking like a leaf. It isn't until she's running up to you and falling to her knees that she sees the extent of your state. Your pants are still sitting halfway down your thighs, and Leah quickly moves to redress you. She makes sure not to look at you inappropriately, only doing what's needed to get you comfortable and less exposed. She knows how vulnerable you are right now, and she's doing everything she can to make sure you're okay. She sheds her Arsenal hoodie off, sliding it over your head as she encourages you to push your arms through.

“Hey love, let’s get you stood up– that’s it.” She helps you get to your feet, letting you lean all your body weight onto her. Leah guides you back towards your bed, sitting you on the edge as she goes to grab a pair of your shoes. It doesn't take her long before she's rejoining you and sliding some slip-ons over your feet. she pats your legs when she's down, looking up to see your disheveled appearance. "You ready to go?"

"Mhm," you nod your head along. Talking is only making your headache worse, so you've opted for noises instead.

With that, Leah is helping you back up. But before you can rest your weight back onto her side, she's picking you up bridal style. Your arms instinctively go to wrap around her neck, burying your face in the warmth of her embrace. You don't have the energy to argue with her, and honestly it's a relief to not have to walk right now. She carries you like you weigh nothing, shutting and locking your door like she isn't holding an entire human being. If you didn't feel like death you'd be obsessing over how hot she is, but right now you're just thankful.

You must've fallen asleep, because the next thing you know you're waking up in a A&E bed. You blink a few times to adjust to the lights above you, small groans slipping out as you try to stretch the cramped feeling out of your limbs. Then you hear her softly speaking on the phone across the room, and you go back to lying still. You close your eyes as you focus on trying to hear her conversation. "I know I should've called first, but you didn't see her. She couldn't even stand on her own, and she fell asleep in my arms before we even made it to her building elevator! She's in bad shape, and I'm not just gonna leave her here all alone in a country she doesn't fucking know. I'm the Captain and it's my responsibility to look after everyone— I don't fucking care that she's not a player! She's on our team, our crew, and she deserves our support. Call me back when you get your head out of your ass," and with that she hangs up.

You try and force yourself to just back to sleep and forget everything you've heard, but of course that's not how things work out. Your stomach starts turning again, complicating feelings swirling around with the uneasiness. The tears come falling down your cheeks before your eyes even open, your chest starting to tighten up as the sobs claw at your lungs to get out. It feels like you can't breathe, and honestly maybe you aren't. Not as you see flashbacks of Barca passing through your memory, a wave of dread blanketing over your body.

"What hurts, love? Do I need to get the nurse?" Leah's by your side the second she notices, a hand out grasping your forearm. Her fingers dance little patterns into your skin, and it actually starts to ground you. "Come on, take deep breaths with me again, okay?"

You nod your head, and then she's holding both your hands. You follow her lead as she sucks in a slow breath and holds it, before exhaling just as slow. She repeats the process with you until you're calmed all the way down. It doesn't take too long, but honestly Leah isn't going to leave you anytime soon anyway. "Nothing hurts," you say it so softly she barely hears it. Your eyes stay locked down onto the bed sheets below you, never making any eye contact with her.

"Then why were you crying, y/n?"

"Because I heard you on the phone…and I don't know. I guess I freaked out, and went spiraling into a self hate hole for a second. I'm okay, really."

"oh bloody hell! I'm so sorry you heard that, darling. I should've went into the hall or something—"

"It's okay, Le. I'm just sensitive, and really really delulu from whatever sickness I currently have…plus it was nice to hear you stick up for me, Captain."

"The mystery sickness is indeed just a bad case of the flu…but uhm, the doctor said it was made worse from you being dehydrated and probably not eating enough from the looks of your blood work. I'm not gonna judge you or yell at you. But I am taking you home with me when they discharge you. I'm your official caregiver until you're well enough to take after yourself again," Leah doesn't let go of your hand as she says it. She tries to connect your gazes, but you don't allow it. Actively avoiding her eyes as you feel them burrowing holes into your skull.

You wish you could argue with her and tell her she's wrong…but you can't. You've been skipping out on meals ever since you moved here. It's not been on purpose, you just haven't been able to eat. It's like your body hates the idea of eating, always growing nauseous after every few bites. So you've been drinking some meal replacements…not enough apparently. "Okay."

"…Okay? Really? That was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be," Leah is staring at you with her biggest look of, 'be so for real, bitch' written across her face. But you just shrug as you sink back into the uncomfortable mattress underneath you. You're so mentally and physically wore out right now, there's just no fight left inside you. Right as you're about to re-close your eyes, the doctor finally comes back in. After getting the run down from him, he lets you know that you can be discharged and to pick up your antibiotics before going home. Leah helps you redress again, and this time it has you giggling at the way she makes her eyes go anywhere but at your naked body.

"Hold on…how'd you get the doctor to tell you what was wrong with me before I even woke up? Aren't there some rules against that?"

"…I might have told everyone that you're my fiancé," Leah smiles at you nervously.

"Fuck you, Williamson! Take yourself on that date Thursday!"

"Oh, so you're finally agreeing that it's a date?" Leah smirks at you, only hearing the parts of what she wants to hear.

"Well, I guess we'll never know, now will we?"

She rolls her eyes at you for that, holding her hand out for you to take. And you do, still leaning against her some to walk. She helps you to the car, and once you're both secure she's driving you to your new home for the next few days…or weeks. God you hope only days. It feels weird to be back inside a house with another person, and it's extra fucking weird that it's Leah. You know this stay is when you have to put down some boundaries with her. To stop whatever there is between the two of you. It makes the previous pit in your stomach increase by double, because deep down you know you care about her...you're just lying to yourself about it. You can push every feeling down your throat, but they will all come spilling out at some point. That's what you've learned to be true over the years, but will you accept that as truth? Hell no! At least not anytime soon. Your worst problem is that you always get in your own way.

When she finally gets you inside, Leah starts cooking and letting her mind wonder to think of you. More importantly to the phone call you overheard in the A&E. She'd been talking with her manager, and completely snapped on him. He'd said something about how Leah 'follows you around like a lost puppy' and well…. it hurt her fucking feelings. Of course she isn't doing all of this just because she's one sided sickly in love with you…right? Sure she thinks of you literally every second of the day, and she's been day dreaming of you for the past year, but that's all totally normal...RIGHT?

Leah doesn't get to spiral into her romanic crisis for too long, because before she knows it the timers going off. She drains the gnocchi before putting it in a bowel for you, making her way back to the living room where she left you. She laughs at the sight that greets her— you snuggled up asleep in her Arsenal hoodie she'd given you when she first saw you. Leah just sets the gnocchi aside on the coffee table, opting to cuddle you instead of waking you up. She pulls you onto her body, your face resting on her chest as she tries to adjusts you without waking you up.

She finds herself running her fingers through your hair, and before long they're running softy across the features of your face. Leah lets a deep sigh come out of her chest. She truly feels like a fucking fool. Leah doesn't chase girls— they chase her. So for the first time in this game, she is the one crying. She's clinging onto any crumb of attention you'll give her, and she'll keep doing it for as long as it takes. Leah has you sleeping against her chest once again, and it's nothing like she's day dreamed of. You two aren't confessing your feelings, running around town making memories, or god forbid actually dating…but she'll keep feeling like a fool and waiting on you. She'll keep searching for your love until she finds it, because she knows she's felt flashes of it. She knows that carefree, wild, truly happy girl from Ibiza is still inside of you somewhere. Leah doesn't know what took that extra bright sparkle out of your eyes, but she is determined to see it light up your face back up.

[madamechrissy]

Dirty Little Secret

ꕥ Pairings: Toji Fushiguro x Fem Reader

ꕥ Warnings- MDNI-explicit sexual content, dirty talk, Toji calls reader 'doll, ma, slut (Toji and Doll just work lol) Age gap- reader is 21, Toji is 39. - Soft Toji!! This chapter-mostly just fluffy cuteness, some oral and pregnant sex

ꕥ Word Count- this chap- 5k

ꕥ Summary- Toji Fushiguro is your dad Shiu's best friend for years. You've known him most your life. You come home for spring break to relax, and who pops up at the fucking doorstep? Toji. He's nasty, annoying, perverted and... Sexy. Hot. Built. And makes you think, maybe your first time shouldn't be with some college boy? But with this buff dude who can tie a cherry stem with his tongue and a scar on his damn lip.

Chapter 12 - Masterlist - Playlist

Chapter 13

Three months later

About six months along

You stare at yourself in the mirror, grimacing as you touch your tummy, tracing three long silvery stretch marks, turning this way and that, you’re getting big already, just your tummy and nothing else really, aside from a fullness to your breasts. Breasts your annoying fiance constantly wants to grab, touch and suck on, you are dressed in a tank top and Toji’s sweats, your new favorite things.

“Doll, you’re taking forever, you good? Sick or anything?” Toji asks from outside the bathroom door, and you sigh, stepping out and frowning. His eyes immediately go to your tummy, his big hands on it, as he leans down and kisses you. “Fuck you look so sexy.”

“Toji I look like a fucking watermelon! A blob! And look.” You point then, feeling tears in your eyes at your stretch marks, and Toji scoffs, leaning down on his knees now, looking up at you and kissing your tummy. “No, it’s-”

“Beautiful, doll. Look at you.” He’s kissing up your stretch marks, as you brush back his hair, all sweaty from his workout, sticking to his tanned forehead.

“No, you’re an Insta Baddie and I’m a whale.” He snorts then, you watched Toji post another picture and get another 10k likes, fuck he’s bad at pictures too, imagine if these women saw him forreal?

You both had been on several dates and women were thirsty for him, but Toji only has eyes for you, and you don’t get it, because your fingers are swelling and your tummy is so big. He’s more on you than ever, if that’s possible, constantly trying to touch you, suck on your nipples, trying to get you to ride him, but you’re so insecure as you get further along.

“You’re sexy as fuck. Keep talking shit about yourself and I’ll not let you cum tonight.” You tremble a bit, because fuck you’re always horny.

“Mmm, we have Megs, Yuji and Nobara coming for dinner, you know. You need to help me find something pretty.”

He chuckles as he stands, big hands still on your tummy. “Doll, I sure ain’t picking outfits, got me soft enough like a lil bitch.”

“Oh please!” You pout, and he scowls, dark green eyes narrowing.

“Nah, ya got enough clothes, brat. Go pick em or greet em in this.” He grins, yanking on your sweatpants (his sweats!?) 

“Ugh, no! Fine, mean old man. Ow!” Toji pinches your nipples then, sensitive as fuck, making you gasp. “Dick! Let go!”

“Don’t like your attitude.”

“Don’t like yours!”

“Baby got you so angry, swear to god.”

“You wanted one!”

“Yes I do!” He’s cupping your face then, slamming his lips down, and you feel yourself get so wet, moaning as he grabs you so tight, until he feels the baby kick his torso, and he looks down, laughing so soft, a beautiful grin on his stern face. “Oh my god… well hello baby.”

You giggle then, unable to keep an attitude when your baby kicks once more, now on Toji’s big palm. “She’s angry with you, Toji.”

“She’s gonna be a brat like you.” You just grin, as she does a somersault inside you, and kicks your rib, making you wince. “See?”

“Fuck you, Toji.”

“Fuck me huh?” He scowls again, done with your attitude quite clearly, and turns you, bending you over the kitchen table, sliding down your sweats and smacking your backside.

“Ow!” You bite your lip, thighs shifting as the movement makes you so wet, and Toji smirks at you as you look back. “Gonna smack your pregnant wife!?”

“Fuck yeah I am. Look how big that ass is getting-”

“Hey fuck you! Ah!”

“I like it, lemme enjoy. Mm, these handprints.” Toji smacks you gently, it stings a bit but nothing like he’d do before you started showing more. He acts ‘rough’ but he really takes it too easy, too worried to hurt the baby. “So slutty, you like it huh Ma?”

“Mmm, shut up. Ngh!” Toji smacks your pussy, making you spread your thighs for more, praying your baby will stop kicking, and she finally does, so you can focus on how good it feels as he runs a rough finger through your folds.

“Be a good girl and I’ll fuck you. Be bad and you can just get licked everywhere but that clit.”

“Mmm, I’ll be good!” You whine, Toji has been loving to lick your pussy all over, avoiding your clit to torture you when you’re bad, until he has you a damn mess. “Toji, can’t stand like this long…”

“Oh shit, c’mon.” He slides up your sweats now, picking you up with ease still, and you’re kissing his hot, firm lips, so hungry for him. He’s got you on the bed now, sitting on the edge, kneeling between your legs. “How ya wanna do it, doll? I never know what’s good, you’re so bitchy so much.”

“Mmm… I’m sorry.” You blink back tears and he frowns.

“Don’t say sorry and shit. I knew you’d be the bitchiest pregnant girl, and I still fuckin did it.” You giggle now, and he sighs. “Fuck these mood swings.”

“Ugh I know! Don’t know if I’m sad, horny, hungry or happy.” He kisses your thighs over your sweats, hands rubbing your tummy.

“I know what ya are, doll.”

“Hmm, what’s that?” You whisper, caressing his strong jawline. He kisses your palm then kisses your belly button.

“Gorgeous as fuck. That’s what. Prettiest brat there is.” Your lips are trembling now, as you sniffle, then you yank him up by his broad shoulders.

“I fucking love you, Toji” He’s kissing you as he’s standing, bent at the waist, as you lean back and he’s caressing your breasts with his big hands.

“I love you, mean little brat. Gonna give me a heart attack.”

“Take baby aspirin, old man. Fuck!” He pinches your nipple with a scowl, and you grin up at him then. “You’re the most handsome man there is, Toji, I swear to god. I’ll never, ever want anyone but you.”

He blinks at your sincerity, moaning and slipping his hand down your sweats, rubbing your clit, soaked already, as he studies you, pulling your hair gently at the base of your neck. “I’ll never want anyone, how could I? Look at you, fuck you’re so wet f’me too ain’t ya baby?”

“Always, always.” You whisper, then you’re grinding on his hand as two fingers slide in.

“You’re so wet doll, oh my god.” He moans, playing with you, and you hear it, the sounds of that lewd squishing in the room.

“Want you, please Toji.” You plead now, and he’s letting you undress him, as you eagerly take him in your mouth, lapping up the salty precum at his tip, letting it coat your mouth now. He’s huffing, his abs flexing as his hips thrust, not fully, Toji is so careful even though his hands are shaking.

Your eyes look up at him, and he looks down with his lidded gaze, his teeth bared just so, and you suck him harder, lashes low over your dazed eyes. “You’re such a good girl f’me, for once huh?”

“Just once.” You tease, flicking your tongue and stroking him, before he’s slipping down your top, moaning at your breasts, so full and bouncy, and you pull his cock closer, nodding, letting him stroke his cock between them.

“Holy… oh my… look at ‘em. Look at em s’pretty.” He’s a mess now, as you hold your jiggly tits together for him, as he’s fucking his thick, veiny cock between them, hands sliding down the sides of them, making you shiver. “Lemme eat you, please.”

“I can’t see you though!” You pout, and he laughs, breathless.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t see your pretty pussy. Don’t deny a man his meal, damn brat.”

“Oh fine but I miss looking at you!” He pulls you by your now bare thighs, diving down as you lay back on the bed, legs dangling over the edge and on his strong shoulders, feeling his muscles tense as he lavishes you with his tongue, and fuck it feels so good, you’re screaming out. “T-Toji!”

He’s smiling against you, you can’t see his damn eyes, all you see is your huge tits and tummy, your eyes closing as you try to reach down, but he takes a hand and holds your wrist, squeezing and giving you just enough roughness. You’re whimpering as he’s drinking you up, fuck you hear him sucking your wetness, exhaling and moaning on you.

“It tastes even better.” He whispers, sliding a thick digit in your soppy little cunt, which sucks it in, as he watches it disappear so pretty between those puffy lips. He’s sucking your clit into his mouth now, lavishing the tiny pearl with his tongue as he vibrates it by groaning.

“Toji!” You scream out, thighs threatening to close, but he sucks right through it, as you cum so messy all over his face and his hand, gushing liquid, you feel it hot and wet down your ass now. “Oh my god.”

“Would think your water broke, cum so much, lil slut.” You gasp, but he’s leaned up and now you see that handsome, rugged face you love, and it’s half covered in your slick.

“Get in there, please, jerk!” He is rubbing the tip of his cock between your folds now, leaning just a bit over you, as you swipe back his inky black locks, and he pushes in  so easy. You’re whining at the stretch, and you can’t stop it, you cum again when he’s hitting that cervix, and he grins.

“So easy, brat- oh fuck, stop tightening up!” He’s tense over you, and you grin as you get him back, and you feel him so good, you moan, cumming still, getting him so wet he’s slippery, even as tight as you are. “Oh my… you better not….”

“Gonna bust fast old man?” He gently smacks your face as you giggle.

“I will beat this ass when you’re ready again. Fuck you so hard.” He says, putting just enough pressure now in your pussy, as he’s so careful to keep any weight off your tummy, and you cling to him, around his neck, biting your lip and cheeks flushing. He sighs then, pausing.

“Wh-what? I’ll loosen up. Don’t stop.” You whine, rolling your hips up, and he shakes his head, brushing your hair back gently, then his thumb brushes a rounding cheek.

“Nah, just beautiful is all.” You feel those tears back, slamming his lips to yours as he fucks into you, steady and slow and so good, until you’re both falling apart, and he’s pulsing inside of you, as you’re throbbing from your aftershocks. “Gonna fill you up s’good, doll.”

“Fill me up, please Daddy.” At that Toji cums, and he cums hard, those ribbons of that white cum soaking into your walls, coating them, as he slows, kissing your face, your breasts, hands rubbing your tummy.

“You’re so sexy, fuck, doll. Like this?” He’s eased out now, kissing your tummy, and you exhale, trembling and trying to come to, nothing about sex with Toji was anything but mind blowing.

“I love you so much.” You say softly, as he melts your insecurities away, this gruff man with his nasty ass jokes and lewd looks, he makes you feel so beautiful even when you’re so down. There is no being down when you’re with Toji Fushiguro, he will never let you be.

“I love you, lil Mama.” You smile against his lips as he eases you up, and then he’s gone for a moment, back with a washcloth, cleaning you up.

“Does it bother you, the… um hair? It annoys me.” You grumble, and he smirks, shaking his head.

“Kinda like it, doll. Do you not?”

“No I don’t. But I can’t see it or reach it!”

“Need me to shave ya?”

“Please.” He sighs.

“I think it’s cute.” He’s rubbing the hair you can't see on your mound. “But whatever ya want, brat.”

“Yay!”

******

You are sitting at dinner now, that you and Toji had cooked together, and Megumi pulls out a seat next to him for you, patting it. You sit down gratefully, leaning your head on his shoulder for a moment, and catch Toji’s soft smile as Megumi touches your tummy, and gasps when he feels it, the bump of your baby girl saying hello, his usually serious features softened.

“Oh my god… It's doing that now!?” You giggle, nodding as you take his hand, pressing it a little higher on your bump.

“You haven’t seen me in like two months, it was hard to tell then. Now she’s vicious, I swear.” Megumi smiles just a bit, dark lashes lowering as he looks at your tummy in your pretty white sundress.

You remember when he found out.

3 months ago

“You’re what!? Dad I swear to god, the fuck!” Megumi was furious as you both had told him, inviting him to Toji’s home right after leaving Shiu.

“Kid…”

“Don’t kid me. She’s my age. I wouldn’t want a brat, tch.” He pouts and looks at you seriously. “You can’t want a kid yet.”

“Megs, I do… I am really happy. I know it’s weird, but I want this.” You look at him now, and he frowns, looking at his dad again, then you, rolling his eyes.

“God, don’t do that puppy dog eye thing.”

Toji chuckles. “She gets everything that way.”

“Bet she does.” Megumi rolls those dark green eyes, and you keep pouting, eyes wide, until he sighs, touching your still flat tummy. “Do you really want a baby?”

“I do, and I promise I’ll be the best mom.” You touch his hand over yours, and he smiles just a bit finally as he looks down. “You’ll have a little sister or brother!”

“That sounds annoying. A stupid kid, ugh.”

“Hey!” You poke at him now, and he smirks. “You’re such a little shit, Megs!”

“He gets that from me.” Toji ruffles Megumi’s perfect spikes, and he smacks his hand away, grimacing in disgust, but he’s still touching your tummy, his black brows drawing together.

“Hmm. If you’re happy?”

“I am Megs.”

“The fuck, about me kid?” Toji says, standing and crossing his thick, banded biceps, and Megumi snorts.

“Again, if you’re happy.” He says to you, making you grin as Toji fumes.

“How does my kid like you better than me?” He grumbles, and you stick your tongue out, as Megumi’s long fingers slip off your tummy.

“Everyone likes me better, Old man.” Megumi grins at that, and Toji loses his shit, but Megumi is looking at you contemplatively. “What is it, Megs?”

“You look so happy. Glowing.” You blush now.

“I am happy, I really am.”

“Then… fuck it. I guess I’m gonna be a big brother.”

“Yay!” You smack a kiss on his cheek, and Toji smiles at the two of you, devious fucking smile, that makes you both look at him, wide eyed.

“And you’re gonna have a stepmom.”

“Yuck!”

Present- Toji’s POV

Things absolutely changed that day, now Megumi is so sweet, as Yuji and Nobara take turns feeling your tummy, and Toji is making everyone plates, stealing glances at his pretty fiance. One he can’t wait to make his wife, but you’re waiting until after the baby for that, you do have a pretty little diamond ring on your finger that glints in those lights now.

He watches his son laugh next to you, as you carry his daughter, and fuck if you don’t make him a sappy ‘old man’ damn brat that you are. As you’re all flushed and beautiful, glowing so bright, your eyes sparkling as you talk to your best friends. Fuck he’s a lucky man, you’re a goddess to him, you always were, but now you’ve got that tummy, those curves, in that pretty white dress?

You look like Venus herself.

He would probably just call you a sexy lil doll, but he does think you’re his goddess, damn you make him corny. If someone told Toji Fushiguro he’d be such a sap he would never believe it. Megumi feels the baby kick again, and Toji’s heart finally feels full, this void he’d had for so long since he had Megumi was filled, he was so lucky the kid wants to have him in his life.

He’s so lucky he has you three, you, Megs and the baby, even your friends who drive him insane, he just wants you happy. And as you peek at him, sipping on some sparkling water, and you look at him with such love in your pretty eyes, that brilliant smile, it’s like you’re clenching his heart with your tiny little hand.

How was Toji ever lucky enough to have you, and to have a family like this? After fucking up so much, after being just a bum for so long, how has Toji finally got his shit together, finally got a fiance. A beautiful one, a sweet one (lets be real, you’re kind of mean as fuck and bitchy, but Toji loves that) sweet when you want dick, but how’d he even get lucky enough for that?

He peeks and sees Shiu has texted him, and smiles a bit at the phone as he’s grabbing more drinks for everyone. Shiu still hates Toji, and Toji doesn't blame him, but he’s a good damn dad, better than Toji was with Megs. He hopes he can be that good of a dad to your baby, he damn well will try.

He’s picturing a pretty little daughter now, and he can’t stop the stupid smile on his face.

*****

3 months later- Labor day

“Toji Fushiguro, I hate you and your big ass head! Ow fuck!” You scream, holding his hand so tight he’s wincing, scowling right back at you.

“You got the big ass head, blame your damn dad!”

“Excuse me!?” Shiu shouts, looking up from where he has his face covered, terrified as your contractions get quicker. “You got a big ass head Toji!”

“Fuck yes he does. Ugh! You suck so bad I can’t do this!” You’re sobbing at the pain, and Megumi stands then, shaking his head.

“Can’t do it. Dad, be supportive, fuck. Shiu, c’mon… coffee?” Megumi suggests, and Shiu jumps up immediately.

“Cocaine maybe, fuck.”

“Dad!” You scowl and he grimaces.

“You’re scary kiddo. You deserve her to break your hand, Toji.” Shiu says then, and they run out, leaving you with your mean, big headed fiance.

“Brat too tiny can’t have a kid right?”

“Fuck you I can!”

“Mmm, sure you can.”

“Toji I’ll never have one again, I swear ugh!” You squeeze his hand again, screaming out, as the doctors rush in, and they take your vitals.

“She’s not dilating, we can’t keep going much longer, it's been ten hours.” The doctor says, and Toji frowns then, holding your hand tightly.

“Shit.”

“Shit, shit what!?”

“C section, Megs was one too.”

“Because your big ass head, oh fuck you!” He scowls.

“You’re a damn brat!”

“You’re a dick, old man!”

“Ahem. We can give it a little longer, but we really need to get you prepped in case. We can up the pitocin and try that if you want? What’s best for you mom?” They ask you then, and you are glaring right at him, as he is you, then his face changes, as he holds your tummy, and kisses you, right in front of blushing nurses and that doctor, sighing against your lips.

“Scared, Toji.” You admit, and he nods then, head resting on yours, as you feel your heart race.

“It’ll be fine, doll. I got you. Right here with you, yeah?”

You kiss him back, hands entangling in his hair, so messy from how much he’d been messing with it. “Right here with me.”

******

“Oh my god! I’m a grandpa!” Shiu is holding your beautiful little girl later on, as you’re a sweaty, exhausted mess, having this baby was not easy, thanks to Toji’s big ass head, you’d had a lot of trouble, but she was here, no c section thank goodness, and perfect. And you were safe and sound. Your heart aches as you see your dad smiling so big.

“She’s beautiful.” You whisper, as Toji sits next to you in the bed, holding up water for you to sip, smiling softly.

“You did so good, doll. She’s beautiful just like you.” He whispers, kissing your sweaty forehead, and you smile tremulously, as you sip the icy water, sighing.

“She has your eyes, Toji.” You say then, as now Megumi holds his little sister, and you watch the usually serious Megumi melt as he looks at her.

“She’s so beautiful. Hey little sis.” Megumi cooes softly, and you melt even more, as Toji is stroking your hair back, sighing.

“I’m so fuckin happy.” He murmurs in your ear, and you touch his face gently, smiling up at him, eyes glimmering with tears. “Ya made me so happy, doll, I don’t know how to even describe it. Heart… fucking hurts.”

“Aw, you’re such a sap, old man.” You tease, and he narrows his eyes, but you peck a weak kiss on his stubbled chin. “I’m kidding. Toji I couldn’t be happier.”

Megumi hands Toji your baby girl again, and he grins so big, as she grabs one of his big fingers with her tiny little fist. The sight of your beautiful little girl in Toji’s big arms makes you wanna have another damn baby, even after all this, even after being uncomfortable this last month and having a hard time. You’d give this man anything, when you watch him light up.

He gently hands you her, your sweet little baby Mio. She opens those dark green eyes, just like Megs and Toji, but she has your hair color, and your nose, you’re tapping her nose gently, watching her little mouth form into an O, and you smile softly as your heart swells. You have never felt this, this love, you love Toji so much but this is so different, it fills you with so much emotion you feel them spilling over through your eyes, tears falling down your cheeks.

“I love you, little Mio. So, much. I’m your mommy!” You whisper, sitting up with Toji’s help further, as she blinks those beautiful eyes, and you put her forehead to your lips, inhaling her. “She smells so good!?”

“The baby smell.” Toji and Shiu say, and you smile at them both, as your dad comes and kisses the top of your head, then bends down and kisses Mio’s downy little head.

“Do you all still remember that? In like the fifties?” Megumi says, earning your giggle and their scowl.

“Brats.” Toji grumbles.

“Brats.” Shiu agrees, then taps Mio’s nose, and yours. “Look, that’s your nose alright, isn’t it? She’s so pretty like you.”

“Aw thank you dad, she’s even more beautiful.” You all coo over her, and soon Megumi and Shiu eventually leave, after saying their goodbyes. It’s you with Toji in the quiet room, holding your baby. You’re so tired, but so happy, your heart so full as you feel this contentment and excitement, as Toji is holding you to his side.

“Hi, sweetie, it’s your dad. Welcome to the world, little one.” You’re crying again, at how sweet he is. “Kept us waiting, had to make an entrance, huh?”

“Dramatic like me.” You giggle, and he grins, and you start to feel exhaustion hit, sighing as you lean into his side.

“You’re gonna be the best dad any little baby could have, you know.” Toji blinks a bit then, looking away, you watch that Adam’s apple bob as he gulps.

“I’m gonna do everything to try.”

“I know you will, I’m so happy you’re her dad.”

“You’re her mommy. And you’ll be the best. I love you, doll, fuck you’ve made me so happy.” He whispers, and you kiss him, as your baby begins to let out a cute little cry, then it gets loud, and you laugh a bit. “She’s gonna be so bratty, I’m screwed.”

“So screwed.” You agree, grinning, as Toji helps you pull your breast out, and he exhales, as you hiss a bit when you see the milk drops. “Ugh, feel like a cow!”

“It’s beautiful, doll. Don’t.” He says gruffly, and then he helps put your baby's little mouth on your nipple. She struggles to latch, her little fists punching you practically, with sharp nails. Toji chuckles. “She’s vicious, isn’t she?”

“Jesus, guess that’s what happens with us as parents. Ow! Mio!” You’re huffing, wriggling with discomfort as her gums bite down, then finally she latches, and sucks, her puffy cheeks moving as she drinks. Finally you ease, exhaling. “She’s got it!”

“She’s a pro, too. Ya alright doll?” He asks, brow furrowing, and you nod then, letting him kiss your temple as your little girl eats.

“It feels so weird, but I’m good. It will take practice, the nurse said.”

“You’ll do great, already know it. Gonna be the best at this parenting shit, both of us, won’t we?” He nudges you with a grin, and you feel yourself getting so sleepy, feeling such warmth. You nod.

“We will do such a good job. I know it. She’s everything now.” You caress her cheek again, love bursting from every part of you.

“You’re both everything to me.” He corrects, and then sighs. “And Megs, of course, he was so happy wasn’t he?”

“He was oh my god! I knew it.”

“We’ll have him watch the kid so we can go fuck-”

“Toji!” You gasp, and he just grins shameless and lewd. “Knew you were being too nice, old perv.”

“Old, knocked you the fuck up. Should do it again.”

“Fuck no!” You stick your tongue out, as your baby now is asleep, no longer sucking, and you smile at her little face, a pretty gummy smile “Oh my god!”

“She’s milk drunk. Megs got like this.” You giggle then, looking up at him, seeing his dark green eyes, the same color as your daughter’s eyes, so lit up.

“Was Megumi a serious kid?”

“I didn’t know him well enough.” He frowns, and you sigh.

“I’m sorry-”

“Nah, doll, it’s okay. I’ll know everything about her, little Mio, I swear. I’ll never leave your side.” His words break your heart into pieces, you hear the pain in his voice as he takes his daughter in his arms.

“Toji you will do great. I know it.” You say softly, and he nods, as you wipe a tear, making him scowl.

“Ain’t crying.”

“Oh no, saw nothing.” He snorts, and you smile, as emotions run through you. “I love you, Toji.”

“I love you too, doll. So much.” He kisses your forehead, and then your baby’s head, and you lean into his side, watching him, feeling so content, as he whispers sweet nothings into her ear, and you’re so tired now you can’t keep awake.

“I’m gonna nap, okay?” You mumble, and he nods, easing off the bed.

“Yeah, sleep, I got her, doll. She’s okay.” And you doze off, feeling safe, feeling loved, feeling complete.

*****

When you wake up, you’re surprised to find it’s night, and the room is dimly lit, just the moon coming through the window, and the hospital lights are all off aside from a little one around your bed, casting a soft glow over everything. Toji’s still there, sitting in a chair beside the bed, holding your sleeping baby, looking down at her with a soft, loving smile on his face.

You sit up and he looks over at you, eyes tired but so, so happy.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired. Did I miss anything?” You ask nervously, and he chuckles, shaking his head.

“Nothin’. She’s just been sleeping like a rock. Like you, lazy little thing.” He smirks, and you grin at his words, watching as he adjusts her in his arms.

“Am not lazy, just had your baby!”

“Mmm, you were snoring though.”

“Was not!” He grins, and places your baby down in the little bassinet now, all swaddled up. “Come here.” You whisper, and he stands, stretching his long limbs and then he’s leaning down, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips, as you kiss back, feeling that warmth spread through your body.

Toji sits in the bed, laying on his side, pulling you to him, eyes drinking you in. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful, doll. You’re a mommy now.” He whispers, stroking your messy hair, and you snuggle to him, his hard, warm body, where you feel so safe, as he strokes your back up and down in the little hospital bed.

“Thank you, for everything. For being here with me, for being with me. Toji I can never imagine being without you.” You say then, and he exhales, gulping, his eyes lidded and tired like yours.

“Where else would I be, doll, but right here?” He kisses you again, and you hold onto him, feeling the love in his arms, so strong and safe, as you feel this is exactly where you’re supposed to be. Toji slips a hand to your breast then, and you squeak, earning his chuckle. “What, they’re hot.”

“You perv, I just had a baby!” You whisper, and he grins then, kissing down the side of your neck. “I feel gross!”

“Nah, you’re always sexy, even now. Enjoy that break you get for what, a couple weeks?” He nips your throat, and you gasp at it. How can he be such a hornball, damn old man.

“Like a month, fuck don’t do that.” He is kissing your neck again where he’d just bit, pulling back and smirking down at you, tiling your chin up and cupping your cheeks now.

“Enjoy that break, gonna knock ya up again.” You smack at him and he’s just grinning, white teeth stark against dark stubble.

“Will not, gonna tie those tubes.”

“Better not, brat.”

“Mmhmm! Now shut up, and lemme sleep. Snuggle me?” He smiles softer now, nodding and holding you tight against him, as your arms wrap his torso, and you feel sleep tugging at you again.

“Love you, lil doll.” He whispers against your hair.

“Love you, Toji.”

Final Chap Here

Kofi Link if you wanna buy me a coffee <3

ao3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57496135/chapters/153013882

[runningincircl3s]

Blood Sport

Noah Sebastian x Reader

Chapter Nine

masterlist

chapter warnings: uhh none?? :)

hey i'm sorry for the late post!! i got back from a trip super late last night and i just wanted to sleep lmao BUT i love this chapter so much :)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

It had been a long journey, you had spent six hours in the back of a van squashed between Noah and Bryan, Folio hadn’t shut up the entire trip and Jolly had spent the whole time snoring behind you. You were glad Noah had his airpods in, he was in his own bubble during the trip, avoiding any possible bickering. 

You weren’t sure where you stood with Noah right now, after his apology a few nights ago. You knew it wasn’t the magical solution to everything, but you hoped it meant something, until he began complaining that your suitcase for the weekend was too big and heavy, and you feared you were back to square one. 

“Oh… FUCK!” Matt exclaimed suddenly from the driver's seat, making everyone look around in confusion. 

“Everything okay?” Ruffilo asked, and Matt shook his head. 

“How many of us are there?”

And right in that moment, you knew exactly where this was leading. 

It was a repeat of the last tour. 

“...There’s seven of us.” Bryan counted. 

When Matt finally pulled up at the hotel you were staying at for the weekend, he checked the bookings. 

“I’ve booked 4 rooms with a king-size bed, and one with two small beds.”

“What does that mean?” You asked, although you worried you already knew the answer. 

“I didn’t know you were coming with us when I booked it… You’re gonna have to stay with one of the guys.”

“Who’s sharing the two-bed room?”

“Me and Nick,” Ruffilo said from the passenger seat, “So unless you wanna top and tail?” 

“Bry?” You almost pleaded, “We’ve shared a bed before?”

“Yeah, as kids,” he laughed, “To be real with you… I plan on not sleeping alone this weekend.”

“Gross,” you scowled, “Jolly?”

“Nicole’s staying with me, she’s coming down with Alyson later.”

“Fuck.” You curse, resting your head in your hands. 

“That leaves…” Folio smirked, everyone’s attention turning to Noah.

“Oh hell no!” He shook his head. 

“C’mon, man, y/n was kind enough to let you stay with her last time! It's time to repay the favour.” Bryan said. 

“Things were different then.” 

“C’mon, it’s the only other option. I just checked and all the rooms are booked tonight.” Matt frowned.

“I swear to God, I will fire you if this happens one more time, Matt.” Noah groaned, dragging a hand over his face, “I guess if it’s just for the night, and if it’s the only other option, you can stay with me if you want.” 

“Who says I want to stay with you.” You smirked. 

“Well, it’s either my room or the hallway, take your pick.”

…

The elevator in the hotel was broken, which should’ve been the first sign that this weekend wasn’t going to go well, but you still stayed optimistic. Noah couldn’t bear to listen to you complain for three more flights of stairs, so he took your suitcase up along with his, and you couldn’t help but bite your lip as you watched his muscles flex.

As soon as you caught yourself, you tried to avert your gaze, settling on the carpet of the stairs. A dark grey that desperately needed vacuuming. 

When you finally reached the fifth floor, you were out of breath, trudging along slowly behind Noah, who had no issue whatsoever with the stairs, even with two suitcases.

“Noah,” you panted, “Wait…”

He stopped to turn around and glare at you as caught up with him, halfway down the hallway.

When you finally stepped into your room, you were hit with deja vu. It had been a year now since your tour with Bad Omens, a year since you first had to share a hotel room with him…

You stared at the bed. The one bed.

One king-sized bed.

He set you case down and you both got unready for the night, showering, getting changed, brushing your teeth, and then you were forced to ask the question. 

“Well?” You cross your arms. “Where are you sleeping?”

Noah snorts. 

“Where am I sleeping? I booked this room.”

“Matt booked this room, actually.”

“Yeah. For me.”

You groan, dropping onto the bed, still sitting upright. 

“I can take the couch.” You said.

“There isn’t a couch.”

You glance at the sad little accent chair in the corner, then back at Noah. 

“Fine. I’ll take the chair.”

Noah raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah? Good luck with that.”

You glare at him but don’t argue. Instead, you grab some spare blankets from the closet, drop them onto the chair, and sit down with all the stubbornness in the world.

Noah watched you struggle to get comfortable for about five minutes before he sighed dramatically.

“For fuck’s sake.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “Just get in the bed.”

“No.”

“Yes.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

“No! You said it’s your room, your bed!”

“Jesus Christ.” He started, “Stop being so fucking stubborn and get your ass over here.” 

You hesitate. The idea of sharing a bed with Noah, after everything, is like playing with fire. But the chair is already digging into your back, and your pride only goes so far.

“…Fine.” You sigh, bringing the pillows and blankets from the chair with you. 

Noah shuffled over, throwing back the covers for you to get in. You acknowledge it with a brief smile before laying down, facing away from him and getting comfortable. 

The room was quiet, except for the faint hum of the air conditioner and the distant sounds of the city outside. You lay in bed, staring at the wall in front of you, pretending to be completely at ease, though your mind was anything but calm.

Noah’s presence beside you felt… different. It wasn’t the same as the last time you’d shared a room, a year ago, not at all. There was an unspoken tension in the air, thick enough that you could almost feel it pressing down on your chest.

You tried to focus on the sound of your own breathing, steady and controlled. But Noah’s movements, subtle as they were, kept pulling your attention. He shifted a little, the rustling of the sheets faint but enough to remind you of how close he was. That he was in the same bed.

Finally, you couldn't help it. You turned your head slightly, enough to catch a glimpse of him. He was lying there, on his side, facing away from you as well. His back was to you, but you could still feel the energy between you.

“Can’t sleep?” His voice was quiet, a low rumble in the otherwise still room.

You hesitated, unsure whether to admit the truth. But something about the way he said it made you want to open up.

“Yeah. It’s just hard to turn my brain off." You replied softly, even though that wasn’t the whole truth. It wasn’t just your brain, it was everything about this situation.

Noah didn’t answer at first, but you heard him shift again, and before you knew it, he was moving closer, just slightly, as he rolled onto his back. He didn’t touch you, but the proximity was enough to make you tense up.

“Y’know,” he began, his voice almost teasing, but there was an edge to it, “I’ve spent way too many nights on tour with you to know when you’re lying.”

You wanted to retort, to push back, but instead, you stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

After a moment of silence, Noah exhaled, a deep, frustrated sigh. 

“I know we’ve got a lot of shit between us, but…” He trailed off, as though trying to find the right words.

You felt your heart beat faster at the uncertainty in his voice, but you didn’t know how to respond either.

“But?” you finally asked, turning your head slightly more toward him.

Noah was staring at the ceiling now, his hands tucked behind his head. You couldn’t see his eyes in the darkness, but you could tell he was really thinking about what he was about to say.

“Forget it." He muttered, turning away from you slightly, putting more distance between you.

But you couldn’t ignore it.

“No,” you said, your voice firm but quiet as you turned the bedside lamp on. “What were you going to say?”

He didn’t answer right away, but you could hear his breathing shift.

“I just…” He stopped, frustration evident in his voice. “I just don’t want things to be weird between us anymore.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and for a moment, it felt like the room was closing in around you.

“I don’t either..." You replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

Noah finally turned toward you, his face soft in the dim light.

“I know we’ve both fucked things up,” he continued, his voice almost a whisper now. “But I want to figure this out… whatever this is, and move on.”

His words hit you harder than you expected. You couldn’t deny that the tension between you both had been lingering, festering for so long. And now, in this moment, it felt like you were on the brink of something that could either tear you apart or pull you closer than ever before.

You swallowed hard, trying to collect your thoughts.

“I don’t know how to fix everything,” you said honestly. “I don’t even know if it’s possible.”

Noah stayed quiet for a few moments, as if mulling over your words. Then, in a movement that surprised you, he reached across the bed, closing the space between you. He didn’t touch you yet, but his hand hovered, palm up, a silent invitation for you to decide.

You stared at his hand for a long moment, your breath caught in your throat.

It felt like everything was about to change, and the weight of that realisation pressed down on you.

Finally, you let out a breath, and with that, you reached out.

Your fingers brushed his, and the contact sent a wave of warmth through you, familiar, yet new.

Noah’s hand gently enveloped yours, and for a while, neither of you said anything. The silence was no longer awkward, it was just heavy with things neither of you had the courage to say.

But you couldn’t stop the question from creeping into your mind. It had haunted you for months, lingering in the quiet moments when you were alone, and now, lying here next to him again, it demanded to be voiced.

You swallowed, then whispered, 

“Do you really hate me?”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. You almost thought he had fallen asleep, until you heard him exhale, a slow, measured breath.

“No.” He said quietly.

You swallowed, you hand squeezing his a little.

“Then why does it sometimes feel like you do?”

“Because it’s just been easier that way.” His voice was softer.

“Easier?” Your brows furrowed. 

“Than the alternative.” He said, his thumb rubbing over the back of your hand. 

“And what’s the alternative?”

Noah hesitated, pressing his lips together. He looked like he was waging a war with himself, debating whether or not to let you in.

Then, finally, the walls he had tried to build cracked, and it wasn’t long before they fell. 

“The alternative is admitting that I never ever stopped caring about you.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “That no matter how much I wanted to hate you, I just… couldn’t.”

Your breath hitched whilst Noah let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. 

“I tried, you know? I tried to be mad. To convince myself that you weren’t worth it. That it was better this way.” He glanced at you then, and for the first time in a long time, you saw him, not the guarded, bitter version of him you had gotten used to, but the Noah you used to know. The Noah you fell in love with. “But the second I saw you again, at Matt’s wedding, it all went to shit.”

Your heart clenched painfully in your chest. You had no idea what to say- what could you say to that?

But before you could say anything, Noah let out a slow, frustrated breath. 

"Y'know... I hate the way you always have to be right."

"...What?" You blinked. 

"I hate the way you always find a way to weasel out of an argument," he continued, ignoring your confusion. "I hate the way you hum to yourself when you're editing photos. I hate that stupid little smirk when you know you're pissing me off."

You frowned, about to retort, but he wasn’t finished.

"I hate that no matter how much distance I tried to put between us, it never felt like enough. I hate the way you make everything feel like home, even when I don’t want it to." His voice grew softer, more vulnerable. "I hate how beautiful you look, without even trying, and I hate the way you still make my heart fucking race, even now."

Your breath hitched.

Noah finally turned to face you, his expression unreadable and his voice barely aboev a whisper.

"You dragged me through hell and back, but I could never hate you."

“Noah…”

A moment of silence passed between the two of you, as if he had just realised what he said, how many secrets he had just shared.

He sighed, dragging a hand down his face, pulling his hand back from yours.

“Forget it.”

But you couldn’t. Not after that.

Not when, for the first time in so long, it finally felt like you were getting somewhere.

You sat up, taking his wrist, moving his hand away from his face so you could look at him. 

“I’ve missed you.” You whispered, swallowing past the lump in your throat, like this was the first time you’ve really seen him since everything happened. 

His eyes flickered to yours, a look of hesitation, longing, maybe even regret in his own. His jaw tightened, like he was trying to swallow down whatever words threatened to spill out.

Noah exhaled sharply, shaking his head. 

“Don’t.” His voice was quiet, rough around the edges.

But you didn’t let go. 

“Why not?”

“Because…” He shut his eyes for a second, “Because I’ve missed you too. And I don’t know what the fuck to do with that.”

Your breath caught in your throat. The space between you felt both too small and impossibly wide.

“You don’t have to do anything, Noah.” Your voice was barely above a whisper. “Just be here. Right now. With me.”

A long silence stretched between you, heavy with words unsaid. Then, finally, something in him softened.

Noah’s fingers moved, hesitant at first, before he brushed his thumb over the back of your hand. The touch was light, fleeting, but it sent warmth curling in your chest.

Neither of you spoke again. You didn’t need to.

Because for tonight, this was enough.

For the first time in months, you let yourself lie back down and fall asleep with a smile on your face. And as for Noah, he felt like there was a weight lifted off his chest, and he slept through the night for the first time in a year. 

…

The first thing you register when you wake up is warmth. The second is the steady rise and fall of a chest beneath your cheek. 

Noah.

Shit.

Your eyes widen, and for a second, you forget everything- where you are, what happened last night, and why the hell you're tangled up in Noah like it's the most natural thing in the world. But then it all rushes back. Every word.

You stay there for a moment, listening to his slow, even breaths, before carefully untangling yourself. As soon as you shift, Noah starts to stir. His arm, which had been draped over your waist, falls away as he groggily blinks at you.

For a beat, neither of you speak.

“Morning.” He mutters, voice thick with sleep as he sat up. 

“Morning.” Your throat feels tight, so you busy yourself with standing up and stretching like nothing happened. He follows your lead, getting out of bed with a quiet sigh.

Neither of you mention the way your fingers brushed when you both reached for your phones at the same time. Neither of you mention the way he watched you for a second too long in the dim morning light.

It’s easier this way.

You both get ready for the day in silence, and you wonder whether he was really regretting opening up to you last night. Maybe you should just pretend you don’t remember what was said? Or maybe you should be the first to say it meant nothing. 

But just as you were both about to leave the room, Noah spoke up. 

“Hey.”

You pause in the doorway, turning back to him. He’s standing there, hands on his hips, jaw tight like he’s forcing the words out.

“I meant what I said last night.” His voice is quiet but firm, “Every word.” 

Your heart stutters in your chest, but before you can respond, he brushes past you, leaving the room like the conversation never happened.

By the time you get to the van and join the others, you’ve convinced yourself to play it cool. Keep things normal. Act like nothing happened. 

“So,” Folio wiggled his eyebrows, “How was last night?”

You stretch your arms over your head with a groan.

“I had to hold myself back from smothering him in his sleep, I thought Jolly was the only one that snores.” 

“You could’ve always slept in the hallway if it bothered you that much.” Noah smirked.

“I was gonna sleep on the chair! You insisted on sharing a bed.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause I didn’t want to listen to you complaining about your back hurting all weekend!” 

The guys laugh, and just like that, everything is normal again. Easy.

It didn’t feel like there was a life changing confession last night, and maybe that was Noah’s intention. Maybe he was finally ready to fix things between you. 

Maybe he was finally ready to forgive you. 

…

It was the first day of the festival, and although Bad Omens weren’t playing today, they had a couple interviews to do. Noah was wandering around with a hat and sunglasses on- his attempt at a disguise, but the black tank top he wore was doing nothing to cover up his tattoos, or his arms… 

You quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught staring at his biceps as you knew none of the guys would ever let that go. They seemed surprised when the two of you held a conversation with no arguing earlier

“I’m getting a drink, you guys want anything?” Noah asked.

“Could you get me a coffee?” You asked, giving him your sweetest smile so he wouldn’t say no. 

“Iced caramel latte?” He raised an eyebrow, and you nodded your head. 

“You know it.” 

After finishing the interviews, the guys were free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day- so you decided to drag Folio around with you to see your favourite bands. Noah and Matt joined you for a few of them, and as Holding Absence were just finishing their set, you turned to Folio.

“Spiritbox is on in like five minutes, we need to run.” 

“We’re not gonna get a spot as good as this, y’know,” he said, “Did you see how many people were at that stage earlier.” 

“Eh, we can push our way through.” 

“Y/n. I’m Nick Folio. If I push my way through a crowd-” 

“What? Two people will recognise you? C’mon move your ass!”

“Wait you wanna see spiritbox?” Noah asked, taking his hair off to run a hand through his hair. 

“Yeah… You coming too?”

“I was thinking about it.” Noah smirked, “Wanna come with me? I’m going on to do a song with them so you could watch from the side?” 

“What?” Your jaw dropped as he mentioned it so casually, “You’re shitting me.” 

“...No, I’m serious? I need to leave right now so you better make a choice.” 

You nodded and looped your arm around Noah’s, waving a goodbye to Matt and Folio as you practically dragged him along with you. 

And for the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt normal. Like nothing had ever happened.

The walk to the backstage was quick, mostly because you were half-jogging in excitement. Noah kept pace beside you, quiet, but you noticed the way his mouth twitched into a grin every time you glanced his way.

Your stomach fluttered, not just from the thrill of skipping the crowd, but from him. He was being so casual about it all, like he hadn’t just offered you a front-row view of one of your favourite bands, like he hadn’t just walked you past thousands of people like it was the easiest thing in the world, when just a few days ago you thought you were his worst enemy.

He led you up the metal stairs, past crew members in headsets, and into the shadows of the stage. From this angle, the sea of people stretched endlessly, a dense mass of energy and noise and flashing lights.

You turned toward Noah, breathless.

“This is insane.”

He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, the corner of his mouth curled up.

"As if we didn't play to a bigger crowd last year."

"I had my camera then! Not to mention I saw you guys play almost every night, this is fucking Spiritbox!"

"Wow, great to know you love our band!" Noah smirked, and you shoved his arm.

The opening notes of the first song played, and your whole body lit up. You started bouncing on your toes, caught up in the moment, when you realised he was still watching you.

“What?” You asked, laughing.

“Nothing.” He looked away, but not fast enough to hide the softness in his expression.

Courtney’s voice tore through the air like lightning. You swayed with the music, adrenaline buzzing, but the second she thanked the crowd and started talking about a special guest for the next song, your chest tightened.

Then the lights cut to black.

Noah pushed off the wall, turning toward you. He gave you a smirk and then he was gone, stepping into the lights as the opening to Soft Spine played.

And holy shit.

"You all deserve each other!"

You'd forgotten how he looked on stage. He didn’t look like the Noah you’d seen pacing through green rooms or fighting sleep on van rides. He wasn’t the boy from last night’s quiet confession or this morning’s awkward truce. On stage, he was something else entirely. Confident. Dangerous. Magnetic.

It reminded you of why you fell for him in the first place.

The black tank clung to him, riding up slightly as he moved. The veins in his arms flexed with every word he screamed, every time he gripped the mic like it had done something to offend him. He stalked the stage with Courtney like he owned it, and the crowd, thousands of them, screamed like he did.

And that’s when it hit you.

You weren’t just still attracted to him.

You were still in love with him.

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

@bloody-spades @death-ofpeace-ofmind @miss570 @dominuslunae @dontwantthemoney @amelia-acero @noahslutbastian @blade-dressed-in-red @super-btstrash-posts @kait16xo @oobleoob @sunshine-lvrr @lacy1986 @enemiestolovershoe @samanthasgone @superpiratecriminalchef @lukeevangelista @lunabuna991 @ami--gami @bluehairpunklol @darknightstarryeyes @xxkittenkissesxx @renegadebirch

[cookiejarwrites]

Fake Date | Part One

pairing: tim drake / red robin x fem!reader

words: 1k

a/n: Hey this is my first official post on this account so it’s kinda short. Credit to the Tim Drake A.I bot created by Fairybaby for the story idea and inspo. Sorry if he’s a little out of character. This is my first time writing for him but I tried my best. There will eventually be smut in the later chapters so pre warning there. xoxo! 💋

(aka Tim asks you to be his fake date)

Tim nearly drops to his knees, begging you, “Just one more time. I know I said that last time, but I swear. Please be my date to Bruce’s charity event. I’ll never harass you about it again. Pinky Promise.”

He holds out his pinky thumb, the gesture almost comical. He looks at you with his best puppy dog eyes, eyes wide and shimmering. The look tugs at something deep inside you. You’d long since learned that those stupid puppy eyes were a weakness of yours. You two were long time friends, originally meeting in school and instantly hitting it off. He has since entrusted you with his secret as the Red Robin, so obviously he trusted you to be his fake girlfriend for Bruce’s parties.

“Ugh, fine, but you owe me, Drake,” you finally grumble, rolling your eyes. As soon as the words leave your lips his face lights up like a Christmas tree. Before you can even get another word in he’s pulling you into a tight embrace. You feel your feet leave the ground as he lifts you, his strong arms roping themselves around your waist.

“Thank you sooo much Y/N” he says, sounding overly affectionate. He gives you a few quick squeezes before setting you down again.

“That’s what friends are for, right?” You roll your eyes again, but a small smile tugs at your lips. He grins back, ruffling your hair.

“For sure. And I’m eternally grateful to have a friend as wonderful as you.” You swat his hand in annoyance, but the warmth growing in your chest is undeniable.

“Obviously, who else would put up with your annoying ass?” You shoot back. He laughs, shaking his head with a playful smirk.

“You love it,” he teases. “You’re so tiny compared to me. I could just scoop you up and keep you in my pocket,” he cooes at you.. You scowl back at him in response.

“Not as small as your dick,” I stick my tongue out playfully.

His smirk falls into mock offense “Why, how you wound me,” He says dramatically before grabbing you around the waist and tossing you over his shoulder.

“Hey! Put me down you asshole!” you holler, struggling for a bit before giving up and going limp in his arms. He shifts you to get a better hold, then finally sets you down. He grins at your annoyed expression, clearly enjoying the effect he has on you.

“You’re adorable when you’re mad,” he teases, patting your head.

“I’m not adorable,” you grumble, crossing your arms infront of your chest with a huff.

“Oh, but you are,” he grins, “Admit it, you secretly love it when I pick you up.”

“Enjoy it my ass,” you retort.

“Grumble all you want, I know you love me.” He shrugs with a boyish grin that makes it hard to stay annoyed.

Only in your dreams bird boy.” I reply. He lets out a hearty laugh, his smirk widening.

“My dreams, huh?” he says, his tired eyes gleaming with mischief. He takes a step closer to you again. “You’d be surprised how often you pop up in those.” His arms snake around your waist again, tugging you flush against him. A wave of heat washes over you, cheeks reddening in response.

“Keep it to yourself,” I mutter, turning to hide my flushed face. You clear your throat in an attempt to regain composure. “What time is the party?”

“Tonight. It starts at 7, and I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Got it,” I nod, “ now I gotta figure out what the hell I’m gonna wear.” He laughs and ruffles your hair again, clearly enjoying your grumpy demeanor.

“Good luck,” he teases lightly. “Need me to help you pick out a dress?”

“Knowing you, I’d probably end up looking like a clown.” I remark with a chuckle. He feigns offense, placing a hand over his heart as if he’d been stabbed.

“Ouch, Y/N. I’m hurt you’d say such a thing. Have I ever steered you wrong?

“No, but only ‘cause I’ve never listened to your sleep-deprived advice.” I counter with a self satisfied smirk. He shakes his head slightly at my comment on his sleep.

“You’re so stubborn,” he chides, pinching your cheek like a grandma excited to see her grandkid. “One of these days you’ll take my advice, and when that day comes, I’ll rub it in your face so much you’ll have to beg me to shut up.” you push his hands away, grabbing his cheeks and pinching them just as he had done to you.

“The day I take your advice is the day I’ve officially lost my mind.” He snickers, the sound muffled slightly by your grip on his cheeks.

“Okay, timeout. Seriously, my cheeks are gonna start bleeding if you keep squeezing them like that.” You release his face and pat him on the head. He rubs his cheeks, mock-pouting as he looks at you. “That was unnecessary.” he complains before he glances up at the clock on the wall, his expression seeming to turn a bit more serious. “I’d better get going. I’ve gotta finish Bruce out with a case. I’ll pick you up at six,” he gives you a sly smirk, “and I can’t wait to see what you’ll be wearing.”

“It’ll be better than whatever you would have picked out.” You say, turning to open the door of your apartment for him. He chuckles slightly as he exits the room, shaking his head in amusement. “See ya later, Y/N.”

“Bye birdie!” You call out just as the door clicks shut behind him. You head towards your bedroom, preparing to rummage your closet for something suitable to wear. The familiar sensation of giddiness forms in your stomach at the thought of the upcoming events. You never really did enjoy Bruce’s fancy banquets and events, too many rich folks who couldn’t give less of a shit what you had to say. However, a small part of you did slightly enjoy the concept of pretending to be Tim’s girlfriend, even if just for the night. This wouldn’t be the first time you two did it. Of course you’d never admit your growing liking to the act. Deny, deny, deny.

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Twist of Fate

Pairing: Foggy Nelson X Reader

Rating: T (Although it's probably more on the G side)

Word count: ~1700

Story Summary: You run into your jerk of an ex-boyfriend after being stood up for a first date at a local bar.

Luckily for you, however, a handsome blond-haired stranger comes to your rescue...

Tags: Meet-cute, nothing but fluffy goodness

A/N: Welcome to my very first Foggy Nelson fic! This is just a short little thing to get me comfortable with writing him, but it has potential to become a multi-chapter fic (plus I plan to write Foggy's version of events as a companion piece), so if you'd like to be tagged in updates to this or other Foggy stories (or anything else I write) please let me know!

Thanks to @shiorimakibawrites for the quick beta!

Where is he? you thought to yourself as you waited for your date to show up to the bar you were currently at. He was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago… Did I get the day wrong?

You pulled your phone out of your pocket and scrolled through the messages on the dating app you and he had matched on. Nope. Thursday, 7 PM, Josie's Bar. Guess I got stood up.

You sighed and got up from the worn leather booth at which you had been sitting. Might as well grab a drink before I go home.

You started towards the bar, freezing when you locked eyes with your ex-boyfriend, who had been standing over by the pool tables. Of course. As if tonight couldn't get any worse. 

It had taken an entire year after your relationship with Jason had ended for you to be ready to get back out onto the dating scene, and the absolute last thing you wanted after being stood up for your very first date post-breakup was to run into him .

You cringed as he said your name, wanting nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow you whole. “Jason.”

A smarmy smirk spread across Jason's face. “Yeah, I thought that was you.”

He eyed you up and down. “How have you been? You look good.”

“ I've been well.” No thanks to you, you added silently.

“How about a drink?”

You shook your head. “Actually, I'm meeting someone, so I should go.”

Jason grabbed your elbow as you turned to leave. “Really? Because I've been watching you for the past 30 minutes and it’s pretty clear that whoever you're waiting for isn't gonna show up.”

Your blood froze. “Let me go, Jason.”

Instead of releasing you, Jason's grip tightened.  “Come on, baby, just one drink for old time’s sake. Then maybe we can head back to my place, catch up properly--”

“-- There you are, beautiful.”

You felt Jason's grip loosen as a very attractive blonde-haired man slipped his arm loosely around your waist.

“Sorry I'm late,” the man continued. “I was working on my opening argument for court next week and lost track of time.”

You broke free of Jason's grasp as you stepped into the man’s hold, thankful for the rescue. “It's alright, honey. We still have time for pre-dinner drinks before our reservation.”

The man nodded, slightly tightening his hold on you at your willingness to play along. “By the way, I have something special planned for after dinner tonight.”

You let out a fake giggle and lightly tapped the man on his chest. “Mmm, I certainly hope it's what I think it is.”

The man grinned. “You’ll have to wait and see, but I definitely think you'll enjoy it.”

He turned towards Jason, pretending to have just noticed him. “Sorry, didn't see ya there. Franklin Nelson. And you are?”

Jason scowled, obviously displeased at the fact that you seemingly had been waiting on someone. “Just leaving.”

You held back a sigh of relief. Thank God. 

Jason looked back over at you. “I'll catch up with you later.”

God, I hope not. “Mmm.”

You waited until Jason threw back the rest of the beer he had been holding and left the bar before breathing a sigh of relief and stepping away from your mysterious rescuer. “Thank you so much for that… Franklin, was it?”

Franklin nodded as he let go of your waist. “Right, but everyone actually calls me Foggy.”

You introduced yourself. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too. And you're welcome, by the way. You looked uncomfortable, so I figured that guy’s attention was unwanted.”

You nodded. “Yeah, that was my ex-boyfriend. The relationship was… let's just say ‘not very healthy’, so seeing him tonight brought back a lot of bad memories.” 

Foggy studied you for a moment. “I'm really sorry about that. How long were you together?”

“Three years.” You rubbed your elbow at the memory of Jason's grasp on it. “I should've left him way sooner than I did, it's just that he…” You trailed off.

Foggy huffed out a mirthless laugh. “Don't tell me, he kept promising he'd change.”

“Actually, no. He gaslit me into believing that no one else would want me and that I was lucky to have him.” You shook your head. “Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Can I buy you a drink as a thank-you?”

Foggy shook his head, a small smile on his face. “How about I buy you a drink instead? After all, it's not every day I get to rescue a beautiful woman from an uncomfortable encounter with her ex.”

Your face heated as you nodded. “Okay.”

“Great! What'll you have?”

You gave Foggy your drink order. “I'll go get us a booth?”

Foggy nodded. “Sounds good. I'll be right back.”

“Okay.”

You sat down in an empty booth and pulled out your phone, sighing once again at the lack of communication from Timothy, your supposed-to-have-been date for the evening.

You put your phone away and watched as Foggy chatted amiably with the bartender while he waited for your drinks.

He laughed at something the bartender said. “You know it. Thanks, Josie.”

He picked up your drinks and headed over to you.

“Thank you,” you said as he set your drink down then sat across from you.

“‘Welcome,” Foggy replied. “So what brings you out here tonight?”

You shrugged. “I was supposed to be meeting someone for a first date, but he didn't show.”

A small smirk formed on Foggy's lips. “I guess his loss is my gain then, huh?”

You couldn't help but smile at his charm. “I guess so. What about you? What brings you out here tonight?”

“I was supposed to be having after-work drinks with a friend, but something came up and he cancelled on me.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Well then… I guess his loss is my gain, right?”

Foggy grinned and raised his beer bottle. “To cancelled plans.”

You raised your drink as well. “ And to being stood up -- although in this case I don't think I actually mind.”

You lightly clinked your drink against his then took a sip. “So, tell me about yourself. What do you do when you're not being a knight in shining business suit?” 

Foggy chuckled. “I'm an attorney with Nelson, Murdock, and Page.”

You nodded. Foggy had said something about prepping for court when he was rescuing you from Jason. “What kind of law do you practice?”

“All sorts, but these days it's mostly criminal defense.”

Your brows furrowed as a memory struck you. “Wait, weren't you one of the attorneys who took Wilson Fisk down a few years back?”

Foggy nodded. “Guilty as charged. Unfortunately the feds screwed that one up.”

You shook your head. “Still, that's impressive.”

You and Foggy continued talking, with him telling you about his family, who owned Nelson's Meats over on 59th, his law partners, Matt and Karen, and his time practicing corporate law (“don’t get me wrong,” he said, “the money was great, but it felt a little bit like I was selling my soul”), while you told him about your own family and friends.

You paused as your phone lit up with a new message from Timothy. Sorry, I don't think I'm actually ready to date yet. Hope you didn't wait too long for me.

You snorted derisively. “So I just heard from the guy I was supposed to be having drinks with tonight.”

Foggy's eyebrows raised. “Bit late letting you know he wasn't going to make it, isn't he?”

“Yeah, it's been --” You checked the time. “Wow, we've been sitting here for over two and a half hours. I should be getting home soon, I didn't realize it was so late.”

“Do you live far?”

You shook your head. “No, I'm just a few blocks away.”

Foggy bit his lip. “In that case… is it okay if I walk you home?”

You smiled. “Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Thanks.”

You stood and waited as Foggy brought your long-since-empty drinkware back over to the bar and bade the bartender (who you had learned was actually the owner, Josie) goodbye.

Foggy walked back over to you with a smile. “Shall we, then?”

You nodded. “Yep, all set.”

You smiled at Foggy as he held the door open for you to step through. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Foggy followed you into the cool night air. “Alrighty, so which way are we going?”

“Oh, uh…” You gestured in the direction of your apartment building. “This way.”

The two of you set off down the sidewalk.

You glanced over at Foggy as you walked together. “By the way, I, uh, I had a really nice time tonight.”

Foggy looked over at you with a smile in return. “So did I. In fact, I was, um, I was wondering if maybe you’d want to have dinner with me? Say… Saturday night?”

Your heart fluttered. “I'd love to.”

“Great! I was thinking maybe Sullivan's? 7:30?”

You nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Foggy pulled out his phone as the two of you stopped at a crosswalk. “Give me your number and I'll text you tomorrow to confirm once I make a reservation.”

You waited as Foggy added your name as a new contact, then recited your phone number. A few seconds later, you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket.

“Okay,” Foggy said, pocketing his phone as the crosswalk light changed to ‘ walk ’. “You should have mine now.”

You quickly checked your phone and saw that you had received a text message from an unsaved number. “Yep, looks like it came through.”

You put your phone back in your pocket as you and Foggy reached your apartment building. “This is me, by the way. Thanks for walking me home.”

Foggy shook his head. “It was my pleasure, really.”

You shyly bit your lip. “So I'll… see you Saturday night?”

“Yeah.” Foggy leaned in and gave you a soft kiss on the cheek. “‘Night.”

Your face heated as a smile spread across your lips. “Goodnight, Foggy.”

You turned and headed inside your building, your smile remaining as you made your way up to your apartment.

Tonight hadn't turned out the way you had expected…

…It had turned out even better.

[pissclump]

This Is Gonna Get Worse Before It Gets Better

Chapter 1

HIIIIIII!! This is my first attempt at writing a multiple part fic with an actual story line, so if it sucks, PLEASE tell me. My original plan for the story was a Toby x Reader, but I may end up making it a Toby, Masky, and Hoodie x Reader. Anyways, I'll try to update as regularly as I can. Reader is depicted as female. This story is cross posted on my AO3 as well: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61232158/chapters/156483289 <3

Warnings: swearing, use of cigarettes, violence, eventual smut in later chapters

A frustrated groan escaped your lips as you ran your fingers through your hair. As if being a broke college student wasn't bad enough, you also had treacherous amounts of homework. Your evenings were usually spent with Kimberly, your roommate who quickly turned into a close friend. It didn't matter if you were out all night or just staying home doing nothing, you were content as long as you were in her presence. Tonight, however was different. Kimberly has been gone all day. And she won't be back for the next two. She said she was feeling homesick and insisted going back home to stay with her parents for the weekend. You were bummed about her being gone all weekend, but you knew it would be selfish to attempt talking her out of it. Which is how you ended up in your current situation; sitting on your couch with your laptop attempting pointless assignments until you eventually give up and submit whatever half-assed effort you gave. After at least three hours of repeating the same cycle, you finally had enough. In almost an instant, you slammed your laptop shut, setting it aside.

You stood up from your couch and stretched. Sitting in one place for so long can make you cramp sometimes. You're almost used to it by now. You walked into your room and grabbed the first pair of shoes you could find before leaving your tiny apartment. The stress from school never failed to steadily increase your need for nicotine. Luckily, your usual gas station was only about a five minute walk from home, so there was no need to take your car and waste gas. Swinging the door open, you were met with the smell of cheap air freshener. Behind the counter sat just the man you wanted to see. Mr. Kurtz was always a delight to talk to. He also had no problem selling you cigarettes despite the fact that you weren't legally old enough for them yet. You're only a year away from being 21, it's really not that big of a deal, is it?

"There she is! Haven't seen you all week. How have you been, kiddo?"

"Evening, Mr. Kurtz. I'm alright. Just getting my ass kicked by school and stuff. Nothing new."

The older man let out a noise that sounded like a mixture between a huff and a chuckle. He turned his back to you, now facing the variety of cigarettes behind the counter.

"Let me guess. The usual?"

"You know me so well."

He let out another huff of laughter as he pulled your favorite brand from the shelf. He didn't even bother to ask for an I.D. He never did. Which was what led you to become a regular at his store along with his sickeningly friendly personality. You rummaged through your pocket until you found enough cash to pay your total.

"Thanks again, Mr. Kurtz. I'll see you again soon."

You grabbed the fresh pack of cigarettes and flashed him a friendly smile.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

Immediately upon exiting the store, you opened the small box and removed one of the cigarettes before placing it between your lips. You keep a lighter on you at all times. You fished it from your pocket and lit the end of the thin cancerous stick. Taking a long inhale, you closed your eyes in relief as the familiar flavor of tobacco filled your mouth and lungs. This is exactly what you needed.

The walk back home was uneventful. Finishing your cigarette, you stamped it out on the ground just before climbing the stairs to the small apartment you and Kimberly shared. With your key already in hand, you inserted into the keyhole on the doorknob. However, when you twisted the key, you weren't met with the familiar 'click' sound it always made while being opened.

“𝘏𝘶𝘩… 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵.” You thought to yourself.

You jiggled the doorknob, and sure enough, it was already unlocked. You shrugged it off and stepped inside, closing the door back behind you. You stood in silence for a moment, your breath catching in your throat. Something was off. You weren't sure what it was, but the moment you stepped through the door, the sudden unshakeable feeling of dread took you over completely. It was almost as if you were being watched. No, you 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 being watched. You reassured yourself that it was just your imagination, but your instinct told you to get out of there as quick as you could and never look back. Before you could process another thought, a hand made its way from behind you and was clasped over your mouth.

"W-we've got you n-now!~"

Your first instinct was to scream, however it was muffled due to how hard this fucker's hand was pressed against your mouth. You opened your mouth and bit down on the hand before you with all the strength your jaw could give. However, it only resulted in an increase of maniacal giggles from your perpetrator. He wrapped his other arm around your torso and held you tightly in place. You could taste the blood and small bits of flesh in your teeth from his hand and nearly gagged.

"𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜?"

The only other plan of escape you had was to try and struggle free from his grip. You tried your hardest to pull yourself free from his death grip, but your efforts were about as useful as a lamp without a lightbulb. You grunted in frustration as his hold on you only tightened. You then felt something cold and metallic press against your neck. You tried to crane your head to the side for a better look, but quickly whipped your head back up was you felt the sharp object slide against your skin. Small droplets of blood dribbled down to your collarbone as you hissed in pain at the uncomfortable sensation.

"You're a f-fuh-feisty one, a-aren't ya?"

"Who the FUCK are you?! What do you want from me?!"

Before he had time to answer you, you heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway. Approaching you was a man in a white mask. It was painted with eerie feminine features, but what caught your attention the most was the crowbar resting in his palms. Your breath quickened with every step he took closer to you. You felt like you were on the verge of fainting from hyperventilation. This was the first time you had ever experienced anything like this, and you prayed that if you survived by some miracle, it would be the last. The masked man took a few more steps until he was just inches away from you. He leaned down so that he was at eye level with you and just stared before letting out an annoyed scoff.

"For fucks sake, Rogers, you've got the wrong one."

What.

"Huuuh? You mean sh-shes not our t-t-target?"

The man release his grip on you and you immediately collapsed to the floor. Your legs were shaking too much for you to stand on your own right now. Hell, your whole body was shaking. You looked up from the ground at the man who had restrained you. Like the other one, his face was also covered. Except instead of wearing a mask, he wore bulky orange goggles and what seemed like some type of mouth guard.

"No. But she is now. She's seen too much."

Oh, fuck no.

Adrenaline shot through your body as you stood up and bolted towards the kitchen. Quickly, you threw open a few drawers and looked for literally anything to defend yourself with. You wrapped your fingers around a large kitchen knife and defensively yielded it in front of you. This only caused the goggled man to let out another sickening giggle.

"Look, M-Masky, she's g-g-gonna try to f-fight back! H-how cute!"

The masked man let out an annoyed sigh, clearly losing his patience with the other man's antics. "Let's just get this over with."

"Get the FUCK away from me! Fucking psychos!"

You didn't have the guts to approach and attack them. Your mind raced as the masked man started taking long slow strides towards you. You then did the only other thing you could think of to slow him dow. You threw open the fridge door and grabbed the unopened gallon of milk with shaky hands.

"I SAID FUCK OFF!"

With all the strength you could conjure up, you threw the gallon of milk directly at his head at full force, causing it to bust open on impact. He let out a grunt of both pain and annoyance and stumbled back a few steps. He clearly was NOT expecting that. The goggled man began to howl with laughter.

"HAH! Sh-she got you good, d-didn't she, Masky!"

"Shut the hell up, Rogers!"

He turned his attention back to you. He was a lot less intimidating when he was covered in milk, but still intimidating nonetheless.

"You fucking bitch!"

He wiped the milk from his mask with his arm and practically pounced on you. Your back hit the hardwood floor with a thud, the impact knocking the breath out of you. You threw you arms in front of you in a pathetic attempt at defending yourself, but before he could lay another hand on you, you heard the front door open. Another man with his face hidden made his way into your field of vision. He was wearing a tight ski mask with a poorly drawn frown on the front, covered by the yellow hood of his shirt.

"Both of you. We need to leave. Now."

"I'm not going anywhere until I've bashed this whore's skull in!"

"You don't have much of a choice. Neighbors heard the commotion and called the cops."

"Oh for FUCKS sake!"

With that, he roughly shoved you back to the ground and released you before heading towards the door with the hooded man. They were both followed by the shorter male with the goggles. He turned his head towards you again before walking out with the others.

"I'll see you ag-gain soon, p-princess!"

What the fuck. What the actual fuck. You were unable to move from your spot on the floor. Tears made their way from your eyes as your entire body shook. You definitely weren't gonna be sleeping tonight after that.

[taurasiluv]

OFF THE RECORD. 02 — bar schuffle — 3.1k words

summary: nicole cannot escape breanna for the life of her, as much as she wants to.

content warnings: stewies kinda evil and weird this chapter... she will get better trust,

msg from sen: we're so back.

breanna quickly caught up with nicole’s fast pace. she kept her distance in between them but ensured that nicole got home safe. it wasn’t that far of a walk, a couple minutes at most, but it felt like forever for nicole. she just wanted to get away from breanna and be alone without the constant feeling of her checking her out.

when they finally got to the door of her dorm, nicole leaned against the wall while breanna stood across from her. her height was always shocking to her. from the first time they met nicole mentally noted how she had to crane her head up to even look at breanna in the eyes. “so..” breanna said, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

“thank you for the walk home, i’ll text you details about our next meeting later.” nicole said, now looking in her bag to find her keys. she managed to fish them out, unlocking her door and waiting for breanna to leave.

—

the next day, nicole went through her usual routine of going to the newspaper room before her first class and eating breakfast in there. usually, she was alone doing this, usually watching something on her computer. but today, ryan was sat in there.

when he saw her come in, he pushed out the chair next to him with his foot.

“how did you know i was gonna be in here?” nicole groaned.

“bianca told me.”

“i should’ve never let her come in here with me that one time.” she frowned, getting her bagel and computer out of her bag.

“spill nic, i want details!”

nicole looked at him, confused. “details on what?”

“you know… your new escapades with the breanna stewart,”

nicole’s face soured at the implication of her friends words, “there are no escapades! i hate her guts and working with her proved that to me even more.”

“she can’t be that bad, right?”

“she hit on me like 3 separate times in a 30 minute interview session, ry.”

he grimaced, leaning back in his chair, “yeah that’s pretty bad.”

“how’s your girl? isn’t she also on the basketball team?”

“yeah, morgan tuck. shes really nice, i think i got lucky.” he laughed.

nicole rested her head on the table in front of them in defeat, “fuck you.”

“we’re going to teds tonight if you wanna come, by the way. good luck with ms playboy! ” ryan said, getting up out of his chair and patting nicole’s back on his way out.

—

much like nicole, breanna also went about her day like normal. getting her ass busted at practice, eat, nap, go to class (sometimes), and then go practice again.

after all of that, she finally was able to relax a bit. she flopped back onto her bed and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. she did the usual, checking texts, scrolling through instagram for a bit til a certain post caught her eye.

it was nicole on her feed. a post from summer of her and her friends at the beach. breanna couldn’t tear her eyes away from nicole in a bikini, she swallowed dryly and without even realizing it, double tapped the post.

she quickly unliked the post and threw her phone across the room in embarrassment from the realization of her action. now, nicole is gonna think she was stalking her or something. she got her phone back and checked her instagram again, deciding to just follow her. she set her phone on the bed to the side of her and stared at the ceiling for a bit to think.

breanna was known for many things. basketball, being able to drink anybody under the table, her apple pie, and of course, the fact that she’s hooked up with just about the entire storrs female population.

she didn’t think it was a bad thing, she just wanted sex and who could blame her, she had a lot going on. she didn’t mean to break these girls hearts, it just happened to happen after breanna would sneak out of their apartments in the early morning hours and not text or call back ever.

but something about nicole was different, she couldn’t place her finger on it. maybe it was the chase or maybe it was something else. breanna wasn’t given much time to think about it because soon enough she heard knocking at her door,

“come in!”

moriah opened the door and walked in, leaning against the doorframe. “we’re going to ted’s, you wanna come?”

breanna thought about it for a moment, sitting up in the bed and resting her back against the wall. “do we have early practice tomorrow?”

moriah shook her head ‘no’, breanna hopped off her bed. “whos driving?” she asked as she picked up a white tank and jeans off of her floor to wear.

“brianna i think—why the hell are you wearing dirty clothes?” mo asked, giving her a look.

“shut up! i haven’t done laundry yet. now get out!” she said, pushing the shorter girl out of her room and closing the door.

—

nicole found herself sitting at her vanity, wondering why she was even going to this dumb bar anyways. she didn’t like partying and she had a deadline at midnight that she had to meet. yet, she sat in front of the mirror and doing her makeup to go out.

she searched her closet about 50 times over to find something cute to wear, eventually landing on jean shorts and a white crop top. by the time that she was fully dressed and ready her phone was being blown up by what she can only assume is ryan telling her he’s outside waiting for her.

she flipped the phone over, tapping the screen to turn it on and scanning over the notifications she received while she was getting ready. texts, snapchat, instagram…

as her eyes went over the instagram notification, she noticed a particular name. in disgust and disbelief, she picked up the phone and clicked on the notification.

bre_stewart30 liked your post.

when she clicked on the notification, it showed her the post that was supposedly like,

a picture from this last summer.

she grimaced in disgust. she really was already obsessed with her.

she shook it off and threw her phone into the small handbag that was swung over her shoulder and made her way out the door. when she was finally sat in ryan’s car, she took out her phone and handed it to him. “you’re never gonna guess who liked a post from summer,”

he took the phone and looked at the notification and post in question, “maybe it was an accident?” she shrugged, handing the phone back and starting the car.

“yeah sure, if she didn’t stare at my tits for 30 minutes yesterday i would maybe believe it was an accident.”

he shrugged, driving the car shortly down the road to the small bar nearby campus. it was the place everybody went, especially the athletes. it was only a small thought that crossed nicole’s mind that breanna might be there, telling herself that she probably wasn’t going to be drinking on a weekday to ground herself.

it wasn’t long til she was getting out of the car, walking in with ryan and immediately making a beeline for the bar. she ordered some fruity cocktail and chatted it up with ryan and the bartender for a bit.

it was the normal chatter for awhile, it wasn’t necessarily packed, but it sure was full. it became even fuller when the doors opened and in poured the entire women’s basketball team.

fuck.

nicole scanned the group walking in, immediately spotting the tall senior. she was in a white tank top, one that showed off her very slim yet muscular figure and nicole just couldn’t rip her eyes away. ryan gave her a small smack on the arm and she came back to his attention. “stop staring! you look like a fan!” he grumbled.

he was unfortunately right, so nicole spun around in her chair, facing forward towards the bar and continuing to talk with the bartender. it was fine for a while, breanna didn’t come up to the bar yet so she hadn’t had to see her yet, and maybe she wouldn’t.

“hey! ryan!” nicole heard a voice behind them, ryan turned in his chair to see who it was. all she could see from her peripheral vision was his smile. she turned around in her seat to talk as well, as to not look like an asshole, but she was very rudely met with morgan tuck, moriah jefferson, and of course, breanna fucking stewart.

“hey, princess,” she grinned, walking up to her.

“are we in an interview right now?” nicole asked, crossing her arms over her body.

“umm.. no?” breanna said, confused and looking around to see if she was missing something.

“then don’t fucking talk to me.” she spat venom at the taller girl.

breanna could feel the sudden eyes on her, moriah grimaced at the interaction and tugged on the back of breanna’s tank top to pull her back to decrease the odds of anything bad happening. “just walk away, stew,” nicole could faintly hear moriah whisper into breanna’s ear.

breanna shrugged and spun on her heels. turning around to walk back across the bar to the booth that was somehow fitting the entire women’s basketball team in it. “she’s such a bitch,” nicole muttered under her breath, turning back to ryan.

“you could at least try to be nice to her? maybe it’ll make the project go down a little easier.” he suggested to her with a shrug of his shoulders.

“in her fucking dreams.” she scowled, sipping on her drink and giving mean glances over to breanna’s side of the bar.

it’s not like she could see her, she was surrounded by other women and her jock friends, all chatting. it made nicole’s blood boil, that they didn’t see breanna for who she really was—a conniving, sex obsessed, asshole—but rather the sweet basketball superstar who won them 3 national championships. nicole could see how that was nice and all, but she could never push past her feelings towards breanna’s actions.

“have another drink, maybe stop death glaring her,” ryan said, pushing his beer towards her for her to sip on. nicole shot him a look next, which made him put his hands up in surrender, “or not! that works too.”

that managed to make nicole smile a bit, laughing at her friends words. she took a large gulp from his bottle before handing it back to him. “wanna just go drink in your apartment? i wanna ditch this place.” she said, frowning.

he nodded and paid their tab. they walked out of ted’s and into the packed parking lot. a couple making out to their left, two frat bros yelling at each other—a bar fight begging to start—to their right, and somehow directly in front of them: breanna fucking stewart.

it’s like nicole was cursed with never being able to get away from her.

ryan sighed, knowing he was about to be forced to break up whatever cat fight these two got into within the next ten minutes.

“i’m not going home with you stewie! stop trying!” nicole said, walking forward to push past her.

“wait nicole! i swear im not trying to take you home,” breanna said, reaching out to grab her arm.

nicole stopped in her tracks and moved in front of her, eyeing the woman suspiciously. “then what the hell do you want?”

“just let me talk to you for a second,” she said calmly, leaning against the toyota behind her. nicole thought over her options carefully. the one about pushing past her and getting the hell out of here was sounding real good at the moment. but against her best judgment, she turned around, looking up at breanna with a scowl and her arms crossed over her body.

breanna really couldn’t help it. she tried, but she still laughed. the sight of a mere 5’4 nicole staring up at her with the cutest scowl she’s ever seen. “oh my god i hate you,” nicole muttered, realizing why she was laughing. she began to walk away again, still scowling. but she couldn’t get far because breanna’s stupidly long wingspan grabbed her again, stopping her in her tracks.

“5 minutes, that’s all i need.”

nicole turned around begrudgingly, looking at breanna with the same look she had in the bar. “5 minutes. that’s it. no more no less, your times started.”

breanna laughed gently at her attitude before starting what she needed to say. “look, i get you don’t like me, but you could at least try to pretend? maybe it’ll make this all easier on you. i swear im not that bad.”

nicole rolled her eyes, “that’s what you had to say? some bullshit about how ‘perfect’ you are? do you just want me to protect your pretty little public image?” she complained, her anger growing.

“let’s just be civil, okay?” breanna asked, stepping forward towards her.

nicole gulped at her sudden closeness, her mere presence made her feel small.

“can’t bet on it, stewart.”

“let’s go back to my place? maybe we can work it out there,” she said calmly, her hand resting on nicole’s arm.

“stewie i told you this was strictly professional. i’m not about to be another one of your hookups.” nicole explained, crossing her arms over her body.

“cmon nic, i see how you look at me!” breanna grinned.

the shorter girl noticed how breanna’s eyes wondered down her body, specifically landing on her cleavage and lingering there longer than nicole ever would’ve liked.

“whatever. we can hang out, call it project bonding or something. just text me,” nicole said, giving her a look. “just it has to be in public and in daylight!”

breanna grinned like a little kid on christmas morning. “okay! i’ll text you!”

nicole rolled her eyes and walked away.

—

stewie

today at 12? i’ll take you to lunch at dog lane ;) read 8:03 am

nicole saw the message before promptly slamming her phone down and going back to sleep, horribly hungover from the previous night.

stewie

not 2 double txt… but i didn’t mean the winky face if that scared you ! i will behave ! sent 8:24 am

after about the fifth buzz from her phone, nicole finally opened her eyes enough to look at her phone. the bright light made her head pound even more but she managed to read the series of texts breanna sent. she groaned at breanna’s weird way of texting and sent back a simple “okay, see you soon” and turned her phone back over to return to the land of sleep.

breanna on the other hand, was currently on the court getting her ass ran by her coach. geno yelled at her while she ran laps for showing up to practice hungover—moriah lied to her about early practice—and apparently not running fast enough.

geno finally let her stop and breanna made her way to the locker room to catch her breath and get water. she sat in front of her locker, fishing her phone out of her duffle and sorting through the notifications. she saw nicole’s reply back to her text and grinned.

breanna heard a voice behind her, a familiar one, “what’s all the smiling about?” she turned around to see saniyah standing there.

“going on a date with newspaper chick tomorrow!”

saniyah gasped, punching her in the shoulder, “no way! i thought she like, hated you,” she said, she took a pause to think before she remembered where breanna had disappeared to in the bar last night, “does she actually want to go or did you corner her in the parking lot, bre?”

“she’s going on her own volition! i’m not that much of a perv,” breanna said, side eyeing the girl stood up next to her.

saniyah rolled her eyes, “we both know that isn’t true. at least you’ll win the bet,” she shrugged.

“well it’s a lunch date… that’s not exactly sexy.” breanna laughed, spinning on the bench to face saniyah.

“daytime sex is in stew, get with the program,” saniyah laughed, rolling her eyes sarcastically, sitting down with her. “but why aren’t you taking her to dinner like a gentleman?”

“cause she said in public and daylight… this is a long term investment hookup, keep up.” she deadpanned.

“you’re such a loser oh my god,”

—

nicole paced her bedroom, her arms crossed over her body and her hand up to her chin. she had been like this for a couple of minutes, attempting to decide if this was even a good idea to go or if she should cancel and go back to sleep. she was still hungover, felt horrible, and didn’t even really want to see breanna.

eventually she stood still and sighed, deciding to just get ready. what’s the worse that could happen?

she made it to the cafe around 12 and saw there was still no breanna, not surprising. but she took her seat and ordered a smoothie to hold her over til breanna arrived. after a couple minutes of scrolling through instagram and sipping on her smoothie, breanna was at the door. she walked in and spotted nicole and waved with a goofy grin plastered on her face. nicole waved back, attempting to hold back the smile on her face.

“are you—did you get here on a hoverboard?” nicole asked, seeing the board in her hands.

“uhhh… maybe….” breanna said, her hand coming up to the back of her head to scratch it. she sat down, tucking the board under the table. “what did you get?”

“why did you want to go out so badly?” nicole asked, idly stirring the straw in her smoothie.

“cmon, just wanted see you, pretty girl.” she said smugly, leaning forward.

nicole could feel herself physically recoil. “i hate you stewart, im not gonna sit here and let you try to flirt with me, go find another chick to hook up with.” she said sternly, grabbing her bag and beginning to get up.

“wait! i didn’t mean it, i just want to get to know you better,” breanna said, a lie really, but she couldn’t let nicole get away that fast.

“we both know you’re lying, stewie, fuck you. i don’t want to hear anything you have to say.” she spat, walking out of the small cafe.

breanna followed behind her on her hoverboard. nicole turned around and saw she was on it and couldn’t hold back the laugh that began to come out. “you look like an idiot on that thing.”

breanna sped up on it, spinning donuts around nicole. “my scooter got stolen and i don’t have a car,” she frowned.

“i don’t understand how anybody likes you,” nicole said, pushing past her and back to her car.

[dreamofbetterthings]

No Regrets Noah Sebastian x Reader

Prompt: "The problem is, if I kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop."

VIP: Noah Sebastian

Band: Ban Omens

Summary: There's no such thing as a "calm" Halloween night, especially when hidden feelings are involved.

Warnings: It's gonna be a little spicy, but not full-on smut. Still, this is 18+ due to descriptive language and some curse words scattered about, so minors, please DNI. 

A/N

Hello everybody! I'm sorry that I dropped off the face of the Earth. I have an abundance of things going on in my personal life and I am trying my hardest to get through it all. I know in the last post I said chapter 3 of It's Been A Long, Long Time was coming soon. That wasn't a lie. It is still in the process of being edited. I'm working on a new uploading schedule for you guys, and a page redesign as well so if everything pans out the way I'm hoping, it will be put into effect starting next week. In the meantime, I have a couple of stories I'm planning on getting out before Chapter 3 gets released. This turned out a lot longer than I thought it was going to be, but I had an idea and ran with it. I've never written for Bad Omens before, so let me know what you think. Enjoy!

This is a fictional story about real-life people. Nothing that is mentioned in the story below represents who said individuals are, or how they act in real life.

Halloween night was always your favorite time to be around certain people, specifically the friends you called Motionless in White and Bad Omens. There was always something up their sleeve to turn the normal night into one that you weren't sure you wanted to remember in the morning. Luckily, tonight was the annual hangout at Chris' house this year, and you couldn't be more excited. Every year you all would get together at someone's house and pass out candy to the kids, then watch a couple of movies after the last stragglers came through. After that, came your favorite part of the night, Hide and Seek. It might seem childish, but watching a bunch of tipsy/drunk people try to stay quiet in a hiding spot was always hilarious.

 You were making another batch of popcorn when Chris walked into the kitchen. "Hey, we just put on The Lost Boys, just thought I'd let you know." You smile. "I'm not surprised. That's almost everybody's favorite." He laughs and grabs another bowl from the cabinet. "I know, that's why we put it on first, so nobody can complain about it later." The timer on the microwave went off signaling that the popcorn was finished, and you carefully took the bag out. You gave Chris the cooling-down bag and picked back up the one you set on the counter before he walked in. After emptying them and grabbing extra napkins, Chris brought the popcorn out to your friends who were talking through muffled and hushed whispers. Before you walked back into the room, he pulled you back for a second to whisper something in your ear. "I pulled the seeker for tonight. Unfortunately, it wasn't you. Maybe next year." You pout and then smile "Fuck, I'm never going to get picked." He laughs as you glanced around at everybody scattered in the room. 

Ryan sat with Justin on the loveseat. Folio was a drama queen and insisted he get his own seat. Nicholas, Vinny, and a few other of your friends, Florence, Nicole, Victoria, and Robert who were invited sat around the coffee table on the floor. Ricky, Jolly, and Noah were on the couch. Then, you and Chris got the two giant bean bags in the corner. The lights were changed to red and the TV just started the opening credits to The Lost Boys. You and Chris give the popcorn to Ricky and Nicholas respectively, everybody else having their own mostly full bowls, and grab your drinks before plopping back down on the bean bags. Folio rubs his hands together and smiles. "Now that our final two goofballs are here, who's ready to watch one of the best horror movies ever made?" Everybody gives some form of yes or a holler, and he immediately turns the volume up. As the movie plays, there is a small conversation here and there, and occasionally someone has to get up for a new drink, but you are relaxed and having fun. 

At about the halfway point of the movie, Noah gets up to get another drink from the fridge. On his way back, Jolly scares him, causing his wine to spill all over the floor and your sweatpants. "Jesus man!" The movie is paused and everyone's attention is on you guys. Jolly laughs and puts his hands up in defense. "Sorry dude, I had to scare you at least once today." He turns to look at you. "Didn't mean to ruin your sweatpants though, my bad." You wave him off. "It's no big deal, these were old anyway. You guys can keep the movie playing. I'm just gonna change into different pants real quick." You take a sip of your drink and get up from your spot to go upstairs. 

After finding your weekend bag, you huff as the extra sweatpants are nowhere to be found. Instead, you pull out a pair of spandex volleyball shorts and go to the bathroom. Noah hears the sink running upstairs as he's cleaning up the accidental mess he made by your spot. He throws the paper towels away and before he gets to the stairs, Chris quietly asks "You good?" He nods, telling the other singer he's going to make sure you're okay, and heads to your bathroom. He knocks a few times and after a couple of seconds, the sink cuts off and you open the door. You were expecting one of your girlfriends to be standing there, but instead, it's Noah. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I'm sorry about spilling on your sweats. I hope I didn't ruin them." Holding up the pants, you show him where the stain had previously been. "If these sweats can make it through one of your tours, they can certainly handle a little bit of wine. I just didn't want them to stain, since you drink the darker stuff." He chuckles and follows you back into the bedroom. 

You grab your shorts and get ready to put them on, but Noah points to your leg. "I didn't know you had a thigh tattoo." You glance at it and glance at him confused. "Really? I got it a while ago. I could've sworn I showed you when I got it done. Then again, I'm always in longer shorts, so it's not exactly easy to see." Setting them down, you turn to the side and pull part of your underwear band up, showing the last covered part of the tattoo. Looking up at Noah, you can see he's staring, but there's something else behind his eyes. Just not sure what it is though. You don't flinch when he reaches his hand out, but your skin gets goosebumps as his fingers ever so lightly trace over the ink on your leg. Everybody that came over tonight had seen each other in their undergarments or even completely nude before, whether by accident or on purpose. Hell, you've walked in on him changing plenty of times. 

So why did the room suddenly feel hot? 

It could be that you've had a crush on the man since you were kids. There wasn't anything not to like. His personality just made you want to be around him all the time. He's sweet and kind, and has a terrible sense of humor that only you two get. You could go on and on. He was just an all-around amazing person. You were so caught up in your thoughts, that you missed the hand that was snapping in front of your face. "Hello? Are you there?" Coming back to reality, you saw Noah looking down at you with curiosity. You quickly apologized and asked him to repeat what he said. "I said it looks amazing on you. The placement is perfect and it works great with the curves of your leg." You thank him and can't help but notice just how close he's standing to you. There's a tense silence for a couple of moments, and neither of you moves from your spot. You glanced at his eyes, then his lips, but immediately looked away. 

It felt like you were a school girl again, talking to the guy you've had a crush on for ages. You heard him mumble a "Fuck it" before he leaned in and pressed his lips against yours. They were soft and tasted like wine, courtesy of the drink that led you here in the first place. You felt his hand move to rest against your cheek. His lips were gentle, almost as if he was savoring the moment, afraid it would never happen again. When the two of you finally pulled away for air, your eyes remained closed for a moment, before slowly opening them and meeting Noah's. The two of you looked at each other in pure awe before you let out a small "Woah" He laughed, and you looked down, feeling your cheeks become hot.

The thought of you being so flustered made him blush too. How was it possible for someone to be this cute? Your heart was pounding out of your chest, and you almost couldn't comprehend what just happened. "You know, for someone that always complained he was a terrible kisser, that was uh, really impressive." He could feel you now completely relaxed against him and he laughed a little, slightly embarrassed. "I'd say that I've had practice, but you already know my teddy bear in fifth grade doesn't count." The two of you laugh. Remembering his hand resting on your cheek, you look away and take a small step back. "I think we should get back to the movie. It's gotta be almost over by now, and I don't want them to yell at us for taking too long." He let out an uncomfortable laugh and muttered a "Yeah." 

You never noticed but Noah frowned slightly when you pulled away from him. He felt so comfortable being that close to you. As you turned to the door he realized something. He really liked you and didn't want this to be just a one-time thing, especially if it was going to make things weird between you afterward. He picks himself out of his thoughts just as you open the door. He walks across the room, taking your hand and silently closing the door. Standing there surprised, you ask him, "Are you okay?" It was now or never he told himself. "I'm sorry, I just..." He takes a breath before continuing. "I really want to kiss you again." You stand there just as surprised but decide to see just how far this could possibly go. "What's the problem then?" He lets go of your hand and brings his own up to hold your face. Pressing his forehead against yours, he whispers. 

"The problem is, if I kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop." 

He obviously likes you, right? But this is your best friend. You've known each other for years. If he did like you this much, he would've told you by now, right? You two have been affectionate towards each other before, but there's a line neither of you dared to cross. If you crossed it now, you would rather do it with no regrets. It was better than wondering what could have been. "What if I don't want you to stop?" Noah tilts your head so you're looking him in the eyes. 

"Then I won't." 

He pushes his lips against you again, this time with newfound hunger. His hands fall and grab at your waist while yours go around his neck. Your feet follow his backward and you hit the edge of the bed. He pulls you down to sit on his lap, completely forgetting your lack of pants while he pushes himself further back on the bed. His tongue runs across your bottom lip and you open your mouth allowing him in. Your hands gently tug at the now-cut-short hair on the back of his neck and he grabs at your hip hard enough to leave bruises before pulling you even closer to him. Shifting your weight a little, your lower half sits directly on his hardening cock and he groans into your mouth. He pulls his lips away only for them to move down your neck. You tug at his hair a little harder and he sucks at the tender skin that connects your neck and shoulder. A moan leaves your lips and you mindlessly grind down against him. There was nothing that could prepare you for how right this felt. Like you were seeing a whole different side of him, hidden from the outside world, and for your eyes only.

Noah moved to whisper in your ear. "Quiet baby, wouldn't want everybody to hear us, hmm?" You shake your head no, but it doesn't matter as he kisses you again. "Hey, are you guys-OH MY GOD!" The bedroom door opens to see a shocked Chris looking at the two of you. Noah pulls away from your mouth, and the two of you look like deer in headlights. "I'm going to go... quickly." Chris walks away, before coming back and closing the door. You and Noah make eye contact for a split second, before the two of you look away, slightly embarrassed that you were caught. "Maybe we should go back before someone comes in again." He clears his throat and nods. "Yeah, that's a good idea." Carefully getting off of him, you stand up and let him off the bed. You both straighten out your respective clothes, and you finally put on those shorts. 

"Are you alright?" He nods and you get ready to walk toward the door. Noah runs his fingers through his hair. "Um, Before we go, I just wanted to ask...You don't regret any of what just happened, right?" You immediately shake your head no, slightly frowning. Maybe this was all a big mistake. "Not at all. Why? Do you?" He smiles and also shakes his head no before taking your hand in his. "Nope. No regrets." A smile replaces the frown on your face. You ask "Are you ready for them to never let us live this down?" He laughs and glances at the door. "That doesn't sound like such a bad thing to me." Giving him a nod, he opens the door and the two of you walk back into the living room where the rest of your friend group is talking amongst themselves. When they hear you guys walk in, it gets silent. Noah lets go of your hand so you can sit down first, and then goes to his spot on the couch. 

Nobody said anything for the first couple of moments before Chris broke the silence. "You guys fucked in my spare bedroom..." Instantly you and Noah sat up and shook your heads. Your voice and his overlapped and both of you tried to tell your friends that technically nothing happened. Once the two of you were finished explaining, the room was silent for another couple of moments before anyone spoke. The silence was starting to make you uncomfortable, but before you could say or do anything, Ryan threw his hands up and yelled. "Fucking finally!" This breaks the tension in the room and everybody starts laughing and giving you and Noah happy looks. You even saw a couple of people passing money around. Those fuckers bet on you and Noah getting together. When the commotion has died down, another movie has started, and everybody turns their attention to the TV. As you focus your attention on the screen, your phone buzzes, and you pick it up. 

Noah

"I was thinking later we could finish what we started in the spare bedroom?"

You smile at your phone and quickly respond before setting it down.

"Well, we're still playing Hide and Seek after the movie. I'm once again not the seeker, lol. If it happens to be you, don't go easy on me. Depending on how the rest of the night plays out, you might get your wish ;)"

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Noah readjust himself in his seat. He sends back a text almost instantly, and goosebumps litter your skin again as you read his last text.

Noah

"Oh, I won't. I like the hunt."

Nope, no regrets.

[watermelondip]

transatlanticism | chapter one

masterlist ao3

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Series Description: The past, present, and plausible future. Knowing Steve in the in-between. Or, as you grow up in Hawkins, parallel to Steve's rich kid bubble, you fall out of favor with expectations, and end up abroad for the rest of highschool. In light of an abrupt return, you try to rekindle a friendship with someone you don't know anymore.

Tags: friends to lovers, friends with benefits, angst, severely poor communication.

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steve harrington / reader Warnings: underage drinking, underage drug use. Words: 2.5k a/n: cross-posting chapters slowly onto tumblr. completed on ao3. sorry for errors. i'm a really shitty proofreader.

⭑⭑⭑

Once, when you were fifteen, you were a handful of puffs away from greening out on Steve Harrington's basement couch, draped inelegantly over the arm of it with your date's jacket tossed lazily over your lap, and a girl you hadn't spoken to in years (from out of state, somewhere in California, maybe) blabbering incoherently into your ear. Sophomore year was a living hell covered in tan pants and loose buttons on over-priced polo shirts. Your dad had been gone for months, your empty house was bigger than that nasty zit resting right in the middle of Steve's forehead, and parties like that one seemed like the best way to pretend like it was all the magical, maniacal film plot strangers often made it out to be, just for a little while.

"I've been thinking, you know," Steve started, swinging a heavy, beer-holding hand towards you, "I might not be a casual guy." He tilted, marginally less lost in it.

"Hm?" His head was blown up like a balloon, and the more he spoke the more it came out like a one of those incomprehensible opera songs, but low and rumbly, blowing egotistical utterances in your throbbing ears.

"I don't think i'm a casual guy," he repeated, leaning a bit closer, elbow resting on his crossed leg. He gestured a hand out at the gaggle of anonymous attendees, ignoring the furrow of the girl from California, who felt betrayed by your shifting attention. "I think I can be, like, real, you know? Realer than them." It seemed innately ironic when he spouted all that introspective shit as someone who rarely felt the comfort of inner honesty in average, sober situations. He laughed: "I don't know half of these people," he whispered.

"But they're not real?" His hand fell on your shoulder, and it felt like lava, radiating off into the air like a television glitch or a really weird, 3-D rainbow.

"No, no one here. All phonies." He gave the California girl a hesitant glance. "Where's, uh, blue shirt, shiny shoes?"

"Dan," you mumbled. "Dan," again, before pointing a finger at a figure huddled smoothly in the corner, chatting up a girl in a tacky turquoise get up. "Over there." His shiny shoes had been scuffed up by a messy dancer (you) and a spilled drink (you), but never lost their self-assured glimmer, not even when they were abandoned by the T.V. an hour later. "Jenny Summers," you identified, giving Steve a defeated shrug and sinking further in the couch. 

"Ah." He took a gulp of his drink, tilting up to the ceiling before crushing the cup in his hand and tossing it off somewhere to the side. "Don't die, yeah? Gonna be too fucked up to clean up your body tonight." He gave your shoulder a paternal sort of pat before disappearing into the unassuming crowd, leaving behind a familiar scent, one of cologne and party sweat, and a soft, aching couch cushion indent.

California girl continued her drunken tales, and as time progressed, you became more and more resentful; it was all starting to melt away. It was just such a shit party, such a shit year, and such a shit friend, that Steve guy was, at least according to Dan.

-

And he was just so happy with Nancy, which led to a lot of tossed letters and dumb, shallow conversations that made you just as not real as the people in his basement that night. First off, Junior year was even worse. Your dad got remarried after a few years of limbo, but of course she was horrid and of course she painted half the house those puke-worthy pastel shades that reminded you of the frilly dresses you would wear as a toddler. She hated you, almost like how Steve hated you, or started hating you, with all of the self-destructive ragers in the pool or the backyard or the basement or the living room or any other sensitive spot you could get your hands on in that big, empty house (just as empty as it was before, really). But he was nice, honestly, in this super respectful, sensible sort of way.

"Where's Nancy?" you slurred. He intercepted your next sip, snatching up the can from your ever-weakening grip as you fumbled your way backwards. Junior year was even worse, and it was another phony party, with phony, unreal people that Steve found himself swiftly usurping with his superior stance and expensive crewneck.

"Studying." Cold began to seep into the conversation, and you shuddered. "Something you should consider."

"I did consider it, and then I decided not to do it." You reached out futilely for your drink, flailing around a bit in his direction as he held it out behind him. "You're one to talk." You huffed yourself into a more resolved position, crossing your arms like a fussy kid. Steve furrowed just like the girl from California had, puzzled by your jolting reaction. You despised the way he sighed and shifted.

"Yeah, well at least I'm still presentable." He nudged your foot with his, pointing out it's stark lack of shoe compared to the other, and the reminder of the loss of your not-so-cheap heel only intensified the haze. 

"I lost it," you clarified, wobbling a bit on your clothed foot, "I was chased," you added on, hinting at a moment that you preferred not to recount (that night it had been Sam, who was nice enough but a bit too macho for your liking, and had been picking you and at tossing you around for a few hours before Steve showed up). 

"Chased?" He ran a clammy palm over his face, pulling down his skin a bit and making his eyes look all red and judgmental like your fathers often were. "Who the fuck was chasing you?"

"He was just messing around. That is what stupid kids like us do, isn't it? Mess around?" He looked at you like you might look at a crying baby in the middle of a grocery store. Something in his expression was tired.

"You're not a stupid kid." He placed your forbidden drink down beside him on the table. "You're just drunk." No longer playing the naive little game that was intertwined with your universe, he failed to make the words seem jovial. 

At fifteen and thirteen and twelve Steve was your most essential equal, the desperate lonely child, the kamikaze lover who only knew how to surround himself with fake people singing fake songs at fake functions until that nagging little ache left his chest. Now, ripe and old and rotting, you stood apart from his happiness, his quaint content. It severed you, the isolating realization that he no longer related, and no longer felt the need to compensate with liquid forget. There was envy there.

"I'm not drunk," you insisted, making another move for your drink. He shoved you back by the shoulder, causing you stumble haphazardly into the table, jutting out a hand to stabilize yourself. "I have a high tolerance," you murmured, grimacing at his less than thoughtful attempts to sober you up. It was charming when you were young, charming when you lied through your teeth with a slur and a stumble, flirting with those hooded eyes, the ones you pulled out when you feared your own unwarranted stupidity. It wasn't charming now, not with your messy eyes, hooded in a way similar to that of high-at-noon trailer trash.

"The cops are going to shut this down, you know." He gestured to the masses, the squabbling children that rudely populated your house. You shrugged it off, manhandling a chip out of the bowl beside you and stuffing it into your mouth in this grotesque, in-your-face sort of way.

"My dad funds the cops. They love me." A crumb fell onto your chin, disrupting the faux elegance of your blue and pink makeup mush. Steve became suddenly forlorn.

"Right, because they all give a shit." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, pulling it incoherently down onto his forehead. "What's up, huh? You weren't at school yesterday." He took a step forward, maybe in the way that a foster parent would do it, tilting his head and trying his best to get at your level. He stuffed his hands the pocket of his dumb tan pants, right along with his dumb concern and dumb sympathy. 

"I went to the mall with Claire and Amy. We got matching handbags. Why do you care?" He scoffed. He nearly rolled his eyes.

"We're friends." He took a step, pulling a hand out of his pocket just to hold it out at his side like a steadfast politician. He coughed out a dry laugh. "We're friends?" he asked, raising his brow and letting his open mouth form a half smile in an expecting, exasperated way.

"'Course," you confirmed, diving for the forgotten can while he was still a step away from where he'd placed it. It became a kind of nonverbal argument, one that weaved its way, albeit vaguely, into all conversations after a certain indeterminable point, which sat somewhere between freshman year and the hellish influence of Nancy's picture perfect ingenue. "Of course we're friends," you repeated, pulling the drink back into your grip and stumbling backwards, away from Steve's discontent.

"You'll kill yourself," he accused, reaching back out for the drink, continuing the cyclical tug-of-war that kept him just a few feet away, seeable and touchable and smellable, if not for the scent of smoke that filled the room.

"No." You gulped down whatever was left. "No," you murmured, shaking your head and trying futilely to crush the can in your hand before resorting to a toss to the side and slip of your previously stable stance. "High tolerance," you reminded, wagging a wobbly finger at his scowl. A heavy gulp made its way from your throat to your stomach, infiltrating what would've been a mild hangover with whispers of swallowed puke and fainting spells; Steve remained wholly unimpressed.

After that, it didn't take much for him to leave. Maybe that was a sign of the times, or maybe that was Saturday. He always did his best to make it to church.

-

The phone cord was wrapped morbidly around your wrist; the conversation had just begun, and you were already far too wrapped up in it.

"England?"

"England. Barf, I know." You flopped down onto your back, the give of your pillow giving you a miniature dose of whiplash. You turned over, groaning into the fabric. "I don't wanna leave," you whispered, letting the phone fall from your ear and land lazily in front of you.

"I find that hard to believe." Steve presented himself as tonally ambiguous. He fluctuated between concern and nonchalance. The sentimentally of the friendship had weakened over the previous months, your familiarity toeing the line between close and acquainted often. "Remember your game show phase?" His voice came like a memory over the line. 

"I still think it should've been me instead of Vanna, but England will never be California, you know? The Brits are all so pale and bitter."

"Right, just like how everyone in Indiana is a corn-loving hick." 

"Everyone but me, yes." You sighed and shifted and sighed again. Dramatics were your current prayers; without pageantry, there was no comfort, and all walls fell easily down. "I don't wanna leave," you repeated, sinking further into your rumbled bedspread. You were itching for some sort of distant reassurance, but all Steve returned was a sliver of your somber outlook, an audible shrug, and a different distance, one that felt utterly isolating.

"Then don't," he suggested, light and unenthused. "I mean, can't you just tell your old man to fuck off? It's not like you're pregnant or strung out or something."

"You all of all people know that won't do anything." Sometimes it felt like Steve didn't have parents, and sometimes it felt like there wasn't really much of a Steve, but instead just some big, clay figure that was molded by two preoccupied and uncaring adults who refused to raise a kid the normal way. He of all people knew. 

"Yeah, well, acting like a baby won't do anything either." You could picture his frown. He'd been frowning at you since you were kids. His face changed, got bigger and wider and longer and wider and thinner and just got different, too, but not his frown. You felt stable when placed in the middle of his disappointment. When he talked down it was like a comfort. It always sent a wave of nostalgia through your gut. 

"It's a lost cause. I'm just reacting accordingly."

"It is what you say it is, I guess." You could feel it slipping, his liquid hands and his bleeding words. "I just think you're being a pushover, but whatever."

The looming threat of escalation haunted your subconscious. 

"What do you want me to do, Steve?" You could picture his frown. You could picture his head, his mind, his perception of wasted potential. You could picture just how much he wished you could see it how he did, changed and morphed and shifted just like he did. You could picture what he was picturing, picturing a girl he knew to be a tangible reminder of someone he didn't want to be anymore.

"Nothing. I don't want you to do anything."

-

He kissed you in a closest when you were fourteen. He did it again when you were fifteen, a few days after the party and the couch and the revelation. He kissed you and he said it was because you seemed sad, seemed down about a guy or a grade or something inconsequential. He kissed your cheek and your forehead and your lips really quick like it was a funny or you were just some sort of doll. 

"Doesn't mean anything, don't worry," he whispered. He held your face between his hands. "Smile? Please."

You closed your eyes and dreamt the seconds slower. He laughed. It was a good memory, one of the ones that you'd tell your English friends, the girls from the glorified barracks that they threw you in. You'd call him 'guy back home' and say he was just so perfect and sweet and handsome and everything, but he wasn't available, or he wasn't willing, or he just wasn't, and that was the end of it. Everyone wanted to see a picture, but you left them all in the big, empty Indiana house. He didn't belong in England; he couldn't be a part of you there.

You cut your hair, but it grew out again. You changed your clothes, but they all sort of looked the same. There was a guy named Rich that called you babe and drove you around in his fancy car, but it didn't last too long because it never lasted too long. Your dad hardly called. That was limbo, and you wrote lots more letters that you never sent. Steve always sounded the same on the phone, just a little happier or a little older.

Reformation was slow and entirely reversible. The flight back home was delayed, overpriced, and exhilarating.

[albertasunrise]

Hope - Hope I See You Again

Masterlist

Summary: After Joel loses his wife and your best friend during childbirth. You support him as he takes on parenthood on his own at 22. But when feelings start to develop, you battle with the guilt you feel for falling for your best friend’s husband.

Relationships: Joel Miller x Reader

Warnings: Like AO3 I choose to give none. Read at own risk. 18+… this is to avoid spoilers! (So a longer chapter...Another angst fest but I hope you enjoy. Had most of this written out already hence posting it so quickly after chapter 4, can't wait to heart what y'all think ♥️)

Series Masterlist - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

10 years later...

"Sarah!" Joel calls up the stairs as he munches on his toast "Hunny you're going to be late." 

"COMING!" She replied as thumping steps erupted on the landing. 

Joel chuckled as he listened to his daughter clamber down the stairs, smiling when she planted a kiss on his cheek and skipped to the plate of toast he left on the side for her. 

"You're a good father." She said as she ravaged the breakfast he made her. 

"I try to be." 

"You make some for Uncle Tommy?" She asked as her ears perked up at the sound of his truck parking on the drive. 

"Yeah, yeah..." Joel waved her off "Although he's gonna eat me outa house n' home at this rate." 

"Who is?" Tommy asked as he walked into the kitchen, giving his brother a friendly slap on the arm as he passed. 

"You asshole." Joel grumbled, eliciting a snigger from Sarah. 

"Sarah baby... you're gonna miss the bus if you don't leave." Joel said as he eyed the clock. 

"Ah... crap... Okay, gotta go. See ya later Uncle Tommy." She said sweetly as she kissed his cheek before skipping to her father to do the same thing "Still on for tacos tonight?" 

"Wouldn't be Tuesday without them." Joel winked before waving at his daughter as she sprinted out the door. 

"Ready?" Tommy asked as he unceremoniously shoved the last of his toast into his mouth. 

"One of these days, you're gonna choke." He snorted as he pushed himself to his feet "I'm driving today." He said as he snatched up the keys and headed to the garage. 

...

Joel was just finishing up laying the table when Sarah came screaming in. He couldn't understand how she had so much energy despite being at school all day and then soccer practice afterwards. 

"HEY!" She shouted, practically skipping into the kitchen. 

"Hey baby girl, how was your day?" He asked as he grabbed and placed the serving spoon into the bowl of chorizo and potatoes that he'd just finished frying off. 

"Great, do you mind if a friend joins us?" She asked sheepishly, smiling sweetly at him as he turned to see a tall boy beside her. 

He seemed familiar. His dark hair and piercing blue eyes reminded him of someone he used to know. 

"Dad this is Noah." She said sweetly "He's new and his mum wasn't able to get him from school so I said he could come here for dinner and then you could drop him home later?" 

The boy's name made Joel's stomach twist. There was no way this was the boy that had been practically glued to Sarah's side as a toddler. There are plenty of kids with that name. 

"Baby I-" 

"I know I should have asked first but Dad... you always make extra so there will be plenty for all of us." She pleaded with her big brown eyes, knowing that it would win him over. 

"I don't wanna impose Mr Miller, sir." Noah said, his head dropping "I can probably walk home from here." 

"Sit down." Joel grumbled as he motioned to the table with his head, smiling when Sarah kissed his cheek and whispered thanks in his ear. 

He watched as Sarah eagerly dug into the food on the table before noting Noah's hesitance. 

"Dig in son." Joel encouraged and Noah gave him a nervous nod before doing as he was bid. 

Dinner then passed fairly easily. Sarah talked about school and practice as Noah smiled at her enthusiasm. 

"So where are you from Noah?" Joel asked as he wiped his hands on his napkin and grabbed his beer to take a swig. 

"I was actually born here." Noah confessed and Joel's heart sped up a little "My parents moved when I was little. Dad wasn't well and so we moved closer to my grandma." 

"You don't say." Joel replied, his heart in his throat as Noah continued. 

"We moved back here 'cus mum got a job in Austin. Thought it would be good to get a new start after dad..." He trailed off, his eyes growing sad. 

"Perhaps next taco Tuesday you can bring Ali?" Sarah suggested as she gave Noah's arm a friendly squeeze. 

"Ali?" Joel asked and Noah smiled sweetly "Ali's my little sister. Short for Alison." He replied sweetly "Well little ish... She's a few years younger than me." 

"Joel thought he was going to be sick. There was no way this wasn't the Noah he knew as a boy." 

"Dad..." Sarah called but Joel felt like he was drowning, her calls for him muffled like his head was underwater. 

"DAD!" She shouted and he leapt from his skin as he returned his attention to both of them "You okay?" 

"What?" Joel asked as his eyes flitted between the two kids "Oh... Yeah, sorry just uh... Just a long day." 

Noah's cell phone ringing filled the awkward silence that had blanketed the room and when he pulled it out to see who it was, he excused himself to take it. 

"You sure you're okay dad?" Sarah asked as she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze "You look like you've seen a ghost." 

"Yeah, baby." He replied sweetly, trying his hardest to be convincing "I'm fine." 

10 years earlier...

"Joel, you need to take it easy man." Tommy pleaded as he pushed his brother back onto the bed "They cut into your fucking skull man." 

"What I need... is to get out of here." Joel grumbled as he let out a frustrated huff. 

"Sarah and I nearly lost you." Tommy choked, his eyes growing glossy as he remembered the last few weeks "We've watched you crash twice... Been told to prepare for the worst more times than I wanna remember... So please, just rest." 

"How are they?" He asked and Tommy sighed "They're doing as well as can be expected." Tommy sighed and Joel nodded "I think the kids have been a great distraction though." 

Joel smiled at that.

"When do you ship out?" Joel asked, changing the subject and Tommy signed "Sunday. Now you're not knocking on death's door, they've decided it's time for me to leave." 

"I'll be okay." Joel promised but Tommy didn't look convinced "I promise."

...

2 weeks later...

Joel watched as you puttered around the house, looking anything but relaxed as you finished clearing up after lunch. He gingerly pushed himself to his feet, wincing when his stitches pulled. 

"Need some help?" He asked as he limped into the kitchen. 

"No." You replied plainly and Joel sighed.

"Please, let me help." Joel pleaded and you growled in frustration. 

"You can help me by sitting the fuck down so you don't pull a stitch." You growled and Joel shrunk back. 

You'd been cold towards him since he got out and Joel couldn't say he blamed you. You were now stuck babysitting him as he recovered from three major surgeries on top of his daughter whom you'd been caring for for almost a month. 

"Please... I just... I want to help." 

"You've done enough Joel." That statement had him shrinking away from you as he nodded. 

"I'm going to check on Sarah." He said quietly as he limped from the kitchen.

"She's sleeping."

Joel didn't reply. Just left you to finish your frantic cleaning as he limped away with his tail between his legs.

Present day...

"Sorry." Noah said as he stepped back into the room "Was my mum." 

"Everything okay? Sarah asked and Noah nodded. 

"Yeah, just a broken arm." 

"What happened?" Joel asked, his confusion obvious from his expression. 

"Oh, my sister hurt herself during gym." Noah replied "Why mum couldn't grab me... Was up the hospital with her." 

"What about you dad?" Joel asked and Noah grew quiet again. 

"Noah's dad died a few months ago." Sarah pipped up and Joel's eyes almost bugged out of his skull.

"Shit... I'm... Shit I'm so sorry son I-"

"It's fine." Noah assured him as he gave Joel a weak smile "Not like you knew." 

"Do you need me to drop you home?" Joel asked and Noah nodded. 

"If you don't mind." 

Joel gave him a friendly smile before grabbing his truck keys off the side. 

"Come on." 

...

Sarah sat in the back as Noah directed Joel home. He couldn't help but think about the little boy he'd known a decade ago and how he'd grown into this polite young man. Part of him wanted to confess that he and Sarah had been inseparable as kids but until he was sure that he was who he thought he was, Joel needed to keep that information to himself. 

"This is me." Piped up Noah as he pointed at a house with a Large Volvo parked in the drive. 

It was nice. Exactly the sort of house he'd pictured you living in. Pulling up, the porch light flicked on and the door opened, revealing a face that Joel had thought he'd never see again. Time had been kind to you. Your hard was cut to just below the shoulders and wavy and your features had matured but it was unmistakeably you. 

"Thanks, Mr Miller, sir." Noah said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his pack "Thanks for letting me crash Taco Tuesday." 

"Call me Joel, please." 

Noah gave the older man a shy smile before turning to say goodbye to Sarah. Hopping out the truck, Joel watched as Noah jogged up to you and he smiled as he watched to greet the boy with a hug. He'd known you'd be a natural mum. 

You glanced up at him and his heart stopped. Your eyes locked and he wondered if you'd recognise him too but when you squinted before raising your hand in thanks, Joel realised it was too dark in the cab for you to see him. 

Sarah clambering from the back to the front pulled Joel's attention away from the spot you'd been standing and he chuckled at the inelegant way the 12-year-old dumped herself in the passenger seat. 

"So what do you think of Noah?" She asked as she tried to act casual and Joel snorted. 

"He's a good kid." Joel replied as he pulled away from the curb "How did you guys meet anyway?" 

"He had to redo a year." Sarah replied "Not his fault. His dad was in and out of hospital so he missed a lot of school. When they moved here the school suggested that it would be good for him to redo 5th grade." 

"Do you know what happened to his dad?" Joel asked, trying to sound as inconspicuous as possible. 

"Apparently his dad was in an accident when he was little. Complications from that had him in and out of hospital but a year ago he got real sick and his immune system just couldn't cope." 

Joel once again felt like he was going to be sick. 

He'd had suffered a few long things from the crash. Back pain and headaches being the key ones but nothing following the surgery he'd had. So to learn that Alec had continued to suffer in the 10 years that followed the accident had him wanting to pull over and vomit up the tacos they'd eaten for dinner. 

You must hate him. 

...

"How was your evening hunny?" You asked as you finished unstacking the dishwasher. 

"Was great." He replied with a smile "Made a friend. Sarah Miller." He continued as he placed the plate you handed him in the cupboard "She invited me to join her and her dad Joel for taco Tuesday." 

"Joel Miller?" You asked, your heart hammering against your ribs as your eyes widened. 

"Yeah... You know him?" Noah asked as he turned to face you "Mum?..." 

"Um... Uh, yeah I..." 

Noah's eye caught a glimpse of a photo on the wall that until now he'd never looked at twice. It was of you and his dad with two guys you'd told him were friends from when you'd lived here. He looked more closely and noted how he was gripping the jeans of a man who looked a lot like Joel and then his eyes flitted to the little girl in the man's arms. His eyes widened as he studied her face. 

"This is them... isn't it?" Noah asked as he turned to look at you, pointing at the photo he'd been studying just a moment ago. 

"I was best friends with Joel's late wife." You answered as you sat down at the kitchen table "You and Sarah were inseparable as kids." You chuckled as you remembered how fond of Sarah Noah had been. 

"Why have you never mentioned them before?" 

"Because we fell out of touch." You confessed, "After your dad's accident, things got tense between us." 

"Tense?" Noah pushed "How?" 

"Joel was driving the car that night." You told him "He almost died but when he left the hospital, I blamed him for your dad's condition and so our friendship kinda fell apart." 

"But Dad's car was t-bone by a drunk truck driver." Noah pushed and you sighed.

"I know."

"So it wasn't Joel's fault." 

"No." You choked as you remembered how bad things had gotten "But I blamed him anyway.

10 years earlier... 

Joel's head was pounding. 

Headaches had been a constant complication from the surgery on his head. Limping into the kitchen, he found you leaning against the counter sipping a cup of coffee as you started out the window across from you. 

If you heard him enter you didn't show it. It had been a week since you'd snapped at him and Joel had done his best to give you space. Even if that meant suffering his increasingly painful headaches but this one was unbearable. 

"Have you seen my pain pills?" He asked as he limped towards you and you shook your head.

"No." 

"Any idea where they could be?" He asked as he tried to rummage through the cupboard for them. 

"No." 

"Please... my head is pounding." He pleaded and that seemed to snap you out of your trance. 

"Oh... You have a headache do you?" You growled condescendingly "Poor Joel's head hurts." 

"Please." Joel pleaded but you were having none of it. 

"Alec is paralysed from the waist down and you want me to keep track of where you put year headache tablets?" You growled and Joel immediately stopped searching. 

"I-"

"The man I love... the father of my unborn child is never going to walk again." You snarled as you slammed down your mug, making Joel flinch from the sound "He's never going to walk again... meanwhile, you get to walk away with no long-term consequences. How is that fair?" 

"I'm so sorry." 

"I don't want your apologies, Joel." You growled, "I just want you out of my life." 

Joel didn't care that you could see his tears. He stood there openly sobbing as you scoffed and turned your back from him.

"I think it's time you left." You said as your hand closed around something in front of you, turning to toss his pain pills at him. 

Joel didn't reply he just nodded. Limping from the kitchen to pack his things. 

He left an hour later. 

Present day...

Noah had been off with you since the evening he'd learned his history with Sarah and Joel. You felt guilty about how you'd treated Joel all those years ago but you'd been pregnant and lost. You'd hated the fact that your husband had been crippled for life and needed someone to blame. 

You'd blamed Joel. 

You were standing in line waiting for your morning coffee when a familiar voice caught your attention. Looking over your shoulder you saw an older Tommy Miller walking towards the bar. 

He ordered his coffee, paid then walked towards you. Only to stop in his tracks when he spotted you and his smile disappeared. 

"Long time no see." You said when he took a few more tentative steps towards you. 

"Yeah. Been a while." He replied plainly and you flinched at his tone. 

"How have you been?" You asked and he shrugged.

"Left the army. Working for Joel now." He replied and you nodded. 

"How is Joel?" You asked as you accepted your coffee from the barista and thanked them. 

"Do you care?" He growled and your brows pulled together. 

"Oh course... I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." 

"He's fine." Tommy grumbled as he poured a few sugars into his coffee before turning to you "He wasn't the night you kicked him out." 

"Tommy I-" 

"He collapsed after getting out of the taxi that had taken him and Sarah home." He interrupted, his tone ice cold as he turned to face you and leaned in closer "He'd developed another brain bleed and almost died. Ali's parents had to fly out from Canada to take care of Sarah whilst Joel fought for his life for a second time." 

"I didn't know." You choked as your hand flew up to your mouth.

"No..." Tommy trailed off as he scoffed at you "You were just too caught up in your own problems to notice how he'd started to go downhill." 

You didn't get a chance to reply. 

Tommy was out of the door before you could utter a syllable. He just left you standing there feeling terrible about the fact that you had neglected him. You had blamed him for your misfortune and you had pushed him away when he needed you. 

You had to fix this. 

Next

For updates follow @albertasunrise-ficsblog

[dreamingofep]

Forbidden Love Pt. 7 💔❣️

Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: Reuniting with Elvis was supposed to be the highlight of your summer, but with unresolved tensions between you two, things aren't what they seem. [Fem!reader]

TW: Cussing, angst, mentions of infertility, Elvis being ~very difficult~😠

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5.4k

A/N: Hi everyone! Posting in Elvis hours again hehe. This chapter is an emotional rollercoaster so be prepared! Forgive me for putting these two through the wringer🫣 I would recommend re-reading the first chapter again because I did leave some clues of what is going to be unveiled... Hope you enjoy! Elvis needs a hug and a slap on the wrist in this chapter🤭

July 5th, 1969

Tonight was another planned dinner and you couldn’t be more excited. This means you get to see Elvis with no other explanation and if you were lucky, you’d sneak away from everyone and kiss him like he’s your only supply of oxygen. Elvis coordinated this whole dinner. After five full days of rehearsing hours on end for his show, he wanted to have a little fun and invite some friends over. You liked how excited Elvis got over things lately. It was such a turn compared to a few weeks ago when he barely liked any company, especially yours. 

John was never thrilled about these dinners. He wouldn’t sit by you and would barely look in your direction so you and Elvis always sat next to each other. You’d joke and glance at each other with longing stares that made you feel aflame. His hand would brush your thigh and you couldn’t help but inch closer to him, longing for him to keep touching you. You loved those secret moments.

It was almost time to leave and you put on some glossy pink lipstick before rushing to get your heels on. You open the door and the phone rings as you’re about to leave the house. You run back in and grab the phone.

“Hello?” You say a bit winded.

“Hi baby when are you coming over?” Elvis asks smoothly. 

“I was just about to leave but here I am on the phone with you,” you tease him.

“Well, I’m glad I caught ya then. I want you to pack some things. I want you to stay the night,” he says matter-of-factly. You almost gasp at his request. He wouldn’t dare make it so obvious that you two were seeing each other. 

“No, absolutely not. Are you insane? We’d get caught and that would be the end of that,” you say shortly.

“No one’s gonna be home tonight. Dianne won’t be here, she’s got a flight later tonight to see some family,” he explains. You grew nervous, it was still too risky. This plan of his was going to blow up in smoke.

“And what about John? You need to deal with him. He expects me to be home with him. I don’t need him to start to grow suspicious of why I hang out at your house so late,” you say annoyed.

“Let me deal with him. Just bring your things, okay?” He says low and hangs up quickly.

You grunt frustrated, you hated that it had to be his way or no way at all. But you also didn’t have it in you to fight with him. You liked him taking the lead and having his way with you. You quickly go back to the bedroom and scour the closet for a duffle bag to pack some things for the night. It was a little nerve-wracking that you’d be there all night but you knew you’d love it. You race back to the front door and put the bag in your trunk, excited for tonight’s adventure. 

*

You pulled up to the house and the driveway was already packed with cars. Some of the guys were out there waiting to open the gate for you and you quickly parked the car, rushing to get inside. Walking up to the door, the murmur of voices behind it made you a bit nervous. Elvis better be on his best behavior. There were going to be too many eyes around tonight. You couldn’t get too close to him or disaster could strike.

There were a few people at the entrance of the house and they politely smiled at you and said hello. You do the same but your eyes frantically search for Elvis. You wanted to see him, as bad as it was, you needed to see what he was wearing tonight.

You round the corner and into the living room and you stop dead in your tracks. You found him and he was wearing all black and a blue scarf that made his eyes pop. He forgoes a shirt underneath his jacket and it shows off his tan chest. You loved his fashion choices lately and not wearing anything underneath his jackets with scarves or leaving his shirts unbuttoned scandalously low. He looked absolutely gorgeous and his eyes lit up when he saw you too.

Your smile begins to fade when you realize Dianne is sitting on his lap, wearing a short ruffled skirt and tank top, twirling his scarf around her finger. Your blood boiled, you hated seeing her on him. It was stupid honestly. She was only playing a part and so was Elvis. But this wasn’t a public event, there was no need for a dramatic display of affection from the two of them. You do everything in your power to force the fakest smile you’ve ever given. Elvis probably saw right through it as you stared at him blankly. 

“Hi y/n, it’s nice to see you again,” Jerry says on your right, snapping you out of your jealousy.

“Hi Jerry, always nice to see you,” you say to him and give him a hug. 

John was sitting next to Elvis and goes to hug you. It shocked you a little, he wasn’t the type to give affection so publicly. You smell the faintest scent of alcohol on him. I guess that answers why he’s so affectionate. You hug him anyway because you want Elvis to feel the same jealousy you felt when you looked at Dianne sitting on his lap. You grab John by the face and kiss him. You felt Elvis’ eyes burn into your skin. He hated what you were doing. You loved getting the reaction out of him though.

You pull away from him and act embarrassed, “Oh hi Dianne, so nice to see you again! Hi Elvis,” you say a bit flatly. Dianne quickly gets up and gives you a big hug.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! I can use a girl’s company! Please sit down,” she says sitting back on Elvis’ lap and having you sit right next to him. There was a small space left on the couch and you squeezed beside him, placing your purse on the side of it and out of the way. His legs were spread open and your leg touched his. You try not to let it get to you but your body says otherwise.

“How have you been y/n? How was your day?” Dianne asks.

“Oh, it was fine. I just worked a shift at the diner and went home for a bit to relax before coming here,” you tell her.

“Oh, how nice. Do you like your job?” She asks as he continues to twirl Elvis’ scarf around her finger and rest her other hand on his bare chest. You tried to let it not distract you but you’re failing. It irked you the way he was letting her touch him. It was ridiculous of you, but it didn’t matter. You hated it and wished you were the one in his lap instead.

“No, not really, but it pays the bills in the meantime,” you joke.

“You’re an actress right?” Jerry butts in. Thank God for that, at least you don’t have to look directly at Dianne anymore.

“Yes, I am. I’m on a bit of a hiatus. Things have been a little tough and I’ve needed to take a break from it. I wasn’t getting as many jobs and it started to affect us,” you say a bit hurt.

You hated admitting that your dream wasn’t panning out the way you wanted it to. You didn’t quit the business, you were just falling on hard times and needed to make some quick money before going back out there. 

“Sorry you’ve had to take a break, you’ll get back on your feet in no time. I’ve seen some of your movies, you’re a natural,” Jerry says sweetly.

“Thanks,” you say sheepishly. It was nice to hear someone saw the potential you had. You look at John briefly and see he has this annoyed expression on his face when he’s listening to you talk about your career. It ticked you off even though you should be used to it by now.

“Maybe you can focus on other things in the meantime,” Dianne says cheerfully, “Maybe you can start a family,” she tells you.

You look at her blankly. You didn’t want to talk about this stuff with her around. She was the last person you wanted to talk about family stuff with.

“Umm, no, I don’t think that’ll be happening,” you try to deflect.

“Oh, why not?” She asks.

“It’s not the right time,” you try to shrug like it doesn’t bother you.

“Well, you never know. Blessings can happen when you least expect it,” she says as she wraps her arms around Elvis’ neck. It took everything in you to shove her off of him and get her to stop asking a million questions.

“Yeah, but we’re good. It’s not the right time to start a family,” you reiterate a bit sharply, hoping she’ll shut up.

“Oh but can you imagine, a little you running around? That would be the cutest,” she says excitedly looking at Elvis, “maybe we can try again?” She says looking at Elvis, leaning in to kiss him.

You felt like screaming at him, both of them for that matter but God that got under your skin and stayed there. Again?! What does she mean again?! You wanted to yell and scream your head off at him if he was actually having his way with both of you at the same time. You clench your fist closed and do everything in your power to swallow your pride and not say anything to him. Yet. He will get an earful from you later, you were going to make sure of that. 

“Well you have fun with that,” you say sarcastically, making sure to not look at Elvis.

“You two really would have the cutest kids!” Dianne continues to ramble.

“Yeah, that's not happening. We’d need a miracle to happen,” John mutters a bit too loudly as he takes a sip of his beer.

You feel every pair of eyes dart to you and you freeze. You stare at John in disbelief that he just said that. He looks at you as though he sees right through you. He looks at you like you’re such a disappointment. You glance at Elvis and see a look of concern. 

“What? What does he mean?” Dianne asks confused. You wanted this night to end right here and now. You were sick and tired of her incessant questions and angry at John’s drunken slip-up.

“It means I can’t have kids. It’ll never be the right time it seems and I can’t do anything about it but move on,” you say sharply and throw daggers at her. She grows quiet and looks away from you.

The room was extremely quiet and you felt everyone’s uncomfortableness as the rest of the house was loud and full of laughter. You tap your leg nervously, hating that the attention is on you and this topic. You debate whether you should just leave the room or pray to God someone changes the topic again. You were hoping Jerry would be that person again but sadly he didn’t get that memo.

“I’m so sorry y/n,” Elvis says softly, almost too low for you to even hear.

You look up at his puppy dog eyes and let your anger get the best of you. Looking at him made you more angry and hearing that he was sorry for you pushed you past your boiling point. You stare at him blankly, fire burning in your eyes as you don’t want to be around him anymore. 

You get up from the couch and try to put on a believable smile like none of this got to you.

“I’m going to grab a drink, does anyone want anything?” You ask cheerfully.

Everyone murmurs no and you see yourself out. Your smile instantly drops when your back faces everyone in the living room. You squeeze your way through the dining room where a lot of people are gathered and go to the kitchen. It's a bit quieter in here and you get to breathe and try to shake off everything that just happened. You hated how this was brought up, it made you feel shitty. You don’t know if Dianne brought this up on purpose or what but you like her even less now. 

You find champagne on the kitchen island and pour yourself a small glass. You sip the bubbly drink and try to calm yourself down before you go back out there. You suddenly feel a hand gently grab your arm and pull you to the side. You look up and see it's Elvis and he keeps walking to a side room off of the kitchen. You shrug out of his grasp and grunt frustrated.

“Elvis?! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” You snap.

“I needed to talk to you,” he says.

“It can wait, let's get out there,” you say flatly, trying to push past him. 

He steps in front of the door and locks it.

“No, I’m not letting you out of here until we talk about this,” he says sternly.

“There’s nothing to talk about Elvis, let’s just go,” you grumble. 

“Yes there is,” he says as he pulls you in to hug you, “I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” he says gently. 

As much as you loved it when he held you in his arms, you didn’t want that kind of affection right now. You push away at his chest and feel the tears well in your eyes. 

“Elvis no. I can’t do this with you. I tried to tell you. I did, I tried. But you were too busy for me! That was the moment I realized we weren’t friends anymore. I told whoever answered the phone it was extremely important to talk to you and they said they’d go and get you but you didn’t answer the phone! I waited for hours for you, crying my eyes out hoping you’d talk to me but you didn’t. I needed you. I needed someone to go to and comfort me when I was going through this tough time and I had no one,” you say angrily. 

“God no,” he angrily mutters, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t remember-. When was this? Please help me understand,” he pleads with you. 

“A few years ago. ‘66 I believe. Everything went up in flames that year. I came to the realization I’ll never be able to have a family and things only got worse with me and John. I was losing traction with my career and not getting cast as much. It was all a mess and I had no one to talk to,” you weep turning away from him so he wouldn’t see you cry. 

“I’m sorry honey that’s awful. I wish I could have done something, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking…” he rambles. 

“Nothing. You were thinking about nothing and ignoring me like every other man in my life,” you grumble. 

There’s a heavy silence that fills the room as you can still hear the liveliness of the party going on out there. 

“He isn’t supportive about any of it? Not even empathetic?” Elvis asks gently. 

“No. And I know deep down, he hates me for it. We were having some minor problems before this happened and a naive part of me thought that if I gave him a baby, everything would be alright. But years went on and it never happened. I had to face the reality that something was wrong with me and had to move on. There’s nothing I can do about it,” you say defeated. 

“Honey I-,” he starts to say but you stop him. 

“No! Don’t honey me! You are not innocent here. What the fuck was that about in the living room? Dianne saying you guys should try again?” You say as anger boils through you. 

“Are you messing around with her and me at the same time?! You told me the whole relationship between you two was just a publicity stunt and nothing more,” you seethe. 

He sighs and takes a step back from you, “It’s more complicated than that…” he starts to say. 

“No it’s not!” You yell at him. 

“Shh, please lower your voice,” he growls. 

“No, you don’t get to tell me what to do! Yes or no, are you two screwing around or was she trying to make your little story more believable by saying that.” You snap. 

His face looks distraught and he looks like he can cry too. It was a horrible sight to see. You only wanted to see him happy and full of joy. You can see he’s searching for the right words but hesitates to say any of them. 

“Yes, years ago we did. I was very unhappy with my career and hated everything I was doing. A lot like you, I thought maybe I should get married or have a baby, maybe that would make me happier? But I realized that none of that was going to make me happy and I didn’t like Dianne that way. I would be miserable if I married her,” he explains. 

You felt bad for him too, how unhappy he was like you and had nowhere to go. Things should have been different between you two. If you had talked to each other about all of this, maybe you wouldn’t feel so alone and helpless. 

“But to answer your question, no, I’m not even touching her. I want nothing to do with her like that now,” he pauses and slowly gets closer to you, “I only want you baby, please you have to believe me.” He says sorrowful. 

You don’t respond to him. You were too hurt by all of this and don’t want to be here anymore. 

“We should go out there, they’re waiting on us,” you murmur not looking at his face. He doesn’t budge and pulls you into his arms once more. 

“Baby please look at me. I’m sorry about everything,” he purrs. 

You wanted to forgive him of course, it felt awful to be cross with him but you needed space. You still hold this grudge against him that he hasn’t been there for you when he said he always would be. You push past him and quickly get out of the room and into the kitchen. 

There were so many people around, that your absence wasn’t noticed where you had been for the last few minutes. You head back out to the living room with a drink in your head. You force another fake smile as you stand off to the side as you don’t want to sit by either Dianne or John. Fifteen minutes passed and Elvis still hadn’t joined you. You grew anxious as to what was taking him so long. It’s not like he’d just leave his own house and leave his party.

After an hour or so of dealing with insufferable conversation, it was time for dinner. An extra table was brought in so everyone could sit together. Elvis finally appears from the back of the house with a stark look on his face. As usual, he coordinated it so you had to sit next to him. This was the first night you did not want to be close to him by any means. Everything was ticking you off and everyone’s dumb jokes were annoying you more than anything. 

Elvis picked up on your mood instantly and he was quieter than usual. You could feel him looking at you through the whole dinner but you didn’t look his way once. You picked at your food, not really hungry after everything that has transpired. It was only ten but you wanted to get out of this house. You were no longer in the mood to stay over or be around Elvis at all. The longer you stayed here, the worse this night could get. 

You probably should have listened to your instincts and gotten up right now but you didn’t and disaster was about to strike. 

You tune back into everyone’s conversations and act like you’re interested in what they have to say. Some of the guys were talking about something that happened on a movie set a few years ago and were laughing about it. They brought up some girls they thought were pretty and how they didn’t give them the light of day when they asked them out on a date. 

Elvis would mess with them and tease that no girls were interested in them anyway. It was light-hearted banter and it did take your mind off of the uncomfortable situation you were in earlier. One of the guys turns their attention to you and it surprises you a bit. 

“You’ve worked with Nicole, haven’t you? You know who we’re talking about.”

“Oh yeah, I worked on a movie with her. She was so nice,” you recall the fond memory. 

“She liked you too. She hoped to work with you again. What are you working on now?” He asks. 

You don’t feel threatened by the question and brush it off, it was just an innocent inquiry. 

“Nothing right now. I’m hoping to get back out there soon though,” you say hopefully. 

“You are? SInce when?” John asks a bit annoyed from the other end of the table. You stare darkly at him and try to keep your cool. 

“Yes, I do. I miss being on set and everything. That’s where I was the most happy and had the most fun,” you say looking away from John and addressing anyone else that was listening to the conversation. 

“Oh, you should have been on the set for one of Elvis’ movies. We had some wild times,” one of the guys laughed. A lot more of them laugh, reminiscing about such memories and you giggle too, you can only imagine what kind of trouble they got into on set. 

“Oh I bet you guys have quite the stories,” you chuckle, “that almost happened though. I almost got the role of Elvis’ love interest in one of his movies in ‘66 but the producers went another direction at the last minute. It sucked but whatever,” you try to say nonchalantly.

“That’s right, I remember when Elvis found out you got cast. He freaked out,” he says laughing.

“Would you shut up,” Elvis says quickly, anger lacing his words.

You were confused by all of this. Why would Elvis be so freaked out about you getting cast in a movie? You thought it would be a nice reunion in a way. It was something you always wanted to happen.

“What are you talking about?” You ask, laughing slightly thinking he was just messing with you.

“Yeah, he saw your name on the cast list and called the director right away. You didn’t know? I thought he called you to explain,” He asks you confused. 

“He didn't call me for a whole decade,” you scowl. 

“That’s enough,” Elvis hissed. 

You were baffled at what was going on. None of this made sense. Why would he act like this when he found out you got cast in his movie? Your mind races and starts creating the worst possible scenarios. Did he actually have a hatred for you for whatever reason?

You slowly turn your body to face Elvis, a slow boiling rage is once again beginning to develop inside of you. 

“Why would you call the director about me?” You say sharply, holding your breath as you look at him like you could bite his head off. 

He looks back at you with the same intensity but you don’t waiver. 

“Answer me,” you say through your teeth. 

Everyone gets a bit uncomfortable, not looking directly at either of you.

You watch him swallow sharply, clearly not wanting to speak. 

“I-, I called him to tell him I had concerns..” he says gently. 

“Concerns about what?” You snap. 

“That maybe you weren’t the right fit…” he says timidly. 

You had enough and quickly got up and left the table. The screech of your chair moving back made everyone jump and not look at you in your state of fury. You walk back into the living room to grab your keys and your purse and head for the front door. No one moved an inch and watched you storm out of the house. You didn’t know whether you should scream or cry or do both at the same time. You couldn’t believe Elvis would ever do such a thing. Especially to you. 

You start to walk towards your car and you hear excited screams of a dozen fans waiting outside to see Elvis. A few flashing lights are going off from their cameras but are instantly disappointed that it’s just you. It was going to be hard getting out of here and you get frustrated, you needed to leave and get some space from all of this. You didn’t want to give Elvis any more time to fuck up anything else. 

“Y/n please wait,” you hear Elvis say behind you. You glance over your shoulder and see he’s trying to catch up to you. The backyard gate is on your left and that’s the only place you can go to hide from the screaming fans and everyone else at this party. You quickly open it and walk along the side of the house. Your heels make a loud echo on the concrete as you storm away from Elvis as fast as you can. 

“Y/n please,” Elvis begs and gently grabs your arm to stop you. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You seethe. He looks at you stunned, he’s never seen you so upset. “Why would you do this to me?!” You continue. 

“Honey I- I don’t know. I didn’t know what-, can you just let me explain,” he tells you. You could barely see straight you were so upset. 

“No, you listen to me! Do you know what you did?!” 

“I know it was wrong. I-I-I’m sorry baby I just thought-. The script was absolutely terrible and I was tryin’ to-,” he stammers.

“You were thinking about yourself that’s what was happening! How could you take something like this away from me,” you say as your voice cracks with emotion.

He grunts frustratedly and walks away from you, his hands on his hips with his head fallen down. 

“I was afraid… I couldn’t see you after all those years,” he mutters.

“What?”

He turns around slowly and his blue eyes are filled with tears.

“I knew I was being an awful person. I wasn’t writing you back, I wasn’t answering your phone calls, I didn’t even try to see you in person once I came back from the army, I knew you hated me for it all. And I couldn’t blame you. As time went on, I knew there was nothing that would have excused how I was acting. I panicked and couldn’t see you. I called the director and said I was nervous working with you. I explained there was a certain history we had and I couldn’t shake my nerves. Before I knew it, they had you recast. It wasn’t what I intended to happen. I was just hoping they would push the start date or something. I never wanted you off the movie, I just needed more time to figure out what I’d even say to you,” he admits.

“Why didn’t you say something like that then? Why didn’t you tell them you wanted me in the movie,” you ask.

“I just-, I was still afraid. I thought it was meant to be this way… to keep not seeing you,” he admits.

You sink to your knees and sit on the hard ground. You cover your face in your hands and let your tears fall. You couldn’t believe any of it. How could you be so dumb? All you wanted was to be close to Elvis again but he proved time and time again he didn’t want that.

He was afraid to see you? What did he possibly think when he agreed to hire John. Did he think that he could still ignore you? 

“That one role could have changed my life you know that? If I had on my resume that I worked with Elvis Presley, maybe the tide could have changed for me. Now I’ll never know if that could have been a possibility,” you sob.

“I know… I’m sorry…” he says softly. “And I didn’t know what you were dealing with personally which makes me feel even worse,” he says kneeling in front of you.

You both sit there motionless, not wanting to talk anymore. You felt your heart hurt, you never thought you could feel so broken. Just when you thought things were getting better, it came crashing down. You knew this whole thing was too good to be true. You just didn’t know how messy it would be.

You get up and smooth your dress out. Elvis quickly gets up too, looking at you with concern. 

“I’m sorry baby, please. I was an idiot I didn’t know what I was doing,” he pleads as he gently caresses your face. His touch burns your skin and makes you feel weak. You hate yourself for liking his hands on you so much. You sigh softly and lean against the wall. He presses his forehead against yours and his breathing hitches. You place your hand on his cheek and feel the wet drops of tears cover his face.

“Please, forgive me,” he begs, his voice quivering softly. You stay silent as he tilts your head up to look up at him through wet eyelashes. He places the softest kiss on your lips, making you feel weak. Both of you gasp, needing air over this small kiss. He places another kiss on your lips, this time with a bit more urgency. You squeeze at his arm, trying to fight his magnetic pull. It’s almost useless. His arms pull you closer to him and you both sigh exasperated. You tremble with emotion and he places another passionate kiss on you. 

“I’m sorry baby, please,” he whimpers. 

You feel on fire but the tears pouring down from your eyes are making you feel like you have a fractured soul now. You’ll never be whole again. You struggle for breath and try to get a hold of yourself. You push at his chest and blink through your tears to look at him. You had never seen him cry like this and it breaks you. 

“I can’t see you anymore. Whatever this was, it's done,” you sob.

Fear engulfs his eyes and he shakes his head. 

“No no please baby, don’t go. Stay, we can talk more,” he pleads. 

“There’s nothing else to say,” you whimper. You start to take a few steps away and he gently holds your hand. 

“Don’t leave. Please don’t leave me. I can’t be without you. I don’t know how to get by without you here. I need you,” he begs. Tears stream down your face and you feel like the air got sucked out of your lungs when you hear him confess this. It sounded too good to be true. These were words you always longed to hear coming from his lips. It’s too late though. 

“I have to go,” you sob. 

“Baby no,” he cries, slowly crumbling to his knees in front of you. 

You feel your heart break in two, this was a sight you never wanted to see. It felt awful to say but you needed to walk away. There was nothing else to fix this relationship. 

“Bye E,” you whimper and pull your hand away from his. It felt physically painful. 

You walk back out to the driveway and you see some of the guys waiting to open the gate for you. Putting the keys in the ignition, your radio blares and Elvis’ voice rings from the speakers. It was a song you didn’t recognize. It must have been off of his new album or something. You quickly shut the radio off and want to drive in silence instead. Backing out of the driveway, you see Elvis standing in the middle of it. He looked distraught, like he just witnessed a death. 

In a way, that’s what it felt like. This whole evening was ruined from the moment you walked into the house. Any possibility of what could have been with you and Elvis was washed away by a flood.

*

*

*

Tagging:

@loving-elvis @neptuneismysister @velvetelvis

@ccab @presleyenterprise @theresalwaysep

@prompted-wordsmith @sillybookmarks @dkayfixates

@ellie-24 @rktismylife-blog

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@thatbanditqueen

@18lkpeters @flwrs4aust @emma181873

@austinswhitewolf @eliseinmemphis

@everythingelvispresley @chasingwildflowers

@idontwanttoputanything @ohjustpeachy-

@elvisalltheway101 @austinsmutler @kingdomforapony.

@generoustreemystic @claire-elvisgirl

@ashtag6887 @burnthheparaphilia @richardslady121

@jaqueline19997

@returntopresley. @iloveelvis @rjmartin11 @that-hotdog

@louisejoy86 @misspresley @cattcb @annapresley8

@arrolyn1114 @raginginkedslut @epthedream69

@mh777ep1938

@50sexyshadestashionista

@oldhOllywOod @hooked-on-elvis @livelovedilfs

@sloppiest-of-jos @thisis-theway @gatheraheart

@aphroditebabygirl @faeolwen

[uptondixon]

Heavy Sleeper - Upstead Foster Daughter Drabbles

These are some snippets of Olivia's relationship with Hailey and Jay that didn't make it into the main chapters.

This is the after of Jay and Hailey's conversation with Olivia in the district from Chapter 3. They drive Olivia back to her foster home and get to know her a little better.

"This car is nice," Olivia said all of a sudden. She was resting her head on the comfortable car seat, the warmth coming from the heater making her sleepy. Hailey and Jay were surprised she even said anything. Olivia was always quiet and it seemed impossible to get more than 10 words out of her. Their conversation at the district tonight was the most they had ever heard from her.

“You like cars?” Jay asked.

“Not really, I just think this one is comfy. I really like bikes though.”

“Really?” Jay asked in surprise. 

“Yeah, I would love to have one someday.”

“I had one years ago. I like bikes but it’s hard to drive one in Chicago winters.”

“I guess it’s just a matter of getting some serious winter gear,” Olivia replied.

“You’re right, but I always loved cars more. This one for example has always been my dream ride.”

“This car is his baby,” Hailey said. Jay chuckled and, surprisingly, didn’t say anything back. “See? He agrees.”

Olivia smiled lazily, her eyes were getting heavier and heavier. All the stress from the long day was catching up to her. This didn’t go unnoticed by Hailey or Jay.

“You can rest, we’ll wake you up when we get there,” Hailey said. 

20 minutes later, Olivia is still fast asleep in the backseat when Jay is parking the car in front of the house.

“Watch out for the—,” Hailey warned him, but it was too late, Jay had hit the curb with full force. Both Jay and Hailey’s heads snapped back to check on Olivia. 

“It wasn’t that bad of a hit, she didn’t even move.” Jay looked at Hailey.

“It was that bad, Jay,” Hailey grinned. “Luckily for you, she’s a heavy sleeper."

The next day, Olivia woke up with the faint memory of being carried and put into bed by a strong pair of arms. 

On the way back to their apartment, Jay and Hailey talked about the night’s events. It wasn’t the first time they met a kid in the foster system, but this time was different. This was not a case. She was not a case. She was a kid who unexpectedly came into their lives and now she needs their help.

“What are we going to do?’ Hailey asked him.

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna find a way.”

I’m alive everyone! Life’s been crazy for me these last weeks, work and uni are killing me so I’m not writing much but I decided to start posting the drabbles I had planned a while ago. Chapter 4 is not ready yet but I'm working on it!

[humongousgothskeletonfarm]

TGR CHAPTER 13 THOUGHTS

***also i forgot to add to the last posts but goes without saying THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS

- i have a full day at uni today so i won’t get to read much :/ gonna do my best tho

- the trojans having to lock down the campus and hire extra security to deal with reporters and busybodies oh boy u guys are practically foxes now!!

- random thought but i want everyone to know that pretty much everything i have learnt about american states (where they are, their names etc), how american high school/college to professional sports works, and the american college system has been because of reading aftg so thank u nora for that

- jean 🤝 neil

being passed around by their teammates in their first week of classes

“Shane left Jean with Xavier and Min instead, who turned him over to Nabil an hour later, and then Emma and Mads came to steal him away. Jeremy returned only ten minutes before Cody could stake a claim on Jean’s time.”

it’s just so funny to me

- “Knowing it had come off another man’s body made it twice as terrible.” *olivia rodrigo voice* jealousy, jealousy!!

- FALL BANQUET TIME LETS GOOOOO

- ok we are finally finding out more about jeremy’s past and why he doesn’t go to the banquets,, will check back in!

- also jean only looking at the articles about jeremy for his picture 😭

- “Not the kind of guy you wanted to get in an argument with back then, you know?” ok interesting interesting, getting to know past jeremy a little bit

- oh fuck.

oh jeremy. this is so much sadder than i expected. i cannot imagine how fucking guilty jere feels about his brothers death

- disregard my earlier excitement about the fall banquet i am now very sad and nervous

- jean saying he will ask jeremy for his past rather than listening to someone else tell him and saying he will protect jeremy at the banquet is soooo neil and andrew coded

- “ He’d gotten Neil through three weeks at the Nest; dragging Jeremy through one banquet would be easy. Having to behave would be the only difficult part.” :((

- “trust the man to never run out of anything to say.” so u called for jean

- “I will leave you behind at the next rest stop.” ​Jeremy’s smile was radiant and unafraid, and Jean had to look away even before Jeremy said, “You wouldn’t.” OKKKK I SEE U ANDREIL PARALLEL

- “I’m not learning French for anyone but you.” ​Getting kicked in the chest would be a little less painful. “ BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!!!!!!

- “They get you all the time. You should stay and gossip with us.” again, may i repeat, i fucking love derrick and derek

- “a ridiculous demand when there was nothing to gain from his company this far from a court.” absolutely devastating, someone let me kiss jean on the forehead and tell him he is worth more than just his ability to play

- jean offering to teach jere a phrase in french just so jere can use it if he wants to leave the banquet is so fucking wholesome and sweet

and then

“Jean mercilessly bullied him until he got it right.” ofc he did

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

- YES GOD PLS WATCH THE FOXES GAME IM BEGGING FOR MORE CRUMBS I MISS MY FAMIKY SO MUCH

- THE FOXES WON THEIR FIRST MATCH!!!!!

- rematch between the foxes and ravens is on my dads birthday that’s crazy

- “Jeremy couldn’t make the first move here no matter how desperately he wanted to tug a few more buttons loose.” jean is making jeremy lose his mind i love it

-“Jeremy would be lucky to know his own name when Jean was standing between his legs like this.” SHUT UPPP I CANT DEAL

- “No. Not to you.” LEAVE ME ALONE RN JEREMY WOULD NEVER LIE TO JEAN!!! HE WANTS JEAN TO BE ABLE TO TRUST HIM!!!

- “No. The details cannot matter tonight. You are my captain and my partner; that is all I need to know. I will stand with you against them.” ​“You and me against the world,” i think nora is actively trying to kill me

- wildcats captain: i’ve heard so much about u jean!

jean: i don’t fucking know u bitch don’t talk to me.

- guys i’m not so happy to confirm i was right about the drugs and that being one of jeremy’s big secrets. scared to find out more

- go fuck urself all the way to hell connors u piece of absolute dog shit

- jean defending the trojans is so neil and kevin coded

- torres our knight in shining armour we love and appreciate u!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

- “Let me fight him. I will make sure he never plays again.” When Jeremy only shook his head, Jean promised, “I will do it with no witnesses.”

- ok jean holding jeremy by his chin and making him look at jean is mirroring andrew’s neck hold for neil - they are grounding, a reminder that the other is there and a desire to be let in

- “Derek and Derrick brought over a gaggle of friends they’d made over the years, excited to show off their infamous teammate, and Jeremy heard Tanner hyping him up at one of the freshmen’s meet-and-greets.”

GODDDDD i actually can’t describe how happy this makes me like it’s exactly what jean deserves, for people to want to be friends with him to enjoy his company and be silly and playful with him

- “acouple players who’d studied French in high school or were currently taking it sneaked over to practice with Jean, and Jean gave them his undivided attention.” FUCKING ADORABLE

- Lmaooooo jean not wanting to speak to a signal person for a week post banquet is sooo me after extensive socialisation. i become a hermit

- fuck this faser guy, jere u deserve better

- “it all seemed so childish and self-centered compared to Jean’s more brutal tragedies.”

once again, please don’t compare your family/home life issues and trauma to others. u have endured enough without torturing yourself into thinking u don’t deserve to be upset about your problems and the way u were treated because u think that your experiences are not as bad as someone else’s. do not invalidate urself or ur feelings

- jesus fucking christ this is so fucking depressing. oh jere my heart goes out to u. the whole party and noah situation is such a tangled mess and at the heart of it all is jeremy’s guilt

- well that was a rollercoaster chapter