#hes just divorced and now in a poly relationship but his daughter is from the divorce not one of the two hes dating

[moeblob]

Anyway I was thinking about Chris a lot lately and I wanted to draw Brent today so why not draw both!

(Angel is Chris' daughter who is like. 6 or 7. And she very happily has announced she will marry Mr. Right when she grows up and Right is just like "yes exactly, see, Chris? One person loves me enough to marry me I love my future wife" and it drives Chris up a wall. Brent normally calls her Angel but sometimes he has to push the button.)

[fics-lovebot]

bts fic recs

main masterlist

· · ♡ · · tysm to the amazing creative minds of the writers for giving me sevaral moments of joy reading your creations

i´ll be constantly updating this list so make sure to check it out often for new recs

pls remember to reblog if you like any of my recs❤️

divider creds: @notaorbital & @v6que

LAST UPDATED: 14/11/2024

here you can find jungkook ´s m.list

poly / ot7

love octagon? - ( @whyse7vn ) this was just too funny to me fsdfhsd, i always read it when a want to lift my mood

lovesick - ( @angelicyoongie ) yandere ot7, soulmate au, stalking, harrasment, you got 7 soulmates you don´t know about the you deff know about you, this is an on going series, hopefully i´ll be updated soon bc i loved it

seokjin

tba

yoongi

yoongi joins you in your bath and you talk about your days - ( @borathae) fluffy, vampire!yoongs, this is so wholesome :(

bewitched - ( @borathae) smut, fluff, vamp!yoongi, witch!reader, you put a spell on him so he cant cum till you say so, ON MY SOUL I FELT THIS ALL THE WAY TO MY TOES, the smut is gewwwd and the fluff is amazing ughhh, loved it

namjoon

namjoon loves creampies - ( @euphoricfilter ) smut obv, he is an ASS gUY as he shouldd, he luvs him some reverse cowgirl position, obssesed with watching cum dripping outta you, he´s just laying there thinking nasty stuff while watching you ride or die, its TEW MUCHHH

belly bulge -( @euphoricfilter ) ,,,,,do you even have to ask what this is about?, ITS A LOT GOING ONNNNNN, talking about big beeffy thick wide strong bear built namjoon and his big ol dicc, who wouldnt like this??, he jerks himself off throught your stomach...

forg_tful - ( @joon4eva ) established relationship, angstt, fluff, this one makes me cry every tIMEEEE, he forgets something important for the 2394823948th time so reader thinks he just doesn´t care, he doesn´t like being away from her :((((, but he owns it up bc he is a grown mature emotionally stable man, we love it

love language - ( @rmnamjoons ) soulmate au, mute!reader, non idol au. THE FLUFF IS BEAUTIFULLLLLLL, i love joons pov before meeting her, and the day the meet???? i died, it was so cute

blushes from a rose - ( @army-author ) fluff, supernatural au, popular witch!namjoon, shy forest nymph!reader, so like,,i need a movie of this asap

hoseok

tba

jimin

split - ( @sombreboy ) smut, snake hybrid!jimin, he has a fORKED tongue and TWO cocks!!!! :D NOW THIS, i remember reading it a long time ago and thinking it was the best hybrid!jimin fic out there, i´ve read about him being a cat, a dog, etc but a SNAKE??? now that´s new, loved it

faded love - ( @jamaisjoons ) angst, fluff, cheating husband!jimin, ceo!jimin. "he doesn’t need to say it. because you can feel your husband, park jimin, falling out of love with you." ANGST FESSSTTTT, another one for my personal collection, i love this sm

taehyung

devotion - ( @borathae) smut, vampire!tae, period sex, multiple orgasms, period blood licking, its a LOT GOING ON I- wow, pls just read it

These Things Take Time - ( @laughing-with-god ) yandere! supernatural tae, gaslighting, gore, horror, ex bf jimin, this is written so well , ghost? tae but not really, doppleganger kinda thing, loved it

let love be enough - ( @jingabitch ) ex-husband!tae, cheater!tae, divorce au, you meet again after 20 years on your daughter´s wedding. YUPPP this is an angst fest right here, probably my favorite tae angsty fic out there, i LOVE IT

the curse of a crush - ( @army-author ) fluff, supernatural au, down bad witch!taehyung, witch!reader, he´s so in love with you he thinks you´ve cursed him with a love potion, SO CUTEEE

[erenjaegerwifee]

Secret Is Out 2 

Request: Can I request a Jake Sully x Neytiri x Human/Avatar reader poly fic? Part 2 to Secert Is Out.

Reader accidentally walks in on Jake and Neytiri having sex. She gets embarrassed and is about to leave but they ask her to join them. Includes - Jake and reader giving into temptation, Jake calling reader baby or babygirl, Neytiri wanting to just watch as her husband pleasures reader, reader being hesitant at first but with Jak's soothing yet dirty words, she finally gives in.

Paring: Jake Sully x Neytiri x Fem!Avatar!Reader

Warnings: MDNI 18+, NSFW, orals (m & f recieving), p in v, switch Jake, switch reader, sub neytiri, threesome, girl x girl, facials, titty playing, face sitting, kissing, cum eating. 

Word Count: 3k

Disclaimer: All my characters are aged-up! If you have and issue with that feel free to scroll and do not interact with my account or any of my posts.

“Hey babygirl how you holding up in here?” Jake asked you as he walked into your marui pod like he lives there. It has been about 6 months since you decided to stay at the reef and life has been better. You are closer to your daughter that ever before and Jake has been feeling a lot like he was when he was your husband. You aren’t sure how to feel about it but it is very nostalgic, you never thought you’d feel that way again.  

“I’m fine Jake you do not have to come every day to ask how I am doing, Kiri isn’t here” Kiri moved in with your shortly after you decided to stay, it was nice finally being a family. Of course, her siblings are still her siblings and they come around often to your marui pod, you have great relationships with all of them. You only really ever see Neytiri when you all eat together. You and Jake, both said it would benefit the children for them to see us getting along after everything that has happened and she agreed. 

She does not hate you, Neytiri is a kind woman, but not one of many words. You've seen her move closer to you whilst eating gradually and now she opts to sit right next to you which is something you did not expect from her. She is beautiful and strong; you do not go out of your way to put yourself in situations with her you still don’t fully know how she feels about you. 

“I know I don’t have to come here every day, but I just want to make sure you're settling in fine.”  

“Jake, I’ve been here for six months, I settled five months ago... why are you really here?” you look up from your weaving basket to his face. “I don’t know babygirl, it’s nice to have you around again, it’s not like we spent much time together after the divorce, I want to make sure you know I am sorry for how it happened, it wasn’t fair to you. I let you deal with an entire pregnancy and birth of our first child alone.”  

“Our first child? Jake she is our only child. And it is not your fault, I choose to keep that from you, we have had this conversation more than a doesn’t times now Jake, it’s not like you don’t know your daughter. You just didn’t know she was yours.” you said to him.  

“Ok real talk, Neytiri thinks you should be more involved in the children's lives. You don’t do much besides sit in here all day, go out enjoy the beach, you always loved the beaches on earth when we would drive down what’s different?” Jake said  

“Jake you aren’t seriously asking me that are you? What's different now is we aren’t together anyone. I want to keep those happy married memories to myself, I stayed to be closer to my daughter, to the children, not to enjoy the fucking scenery” You huffed.  

“Ok maybe that came out wrong, how about you think about it and later in the week we call all go have a nice fun beach day without doing chores, we can have a cook out, like the old times and just relax.” Jake pitched his idea to get you move involved and it just kind of made you mad. Why would you want to do out there and be around him and his new wife and their perfect kids. Not that your daughter isn’t the most special being on this moon. It's the principle.  

“I’ll think about it okay?” You sighed and went back to weaving while Jake took his leave. You knew being here would be hard but you didn’t think it would be this hard. You don’t want to watch the love of your life who is now your ex-husband fall all over another woman. How is that even remoting fair to you? Doesn’t help that she is probably the most gorgeous woman in this entire clan.  

--- 

The next few days went on normally, Jake still stopped by to remind you about beach day. You went shelf searching with Kiri and Tuk, you ate meals as a family every day. You even rode an ilu for the third time since you’ve been at the reef with Neteyam and Lo’ak.  

All in all, it was a good week so you decided to agree to the beach day with Jake, mentally preparing yourself to be unfazed by his love for his new woman. You walk slowly over to this marui pod, it was only a couple doors away from yours. The kids had gone out the metkayina children to explore the reef and would be back by dinner so you had time to speak to Jake and Neytiri about making plans. 

 You expecting them both to be at home because of the giggling you heard before you got there, good sign the marui flap was open so you thought nothing of it when you walked in. However, your eyes were meet with quite the scene, jake was sitting in the corner of the marui pod leaning back against the wall looking down at his wife between his legs as she jerks off his cock. His hands are in her hair holding it up slightly but not a full ponytail. Her tongue darts out to lick the pre cum off his tip and you hear him gasp in sync with yours.  

You feel like you brain lagged when you saw them you didn’t know what to do but you couldn’t stop looking, “What the fuck!” you yell and covered your eyes. You heard them scramble but you don’t move your hands so you aren’t sure what they look like right now. “Y/n! What are you doing here?” Jake asked.  

You peaked through your fingers to see Neytiri sitting on her calves still between Jake’s legs, topless. Jake has his hand cover his dick like you’ve never seen it. You drop your hands and dart your eyes between then. “I came to tell you I want to do the beach day thing...clearly, I came at a bad time. You could have shut the flap no one wants to see this” your eyes kept getting drawn from Jake’s poorly covered cock to Neytiri’s perky tits, you tried to look away but you just couldn’t. “Sorry, we weren’t expecting you to come by, not that we mind...” Neytiri spoke up, sounds like that sentence had a double meaning.  

Only then you clocked the way she looked at you, like she wanted to eat you. Neytiri stood up slowly, her tail swayed as she walked up to you. You couldn’t move a muscle like you were frozen in time, she appeared as if she didn’t care whether or not someone saw her half naked form when she stepped outside directly in front of you. She walked circles around you curling your tail around her hand running her fingers down your back. “What are you doing?” you ask her softly. 

“I am observing you. Ever since I have known you, I have respected you. I can smell you, normal people would walk away from a private moment, not disrupt it. So, what are you doing?” her voice was smooth, calm, as if she knew exactly what you were thinking.  

“Unintentionally disrupting.” Your eyes follow her now as she takes your hand and pull you into the pod, this time closing the flap. She pauses her movements next to you and looks at Jake. You mimic her action looking at him as well. The only two women he has ever loved standing in front of his naked form, he isn’t sure what to do but he knows he wants to do it. “I see the way you look at her, she is not just your ex now ma Jake, she is the mother of one of your children, maybe after this a couple more” Neytiri spoke to him. 

She took your hand guiding you to walk closer to him and you make no move to fight her. “He was yours first, show me how you please him I want to learn.” you look at jake and his eyes darted to his now wife then back to you, he sees your hesitance to join them, but he doesn’t want anything more. You drop to your knees and you feel Neytiri’s hand above your neck untying your top. When it falls to the floor in front of you, you see Jake dart his eyes down to your tits and back up to your face.  

Maybe it was the human genes but your tits were on the bigger side. His eyes dart back down and he licked his lips trapping it between his teeth. “Are you sure about this?” your question is directed to Jake; he is the one you need to know wants you before you put yourself more into this position. Neytiri joined you between Jakes legs and he looked at you both before letting out a breath, “yes babygirl, I want you, remember how much fun we used to have, how much you watched to fuck around every corner, under every tree? I know you want this just as much as we do. I know everything has been tough but let me make it up to you. Your hands swatted his away from his cock and you took it in your hands, you stroked it a couple times before finally saying something.  

“He likes it when you roll your tongue around the tip, pay attention to it, makes him feel good, like this” your tongue darts out and you kitten lick his tip taking the pearls of pre-cum into your mouth.  

You close your lips around him circling your tongue listening to the way he moaned at the feeling of you on him again. Neytiri pulled your hair up into a ponytail and held it on top of your head as you sucked on Jake’s cock. Her other hand moves up and down his thigh as she moved her head under your running her tongue over the length of his cock.  

Jake thought he was gonna lose his mind, he never had two women together before, let alone two women he loves sucking on his cock. You pull your head off looking up at him when you speak again, “He likes it when you suck on his balls too”  

Neytiri wasted no time going down lower to run her tongue on his balls. You crawled up to his face letting hair fall down your back lining your cunt up with the tip of his cock. You were directly over him now but made no move to sink down on him. You let your cunt making his cock wet feeling the way every shift in his position hit your clit.  

“You want me?” You whispered to Jake as you looked him in the eye, “want me to sit down on your cock baby?” your mouth went down to kiss along his neck loving the way he submitted to you so easily. “Y-yea, yea please” he whimpered, making Jake turn into a puddle under you has never been difficult. “Awe, you already know what to do, I don’t have to remind you” you smile into his skin before you pulled back sitting up on your knees.  

You hand come down behind you and pull Neytiri up from Jake’s cock by her hair, her hand flies up to yours as she squeals but quickly pat down and follow your movements. “Lay down” you say to Jake and he waste no time scooting down on his back and watches as you tell Neytiri to sit on his face. Jake thinks he is about to explode and he hasn’t even got his cock in one of you yet.  

He had forgot how good it felt to let go and let you take the lead, Neytiri is a strong woman, but in bed she was a sub through and through. Jake was always in charge of her, not of you. “All your weight sweetheart, he won’t break” you pushed her down by her shoulder and watch as her body slumped forward as his tongue on her clit.  

She looks so pretty when she moans like that, so beautiful, you almost got lost in just watching her get off on his face. One of Jake’s big arms wraps around Neytiri’s thigh and the other comes to look for your hip. You finally allow yourself to sink down on his big cock. It’s been so long since you felt it, the sting of the stretch is amazing. You sit for a second before starting to bounce slowly on his gradually increasing your pace.  

Every time Jake moans into Neytiri she doubles over until you and both only inches away from each other. One of your hands comes to your neck and she pulls you in for a heated kiss. Her tongue rolls around yours making a mess out of both of you. Neytiri comes easily on his cock, rolling her hips until she slides down his chest until she is seated on his abdomen. Her hands come to your waist holding you as you bounce up and down on Jake’s cock. 

Neytiri kisses down your neck to your tits and sucks on the nipple greedily. Your moans become louder and your pace becomes messy as you let go on Jake’s cock. He feels the way you gush wetting his cock inside you. He had to take a second to look away so he doesn’t cum inside you so quickly, he knows he is in for more. When you slow down and stop your pace Neytiri hops off Jake and before you can she speaks, “Ma Jake, please her, I want to watch you please her, like you used to” you look at her still breathing heavily before your eyes switch to Jake.  

“Yes ma’am” he says before he pulls you off his dick and flips you over on all fours. “She likes this position; she used to bend over and take it anywhere you know?” he said to his wife as his hand brushing the skin of your back. Hearing him tell her those things makes you skin hot, your neck feels like it was on fire, you were blushing. Your skin turns purple and she sees it smiling at the sight of you getting flustered.  

You push your ass back into him letting him know you wanted him to stick it in like you always had. Jake chuckled behind you remembering all the different ways and places he fucked you and make you take his cum. His cock slips into you once again, not as painfully as the first time but you still feel the stretch. His cock immediately started hitting you g-spot making you mewl into the air. 

Your head doesn’t take long to drop and Neytiri brushed your hair over your shoulder so she can see your face from neck to you. Her toys with her clit watching the way your brow furrowed and your nose scrunches feeling Jake thrust into you so deeply. “F-fuck Jake” his thrust speed up at your words. He always loved hearing you say his name, loved the way you feel apart on his cock.  

“Feels good babygirl? Taking me so fucking well” he says through gritted teeth. His pace speeds up turning your whimpers in full blown screams, you can’t help it he feels so good inside you, he always knew just how to make you cum. Jake watches the way your ass bounces against his body and he almost loses it. The jiggly of your ass sends him way back to when he first buried his cock on it, to the first time he buried his face in it.  

He would never want you to feel like this is all he loves about you but by Eywa Jake has always loved your ass. The way it moves when you walk, the way it looks when he used to slap it when you would walk by, when you would press it up against him when you slept. Makes him think about fucking you all the time. His hand comes down hard on your ass making you mewl loudly as he rubs the area.  

“Look baby, she’s gonna cum on my cock” he smiles as he feels your walls clamp down on him hard, he always knew how to manipulate your body the way he wanted. You don’t really process the way Neytiri smiles at this, the way she was so pleased Jake did exactly what she thought he would do for you, make you feel good.  

He slows his pace and pulls out of you letting you fall to the side. You lay and watch the way Neytiri smiles and leaps into Jake’s arms as they indulge themselves in a heated kiss. It was one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen him do, and Jake used to do incredibly hot things. He pulls away from her when he sees you sit up on your knees like Neytiri and move closer to them. He pulls you into a heated kiss and he has both his arms wrapped around you both.  

Your hand moves down to stroke his cock that was still hard when you felt Neytiri’s hand too. “You didn’t cum” you whisper against his lips.  

“Oh, I’m about too babygirl” he smiles before he lets you both go standing up on his feet in front of you. Both you and Neytiri look up at him with wide eyes as he begins stroking his cock over your faces. “Tongues out” he demands as he speeds up his pace and cums on your tongues and cheeks, some even landing on your chest. He looked down lovingly at you both as you share sweet kisses tasting his cum on your skin.  

Best thing he ever did was invite you to beach day.  

🪸I hope you all enjoyed reading! This was a fun request to make and I definitely enjoyed it!

🪸Reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated

Taglist:

@rivatar @delusionalwh6re @strongheartneteyam @xrollingmyeyesx @m1tsu-ki @teymars @nilahsstuff @pandoraslxna @kylimarz @quicktosimp @its-jennarose @r11k4 @inlovewithpandora @neteyamsoare @miss-kuki-nz @anonymuslydumb @winterhi09 @goofygremlin123 @jakesullyfatjuicypeen

[envy-of-the-apple]

Hey!! The ask you answered about some satosaugu fic recommendations kinda made me curious if you got any other fics to recommend. Pretty please? <33 (Also, I love your fics so much, been so fascinated with them ever since I found them. Please keep up the good work <3)

considering op didn't specify which fandom they wanted...I'm gonna go ahead and link every single one of my favorite fics mwahahaha

His Savior (geto suguru x reader)

Takes place right after Suguru kills the village and adopts his daughters. Reader is a non-sorcerer but is still able to weasel into his heart! For now its slice of life, super super cute

The Things that Lie beneath the Sea (Mermaid!OchaIzuKatsu x reader)

Reader is hinted to be recently divorced and decides to spend a year isolated on an island and meets three merpeople that are a bit too interesting. Even though im no longer in the mha fandom, i still go back to see if the author has added any chapters. Really really good! And it has a (sort of) language barrier!

Fight Night (MMA fighter!Sukuna x reader)

Reader gets tangled up with MMA fighter sukuna???? Yum???? it's like 80% smut buuuut the plot and they way they both bond is super cute too!

Zero day (Ghost x reader x Konig)

To avoid jail time, reader joins Task Force 141 as their tech support. Super interesting plot! I don't think it's being updated anymore:( but this is one of my favorite COD fics of all time!!!

Simple Math (Poly! Ghostsoap x Nurse!reader)

Soap and Ghost try to flirt with their oblivious nurse...despite soap being currently hospitalized

Bird Song (Jake sully x human!reader x neytiri)

Reader gets taken hostage by the Na'vi and becomes Neytiri's and Jake's babysitter. Yall its such a cute poly fic iloveitiloveitiloveitsosomuchhhh. Technically not completed but i think it ended perfectly!

Something (just like this) (Izuku x reader)

Reader gets hired to make pro-hero izuku a comic book based on his life and they bond! So so so cuteeeee ahhhhhh!!!!

Undone (Squid Game salesman! Kuroo x reader) (noncon)

Reader catches Kuroo with his latest victim player.

It's a vanasha fic. You already know it's gonna be amazing

Love, Death and Circuits (Android! YoRHa!Gojo x reader)

Reader wakes up ten thousand years in the future where humanity now lives on the moon. It's Android's gojo's first time meeting a human and they learn what happened while the reader was asleep.

THIS is the fic that got me into the nier automata hyperfixation for like three months. You do not need to play the game to understand this. It's a super sweet fic:) Yan gojo is there too as a treat!!!!

The Ostensive Fumblings of Being Human (Connor DBH x reader)

Post revolution. Androids and humans are trying to coexist. Reader is part of an organization to help ease this process along. Connor learns what it's like to fall in love

How many times have i reread this???? I'm not gonna answer that. It's so gorgeous. The author perfectly encapsulates a deviant connor. He's so lost and unsure but the way he keeps moving forward is so inspiring! And the mc and connor's blooming relationship is super cute to see. The world building the author is able to make from Cage's chicken scratch is amazing too! And philosophy!

I have like two thousand more but this is already long enough teehee. if yall read any pls pls pls give the authors a kudos/bookmark/comment!!!!

[moondust-imagines]

Poly Adam & Christian requester here! (I need another name because that’s a little long to type everytime lol) that was absolutely amazing and it was so great! The angst, the heartache, the allusion to Christian thinking of someone else other than his girlfriend/wife. It had all the elements, I’d love to see another part to Crumbling that has more angst, I’d love to see the friction and problems dragged out a bit more before getting to the fluffiness if possible? I’d love to see more of the reader keeping her kids sheltered from Christian and his problems he’s causing and Adam doing his best to protect the reader and the kids from him also and Christian and Christian just continuing to make their personal (and on screen) lives miserable. I can even see the reader going as far as to threatening to kick Christian out/Divorcing him if he causes a big enough scene or issue at home when it starts getting to be too much

Warnings: SMUT 18+ please my loves

Crumbling Part 2

Christian was gone, again. Your youngest daughter had screamed for him to stay, refusing to let him put her down. She hadn’t stopped crying even when you had pulled her from his arms. You had finally got her to sleep and you were ready to crash into bed yourself.

Adam wandered out of the en-suite as you walked into the bedroom. You hadn’t spoken to him since you had stepped between him and Christian. He seemed to look through you when his eyes landed on you. He perched himself on the edge of the bed then motioned for you to come closer. You stood in between his legs, his hands resting on your hips.

“I’m sorry for fighting with him” He said quietly, his voice hoarse.

“It’s alright, I don’t think any of us are in our right minds just now” You replied. You ran your fingers through his hair, gently scratching at his scalp. His eyes were closed but he was clearly trying to calm his breathing.

“Do you think he’s actually… with Shayna?” He asked shakily. Adam didn’t have the cleanest history in your relationship, 2005 was a year none of you liked to talk about. But he had been trying to make up for it ever since and you had all moved past it. However, it meant his mind always came to the worst conclusion when there was issues in your relationship.

“No. He wouldn’t do that to us” You said. No matter how far gone Christian got, you knew he loved both of you too much to break your trust like that. Adam’s shoulders started to shake, then his tears broke free. You cradled his head against your chest as he sobbed.

“I just want him back” He sobbed, words muffled against your body.

-

The next morning it was Adam’s turn to leave. The kids had a routine when their dads left: they would sit on the staircase facing the front door giving their best puppy dog eyes. Adam currently had your son in a tight embrace as you daughters waited their turn.

“You guys have to be good for Mama ok?” He said quietly. All three of them nodded solemnly. Your youngest clung onto him next.

“Can you bring Papa home with you?” She asked hopefully. Adam looked at you nervously over her head.

“Papa’s really busy remember bug? He’s the champ” You explained gently, picking her carefully out of his arms.

“OK Mama” She sighed. Adam gave you a sad smile before leaning in to peck your lips, cradling the little one’s head with his free hand.

“I love you” He whispered

“Love you, be safe” You replied

You all watched him walk out the door, only turning to blow you all a quick kiss. Anticipating the usual meltdown once the door shut, you quickly put on a big smile.

“Alright, who wants to watch some Bluey?” You asked. Your cheerful question was met with cheers and a stampede to the couch.

-

By the time the whole house was tided it was very late and you were exhausted. Adam had been gone for 4 days already, Christian even longer. At least the kids were settling in to them being gone longer now. You contemplated between pouring yourself a glass of wine or just going to bed. Just as you found the bottle you wanted, you saw someone in the corner of your eye.

“Jesus, Christian I didn’t even hear you come in, give a girl some warning” You joked, half forgetting that he doesn’t do jokes anymore.

He didn’t say a word. He rushed over to you and pulled you into a steamy kiss. One of his hands holding the back of your neck, the other grabbing a handful of your ass. You moaned into his mouth, you mind not quite comprehending what was going on. He pushed you up to sit on the counter before pulling your leggings off quickly.

“Christian, what if the kids wake up?” You asked breathlessly. That probably wasn’t the question you should’ve asked but it was all your short-circuiting brain could think of.

Again, he said nothing. He quickly pulled out his member and pushed into you. He groaned at the tight sensation of your walls. The pace he set was brutal, clearly only chasing his own realise.

“So fucking good for me” He muttered into your hair, so quiet you barely heard him.

Your face was pressed into his shoulder, your hands desperately grabbing at his back for purchase. Your whole body shifted with each powerful thrust. Christian kept mumbling random praise into your hair. He had always been a sweet-talker during sex but you weren’t quite expecting it now. His thrusts started getting sloppier as he got closer to his release, then he spilled into you.

“I love you” He panted

-

“He WHAT?” Adam roared. You were sat on the bed watching him pace the room. You had just told him about Christian’s last visit and his escapades in the kitchen.

“Who the fuck does he think he is? Comes in here, gets his rocks off then leaves again?” Adam ranted. You weren’t sure what to say. Were you upset that the man you love wanted to make love to you? No. Would you have preferred he had at least hung around afterward? Yes.

“Are you ok?” He asked, finally turning to face you. You hadn’t really thought about that. Before you could even think, tears pooled in your eyes. Adam was by your side in an instant, both hands cradling your face.

“I think it’s time he moved out, honey. He can’t keep acting like this” He said softly. More tears cascading down your face as you nodded in agreement.

[perpetuallyangerygoatmom]

A personal catalogue of my living arrangements:

When I was born my mother was living in an apartment with my biological father; I’m not sure how many people were living there in total but I know they shared the place with some friends

When I was a few months (?) old my mom and dad split and she started dating (and eventually married) a scum bag who we lived with for 3? 4? Years

Honorable mention: until I was 7, I spent most of my time at my grandparents house (well…grandma and step-grandpa, although I didn’t know my biological grandfather. The man I called grandpa was her 3rd marriage) as my mother was working full time. If you had asked me as a child where I ‘lived’ I probably would have said there. This came to an end when my grandparents substance issues came to a head, their house got foreclosed, and they got a divorce. My grandpa went through a series of unfortunate but self induced events which landed him in jail; eventually he went into recovery for his substance abuse but this took many years. To this day he lives at his parents house and is now taking care of his mom with the help of his brother. My grandma took a different approach of quitting her addictions cold turkey (I’m not sure if this was by choice or not). She lived with my great grandparents (her parents) at their ranch for about a year before meeting a man online and deciding to move - from our home state of California - to Pennsylvania to be with him. While this sounds horribly sketchy; he turned out to be a wonderful, kind, and earnest man and has been warmly welcomed by our entire family. She has lived there since.

At around age 4 or 5, my mom divorced the dickhead she was pressured into marrying and got her own apartment. We lived here alone for 2 (?) years until she met my stepdad and he eventually moved in with us

At 7 or 8, my mom and stepdad rented a house. The three of us lived there together for 9 years until my mom decided to move out to Pennsylvania to be closer to my grandma (her mom) While not still in the same state, they remain married and talk nearly daily. My mother does also have a boyfriend, whom she currently lives with, but still refers to my stepfather as her husband. I haven’t discussed the semantics of their relationship with her, as it’s none of my business really, but poly or not, it works for them.

At age 17, after I graduated high school, I found myself missing my mom (my best friend) deeply, so I moved out to Pennsylvania to be closer to her. I moved into my grandparents house.

After a fight with my grandparents less than a year after moving in, I moved in with my mom and her boyfriend

After a fight with my mom’s boyfriend, I moved back in with my grandparents.

At age 18, I moved out on my own for the first time. I got an apartment with one of my coworkers

At 19, I began dating my current partner, who convinced me to move out of my apartment and live with him at his parents house; his mother welcomed me with open arms.

Still 19, I became pregnant and signed the lease for a trailer of my own. My partner technically lives here but is seldom home

This is all to say that I have never lived alone, never gone to bed in a house by myself regularly. My partner is spending the night at his friends house because they were working on something and it got pretty late. Even now it’s not just myself; my daughter is here…it’s just different, kinda spooky, being ‘alone ‘at night. Keep jumping at every noise, double checking every hour that the door is in fact locked.

[georgiapeach30513]

Paul Returns

Since Robert had gotten out of prison, he had been a lot more trusting. He felt okay with leaving you and Sundae alone, no guard. Him and Cherry had some “business” to attend to, and like always the less you knew the better off you were.

You busy yourself cleaning the mess from breakfast while Sundae crawls around in her play pen. Offering her sweet little jibberish as you move about the kitchen. And like a good mother, you talk right back. “Really, sweet girl? Tell me more.” Your routine continues for a bit until the door bell rings, stopping you from finishing the last little bit.

You scoop up your daughter, to open the door. You should have looked out the peep hole to see exactly who was standing there. But you lived in false security, because your biggest problem was supposed to be in jail. None of you knew that Paul was released over a legal technicality. When you open the door to see his smug face, you automatically begin to close it. His arm pushes up against the door before you can.

Momentarily he gives Sundae at sweet smile, squishing her chubby cheeks before looking up at you. “Listen, Y/N, I just really want to apologize for everything. I know I fucked up.”

“Yeah, you did. Now, you can leave.”

“’M not finished. I just…the state is willing to overturn the divorce and…”

“I’m good. Don’t want to be married to a cheating dirty cop.”

You see the anger flash through his eyes. You’re no longer the person you were before him. You don’t crumble with that flash of fury, your body doesn’t wield to him because he grits his teeth. “But you’ll shack up with a fucking murderer, be his whore, and fuck another dirty cop.”

“Goodbye, Paul.”

“You know, your mom was right. She warned me you were nothing but a fucking disappointment. A whore, and would never make a good wife. They don’t really love you. And when Chris gets tired of being on the sidelines, and Robert gets tired of using you, don’t come running back to me. How could anyone love you now? A mom of a fucking murderer.” Issuing his final low blow, he turns to leave.

After he leaves you can’t help but to get in your head. The only distraction is Sundae who needs so much attention, and even she feels the worry radiating off of you. You’re so wrapped up in your thoughts you didn’t realize how late it was until Robert and Cherry return.

Cherry who created a great bond with Sundae while Robert was still incarcerated scoops the baby up, Robert goes straight to you. Him being Robert, he knows. “What the fuck is wrong?” his tone soft despite his constant need to say fuck.

“Nothing.”

“I know when you’re fucking lying to me. What happened? We weren’t even gone that long.”

Sighing you finally look him in the eye, Cherry who now sees something is wrong sits on the other side of you with Sundae. “Did you know Paul got out?”

“The fuck?” Robert shouts, Cherry quickly swats him in the back of the head.

“Baby Girl, the bigger question is how do you know he got out?”

That’s when it hits Robert. “The fuck did that mother fucking cuck do now?”

Your hand rests lightly on his thigh, while Sundae crawls over to you. “Doesn’t matter.”

“The fuck it doesn’t! You don’t hurt what is fucking mine.”

“Baby Girl, where was Sundae?” he knows, and that’s why Paul’s words hurt the most. He said all this vile stuff in front of the most precious thing in your life.

“I was holding her.”

Robert begins to speak, but Cherry cuts him off. “I need you to tell us what he said.”

“No.”

“Pretty Girl, tell us.”

“No, because I know what you two will do. Just don’t…don’t worry about it.”

“That bad.” Robert pulls your face up to look at him. “Just tell me. I want to know, and after, I’m not leaving you again today. Promise.”

As promises go that isn’t the best. “He…he said you didn’t really love me. He thinks we’re all in this poly relationship, and when you get tired of me…no one will want me with a kid, and that I’m just a disappointment and a whore.”

“Mother fucker!” Cherry’s hand hits the back of Robert’s head again. “Pretty Girl, you’re not a whore you’re my whore. Don’t ever forget that. We kinda have a kid together, so you’re stuck with me. That fucking cuck has no idea what goes on in this house, and he doesn’t have the fucking right anymore.”

“Robert, promise me. You let it go.”

“Fine, you fucking promise me that you won’t let that shit eat you up. I already see you doing it. You’re fucking thinking about what he said. As for Cherry boy, who the fuck cares. He knows that you’re mine. Who the fuck cares what happens sometimes? Now, our sweet Sundae girl looks like she could use a nap. I’ll be in there in a second.”

You don’t realize how quiet Cherry had gotten. He’s never got to fulfill his need to take care of Paul. And as soon as you leave his eyes meet Robert’s. “Don’t you dare. You promised her. I didn’t. He’s had it coming a long time. Just…he needs to be gone. Like once and for all gone. He’s got enemies on the outside. No one needs to know. I need a piece.”

A week later when you read the paper and see how there’s an ongoing investigation for the death of former police officer Paul Diskant, you just roll your eyes at Robert. “Don’t look at me. I can honestly say I didn’t fucking do anything. The man made a lot of enemies.”

“Promise me, Sir. You had nothing to do with it…”

“I promise I didn’t kill him.” And you knew, he might not have killed him, but he didn’t promise he didn’t have anything to do with it.

“Cherry!!”

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

[celiastjms]

Okay, here it goes. Episode Four of Scenes from a Marriage and it’s been less than 24hrs and I have rewatched the episode what, five times? Some scenes I’ve rewatched more than that :’) and I just??? That fucking show, these fucking characters??? Spoilers ahead, behold! — and this is long, I apologize in advance!!!!

One of the two major takeaways from the episode is that they are BOTH so incredibly awful to and for each other, and that they bring out the FUCKING WORST in each other. The sadest part is that they cannot be with but also not without one another even if it means hurting each other. And — and this is absolutely fucking tragic, the other major takeaway is that they STILL haven’t learned to communicate with each other. It’s been ( roughly ) FOUR FUCKING YEARS!!! ( In the first episode Mira is not yet 40, so she’s still 39 and now she is 43 and a half so give or take four years have passed since the first episode ) And yet all they kept constantly doing throught the episode was to ACCUSE the OTHER of not listening and not being able to communicate. Like they BOTH are aware of the issue but neither attempts to work through it??

Wow, just wow.

Those two are just, I don’t even have the words???

Like, where the fuck do I even start???

Mira already dragged her feet about the divorce in Episode Three, she wasn’t willing and ready then and maybe she hadn’t noticed the why yet but she wasn’t ready for a divorce then and she sure as hell isn’t ready now, even if she struggles to admit that out loud once prompted by Jonathan.

Again, Jonathan’s calculating and cold side jumped out. Like the scene, with them on the couch?? With Mira asking if he would be able to marry her again and then getting all quiet after her “ We’re fucked ”, like Jonathan KNEW that she still wanted him, he knew that when he invited her into his arms and she happily curled against him and he knew that when he started touching her. He was the initiator and he went quite aggressive about it ( which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, pretty sure it came as a welcome surprise to Mira though ), he knew she wanted him and he very much wanted her.

Mira asking him to stay after, to not immediately go, showing herself vulnerable and at the same time content in his arms, man that was a glimpse into their sex-life during their marriage ( that gets expanded later on but more on that in a second ). She knew he’d rush to get up, NOT because he regrets what they did but because he feels the need to clean himself — now I don’t know if this is rooted in his religious upbringing and something he simply cannot shake or if it’s something else but either way it must be a fucking awful feeling to have your partner rush to clean himself after you just had sex. No doubt humiliating too in a way, so no wonder she asked him to stay and I wonder how often she had done that before, you know to have that kind of soft intimacy?

Their marriage was broken in so many ways & aspects. I know we only got to see the tip of the iceberg but holy fuck.

Mira telling him she got fired, or, asked to resign and going back to explain that it was bound to happen after she didn’t take the promotion and Jonathan getting defensive IMMEDIATELY, to the point where she HAS TO tell him she isn’t blaming him and that this isn’t what it is about is such a perfect example of them STILL not having learned to communicate with each other. I have no fucking clue how they got through the settlement conversations if all they do is either hear what they want to hear or only hear half of what the other says and then interprete it in a completely different direction because they didn’t listen to the rest. Like, it has been ( give or take ) FOUR FUCKING YEARS and they still haven’t learned to communicate.

No wonder they never fucking sorted through any issue they had prior to Mira cheating on him and leaving him since they just don’t know how to fucking communicate.

Okay back to Mira telling Jonathan she has lost her job. It fucking sucks. I can see where she is coming from, she gave them their all, she put her marriage on the line, the relationship with her daughter and how did they thank her for it? By asking her to resign when she no longer gave them their all but took time to work on her relationships and spend time with her daughter.

It’s a bit of a tragedy, that she wanted it all and for a split second she had it, only for her to lose it all in the end. Losing her job drives the point home that she has officially lost everything. I mean, sure, Mira escaped from her marriage into her career, because in her career she didn’t feel the need to make herself small in an effort not to emasculate anyone, which is how she felt in her relationship with Jonathan and while losing the life she had with Jonathan was bearable, at first at least, she still had her job, she still had the security of that. The knowledge that she was good at what she did and needed there, but now she has lost that too and is watching her life spinning out of control. ( She’ll probs get a nice settlement and will still be well off but still, it stings ) It takes her a little while to admit but she felt like she was being replaced by someone younger, by someone more fun which is why she takes such offense later when Jonathan mentions that they’re older ( we’ll get to that ). 

That no doubt hits hard and Jonathan takes THAT FUCKING MOMENT to tell her, no less than thirty minutes after they had sex, that he no longer feels anything for her? That he no longer cares? ( And later he even expects her to be happy for him? What the fuck man?? ) Like don’t get me wrong I understand where he comes from, because it is no doubt liberating to him to have reached that point — BUT fucking her to try and prove to himself he is okay without her? C’mon that’s a low fucking blow and to rub it in her face when she’s already on the ground isn’t much better.

I mean sure she asked, but what the fuck man?

It’s no fucking wonder that she lashes out. She’s hurt. He hurt her so she tries to hurt him in return. They truly do bring out the worst in each other. Also, I absolutely love that she calls him out, that she asks if he only fucked her to prove to himself he doesn’t love her anymore and the hilarious part is that Jonathan doesn’t even acknowledge it because he knows that she has a point.

She isn’t wrong when she calls him a narcissist and says he doesn’t give a fuck about how, what he says makes her feel. At the same time, I love that Jonathan has reached a point where he can meet Mira as an EQUAL — bc they both are fucking egocentric narcissists but also, because that is what she needs. Someone who is her equal, which I think Poli in many ways is, the fact that they’re fighting and going to couples counseling at least speaks for him being able to call her out on her BS which for the longest time Jonathan wasn’t able to ( but Poli isn’t Jonathan and he isn’t who Mira wants, yes yes we’ll get to that ) which is what I think he aims for when he tells her he has detached himself from her enough to still be able to enjoy her and her company but to no longer be as emotionally dependent as he once was. He just choses the wrong fucking moment??

It’s a given that Mira lashed out and tried to hurt him and she hit a fucking nerve, Jonathan wouldn’t have gone off the way he did, if she didn’t. I mean it fucking stings to be told that she wasn’t sexually fulfilled — as if he wouldn’t know that already since she cheated BUT STILL and that she felt the need to hide a part of herself and instead of acknowledging that and listening to what she says — or to communicate, how he chides her what, five minutes earlier? He goes on and talks right over her, aiming for the same topic but from a completely different angle.

They can’t fucking communicate.

And man, despite everything, Mira STILL can’t bring herself to sign the papers even though he told her pretty much directly that he no longer wants her?? It’s tragic that she realized now, where Jonathan is done, or claims to be at least, that she isn’t.

She NEVER was fully available to Poli, no matter how hard he tried and how much he wanted to have a relationship, a family with her because she was still too hung up on Jonathan, because she couldn’t let him go, because even though she cannot be with him, she cannot be without him. The worst part is that she realized that she rather holds on to Jonathan than to try and build a family with Poli when she went to couples counseling with him. When she did with Poli what Jonathan asked her to do before she grabbed her things and ran.

And all that Jonathan WANTS to hear is that because she got dumped ( and lost her job ) she comes back running to him. Which is not the fucking case, she says that Poli took longer to accept that the relationship was over. If anything, Mira left him and she left him because she rather gives up on a future with Poli than giving on Jonathan. And it’s sad that, she is honest and vulnerable in that moment because she truly opens up and reveals something of herself and all he chooses to hear ( which is understandable considering where they stand BUT STILL ) is that she got dumped and chooses to come running back to him when she has wanted to come back to him this entire time but she’d been too blind to see it or acknowledge it— even though IT WAS OBVIOUS as fuck. I mean she even tells him that she has zero desire for a fresh start, that she wants what she used to have and I don’t think she would want her job back and would want to live in the marriage the way they did before she cheated but she wants back what she and Jonathan once had, because she still loves him and she knows he still loves her.

Jonathan pushing Mira right after they had sex to sign the settlement drives home the point that he is seemingly done. You know, one last fuck, a nice dinner and that’s it. When in truth he pushes her to sign the papers because he tries to convince HIMSELF that it’s for the better. I mean he tells her he is ready to tear the settlement up instead of signing them, but at the same time he knows they need to sign it because at the point they’re at right now, they would no doubt destroy each other would they go back to each other.

What I thought was interesint, was that he signed the papers only after Mira did, which I thought the entire time he had already done and that he was only waiting for her to do the same. Funny, that he pushed her to do something he hadn’t done himself yet, right? Looks like Mira isn’t the only one still hung up on what they once had.

And god, when he tells her he wants another child and that he is thinking about doing it without the attachment of a relationship and Mira asks if he thought that she might want to give him another child?? Like?? Girl why would he? Why would he even consider you? I understand fully why he didn’t but I get too why she asked because SHE IS still very much hung up on Jonathan, she had just made that much clear with telling him she chose him over Poli and the fact that she is ready, in a heartbeat, to give him another child, which is what she had denied Poli just underlines that??

And then she takes offense when he points out that they aren’t young anymore because she takes it as an insult ( considering the day she had I understand that though ) and because the concept of HIM having a child WITHOUT HER whether or not a romantic relationship is involved is one she doesn’t like one fucking bit, which is why she lashes out the way she does.

They bring out the absolute fucking worst in each other and yet they can’t get away from one another. Can’t be without each other.

I’m not saying that they’re prone to violence, but Jonathan had manhandled her before, when he wouldn’t let her pack her own suit case and pushed her away. They truly bring out the worst in each other. Neither Mira’s nor Jonathan’s actions here are excusable. They BOTH are just fucking awful and they reach their breaking point in that moment. And it’s awful and it’s painful, and they still love one another, which is the worst fucking part.

Like when Jonathan leaves, he for a moment looks ready to turn around and go back, to not have things end that way. Even now, even after that, they still cannot let go of each other. They can’t with and they can’t without each other.

Jessica and Oscar delivered again. I have no fucking words. Their skill and talent is unmatched. That last scene broke me and knowing it was them without a stunt coordinator hits even harder because they just fucking went for it?? And delivered this?? My heart is still bleeding.

HONESTLY, there is so much more that I could say but this already got super long hdhfjdkskdhf ( I’m sorry!! ) I’ll probs make another post soon because I got so many thoughts BUT STILL. What the fuck was that episode??? It feels so final?? So, well and truly over that I have absolutely no fucking clue what to expect from the next and actual final episode?? I just know that I need it NOW even though I’m terrified as fuck.

[lovelylogans]

i am going to write about my sims 4 expansion generations storylines so far bc i Want To, so if that isn’t interesting to you blacklist the tag “simstalk” and scroll on by pls

okay SO i started this challenge back in september, i wrote down the rules here in case any of y’all are interested, but i’m gonna talk about it bc. Wild. i haven’t touched a generations challenge since i finished not so berry like early in the year so it’s been a fun rearrangement to get back to something with like Rules that i set Myself, ykwim

generation one was william, my get to work sim, and i just kind of. man’s a capitalism machine. he does not care about much except for Getting That Money. he was a doctor who ran a bakery/bits and bobbles shop on the side. it felt a lot like traditional “rags to riches” in the sims which i hadn’t played with the get to work aspect in a Hot Second. so he got the eco lifestyle “your great great whatever’s whatever has left you money,” and i hit the “money money money now,” bc like, Of Course He Would, and he ended up marrying candy behr, from get together (primarily bc my next sim would be my get together sim, but also bc i felt like their personalities..... Would Not Mesh, and i’d already decided he would be a divorced man.)

so he had the get together heir, eleanor, and ended up working through her birth, because i chose for candy to go to the hospital and she didn’t give birth in time before william started his shift, and i was internally like okay, he would just ignore that in order to make that money, but also, Dramatic Tension, right?!

he and candy fought, they made up, they had another girl, maya, they fought again, candy went “all right fuck you” and moved back to windenburg with her sister, william refocused on making that money to the point where he missed eleanor’s birthday aging up into a teen, where her Rebellious Phase took hold and kind of reshaped her life.

gen 2! eleanor and maya were very close, but eleanor moved off to windenburg to be closer to their mom, and also bc she was a digital artist and the painting landscapes there were Noice. she had a fling with lucas munch, gave birth to twins (our city living sim, antonia, and her sister, dahlia) then had a fling with wolfgang and had a son, lucas, then had a fling with stanley pancakes (i’m assuming the pancakes’ randomly generated son) and had another son, travis, then had a fling with an npc (jamal coffman, i think his name was?) and had a daughter, ella.

eleanor had a “winky face” club that, in combination with the “free love” eco lifestyle n.a.p., was very much my attempt at a big poly/open relationships siutation. (stanley also got maya pregnant, and she had triplets, i think, they’re like toddlers i didn’t really go to visit)

eleanor was also in the two big Party Clubs that the get together pack has, and very much spent most nights out on the town, partying and dj’ing for her friends.

dahlia takes after her mom, and wanted that big relationship, except she didn’t talk over boundaries and so at her boyfriend broke up with her at his house party, which she’d dragged antonia to. and then antonia met his sister, sophie, and went Full Flustered Gay. 

antonia kind of takes after william—she worked really hard on her skills and school as a teen, she moved to san myshuno with sophie as soon as they were both young adults, and they got a nice apartment up in the financial district near skye fitness and spa (renovated it, bc they’re both high maintenance)  they’re a little power couple—antonia’s a politician in the “president” branch, sophie’s a social media person in the “pr” branch.

she’s been doing well in her career, and she took her now-fiancée sophie out to dinner for love day, and sophie was feeling playful, and then i had them both try the bubble blower bc it’s part of antonia’s aspiration, and then sophie died of laughter and antonia, who was feeling confident, plead with (or did some kind of special confident interaction?) grim and she won it, so sophie lived to see their wedding the next day. 

and now antonia’s pregnant (with twin girls, i checked with mc command center! like her and her sister!) with my cats and dogs heir, so like. Yeah! fun times!

[cakesunflower]

Stuck in the Middle [C.H. & L.H. AU] Part 2

**DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a poly!Cake fic!! Just wanted to clarify that in case of any confusion.

Summary: Calum Hood and Sloane Thorne are engaged to be married--though, not because they were in love. More so that it was a part of the merger their families’ companies were going through, as a way of strengthening the bond and building a foundation for the partnership Calum and Sloane would have as co-CEOs. So when the opportunity arises for them to get away from the pressures of their families and relax for on the beach in Florida with their friends, they’re quick to go. Except Calum falls for their neighbor, River Young, while Sloane discovers pent up feelings she never knew she had for her long time friend, Luke Hemmings. Trying to figure out how to navigate through unexpectedly budding relationships while also getting rid of the strain on their friendship seems to be how Calum and Sloane have to spend their little vacation. Whatever it takes to not be so stuck anymore.

A/N: So this is the second and FINAL part of this fic! As you probably read, I posted this is as one big post but it was crashing the app and not loading, so I figured I’d post the second half here so it opens properly. Thank you for reading, babies!

This is Sloane’s face claim.

This is River’s face claim.

Read Part 1 Here!

“This was really sweet of you, Cal; thanks.”

The smile easily curled at his lips at River’s grateful tone, looking up from his burrito to catch her green eyes and pretty smile. “Nothin’ to thank me for,” he told her as she took a sip of her soda. The sun felt warm against his skin as he added truthfully, uncharacteristically sheepishly, “Like spendin’ time with you.”

Her smile turned into a smirk. “Have you always been this charming?”

Calum laughed, a napkin balled up in his left hand as he shrugged humbly. “It’s a gift.” It kind of had to be; with his career path, charm and skill of business were what would help him succeed.

River puckered her smirking lips, green eyes glinting against the sun as she decided, “It’s dangerous.” She leaned back, smirk widening. “You could get away with a lot with that.” That wasn’t exactly news to Calum. He knew in the working world it would get him far along with the Ivy League education and years of spending his summers alongside his father in the building. “Your family business isn’t ready for you, I’d guess.”

Calum’s smile slightly strained at her words, feeling an uneasy twist in his stomach. For all the days he and River had spent together so far, indulging her in his life back home wasn’t something he thought he’d do much of but did so anyway. In the moments of them laying spent in bed or laying under the sun on the beach, he’d told her about his sister, his dog, and a vague description of being in the family business. Provided precise details about some things to avoid the scrutiny of the working world he was about to enter, a fear of her somehow finding out about details he kept hidden. It wasn’t too hard, though; no one outside of Calum and Sloane’s families knew of the personal arrangement that accompanied the business merger, save for the friends they were on vacation with. Yet merely talking about taking over the business had Calum’s stomach tying in knots. Not because he wasn’t ready for it, but because the reminder of events to come made what he was doing now feel wrong.

And it most certainly didn’t feel like it.

“Speaking of family,” Calum spoke up with a clear of his throat, not entirely comfortable with the attention on him. He picked up his burrito as he asked her, “Have you spoken to your parents lately? Did they call?”

He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line in inquiring about her parents, not entirely sure if that topic was open for discussion. But River never made him feel as though he was pushing boundaries; it seemed as though for her, everything was safe to talk about, like there was no need to walk on eggshells around her. How she let herself be so open and confident about it left Calum in awe; he’d grown up being taught to only keep some people close, to let them in all the way—but even that wasn’t entirely encouraged. In the life he grew up in New York, someone always wanted to be superior to everyone else, using any means of doing so. They’d take a person’s greatest weakness or greatest shame and use it against them. It was something Calum knew he’d have to be more diligent about once he took over.

Opposite of him, the smirk River had been wearing faltered a bit as she dropped her gaze to her food, and Calum hated that he was the cause of that. She still smiled, though, soft and reserved, something he wasn’t used to from her, and just when he was about to tell her she didn’t have to talk about it, River scoffed lightly. “Do they ever?” she rhetorically returned, prompting Calum to press his lips together apologetically. River gave a shake of her head. “I haven’t spoken to my dad since, like, a couple of months after the divorce when I was sixteen. The whole thing was so nasty.” Calum watched as she looked away, squinting in thought against the sunlight from above as he ate his lunch and listened. “They wanted their fair share of the houses and cars and art they collected over the years. I was the last thing they fought about.”

At that, Calum felt the air in his throat lock, eyebrows furrowing together as he failed to keep the incredulous anger from appearing across his face. There was a wave of resentment that washed over Calum over these people he didn’t even know, yet he felt as though his rage was justified, especially when he took the look on River’s face. Her smile was ever present, yet the sadness it carried weighed heavily in his chest, hating that it dulled the brightness of her green eyes. When he looked at the woman in front of him, he couldn’t possibly understand how her parents would much rather argue over the ownership of materialistic things rather than the custody of their only daughter.

“River,” Calum sighed with a gentle shake of his head. His fingers clenched, rings glinting under the sun. “I’m so sorry.” It was a pathetically basic offering, but he had no idea what else to say. He wished she’d never had to go through something as painful as not being wanted enough by her own parents.

“Don’t be,” River returned, her smile kind and appreciative. She sat up, shoulders straightening. “I ended up with Grams and it’s honestly the best thing to happen to me.” Then she let out a breath with a dismayed shake of her head, twisting her lips in disappointment. “It’d just be nice if they called, you know? Especially my mom since Grams is sick.”

Calum’s eyebrows drew together worriedly at her revelation, sitting up. The grated metal bench was a bit hard against his ass. “Mags is sick?” he asked. “What’s going on?”

River pulled her soda cup towards her as cars continued to drive behind Calum. They sat on the sidewalk in front of the strip of stores in town, the salon River worked at just a couple of feet down. Surprising her with lunch had been easy; one of her favorite restaurants was right across the street, so he’d bought himself a burrito and her an order of empanadas and now here they were. “She came down with the flu, which is weird given that it’s the middle of summer but, I mean, her immune system isn’t what it used to be, you know?” She sighed, sounding tired. “I wanted to call out and stay with her but she insisted I come to work. Said she can handle taking extra medication along with her diabetes meds.”

“I’m sure she can,” Calum reassured her, wanting to be able to put her at ease even a little bit. But he couldn’t blame her for being concerned over her grandmother. “Mags seems tough.”

River scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “And stubborn.”

She said it was a fond smile tilting at her lips at the thought of her grandmother, but Calum could see the concern swimming in her green eyes. So he tried to change the subject. “So do you have any appointments today?” he asked, nodding over in the direction of the salon.

“No,” River answered with an all too adorable pout of her lips. “Just waiting for the walk-ins. Which is why I should’ve called out.” Calum bit the inside of his lower lip, the change in subject matter not entirely helping. Her green eyes then gave him a once over, her blatant analyzation of Calum making something in his stomach flutter obscenely. How she managed to have that effect on him, he didn’t know. With a bright grin, River added, “You wanna get your hair done?”

At that, Calum let out a startled laugh at her unexpected suggestion, a hand going to rest at the top of his growing hair, making sure not to let his fingers touch the strands given the burrito he’d been holding. With a faux hurt pout of his own, the defense creeped into his raspy and high pitched voice as he asked, “What’s wrong with my hair?”

River laughed, light and airy as she held the edge of the table with her hands. “Nothing, nothing!” she assured, her gold necklace dangling daintily from her neck. Calum narrowed his eyes at her jokingly, which she returned with an innocent smile. “But if you wanna try out a new look, I’m here.”

A smirk curled at his lips, folding his arms on the table as he cocked an eyebrow. “You gettin’ bored of my look already, doll?”

There was a pink glow in her smiling cheeks as she said, “With a smile like that? Never.”

Despite her compliment effortlessly warming Calum’s cheek, he clicked his tongue with a shake of his head. “Nah, nah, don’t try to dig yourself outta that hole,” he said as he leaned away from the table, his own amused grin lifting his lips.

Her laughter was a welcome sound over the subtle whirring of cars driving behind him. Eyes glinting, River reached her hand across the table and found Calum’s, their elbows on the table as she lifted his hand to lace her fingers around his as she promised, “You know I adore your look.”

“Mhm,” he hummed in a teasingly warning tone, though fighting the smile off his face when her hand held his was close to impossible. For a moment, Calum considered her offer. Then, with a single raise of an eyebrow, he asked, “What’d you have in mind?”

He wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed. It somehow always slipped by without notice whenever he was with River. All he knew was that it had been far too easy for her to get him to sit at one of the salon station chairs, facing the mirror, as a radio station played top hits throughout the semi busy salon and a black protective cape was covering him from the neck down.

And that his short dark brown hair was now a deep blue.

There had been a lot of steps that took a good amount of time, and Calum had sat and watched River perform all of them through the reflection of the mirror with effortless skill. She’d hum along with the songs playing or engage in conversation with him, telling him about the different kinds of customers she’d dealt with and how she preferred tackling new hair styles rather than doing the same basic ones all of the time.

In between she’d talk Calum through each step she performed, feeding more into his desire of being informed. He watched and felt her bleach his hair, perform something called a patch test, chatted with her easily when they had to watch for the bleach in his hair to do its magic, apply the color—all the works. Truthfully, Calum hadn’t really expected for it all to take as long as it did, only noticing the time spent by the time they had finished and he checked the clock, but he wasn’t fazed. Not when he’d spent all of that time with River and had gotten to admire her adorable expressions of concentration in between light chatter. Or watch her take care of a quick haircut in the station over during the time the bleach was on his head.

By the time they were done, he hadn’t expected to love his dark blue hair as much as he did. The change had been spontaneous, but Calum would be lying if he said it wasn’t admired.

“You can let your roots grow out, which would be the easiest, by the time you have to get back home,” River said to him with a proud smile teetering on her lips. They stood side by side in front of the mirror as Calum turned his head this way and that, taking in the new look. With an airy single laugh, she added, “Don’t know how well it’ll go over that one of the new bosses has blue hair.”

Calum joined in her laughter, rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze met hers through the reflection. He wondered if she’d felt a tightness in his chest at the reminder of his eventual return up north. At the reminder of their eventual parting. “I think Sloane’s natural look may take the heat off me.” He knew that wasn’t true, but one could dream.

A mischievous glint sparkled in her green eyes. “Tell her to come by. I think she’d look great with purple hair. Everyone’ll definitely take y’all seriously then.”

Calum scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “That’ll go over well.”

She merely grinned before shooing him off, and Calum chuckled as he made his way over to the counter to pay. When River had realized he’d been serious about taking her suggestion, she’d insisted on doing it back at one of their places, telling him that way he wouldn’t have to pay like he would have to if he came into the salon. But Calum gave her a look, an assurance of money not at all being the matter because it wasn’t, and promptly walked to the salon once her break was over, giving her no choice but to follow.

As he paid, he pulled out a piece of gum from the packet in his pocket and chewed, enjoying the burst of orange across his taste buds as he and the receptionist waited for the receipt to be printer. Calum glanced over, watching as River did some last minute tidying up at her station while talking to one of the stylists, that ever present smile still on her face, one that brought a smile to Calum’s own lips as well. It was so easy for her to talk, to get along with people, to be so beautifully natural.

After he signed the receipt, Calum glanced back to see River talking to the stylist and the client sitting at the other woman’s chair, and although he wanted to say goodbye to her, Calum didn’t want to intrude while she was working. So he thanked the receptionist and walked outside, the sun bright on his skin as he instantly put on his sunglasses.

“I give you a new look and I don’t even get a goodbye? Either that’s saying I didn’t do a good job or you’ve already shown it by not leaving a tip.”

Calum stopped in his tracks, the car keys already in his hand as he turned to see that River had followed him out of the salon. The sun caused her to squint, but she was still smiling at him as he walked back to her. With a boyish grin, he said, “Don’t worry—I left a good tip.”

That caused River to laugh, raising her eyebrows. “Which I’ll be returning to you, by the way,” she said as he stopped in front of her, his frame prompting her to tilt her head back to look up at him.

“Was just showin’ you my gratitude, but fine,” Calum shrugged, pretending to be hurt as River giggled, adorable and dainty, as her fingers fiddled with the buttons of his yellow button down. She smelt like citrus; he liked it. “Can I offer you another tip, though?” River grinned, the word play not lost on her as she raised an eyebrow in silent question. His own smile turned into a smirk, ducking his head to brush his lips against her as he rasped, “You should kiss me.”

River was ready to comply, letting go of the buttons to pull him forward by the cotton material of his shirt and press her lips against his. A slow, savoring kiss that easily had both of them deepening it, right there on the sidewalk as his hands gripped her hips, thumbs familiarly looping into the belt loops of her black shorts. Calum leaned into her, needing more, savoring what he could get for now as he felt her tongue against his.

They pulled away moments later, too soon for Calum, his forehead pressed against hers and feeling the gentle stroke of a single hair strand of hers tickle his jaw. “I have to get back to work,” River murmured, sounding almost regretful, before they pulled away. He opened his eyes to look at her from behind his sunglasses, catching her brilliant smile as he dropped his hands from her. “Thanks for the tip,” she said, walking backwards, surprising Calum when she blew a bubble. She winked, pushing open the glass door of the salon. “And the gum!”

His eyebrows furrowed at her parting words, confused for a moment as people walked up and down the sidewalk around him, until the emptiness in his mouth settled and prompted Calum to let out a startled yet amused laugh. She’d stolen his gum. Not that he’d minded. He’d just get his own form of revenge later on that night.

*****

Avoiding someone you shared a house with wasn’t the easiest feat, a lesson Sloane had to learn with difficulty, even where there were four other people in said house. Even when that same avoidance wasn’t something she had wanted to do take part in but did so anyways because she had no idea how else to go about a situation far too awkward, too upsetting, too high in the potential of leading to heartbreak. Still, she felt selfish. Sloane knew the rest of her friends had picked up on the tension between her and Luke, knew there was something going on but were kind enough not to intrude despite their curiosity itching at them.

Honestly, what could Sloane even tell them? That Luke admitted to liking her—for a lot longer than she’d ever thought—that she was battling her own feelings over a hopeless situation, that they’d almost kissed until she ran to hide in the safety of her bedroom? As if she needed safety from Luke, of all people, who’d kind of been her safe haven the longer she thought about it? Who’d been the one to make her smile and laugh and wonder and made her feel seen for a lot longer than she’d given him credit for?

Who Sloane was coming to realize she probably didn’t deserve.  

It was becoming unbearable, this ache that had settled in her chest over the knowledge of hurting Luke. Sloane had wondered if she was being over dramatic, if she was making a big deal out of something that could be quickly resolved. But Luke hadn’t looked her in the eye since that night, refused to be alone in a room with her, and in his silence she knew of the great volume of pain she caused him.

She’d been sitting on the back deck, almost uncomfortably so since this was where she’d all but rejected Luke and his feelings, when the blonde came up the steps from the beach, Calum right beside him. She sat up, lowering the book she’d been reading as her eyes instantly tried to find Luke’s. Except he’d become a bit too good at avoiding her gaze over the last few days—the most he’d done was offer a quiet thanks when she’d wished him a happy birthday earlier—head only a little ducked as he ran his fingers through his blonde curls, biceps flexing, and continued inside the house, the light thud of his sneakers disappearing into the house.

Sloane sank in her chair, feeling her heart do the same as disappointment swelled inside. She heard Calum sigh as he asked, “What’s going on with you two?” He sat down on the chair next to her, facing her as he raised an eyebrow. The blue of his hair complimented the brownness of his inked skin, especially under the sun. “Why’re you getting the silent treatment?”

Sloane let out a dry chuckle, gaze dropping to her dark purple painted nails. “Because he told me something and I answered by literally running away. Because life's complicated enough and it’s even messier because we can’t be together.”

She let out a long breath; that was, Sloane knew, the first time she’d verbally admitted to wanting to be with Luke. It was a heavy thought swirling around in her head, backed up by emotions she hadn’t even been aware she’d been carrying for so long, locked away because of the God forsaken arrangement she was set up in with Calum. But not even admitting it to herself would’ve been stupid because of the absolute truth it carried, and being able to utter them outloud, though they weren’t to the right person, lifted just a small fraction of weight off her shoulders.

Sloane chanced a glance at Calum, taking in the raise of his eyebrows at her confession as he blinked his gaze away, wondering what he was thinking. What his opinion was on one of his best friends and his fianceé—even if it weren’t by choice—wanting to be together but obviously being unable to act on their feelings.

Calum took in a breath, deep voice thoughtful as he said, “If you ask me, I think keeping your distance from each other is the right idea.” His dark eyes met Sloane’s startling blue, shrugging with a sympathetic tilt of his lips as he added, “What’s the point in starting something you know won’t end well?”

The white hot irritation that shot through Sloane wasn’t something she had been expecting, her grip on the hardcover book tightening as all she could ask through controlled surprise was, “What?”

Calum parted his lips and she knew his observant gaze was taking in the frown she could feel crease her forehead and the downward tilt of her own lips. He’d obviously said something she hadn’t expected nor wanted to hear, but Calum wasn’t about to back track. “It’s messy, like you said. It’s one thing to just fuck around but from what you’re saying, there’s feelings involved and that’s just—it’s a bad idea, Sloane.”

“Oh, it’s a bad idea?” she repeated, the edge and anger creeping into her voice before she could help it. But Calum’s words had touched a nerve and the resentment she’d kept at bay since they’d arrived to Florida was brimming over. Or, more specifically, resentment she’d kept at bay since Calum met River. She noted the furrow in his eyebrows, not deaf to her tone. “That’s kind of hypocritical of you, isn’t it, Cal? When you’re the one who started a whole-ass relationship with the neighbor?”

Her words seemed to unsettle him just as much as Calum leaned back, a tightness in his features as his dark eyes hardened. “That’s different,” he defended, voice as tight as his face. When Sloane scoffed, he continued, “River and I aren’t dating, we’re just—”

“Just what? Delusional?” Sloane let out a cynical, dry laugh as the annoyance on Calum’s face intensified. But she was just as bothered as him, the roar of the waves drowned by the anger rushing through her blood. With a quick roll of her eyes, Sloane continued, “Come on, are you really that blind? Everyone can fucking tell you and River aren’t just screwing around.” With an accusatory point of her finger, she added, “You got attached and you didn’t even fight it. Don’t give me advice on not pursuing anything with Luke when you’re the one who fucked up first.”

Instead of defending himself and whatever he was doing with River, Calum’s lips curled in annoyance as he said heatedly, “Your situation is a lot more complicated. Luke’s my friend and I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

The anger burning Sloane’s blood instantly cooled into an icy, numbing hurt. Her features fell before she could help it, gaze immediately averting from Calum’s as she looked at the floorboards of the deck. She needed to toughen the hell up because the stinging in her nose and eyes, a tell of the tears beginning to gather, would not be ideal when they got back home, when they were in the middle of conference calls and meetings with investors. But Calum’s words had hurt and, God, did he even realize what he’d said?

Sloane’s lips parted, tongue running across the inside of her lower lip, gaze still on the ground as she gave a slow nod. “Luke’s your friend, huh?” She finally looked at him, saw that he’d realized what he’d said a little too late, his own lips parting to scramble out his apology. Her voice had quietened because Sloane knew if she spoke up even a little bit, she wouldn’t be able to trust her voice to stay steady. “I know things between us have been weird but I didn’t think we weren’t friends.”

“Fuck, Sloane, no, that’s not what I meant—”

“But it’s what you said,” she cut him off, wondering if the desperation in his voice was genuine. At the moment, she didn’t really care, nor did she want this conversation to continue. So Sloane stood up, feeling Calum’s pleading and apologetic gaze on her as she forced her tone to harden when she looked down at him and said, “You worry about what you’re gonna do about River, and just stay out of mine and Luke’s business.”

The day had seemed to drag on slowly, terribly so, with time only being at its normal pace when she and Crystal had gone to get their nails done. Now, though, it was like time hadn’t made it past the doors of the club, and Sloane was left sitting on the red couch in the VIP section of the club with a drink in hand and music deafening her ears as she tried to have a good time despite the flashing lights threatening to give her a headache.

A couple of feet ahead of her were Ashton and Calum, facing each other as they leaned against the railing, looking down at the main part of the club where everyone was dancing as they chatted animatedly, their voices drowned by the music. They looked to be in the middle of an intense discussion, the kind where Ashton talked with his hands and Calum listened with eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sloane leaned back on the couch, sighing. River hadn’t come out, Sloane remembered Calum mentioning that her grandmother was sick, and Sloane wasn’t sure where Michael, Crystal, and Luke were. Probably getting some drinks.

She scrolled through her Twitter and Instagram, purposefully avoiding checking her emails, hating that she was more or less miserable at one of her favorite people’s birthday celebration. Mostly because the one being celebrated more or less wanted nothing to do with her. Sloane took a sip of her vodka cranberry as she stood up, face scrunching as the leather of the couch stuck to her thighs before making her way to the railing. She made sure to keep her distance from Ashton and Calum, her small bag hitting the glass of the bannister as she leaned forward on it, the chain of her purse cool against the skin of her shoulder as she absently peered down.

All she could see were the tops of people’s heads as they danced to the music the DJ was spinning, white and green colored lights flashing to the beat. Sloane licked her lips, trying to see if she could spot her friends through narrowed eyes, twisting her lips when she didn’t see them in the midst of the bustling crowd. Right when she was about to turn her gaze towards the bar, someone stepped up to her left and Sloane’s grip on her glass tightened when she looked to see Calum mirroring her pose, arms folded on top of the railing as he, too, looked down at the crowd.

She tensed in the silence between them, not bothering to look his way. They hadn’t spoken since their conversation on the deck this morning. Sloane wanted to laugh. Two people she was on either side of the silent treatment with. Surprisingly, Calum was the one to break it. “I’m an unfair, hypocritical asshole. I’m sorry.”

Sloane pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth before saying, “You won’t hear any arguments from me.”

Calum let out a breath and from her peripheral Sloane could see him duck his head, a small yet embarrassed smile quirking at his lips before he lifted his head. “I was talking to Ashton and we ended up, uh, talking about the same stuff you and I were and he, uh, basically agreed with what you said.”

Releasing the thin black straw of her drink, Sloane raised an eyebrow at the blue haired man next to her. She knew exactly how his parents would react to the new style and kind of admired him all the more for going through with it. “He also said you’re a hypocrite whose fucking things up?”

Smirking in amusement, Calum gave a tilt of his head. “He was a bit nicer about it but essentially, yeah.” He then turned to face her, resting his elbow on top of the railing. “Sloane, I really am sorry for making it sound like I care about Luke’s feelings and not yours. That’s not true and I’m an ass for saying what I said.” Her jaw tightened, gaze dropping to her drink once more. “You’re not just my friend, alright, you’re about to be my partner too and of course I care about your feelings. I said some stupid shit because you called me out on things that were true and I guess I just lashed out—which isn’t an excuse.” She looked at him, feeling the tight grip on her heart loosen just a bit as she took in the sincerity in Calum’s dark eyes, which glinted against the flashing lights. She knew him, knew that he was genuinely apologetic and upset over what he’d said to her. His hand reached out, grasping her free one and his warm touch, not anywhere near as exciting as Luke’s, still managed to ease some of the tension in her muscles. “I’m sorry, Sloane, really. I’m trying to figure things out with River, and I think you and Luke should at least talk.” With a subtle smirk, he added, “You look miserable and so does the birthday boy.”

Calum then nodded down below, and Sloane followed his gaze to the long bar, her eyes almost instantly finding Luke. He was sitting at the bar, back against it and elbows propped up as he sipped his drink. The sight of him sank Sloane’s heart; it was his birthday and, like Calum had said, Luke looked miserable. He was watching the bustling crowd in front of him, watching people get drunk and enjoy themselves when he should actually be among them. Sloane’s eyebrows drew together, knowing she was why Luke had isolated himself to the bar, wanting nothing more than to see him smile again.

She glanced at Calum, who raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Sloane downed the rest of her drink before putting the glass on the table and making her way towards the steps. She moved with quick purpose, pushing past the dancing and drunk bodies to make her way towards the bar, hoping he’d still be there by the time she reached. And he was.

Luke hadn’t seen her yet, and Sloane licked her lips, tasting the vodka that had warmed her skin, and continued towards him. His gaze just happened to wander over to her, and as soon as Luke saw Sloane, he took a breath and stood up, prompting her to hastily quicken her pace as much as she could in her heels and grab his arm. “I thought running away was my thing,” she said, knowing Luke heard her over the music when he pursed his lips. Even in the tensity of their situation, Sloane admired the sharpness of his tightened jaw, decorated with facial hair that worked too well on him. When his blue eyes didn’t meet hers, Sloane’s throat worked. “I’m sorry, Luke. I—I didn’t want to hurt you but that’s exactly what I ended up doing and you have no idea how much I hate myself for it. You—you’re the best person I know and I’d be crazy not to want to be with you and being scared is a shitty excuse on my part so I kept telling myself it was a bad idea to make it eas—”

She had been ranting, she knew, as the words tumbled out of her mouth one by one without her being able to stop it. Had Luke even heard her over the blaring music?

Who cared? Not Sloane; not when he was kissing her like this.

Luke had effectively cut her ranting off—thank God—with a quick turn of his body and free hand finding the back of Sloane’s neck before he ducked to capture her lips with his. Sloane’s reaction was instant, feeling the electricity crackle in her veins as she melted into him, felt the softness of his lips and delicious scratch of his growing beard as he kissed her vehemently. Sloane parted her lips for him, hands gripping his sides and feeling the cool material of his silky button down that looked too damn good on him. This kiss, their first kiss, had Sloane’s toes curling and heart racing, lips tingling for more despite the fact that they hadn’t pulled away from one another. The ends of his curls brushed against her temple as the kiss deepened and nothing else in the world mattered other than the fact that she was finally kissing Luke.

They reluctantly pulled away, and Sloane kept her eyes closed, grip still on him, forehead against his as she tried to even out her breathing. She felt dizzy, in the best way, lips tingling and body incredibly warm because of their closeness. Trying to fully grasp what just happened was fruitless; no way was Sloane going to properly comprehend it until later. She’d much rather enjoy the moment of blissed out ignorance.

Luke’s nose brushed against hers, his breath invitingly warm as he murmured, “Still a bad idea?”

She swallowed, eyes opening just enough to gaze at his lips. She desperately wanted to kiss him again. “Probably.”

He let out a low, throaty chuckle. The music around them was too fucking loud. “Wanna get out of here?”

Sloane exhaled softly, still holding onto his shirt. “It’s your birthday.”

“I don’t care.”

Yeah, fuck it. They’d all been here for hours anyway. “Let’s go.”

Luke’s hand was holding hers and leading her out of the club before she knew it, and Sloane admired the way his tall, broad body easily made a path for them through the dancing bodies, admired the firm yet comforting hold he had on her hand. She admired the blonde curls at the back of his head and admired the fluttery feeling he enticed in the pit of her stomach as they got into the Uber that arrived just minutes after Luke ordered it.

The ride was quick, though the two of them had to keep their hands to themselves given that their driver was a chatty one. He’d ask questions that Sloane and Luke would answer, secret smiles exchanged between the two of them as his fingers danced with hers, lips aching to be kissed again.

And then they got to the house, where inhibitions seemed to disappear as they stumbled into the dimly lit foyer, the door slamming shut with a kick of Luke’s foot before he swiftly locked Sloane’s legs around his hips and connected their lips once more, grinning against her mouth when her surprised giggle got lost in their kiss. Her dress had ridden up, as expected, the sensation of Luke’s hands on her bare thighs to hold her up burning her skin deliciously. She buried her fingers in Luke’s curls as he began moving towards the stairs, expertly going up as Sloane moved her hands to undo as many buttons of Luke’s shirt as she could before looping a finger around the silver necklace he wore.

They entered a room, Sloane faintly hearing another door shut over the drumming of her heart as Luke’s tongue worked against hers, until Sloane was being dropped on the bed. She bounced slightly against the mattress, realizing they were in her room, biting her lower lip as Luke got rid of his shirt and worked on undoing his pants, his eyes never leaving hers. Fuck, he looked like a God, standing above her with curls messed up by her fingers, and Sloane let out a breath as she took off her heels before pulling off her dress, watching him in take in the sight of her waiting for him on the bed in nothing but a pretty white and laced lingerie set.

“Fuck,” Luke breathed out, voice throaty as he ran his fingers through his hair, climbing onto the bed. Sloane’s heart thundered at the sight of him, biting her lip once more as she admired his necklace resting against his bare chest, the tent pitched in his boxers, fingers itching to get into his hair once more. She felt the grin tug at her lips as he crawled towards her, body hovering over hers as he braced himself with hands on either side of her head. He lowered himself and Sloane felt a chill run down her spine when the cool pendant of his necklace dragged across her sternum. Luke brushed his nose against hers, catching Sloane’s lower lip with his teeth as he murmured, “Happy birthday to me.”

Sloane laughed, hand reached to the back of his head to close the gap, lips finding his in a heated kiss as she felt his body lean into hers. He warmed her, a comforting contrast against the mild chill in the room due to the window Sloane had left slightly open, the distant sound of the ocean an accompaniment to the thundering of her heart.

The two of them moved together, fluidly and easily, as Sloane arched her back into Luke to allow him to unclasp her bra, ridding the material somewhere on the floor as her breasts pressed against his chest. They were eager, desperate to get lost in each other, and Sloane tilted her head back to revel in the sensation of Luke’s lips working against her neck, the cheeky bite of his teeth thrilling along with the burn of his facial hair. One of his hands slid down her front, fingers dipping beneath her underwear and Sloane let out a soft moan at the feel of his finger teasing her entrance.

Her own fingers fisted in his hair, blonde curls soft, inhaling sharply while biting her lower lip when Luke expertly worked her open, using his teeth to free her lower lip from her own grasp and sounding his own approval as he added another finger into her folds. Sloane could already feel like she was losing herself in what Luke was doing to her, but she needed more—she needed more closeness. She already had Luke but, fuck, she needed more.

“Luke, please,” Sloane breathed out, their noses slanted together and lips brushing against one anothers as she spoke. She tried to voice her thoughts, body too busy reacting to the sensation of Luke’s fingers pushing through her folds, thumb flicking against her clit and sending shockwaves through her body. Sloane tightened her grip in his hair, drawing an appreciative groan from him as she begged, “I need you.”

God, she knew she should be treating him instead of it being the other way around. And she would, she couldn’t wait to, but both of them needed this right now. She would do whatever the hell he wanted her to but first, fuck, her fingers needed to work faster in pulling down his boxers. “Anything you want, sweetheart,” Luke told her once both his boxers and her panties were somewhere on the floor, his hand holding a condom packet Sloane figured he’d gotten from his pants. He was once again hovering over her, the scent of his familiar cologne mixing in with the faint scent of salt from the air outside, a combination that was dizzying Sloane in the best way.

She let out a breath, nails trailing up his bicep as her blue eyes met his. She wondered if hers had been darkened in the flurry of lust and yearning like Luke’s had. “I should be saying that to you, birthday boy.”

Luke’s lips curled into a grin, showing off those dimples Sloane was crazy for, adoring the way his blonde curls framed his perfect face. “Trust me,” Luke murmured, brushing his lips against hers as he lined himself up to her entrance. His voice was throaty, sending shivers down Sloane’s spine as he promised, “I’m getting everything I wished for.”

Stars burst behind Sloane’s eyes with every thrust of Luke’s hips, one hand in his hair and the other gripping his bicep as he kept a steady, toe curling rhythm that had Sloane digging her nails into his skin. His name fell like a chant from her lips in between breathless gasps and blissed out moans, a symphony with the beach beyond the window, but all Sloane could focus on was Luke. The softness of his lips, scratch of his beard, the fire his hands elicited across her skin, the chills from his necklace, and the wonderful, delicious, overwhelming stretch of him as he filled her up perfectly.

She felt as though she was on fire, one that she was in no hurry to put out, as she lifted her legs to wrap them around his hips, the slightly different angle allowing for Luke to push in deeper, the sensation prompting Sloane to tilt her head back into the pillows, an appreciative moan being drawn out. Feeling every bit of Luke against her, in her, was as blissful as Sloane could’ve imagined and more. With his lips against her skin, she cursed herself for depriving herself of this, wanted to mourn over the fact that all of this could’ve happened much sooner if only she’d been more intuned with her own heart earlier.

But, God, no time for regrets right now. All she wanted to do, all she could do really, was focus on Luke and the way he made her come alive, awakened a fire in her she hadn’t ever thought would be lit. It was as though Sloane was discovering herself in him, and he in her, and neither were ready for it to ever end.

“I still have to give you your birthday present,” Sloane murmured, finger trailing nonsensical patterns on Luke’s chest.

They lay under the covers of her bed, spent from getting to know and figuring out each other’s bodies, a calm silence between them disturbed only by the ocean outside and the steady drum of Luke’s heart Sloane could hear with her head against his chest. She was enveloped in him; in his scent, his arms, his warmth, and this was a kind of closeness, intimacy, that Sloane wanted to hold onto for however long she could.

She felt Luke’s head tilt towards her as her cheek remained pressed against his chest. Sloane heard the lazy smirk in his voice as he said, “I thought that was my present.”

Sloane laughed, lightly back handing his chest before pushing herself up. Luke groaned in protest at the loss of her warmth, arm that had been around her shoulders dropping to the mattress as Sloane got up, swiping up Luke’s silk shirt and shrugging it on. She buttoned only a couple of the middle ones before wandering over to the closet, feeling the burn of Luke’s gaze on her as she bent down to pick up the colorful gift bag she’d hidden away.

She couldn’t help the grin on her face as she walked back towards the bed as Luke sat up, the blankets pooling at his hips as he ran both hands through his hair to push the curly locks away from his face. His own eyebrows raised in anticipation, the smile present on his lips as he hummed, “What’s this?”

Sloane settled in front of him, legs folded under her as she handed him the bag and chuckled, “See for yourself.”

Luke took the bag, curious gaze on Sloane as his hand pushed past the decorative tissue inside before grabbing onto the gift, eyebrows furrowing as he pulled it out. Sloane rolled her smiling lips into her mouth as she watched Luke’s reaction, going from confusion to realization to complete joy as delighted laughter tumbled out of his mouth. “No fucking way,” he laughed, holding onto the gift with both hands. Sloane adored the glint in his bright eyes, the dimples that appeared under his facial hair. “You actually got it!���

Her own laughter joined in, feeling the relief flood through her at the knowledge of Luke liking her gift. She watched as he admired the gnome they’d seen at the flea market almost a week ago, the one holding a Go Away sign and sticking up its middle finger that Luke had loved. “Of course I did,” she giggled, running her fingers through her hair. With a satisfied grin, she added, “I think it makes for the perfect gift, hmm?”

Luke shook his head in incredulity, laughing as his eyes met hers and he told her sincerely, “Not as perfect as the girl who gave it to me.” Sloane’s smile softened instantly, her heart warm as Luke leaned forward, and she met him halfway to readily accept the kiss he pressed to her lips. “I love it, Sloane. Thank you.”

Her eyes were still closed, reveling in his kiss, nose brushing against his as she murmured, “You’re welcome,” before leaning forward to close the gap once more. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses. How had she gone so long without them?

But just as the kiss became deeper, needier, anticipating for another round, the distant sound of the front door slamming open hadn’t been enough to break them apart until Michael’s loud voice rang throughout the house. “Sloane! Luke! Get down here before we eat the rest of the cake without you!”

“Mm, we’ll finish this later,” Luke mumbled against her lips, the promise in his voice accompanied by the smile he wore.

Sloane gave him one last grin, unable to keep herself from mirroring his grin, adoring the happy flush in his cheeks as she agreed, “Absolutely.”

*****

The day had started out normal enough; after his morning coffee, Calum was dragged out by Ashton to a local yoga studio he’d managed to find, so spending the morning doing yoga with his best friend and other best friend’s fianceé wasn’t the worst thing in the world. At the house, he took a shower and joined Michael and Luke on the couch where the Xbox was set up, grabbing a controller and falling in the routine of yelling at each other as they played. It had been a normal day, fun in the presence of his friends.

Until he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair of a hospital room, chin resting on his right hand as his arm remained propped on the arm rest, watching the oxygen mask on Maggie’s face fog up every time she let out a slow, heavy exhale in her sleep, the machine clicking every time she did so. The room was enveloped in an eerie silence, interrupted only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor Maggie was connected to, echoing in Calum’s ears hauntingly. The sight of her, looking a bit too frail even with the wrinkles on her face smoothed out by what he hoped was a peaceful sleep for her.

Running his right hand down his face, Calum trailed his gaze over to his left where River was sitting. He felt his heart sink at the worried expression that he’d seen painted on her face the second he’d arrived to the hospital. Her knee was bouncing, teeth gnawing at her nails and eyebrows drawn together in concern. Green eyes never seemed to stray from her grandmother, but her hand had a strong grip on Calum’s and he knew it was because of the concern rushing through her veins. All he wanted to do was hold her, unable to do so because of the damned seats.

He took in the tiredness of her eyes, seeing past the loose blonde tendrils of her haphazardly tied hair, but he knew she wasn’t about to fall asleep. He’d tried to get her to a couple of times since he’d arrived over an hour ago, but she understandably wouldn’t budge. So he gave a squeeze of her hand and leaned towards her, voice low as he asked, “D’you want some coffee? Crappy hospital coffee, but—”

“Yes, yeah,” River nodded, her voice a bit hoarse from lack of speaking. She turned her head to look at him, and the air locked in his throat at her red rimmed and glassy eyes. Somehow, though, she still managed to offer him an appreciative smile, flushed cheeks pushing up briefly. He didn’t want her smiling at him, not if she didn’t mean it. Calum lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of hers as he got up. River looked up at him, licking her lips and asking, “Can I borrow your phone? Mine’s dead and I, uh, wanna try my mom again.”

Calum nodded with a reassuring furrow of his eyebrows. “Yeah, ’course,” he said, digging it out of his pocket and unlocking the device before handing it to her. River took it and Calum leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, murmuring a soft, “Be right back.”

He opened the door, about to step out only to pause and look back at Maggie. Calum sighed heavily, heart sinking as he did. He desperately hoped for her to get better.

Making his way down the hospital hallways, Calum ran a hand over the top of his slowly growing hair, offering a brief smile to a doctor and nurse that made their way past him. The smell of disinfectant was powerful, prompting Calum to wrinkle his nose as he absently followed the signs to where the cafeteria was, thoughts too focused on River and Maggie. His chest had tightened when River had told him how quickly Maggie had gotten worse, how her flu seemed to become so much more, and Calum had dropped everything to grab his keys and rush to the hospital as soon as he’d heard her shaky, breathless voice asking if he’d come. He didn’t even have to think twice about it.

And, fuck, he hadn’t expected his heart to utterly shatter when he’d caught sight of her distraught face, looking totally out of her element when she’d met him at the nurse’s reception to bring him up to Maggie’s room. River had walked right into Calum’s arms, holding him tightly and soaking in his warmth as Calum pressed his cheek on top of her head. He hated seeing her this way. He hoped Maggie would be okay.

After acquiring two cups of questionable coffee, Calum headed back to the floor Maggie’s room was on, his steps quick as he wanted to get back to them. He entered the room, gently nudging the door shut with his hip as he quietly murmured, “One crappy cup of coffee, at your ser—what’s wrong?”

His tone turned concerned when he took in River’s expression. She stood at the end of Maggie’s bed, the expression on her face frighteningly hollow, and for a heart stopping second Calum thought Maggie had taken a turn for the worse. His gaze snapped over to the sleeping woman, feeling his heart calm down when he took note of the machine steadily beeping to sound hers. But then his eyebrows drew together, setting down the two cups at the table as he looked back at River.

“River, hey, what’s going on?”

He saw the way her throat worked, gaze finally meeting his, hers looking just as distraught as it had before, only this time the confusion was what was throwing Calum off. He took a few steps towards her, stopping when she held his phone out to him, hand trembling slightly as she finally said, “Your mom texted you.” Calum’s eyebrows drew together at the low, hollow tone she spoke in. When her green eyes met his brown, he felt his heart thud at the look in her eyes; absent, distant, nothing he was used to. She licked her lips before she added slowly, her own tone turning confused, as if she was trying to understand her own words, “Said something about checking your e-mail for potential suits you could wear. . . For your wedding?”

She spoke the last bit like a question, like she was giving him the chance to correct her, to tell her she’d been mistaken, had read the text wrong or something. Shit, he wished he could tell her just that. He wished he could tell her it was some joke, a mistake, that she didn’t, in fact, read it right. But Calum, at the wrong fucking moment, was at a complete loss for words.

He felt as though the air had been sucker punched out of his lungs, like the blood was frozen in his veins and his heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach all at the same time. The ground threatened to give out under him, he could feel it, and Calum had no idea what the fuck to do except gape at River like a fucking idiot. He wasn’t numb to the tension that was quickly distancing them, something he wasn’t used to at all when it came to River, and Calum desperately wanted to get rid of it. But he didn’t know how to. Not when River was looking at him as though she had no idea who she was staring at. Like he was a complete stranger.

Calum felt his lower lip quiver as he tried to find the words to say something. Anything. “River, I can explain—”

“Oh, my God,” she cut him off, her voice a trembling whisper. She looked like he’d just slapped her and Calum hated himself for it. “It’s true?” She gave a bewildered shake of her head, taking a step away from him. Another punch to his gut. “You’re engaged?”

He pressed his lips together, breath locking once more before he expelled it forcefully through his nose. He fucked up. He fucked up so bad and he didn’t know what the fuck to do. He didn’t want to tell her the truth but it’s beyond what she deserved. “I—” Calum’s heart was in his throat. “Yes.”

River’s chest fell with a sharp exhale, her eyes glassy under the fluorescent lights of the room, and Calum wanted to rid her of her tears before they fell. He loathed that it was his fault she looked so heartbroken. So defeated. Betrayed. And he knew he had, knew that she had every right to feel all of those things. Because he had tried to fool himself into thinking that whatever it was between them was just a summer fling, just a way of having fun.

He was an idiot to think he wouldn’t fall in love with River.

She took the few steps separating them and Calum felt the sting in his eyes when she slapped his phone against his chest, forcing him to grab onto the device as she let go. His throat was suddenly dry at the sight of her glare, angry, devastated, like she’d been deceived. All because of him, by him. The heat in her gaze was heart shattering, completely something Calum deserved, definitely something he’d never wanted to be on the receiving end of. It looked completely out of character for her, to look so fiercely agitated, brimming with anger that flushed her cheeks. His fault.

“Get out.” Her voice was a controlled whisper, the emptiness contradicting the rage in her sharp green eyes. Calum’s jaw tightened, a feeble attempt of keeping his own emotions at bay, knowing that everything was slipping out of his hands and all he could do was watch it leave him. “I don’t want you here. Or anywhere near us. Leave, Calum.”

He couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe, his grip on his phone had tightened and he really fucking wished the ground would open up beneath him. Wished he could go back in time and change everything so they wouldn’t be standing here. Calum wished that Maggie wasn’t sick, that he wasn’t fucking engaged, and that he wasn’t keeping such a significant detail from the girl he’d unexpectedly, unknowingly, utterly fallen in love with.

And he’d lost her.

He’d heard the crack in his voice as he began pleading, “River—”

Her gaze hardened, a tear falling that Calum wanted to brush away but he’d lost that right in the blink of an eye. Behind the loose tendrils of her hair, River’s eyes had a fire lighting within them that begged to burn him. “Leave.”

Calum Hood rarely cried. He wasn’t a crier. But as soon as he got in his car parked in the hospital lot, the burning in his eyes had won out and he allowed himself to completely give into the reality of losing River. How stupid of him to think he wouldn’t fall in love with her and escape the harsh reality of the truth.

*****

“Has anyone talked to him?”

Sloane puckered her lips to the side, gaze on her mug of tea as she circled the rim with her finger. She shook her head as everyone else mumbled their dissent to Crystal’s question, and she let out a sigh. He’d been locked in his room since yesterday, and if he happened to come out, he wasn’t himself. A shell of a man too heartbreaking to look at and the worry gnawed at Sloane, wanting to do nothing more than go talk to him. She had no idea what had happened, none of them did, and she cast a glance towards the staircase. Calum was upstairs, hadn’t joined them for breakfast, and the concern for their blue haired friend was heavy in the room.

Ashton sighed. “Do you think something happened with River?”

Sloane felt her breath catch, and the mention of the other girl had Sloane putting her mug down on the coffee table and getting up to her feet. Luke’s arm dropped from her shoulders as all eyes went to her, and she licked her lips and announced, “I’m gonna try to talk to him.”

“Good luck,” Michael mumbled as she walked past him. Sloane would probably need it.

She let out a deep breath as she reached his closed door, stupidly feeling kind of intimidated to even knock. But she pushed past it, her concern for Calum winning out as she rapped her knuckles against it and called out gently, “Calum?” She waited for a response, not getting one, and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling as she sighed once more. “Come on, Cal, I know you’re in there.”

Chewing on her lower lip, Sloane grabbed the door knob before she could change her mind, and opened the door slowly while peering inside. The bed was unmade but Calum wasn’t on it. Instead, he was sitting on the floor, leaning against it, knees brought up, arms folded on top while his gaze was turned towards the window, looking out at the bright sky that didn’t at all match the mood he obviously was in. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sloane felt as though she was intruding into his space, into a dark corner of his mind he was shutting everyone out of, but she couldn’t turn back now.

“Hey,” she spoke up, her voice soft as she padded further into the room after shutting the door behind her. “Everyone’s asking for you.”

She was met with silence, but Sloane didn’t let that deter her from approaching Calum’s seated figure. Quietly, Sloane sat down next to him, running her palms over the soft material of the rug the bed was placed on top of as she turned her gaze to him. He was still looking out the window, only allowing her to see the blue of his head.

“Please talk to me,” Sloane said, unable to bring her voice any louder, too afraid of breaking the quiet of the room—no matter how uneasy and heavy it felt. “What’s going on?”

He was silent, the quiet deafening as Sloane’s throat worked, waiting for an answer. She kept her gaze on him, on the tightness of his jaw, and the way he was absently twisting one of the rings he wore. She wondered if he was gonna say anything, if he was gonna let her in, and she probably shouldn’t push him, but after a few minutes of silence, she spoke up once more. “We’re not gonna be very good partners if you don’t let me in.”

More silence. Until—

“She knows.” Calum’s voice was hoarse, deep and slow and nearly catching Sloane off guard. He finally turned to look at her, and she felt her heart stop momentarily at the emptiness she saw in the brown of his usually lively eyes. It was. . . harrowing. . . seeing him like that. “I fucked up.”

Sloane pressed her teeth together as she expelled a slow breath through her nose, knowing exactly who and what he was referring to. Oh, no. She squeezed her eyes shut, giving a shake of her head as she started, “Calum—”

“I should’ve listened to you,” he cut her off, shaking his head to return his gaze to his fingers. She heard the guilt and defeat weigh heavily in his tone as he clicked his tongue in disappointment. “I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve either told her the truth or just never have fallen for her—”

“You don’t mean that,” Sloane said, her tone knowing and firm as Calum rolled his lips into his mouth. “As complicated and fucked up as this is, you’re not gonna sit here and lie to me or yourself by saying you regret falling in love with her.”

Calum looked at her then, and Sloane offered a sympathetic smile at the surprised look in his eyes. She would have to be blind to not see that Calum learned to love River in the short amount of time he’d known her. But, then again, time had no correlation to the way someone could feel about another person. She was beginning to understand that, too, given her own situation.

Her expression fell when she noted the quiver in Calum’s lower lip, and her heart ached for this man whom she’d always seen as so solid and firm. The state he was in was one she was unfamiliar with, unprepared to handle, but she would try. Calum was her friend and soon-to-be partner, and working out through things together and supporting one another would be the basis of their developing relationship. Except she didn’t care much for any of that right now; all that mattered was her friend and the heartbreak he was going through.

“She hates me, Sloane,” Calum whispered, voice catching in his throat. “I fucking—I broke her heart and I don’t think she’s willing to give me a chance to fix this.” He looked at her once again, brown eyes glassy and twisting Sloane’s chest. “Falling in love with her wasn’t the mistake; everything else was.”

She didn’t have to guess what he was referring to.

Sloane twisted her lips to the side, gaze dropping momentarily before she mused dryly, “We’re both fucked, aren’t we?” When Calum sniffed and looked at her, she shook her head, turning her gaze towards the ceiling. “Whatever Luke and I are doing. . . It’s got its own expiration date. Every time I think about us only getting to be us while we’re here and it all ending when we get back to New York. . . I can’t breathe.”

God, she didn’t even want to think about what would happen when they returned home; the mere thought of going back to being just friends with Luke was nauseating. Especially because Sloane wasn’t sure if they’d be able to do that. Luke was both her and Calum’s best friend; how was she supposed to return to being friends with the man who made her feel so fucking alive, so unafraid of being herself, while being married to one of his best friends? It didn’t fucking seem possible. The closer they got to when they had to return home, the more ominous the dark cloud looming over their heads seemed to get.

“It’s freeing. . . Being with them.”

Sloane nodded at Calum’s statement, the truth in his words too obvious. She watched herself pick at her nails, the words bubbling past her lips before she could stop. “That’s exactly how I feel with Luke,” she said, her voice a thoughtful murmur. “It’s. . . He’s the only one who’s made me feel this way since Jacob’s death.”

Calum’s throat worked at the mention of her late brother while Sloane bit on her lower lip briefly. But he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. “My parents. . . Everything’s on me, now, with the company and this merger. It’s not like they can be mad at Jacob for dying so they compensate for it by marrying me off in the name of saving the business.” She let out a wry laugh at that, empty of humor as she gave a disbelieving shake of her head. Her parents’ mindset continued to surprise her. “I don’t know how Jacob’s death gave them permission for controlling my life the way they are, but Luke—” She cut off, this time to let out a content sigh that seemed inappropriate for this situation, yet she couldn’t help as she thought of the blonde haired, blue eyed man sitting downstairs. “Being with him gave me some control back to feel free, y’know?”

Sloane looked at Calum again, and saw that of course he knew. He was the only one who could understand what she was talking about, who could feel exactly what she was feeling. And she was the only one who could understand the pain he was in; the pain of losing someone they found a sense of freedom in, the pain of their circumstances swooping in and fucking things up. The state Calum was in right now was one Sloane would inevitably be in, she knew, except Luke knew of everything, what he was getting himself into.

That didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt any less.

“Sloane.” Her heart jumped at the sound of Calum’s voice; unsteady and defeated as his tear filled eyes met hers. Seeing Calum cry, she’d decided, was a sight she never wanted to witness again, with his flushed nose and cheeks and devastated eyes. “I really fucked up.”

There was nothing she could say, she knew, that would make Calum feel better. So she merely linked her left arm with his right and scooted closer to him, allowing him to tilt his head down until it was resting on her shoulder. Sloane rested her head on top of his, the shortness of his blue hair tickling her cheek, rolling her lips into her mouth when Calum let out a shuddering breath that seemed to tremble through his entire body. This was devastating for him, knowing that he hurt someone he’d come to care about so much in such a short amount of time. And Sloane sat there silently comforting him, being a shoulder for him to cry on, wishing that there was something she could do to make this better. No one was really prepared to see Calum like this, so lost and heartbroken, a stranger from his usual confident, carefree self. But the unfamiliarity of this wasn’t going to stop Sloane from finding a way to help him.

Hours later, in Luke’s car, Sloane chewed on her lower lip as they drove back to the house. They’d just made a grocery run, a task that they’d assigned themselves, and Sloane’s thoughts were drowning out the music playing through the speakers. She managed to get lost in her own head until Luke’s voice broke through, “What’re you thinking so hard about?”

Sloane pursed her lips as she looked at Luke, who kept his eyes on the road after shooting her a curious glance. “I wanna. . .” She paused for a thoughtful moment. “I think I should talk to River. Just so she knows what’s going on. She won’t talk to Calum and I just—I feel like I need to do this. For her and Calum.”

As he made a right turn into the driveway of the beach house, Luke asked, “Do you think she’ll listen to you?”

Sloane blew air through her mouth before shrugging. “I don’t know, but I at least have to try, you know?” she mused, clicking off her seatbelt and picking her bag up from by her feet.

Unbuckling his own seatbelt, Luke nodded, gaze out the window of his door before he jutted his chin towards it. “You can try right now. There she is.”

She followed his gaze out the window, eyebrows raising when she caught sight of River stepping out of the front door of her house, locking it, and Sloane instinctively threw the car door open. Quickly, she made her way around the car, down the driveway and onto the sidewalk to cross over to River’s house, making her way up the path as she called out, “River!”

The blonde stopped on the second step of her porch, squinting against the sun as she watched Sloane approach. Sloane noted the way her features hardened, an uncharacteristic edge in her voice as she demanded, “What do you want?”

“I—” Sloane stopped herself from jumping right in, taking note of River’s obvious hostility. Instead, she asked, “How’s your grandmother?”

“Still in the hospital,” River responded, the flatness of her tone showing her disinterest in this conversation and in Sloane. It kind of threw her off, the absence of gentleness in which River normally spoke in. River made her way down the steps. “Where I need to be going so, if you’ll excuse me, I need to call an Uber.”

Sloane furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at the Prius that was parked in the driveway before her confused expression turned to River. “Isn’t that your car? Something wrong with it?”

River let out an impatient sigh as she pulled out her phone from her purse. “My license expired and I haven’t had time to get it renewed.” Then, with a shake of her head, she continued almost tiredly, “Listen, Sloane, I don’t have time for this. I need to go see my grand—”

“I’ll drive you,” Sloane cut in quickly, offering a friendly and hopeful grin. Maybe then River would talk to her. “No need to waste money on an Uber, right?”

River’s eyebrows drew together, clearly not expecting that offer as she pushed some blonde hair behind her ear. “I—”

“Come on, we can take Luke’s car,” Sloane said, not wanting to give her the chance to refuse. She really needed to talk to her.

Much to her delight, River followed her with a sigh to the house over, right as Luke had shut the trunk with the last few grocery bags in hand. Sloane noted the curious look he was giving her after catching sight of River, a tilt of his head and quirk of his eyebrow directed at Sloane in silent question. She answered it by asking, “Can I borrow your car? I’m gonna give River a ride to the hospital.”

“Uh,” Luke sounded, obviously bewildered as his blue eyes met Sloane’s. She silently raised her eyebrows with a subtle widening of her eyes, and realization flashed across Luke’s face as he transferred the bags in his left hand to his right before pulling the keys out of his shorts. He handed them to her with a quiet, “Good luck,” before going back into the house. That was the second good luck she received today. She was beginning to sense a pattern.

In the car, the tension was thick enough to be felt but not enough to be suffocating. Which was kind of a good thing, Sloane would guess, as she sat quietly and reveled in the lingering smell of Luke and his cologne. She chewed on her tongue while trying to figure out how to approach the topic of conversation, but River beat her by breaking the silence with her quiet voice inquiring, “Did you know? That he was engaged?”

Sloane’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, throat working at River’s question. Oh, God. The blonde next to her knew Calum was engaged—but she didn’t know it was to the woman sitting in the driver’s seat. Sloane felt her chest tighten as the truth twisted around, feeling the heat of River’s gaze on her profile as she answered slowly, “Yes. Because. . .” Sloane let out a slow breath, swallowing the lump in her throat. “He’s engaged to me.”

The silence that followed Sloane’s confession was deafening, heavier than the low hum of the engine as she drove, using her position as an excuse to keep her eyes on the road rather than chancing a glance to the woman next to her. Sloane could hear the drumming of her heart in her ears, feel it in her chest, everything else shattering when River humorlessly laughed out a bewildered, “I’m sorry—what?”

Sloane parked the car in an empty spot in the hospital lot, killing the engine as she finally looked at River. The blonde stared at her as if she’d misheard Sloane’s words, green eyes sharp and confused under furrowed eyebrows, waiting for Sloane to give an explanation. “I—It’s not what you think, River,” Sloane started, picking up the pace when River let out a loud disbelieving scoff, looking away from her as she unbuckled the seatbelt. “Calum and I—we’re just friends. We’re not, like, together that way. It’s an arrangement.”

“And that makes it any better?” River demanded, the outrage and incredulity thick in her tone as she threw open the car door and stepped out, slamming it shut as Sloane hastily followed her. River’s sandals slapped against the pavement as she stormed across the lot, Sloane right on her heels. “He’s still engaged to someone, and he fucked around with me and made me the other fucking woman!”

Sloane’s heart was pounding as she reached River, the two of them just a few steps away from the hospital entrance, ignorant of the few other people lingering about. Right now, she was too focused on trying to explain herself and Calum to the girl they’d inadvertently hurt. “River, don’t you get it?” Sloane tried, the pleading clear in her voice as she grabbed River’s arm, stopping the blonde in her tracks to get her to face her. Sloane’s throat worked at the anger firing up in River’s green eyes, as well as the hurt she was trying to bury under it. God, this was what Sloane had been afraid of. And while she couldn’t fault Calum for falling in love with River, it didn’t mean she didn’t wish things hadn’t come to this. With a sigh, Sloane hoped River would see the true genuinity in her words as she told her, “For Calum, you’re the only woman.”

River stopped, Sloane’s words hitting the mark she meant for as she dropped her hand from River’s arm, who looked away as her throat worked. The anger was still present, but the hurt was beginning to bleed through the surface. “He should’ve told me. Do you not understand how fucked up this is?”

“Of course I do,” Sloane reassured with a shake of her head, the warmth of the sun above burning her skin. “I’m in the same boat, you know? I mean, yeah, Luke knew more details than you but you have to understand—this engagement? Not my or Calum’s idea. We don’t want to be married. We just—we wanted to spend our time here not worrying about all that bullshit. Neither one of us expected this to get so far.”

“This?” River repeated with a raise of her eyebrow, scoffing slightly. “Calum and I had a relationship. I—fuck, I fell in love with him! But now I’m realizing whatever we had was meant to fall apart this whole time and instead of backing off, Calum just let it happen.”

Sloane rolled her lips into her mouth, feeling her heart ache for the woman in front of her and Calum. And a little bit for herself and Luke, too. Things were starting to get out of control. Sloane’s voice dropped, a sadness creeping in as she reasoned, “He fell in love with you, too, River. How was he supposed to just back off?”

River blinked quickly a couple of times, and Sloane realized it was because she was fighting off any tears from escaping. The poor girl already had so much going on, Sloane hated adding more to her plate. River’s jaw tightened as she looked away, the tendons in her neck working tensely, voice a bit too defeated as she spoke up. “There’s a fine line in your love for someone being selfish and selfless.” Her betrayed green eyes met Sloane’s pleading blue. “And he was selfish.”

*****

“You know, when you first told us about your engagement to Sloane, I kind of hated you a little bit.”

Calum would’ve choked on his water had he been surprised by Luke’s statement. But given the recent turn of events, he wasn’t. Instead, he lowered the water bottle and met his friend’s gaze sitting across from him, a pile of UNO cards in between them as they played. The two of them sat on the deck, sharing one of the long beach chairs to play easily, the sun burning against their backs welcomingly.

Lowering the water bottle, Calum cleared his throat and flatly responded, “Just a little bit?”

Luke met his dry humor with an empty smirk of his own as he looked through the cards in his hand. He put down one to do his turn. “It’s fucked up.” Calum knew he didn’t have to voice his agreement for Luke to know that he thought the same. “This is gonna sound fucking dramatic but I don’t know how I’m supposed to watch my best friend marry the girl I love, man.”

Calum rolled his lips into his mouth, intent gaze on his cards yet thoroughly unfocused. “’S not dramatic,” he mumbled quietly, a subtle furrow in his brows. “I can be partners with Sloane for business but marriage. . . I don’t see how we’re not gonna end up resenting each other down the road. We’re friends, we get along, but loyalty in friendship and loyalty in marriage are two completely different things.” Calum recognized the guilt that was beginning to form a lump in his throat, the emptiness he felt since the other day at the hospital when River found out everything ever present in making him feel completely hollow. He lifted his gaze, brown eyes meeting Luke’s blue, the sincerity deepening Calum’s voice as he said, “I’m sorry this is affecting you, too, Luke. Sloane and I. . . We never meant to hurt you.” He swallowed thickly. “Or River.”

His grip on the cards tightened, threatening to fold them in his fist at the mention of the woman with the prettiest green eyes, whose house he’d be able to see if he just glanced over his shoulder. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, except the thoughts of her in his head were haunting. They consisted of her teary eyes, of the hurt and anger painted across her face, of the fierce betrayal heavy in her voice when she told him to leave. And as much as Calum tried to think of the happier times he’d had with her since his arrival to Florida, he couldn’t, because he knew he didn’t deserve to. Why should he be allowed to revere in the good memories of them when he caused her so much pain?

And he hated that his best friend was hurting, too, and that Sloane would eventually have to say goodbye to a relationship that everyone knew was right. Calum could tell, just by looking at them, how much Sloane and Luke meant to each other, how years of friendship had finally blossomed into a mutual love that was a long time coming. And it would all come to an end because of a stupid fucking arrangement. Fuck, Calum was desperate to figure a way out of this mess that would be beneficial for everyone involved. Maybe he could.

“I know,” Luke responded to Calum’s apology, a small and appreciative smile hinting at his dimples. Luke sighed, broad shoulders sinking as he breathed out, “It’s just. . .”

“A shit situation.”

“Completely.”

Their mutual understanding made for an easy silence as they continued the game, interrupted only when Calum’s phone notified him of a text message. His heart dropped when he read Sloane’s text.

Come to the hospital. I’m with River. It’s not good.

He was pretty sure he’d broken some traffic laws on his way to the hospital, but Calum didn’t give a fuck.

The smell of disinfectant burned Calum’s nose as he burst into the hospital like a madman, but that was the least of his worries. He immediately turned to walk down the familiar path that led to the elevators that would take him to Maggie’s floor, only to be stopped by Sloane’s voice calling out his name. His heart was pounding as he looked to his left, eyes landing on Sloane sitting in the waiting room, River right next to her. Throat locked, Calum made his way over, feeling his fingers trembling and not entirely trusting his knees to keep him supported as he took in the sight of River.

She sat next to Sloane, whose arms were wrapped around her, while River’s head leaned against her shoulder. The air rushed out of Calum’s lungs as he took in her face; tear streaked and flushed, but completely void of any emotions. She stared blankly ahead at the floor in front of her, oblivious and uncaring to the world around her, and the nausea twisted Calum’s stomach as he neared her. Oh, no. Oh no oh no oh no. His gaze met Sloane’s, who was trying her best to comfort River during an inconsolable time, and Calum knew just how terribly River’s world had blown up.

Calum crouched down in front of River, ignoring the trembling of his legs and the weight of the chains around his neck seemed to have on him as he peered up at her. She hadn’t looked at him, staring out into space. She looked so haunted, so empty, and Calum wanted nothing more than to turn back time and make it all better for her. To bring that smile he’d fallen so deeply in love with return to its rightful place.

“She had a stroke.” River’s voice was a broken whisper, just barely heard in the noise of the hospital, but enough to tighten Calum’s stomach and send his heart flying into his throat. “The flu and her diabetes it just—it was too much. Sh-she had a stroke.” Her watery, red rimmed green eyes met Calum’s glassy brown, her lower lip trembling. “Grams is gone.”

He wanted to cry. Over the loss of the loving woman, over the scalding pain River was experiencing, over all of the fucking bullshit she’s had to face, and over his own part in some of it. And despite feeling his own body tremble, he refused to be anything but strong and sturdy for her.

He reached for her hands. “River, I’m so—”

“No, no,” she shook her head, a frown on her face as she pulled her hands from him. Calum and Sloane watched, his throat tightening as a sob ripped through River, and he could feel every bit of his heart breaking as fresh tears escaped her and she cried, “No, you lied to me. You’re a liar.” She tried to move away, pushing herself further into the chair as the movements forced Sloane’s arms from around her, but River was too busy looking at Calum like he’d ripped her heart out, and he fucking hated himself for it. “You’re just gonna leave me. You’re gonna leave just like my mom and dad and Grams. You’re just gonna—”

“Hey, hey, baby, please.” Calum kicked himself into action, his voice smooth and hoping to comfort her as he pushed himself up and into the seat next to River. He gently grasped her arms, heart thudding as she tried to half heartedly struggle against him, her sobs growing louder and louder. He was aware of people looking their way, had half a mind to tell them to fuck off as his gaze met Sloane’s worried one. She looked almost as distraught as Calum felt as he pulled a crying, struggling River into him. “Shh, River, I got you.”

His voice was smooth despite his own emotions threatening to lock his throat, but Calum was efficient in pulling River into his lap, hugging her to him as her face buried in the crook of his neck and her body wracked with the sobs escaping her. He barely noticed Sloane lean back into her chair, palms pressed together as she brought her hands to her lips, watching as Calum did his best to keep himself together in order to comfort the woman falling apart in his arms.

Every cry that fell from River’s mouth sunk deeply into his bones, his eyes squeezing shut as he pressed his cheek against her head, holding her tightly and rubbing her back as he cradled her to him. It was the most devastating sound, hearing her cry so deeply, so brokenly. Nothing he could do would ease her pain, Calum knew. But being with River, holding her and letting her cry, was the only way he knew, for now, to let her know he wasn’t going to leave her. Fuck the arrangement. Fuck the drama. Fuck all of this pain that no one had expected. He was going to figure out a way to stop this from controlling—ruining—their lives. He wasn’t going to leave River. Not now, not ever.

*****

We’ve narrowed it down to these three spots. If we’re aiming for an October wedding, I think an indoor venue would be best. Look these over with Calum and let us know what you decide. Quickly.

It was that short and precise e-mail from her mother that had Sloane’s heart dropping into the very pit of her stomach where it continued to sink lower, her heart beginning to pick up its pace at an uncontrollable rate that made it increasingly difficult to breathe. It was one fucking e-mail that sent reality crashing down around Sloane, reminding her of the quickly approaching end of this trip and, more importantly, her relationship with Luke.

But nothing about this was easy because, fuck, she couldn’t just switch off her feelings. She couldn’t just pretend that being with Luke for these past few weeks and taking their years of friendship to a completely different level hadn’t been the best thing to happen to her. Like this wasn’t the happiest she’d ever been in so long. No. No, she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to let go of the tranquility of this beach, of the easy going and blissful happiness she’s felt since being with Luke and trade it in for the suffocation that was waiting for her back in New York.

Sloane shot to her feet, the sand sinking between her toes thanks to the flip flops she was wearing, ignoring the confused calls of her friends as she quickly walked away, directionless, too lost in her thoughts and panic to actually decide where to go. Rather, she just walked under the glare of the sun and away from the bewildered voices of her friends. The sand was hot beneath her feet as she kept going, the thundering of her heart louder than the waves of the ocean and the chatter of other beach goers, and Sloane was too busy drowning in her thoughts to notice that someone had been running after her.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Luke’s quick voice had her stopping, especially when he came in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. His sunglasses were missing, allowing for her to see the concern in his baby blues, the pendant of his necklace dangling at his swift movements as he took in the sight of her alarmed eyes. “Sloane, what’s going on?”

“I can’t get married,” she rushed out breathlessly, unable to keep her feelings inside, needing to get rid of the thoughts dizzying her head. One look at Luke and she couldn’t keep it in. Sloane’s breathing was heavy as she ran her fingers through her dark hair and continued on, “I can’t go back to New York and get married. Not when I don’t love Calum the way I love you. It’s not fucking fair.”

Luke’s lips parted as he stared at her, and through her panic Sloane wasn’t oblivious to the confession she’d just uttered. Except it didn’t really feel like a confession; it was just a statement of truth, of something that had been true for a lot longer than Sloane ever realized. And telling Luke like this, in the middle of what was about to be a panic attack, wasn’t the most romantic situation. But it was the truth. And he deserved as much.

But however obvious Sloane’s words were to herself, they weren’t as much to Luke as his back straightened, eyes widened despite the heat of the sun as he stammered out, “You love me?”

Briefly, Sloane got a sense of deja vu from that night on the deck when feelings were first being confessed—by him, not by her. And for a moment, she felt a sense of calm as her lips quirked up, features softening as she took in the relieved, joyous, and mildly shocked look on Luke’s face. He was too fucking adorable. “Is it really that much of a surprise?” Luke let out a breath, the surprise in it evident, and Sloane took a step towards him and reached up to cup his cheeks, adoring the tickle of his facial hair in his palms as her blue eyes met his. “Of course I love you,” she reassured, laughing gently. “I wanna be with you, not Calum.”

“Ouch.”

Luke looked over Sloane’s head just as she turned around, letting out a breath at the sight of Calum squinting at them against the sun, brown skin glistening from the water he’d just emerged from. Getting him to enjoy a day at the beach with all of them had been difficult, given that all he wanted to do was be with River. But her mom, according to Calum, had finally shown up for the reading of River’s grandmother’s will, and they were currently with the lawyer, something River had wanted to do by herself, apparently.

Calum was wearing a subtle smirk of his own, obviously not hurt by Sloane’s statement as her shoulders dropped with a shake of her head. “You know I love you, Cal, but I just—we can’t do this.” Her words began picking up their pace again, her panic making her talk a bit too fast. “With all these e-mails about you needing to pick a suit and me having to decide on the flowers and then us having to decide on the venue and give a final headcount to send out the invites, I just—it’s making me realize how real all of this shit is and it’s getting really hard to breathe. I mean—” She stopped, glancing back at Luke and then at Calum, letting out a heavy breath as her heart continued to pound, shaking her head as she asked, “I can’t get married to someone I don’t love. You can’t either.”

Licking his lips, Calum nodded, the dimples on the upper parts of his cheeks appearing as he continued to squint his eyes. “You’re right,” he agreed, hands on his hips as his brown eyed gaze swept over the two of them. Then, with a tilt of his chin and a far too casual tone, he declared, “You two should get married.”

Behind her, Sloane heard Luke choke on nothing but air. She, however, stared at Calum with an almost comical level of dumbfoundment as she tried to figure out if she had heard him right over the water and chatter of the beach. But he just looked at the two of them, expression terrifyingly serious, and Sloane’s expression fell with a drop of her jaw and widening of her eyes despite the sun threatening to burn her corneas. “Are you—” she stammered, throat dry. “Did you drink too many beers or something? What the fuck, Calum?”

He had to be joking. He couldn’t possibly think they would take him seriously with an idea that fucking far fetched.

“I’m perfectly sober, thank you.” Well, there went that idea. Sloane’s throat worked, gaping at him, knowing Luke was probably mirroring the same expression behind her. When Calum took in their reactions, he let out an impatient huff. “Come on, it’s not that crazy of an idea if you think about it.”

“Yes, the fuck it is!” Luke finally sounded, stepping up next to Sloane as she nodded along vigorously. Okay. At least she wasn’t the only one who thought Calum had lost his mind. “We—we’ve only been together for a couple of weeks, and—”

“And you’ve been friends for years,” Calum interrupted calmly. Sloane had a feeling he found their incredulity a bit too amusing. “And, come on, guys, the way you two act around each other? You might as well have been married for years.”

Sloane’s face flushed, but her disbelief over Calum’s seemingly grand plan was still raging. “So let me get this straight,” she spoke up with a furrow of her brows, holding a hand out as a way of wanting them both to keep quiet. She pointed at Calum as she spoke with a raise of her eyebrows, “You want Luke and I to get married just so we can avoid the arrangement our parents set up?”

“Yes.” Sloane scoffed with a shake of her head, needing to take a step away as she met Luke’s disbelieving expression with one of her own. “Look, Sloane.” Her gaze met Calum’s once more. “The merger for the companies is already underway. There’s no chance of our parents stopping the process, or of them revoking our right to lead the companies since they’ve already began the paperwork of handing it all to us. The only reason they wanted us to get married was so that each half of the businesses stay within the respective families while having overall control of the conglomerate. But I know us. I know how well we’d work together—as partners, not husband and wife.” He said the last few words with a dismissive scoff that Sloane wholeheartedly agreed with. “Our folks—they think merging both business and family would make for a stronger deal, but I know it’s only gonna end up messing things up in the long run. If you and Luke get married, they can’t force marriage on us. We’d still get to be partners, and you’ll be married to the guy you actually love. It’s a win-win.”

When he said it like that, it made everything sound so simple. And, maybe in a way, it was. Sloane knew the marriage part of the deal was built out of their parents’ fear of losing control over the companies. The pretense of being one big happy family provided them with a safety net of still being a part of everything they had worked for without fear of losing it. The only reason Sloane had agreed to the deal in the first place was because she felt as though she owed it to her parents. But the longer she thought about it, the more she realized it was because her parents feared she wouldn’t live up to what her brother could’ve possibly done with the company. Marrying her off to the business partner’s son granted her a high status within the company and maybe, according to the darker and resentful part of Sloane’s mind, give them more leeway in controlling what went on. Which is something she doubted they’d do had it been Jacob who was taking over.

Control, control, control. That’s what it came down to. And she refused to let her parents have any over her.

Sloane let out a slow breath, crossing her arms over her chest as her blue eyes locked with Calum’s brown. “You’ve thought this through, huh?”

“I had to,” Calum shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’s not just your freedom that’s at stake here.”

Sloane laughed lightly before the reality of the situation set in, expression dropping as she shook her head and looked at Luke, who was still trying to process whatever the fuck was going on. She didn’t blame him. This was. . .  A big fucking deal, to say the least. She swallowed and turned her gaze to Calum as she began, “I don’t think—”

“We could do it.”

Sloane cut off at the sound of Luke’s voice, his words seeming to choke her out of speaking as her widened eyes turned to him. She saw him nodding to himself, thoughtful gaze on the sand as his golden curls danced against the breeze. Sloane let out a startled breath. “I—what? Luke, what’re you—”

“It’s crazy.” Luke turned to face her, shaking his head to tell her the insanity of this idea wasn’t lost on him, but he didn’t seem to care. “Like, completely mental. And this wasn’t how I expected for any of this to go but, fuck, Sloane, I don’t care how we end up getting married—as long as I’m married to you, I’ll be the luckiest man in the world.”

Her eyes widened, staring at him in utter incredulity, not at all expecting him to say any of the cheesy, sweet, wonderful things he’d just said. For the past few months the only thought of marriage Sloane had was her impending one to Calum, one that kind of made her want to run away just to escape feeling like both her and her friend were being locked down against their will. But now, thinking of marriage in terms of doing so with Luke—he was right. It was fucking insane, and yet, it sounded perfect.

The sincerity in his eyes was obvious; he took her hands in his, squeezing them, and Sloane felt the sting in her eyes as she realized just how on board with this idea Luke was. This crazy, possibly stupid, definitely brilliant idea. “Are—are you serious?” Her voice was a whisper, unable to speak up out of fear of shattering what she was hoping was reality. With a dazed laugh, she asked the man in front of her, “You wanna get married?”

Luke squeezed her hands, the grin on his face bringing forth his dimples that she loved. “Yes.”

Sloane pressed her lips together, giving a shake of her head. She wanted him to be sure. Totally, completely sure. Because this was crazy and kind of exactly what she wanted. “Are you sure, Lu? This—it’s a huge fucking step. Like. We’ve only just started and we’re jumping all the way to the end.”

“Sweetheart,” Luke began with a breath, letting go of her hands to cup her cheeks. He ducked his head slightly to lock their gazes. “I’ve wanted to be with you for years. I’ve loved you for roughly just as long. Trust me—I wanted to do this right, but I’m pretty sure this is it. This is our right. And I’m down if you’re down.”

Despite him successfully bringing forth a new wave of tears, Sloane let out a breathy laugh, leaning into his touch as she mused playfully, “You’re down to marry me?”      

Luke’s grin widened, briefly biting his lower lip as he pressed his forehead to hers. “So down.”

Her chest fell with a sharp exhale of her breath, not even realizing that the tightness of her chest was replaced by this light, airy flutter that brought forth a smile on her face too wide to control. And right when she went to kiss Luke, to melt into him with all the insanity of this idea, the voice of their forgotten friend spoke up, smug in all his glory as he stated, “You’re welcome.”

*****

Giving his ex-fianceé away to marry one of his best friends should’ve been strange, in most cases—though, were there ever cases such as this?—but not for Calum. No, he happily, contently, walked Sloane down the steps of the back deck of the beach house and down the beach, just a little ways away from the shore that served as a natural altar where Luke stood waiting for his favorite girl’s arrival. It was a sight Calum felt lucky to witness.

It had taken Luke and Sloane a day and a half to acquire a marriage license from the city hall, the same amount of time it took Ashton, Michael and Crystal to adjust to this life changing decision their friends had made. But they had reacted like Calum; although they hadn’t suggested the idea like their blue haired friend, it was one that they knew, down the road, was a good idea. Because if any two people were to spontaneously get married, it was fitting that it was Luke and Sloane.

And the look on his face when he saw her approach in the knee length, white lace dress she’d gone out to buy with Crystal, a meadowy bouquet of sunflowers and chrysanthemums in her hand—Calum knew he’d made the right choice in suggesting the idea, and that they’d made the perfect choice in agreeing to it.

Ashton stood up there with Luke—they’d all put on the only somewhat formal clothes they had of button downs and pants—hands clasped in front of him and a grin on his face. Calum could tell he was excited to marry his two friends, especially given that he’d damn near cried when Luke asked him if he’d be willing to get ordained online to do so. It was a whole thing. Everyone had been emotional the past day or so.

“Oh, I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Sloane breathed out through her smile as her and Calum neared where everyone stood.

He glanced at her, his own smile tilting his lips when he saw the brightness of her blue eyes, accentuated by long eyelashes. “You nervous?”

“A little,” Sloane admitted, her grin suddenly widening, and Calum glanced forward to see Luke’s gaze directly on her. His dimpled grin would give the sun a run for its money had it not already been setting in the horizon, coloring the sky in a breathtaking painting of pinks and purples and oranges. A perfect wedding backdrop for his two friends. Sloane let out a breath. “But mostly so ready.”

Calum chuckled deeply, pressing a gentle kiss to Sloane’s cheek once they reached their stop, giving her hands a squeeze as she whispered her heartfelt thanks and giving a clap to Luke’s shoulder before moving to stand with Michael and Crystal to bear witness to this moment. Calum clasped his own hands in front of him, unable to fight the smile from his face as he watched Luke and Sloane face each other. Their happiness was infectious, joyous, and he was so glad they were going through with it.

“Friends,” Ashton spoke up, making sure he was loud enough over the distant sound of waves along the shore. “We are gathered here today. . .”

Ashton’s voice seemed to trail off as someone stepped up to Calum’s left, and it was when he glanced over, feeling his breath catch in his throat when he saw River standing right next to him in a pretty pale pink dress and blonde hair tied back in a braid, wisps of her hair dancing along her jawline in the breeze. He stared at her, feeling the shock take over his body as she quietly murmured, “Guess I’m right on time.”

He didn’t think she’d come. He was at a loss for words in this moment, especially when River glanced at him to offer a brief smile before looking straight ahead once more. Calum could smell her perfume over the scent of the salty ocean, and it was hilarious how easily his muscles seemed to relax in her presence.

The urge to reach out and grab her hand in his was strong, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he pressed his lips together and looked ahead, focusing on Ashton doing what he did best and speak from his heart about his two friends he was lucky enough to marry. Calum’s throat worked, heart jumping excitedly as Ashton spoke, “Do you, Sloane Irene Thorne, take this man to be your husband?”

The excitement and joy in Sloane’s two word response was tangible as she slid the newly purchased ring onto Luke’s finger and grinned, “I do.”

Of course, Ashton couldn’t stop grinning as well as he shifted his hazel eyes to Luke. “And do you, Luke Robert Hemmings, take this woman to be your wife?”

His dimples hadn’t ever been so deep, Calum thought, as he watched the blonde slide the ring easily onto Sloane’s ring finger. “I do.”

“Then what’re you waiting for? Kiss her!”

They were silent as they walked along the shore, with River holding her sandals by the straps in one hand as Freddie ran along in front of them. She’d brought him out after the ceremony, allowing for the dog to run around and get some fresh air after providing Calum with kisses he didn’t think he deserved. The sun had long since set, the only lights coming from the moon above and the few still open concession stands a few aways away. The sleeves of the button down Calum had decided to wear were folded up to his elbows, hands buried in the pockets of his pants a bit nervously.

The silence was getting a bit too heavy, drying Calum’s throat as he cleared it and said, “I’m glad you came to the ceremony.”

“Why?” River responded lightly, thoughtfully. “So I could see you had no intention of marrying Sloane?”

His jaw tightened in shame. “River—”

“No, what was supposed to happen, Calum?” she demanded, stopping and facing him. Freddie stopped as well, pawing at the sand. Calum took in the frown on her eyebrows and lips, looking up at him questioningly. “You thought, what, we would just screw around and then you’d go back home and get married and whatever happened between us was just your way of temporarily distancing yourself from reality? You never stopped to think how it’d make me feel?”

“Of course I did,” Calum defended, his own eyebrows coming together at the accusation of him not caring about her in any sense. “You know all the details now, River. You know how complicated and messy things were. Falling in love with you was the last thing I expected to happen but it did and I don’t regret it for a single second.” He let out a sharp breath through his nose, feeling as though the deep rasp of his voice was interrupting the quiet of the night. His brown eyes remained on her green as he added, “The only thing I regret is hurting you. It was selfish of me and I’m so sorry.”

The silence fell over them once more like a blanket as Calum felt River’s eyes inspect every inch of his face, scrutinizing and analyzing him to the full degree. He never looked away, hoping that she’d see just how honest and genuine he was, how regretful. Fuck, he’d understood if she never forgave him, but the mere thought of it wrapped around his heart like an unrelenting iron fist.

“You’re not selfish.” Calum swallowed at River’s words, her tone turning soft as one corner of her lip quirked up briefly. “I know selfish people. You aren’t one of them. Just. . .” She shrugged a shoulder, her smile gentle and empathetic. “A little misguided. But totally selfless. And. . .” She let out a breath, taking a step towards him, head tilting back just a bit to maintain eye contact. “And a really good guy.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what to say. “River—”

“I think a lot of my anger came from me, like, projecting whatever I felt towards my parents.” She laughed softly with a regretful shake of her head. “They’re the most selfish people I know. When they left me I just—I saw it as a betrayal, y’know?” she asked, squinting up at him against the gentle breeze as Calum offered a single nod. “And then when I found out about your engagement to Sloane, it was like all of these feelings just came out and you got the brunt of them.”

Calum’s lips quirked into a small, ashamed smile. “I deserved it.”

“Maybe,” River hummed before letting out a sigh. “But the situation was complicated, to say the least. Life’s fucked up enough as it is and there’s no rule book to go by. I can go on and on about what I would’ve done if I was in your shoes but I can’t really know unless I actually was, y’know? No one knows what they’d do in a situation unless they were in it. I was hurt and I was angry and I’m not completely over it but. . . I do forgive you, Calum.”

The relief was flooding him before he could even stop it, inhaling sharply as he felt a warmth swell in his chest as he asked, “You do?”

She rolled her lips into her mouth and nodded, a lightness in her green eyes that he’d missed desperately. “I do,” she said before letting out a gentle laugh. Calum figured it was because that two word phrase was being thrown a lot around here. Then River shrugged, her smile reappearing as she breezily said, “Love makes you do crazy things, doesn’t it? It’s something Grams always lived by.”

Calum didn’t think he’d dealt with his emotions this much in a long time. But River seemed to bring out a different side in him. His heart thudded at the entirety of River’s statement, licking his lips as he let out a quiet chuckle. “Mags would probably have kicked my ass for hurting you.”

River clicked her tongue, her smile turning fond at the mention of her grandmother. “Nah. She’s big on second chances,” she assured him before letting out a breath. “She gave my mom plenty of second chances but after reading her will, I guess she decided Mom didn’t deserve anymore.” With a sheepish poke to Calum’s stomach, River added, “Don’t worry; you’re still a good egg in Maggie Fischer’s book.”

Her words brought a smile to Calum’s lips, feeling a warmth spread through him at the mention of Maggie before furrowing his eyebrows at River. “Wait, what do you mean about the will?”

Licking her lips, River let out an almost nervous chuckle as she looked out to the dark of the ocean, rubbing her hands down her sides as she told him, “She left everything to me. The house, the car, her trust—it’s all mine.”

As disbelieving as River looked by this information, Calum wasn’t the least bit shocked as he raised his eyebrows at her. “You’re surprised? Of course she left it all to you.”

River pressed her hands to her cheeks, and it was like whatever shock she must’ve felt when the will was first read to her was flooding back as her widened eyes met Calum’s somewhat amused ones. In a dazed, awe-filled whisper, she said, “It’s a lot of money, Calum.”

Calum shrugged, grinning down at her as his brown eyes glinted under the moonlight. “Use some of it to visit me in New York.” Fuck, he didn’t want to even think of the moment where he’d have to leave her.

He took in the smile that grew on River’s face, and his heart jumped into his throat at the knowing look gleaming in her eyes. Calum let out a slow breath as her fingers intertwined with his. Okay. So maybe leaving each other wasn’t going to be in the cards, after all.

*****

“Do you have any idea how—how ridiculous this is? How the hell did you decide this was a good idea without consulting us? What gave you the right to even go through with this?!”

Sloane’s jaw tightened at her mother’s words, matching her glare with her own as she remained seated on the couch in the living room of their home. Calum was right next to her, his presence a comfort as his parents, too, hovered over them in their own outrage. Eyes locked with her mother’s Sloane said, “Nobody needed to give me the right—it’s my life and it was about time I decided to live like it.”

Mrs. Thorne bristled, the fire still alight in her eyes. “Watch your tone with me, Sloane.”

“No, screw that,” she retorted, getting up to her feet. All eyes were on her, trying to weigh her down, but she pushed forward. This was a long time coming, and she wasn’t going to be treated like some fucking toddler. She looked between the two sets of parents, staring at them in disgusted incredulity. “Don’t you guys get it? You’re so desperate to save your businesses that you don’t even care that you’re ruining your childrens’ lives!”

Her father, the calmer of her parents, sighed. “Honey, that’s not what we’re doi—”

“Yes, it is,” Calum spoke up, getting to his feet as well to stand beside Sloane. She glanced up at him, appreciated his stone set features as he came to her aid and both of their defense. “Sloane and I have been friends for years, just like you all have. If you trust us to run the companies, you should trust us to be able to do it as partners, and not force a damn marriage on us that, frankly, makes no sense.” His gaze shifted to Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, an insulted scoff escaping him as he said to them, “You know if it was Jacob instead of Sloane, you never would even propose such a ridiculous idea.”

Sloane saw the way her dad’s features fell, and the haggard look that washed over her mother’s face. While Calum’s parents called his name warningly, Mrs. Thorne ground out through gritted teeth, “How dare you—”

“He’s right, Mom,” Sloane said with a frown, feeling a familiar tug in her chest at the mention of her brother. “I know it had always been part of the plan for Jacob to take over, but you need to trust that I know what I’m doing in terms of the company and not have a marriage clause to tie up loose ends that don’t even exist. It’s not fair to me and Calum. We’ll work as partners, but never in a marriage.

She saw the looks Mr. and Mrs. Hood exchanged with one another, and Sloane had a feeling they were getting through to them. And maybe even her father. Her mother, on the other hand, just shook her head. “So, what, you married Luke to void this arrangement? That’s so childish, Sl—”

“I married Luke because I love him,” she cut in sharply, not allowing to give her mother the opportunity to say anything against the man she loved. Her husband. She fought the ill-timed smile threatening to quirk at her lips. God calling Luke her husband was still something to get used to. “It wasn’t out of spite. We got married because wanted to. Because it felt right and he makes me happy. I don’t expect you to understand—” Her eyes locked with her mother’s as she gave a subtle yet sad shake of her head. “—Not that you’d try to, anyway.”

Her mother frowned, and Sloane wondered if she’d imagined the hurt she’d saw flash across her eyes. Next to her, Calum firmly stated, “The merger can proceed exactly as planned—just without the marriage part of it all. You guys have trusted us with these businesses; try to trust us with our own lives, yeah?”

Mrs. Hood let out a soft snort. “So you can continue to make questionable decisions like dying your hair blue?” she questioned, unimpressed gaze going to his head. His roots were starting to grow out, the blue blending in with the natural dark brown.

Before Calum could respond, Sloane’s father spoke up again. “They’re right.” Sloane looked at him, feeling the hope swell her chest as he nodded. “They’re adults—who are we to try and control every aspect of their lives?” He walked past her mother to stand in front of Sloane, cupping his daughter’s cheeks as he said, “I’ve already lost one kid. I’m not losing another over what I thought was a good decision. Sloane and Calum are smart and capable enough to make overall comprehensive choices in their lives and for the sake of the business.” He sighed, giving a shake of his head as he dropped his hands from Sloane’s cheek and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Sloane instantly leaned into her dad’s side as he added, “I just wish I’d been there for the wedding.”

Sloane couldn’t fight the grin from her face as she glanced at Calum, who was smiling over their obvious victory. He had been right, which didn’t surprise Sloane. She knew she had made the right decision in trusting him. This was, she felt, only a small show of how their partnership was going to go. And she couldn’t wait to be his partner, complete with overbearing responsibilities of running a company and being in charge of thousands of employees. All the while being partners. Not husband and wife.

Sloane twisted the silver ring on her finger, feeling her grin widened as she told her dad, “That could be arranged.”

*****

The couple of hundred dollars worth whiskey he drank was far more different than the White Claws he’d indulged in after Luke and Sloane’s first wedding, though it allowed him to enjoy his surroundings just the same. The wedding that had been planned for Sloane and Calum had been completely scrapped, and Calum knew Sloane and Luke’s wedding was far better, lovelier, and purer than his and Sloane’s could’ve ever hoped to be. Because here, Calum could literally feel the happiness and love in the air between his two friends, his gaze sweeping over to where they were in the middle of the dance floor.

Sloane was in a proper wedding dress, still white obviously, still lacey, fitted firmly to her as she managed to easily move as she danced with Luke, the two of them stealing kisses as often as possible and Luke’s dimples never disappearing from view because of the constant smile lighting up his face. Family and friends joined them on the dance floor while others indulged in still eating from the buffet or enjoying the bar as Calum made his way to one side of the room. The venue was a glass enclosed terrace up high in a hotel, the ceiling teeming with greenery hanging from the beams that made up the ceiling, and the large floor to ceiling windows provided a stunning view of the city Calum knew so well on three sides while the entrance way was made up of old fashioned red bricks. Purple and white lights provided an elegant hue to the venue, the flower centerpieces, live band, and gold accents showing Calum that this was, in fact, Sloane and Luke’s wedding. Completely gorgeous.

“What’s a girl gotta do to get asked to dance around here?”

Her smooth, gentle voice had Calum freezing in place, wide eyed gaze staring ahead at the window in front of him. But through the reflection of the glass he caught the hazy figure of the woman standing behind him, and Calum kept a tight grip on his glass as he turned around for his brown eyes to meet a pair of forest green he’d missed so much.

River stood in front of him in a long, flowing red and white flowery dress, some locks of blonde hair tied back into a braid as the rest of it fell to reach her upper arms—it had grown since the last time he’d seen her—while that dainty gold necklace remained a permanent fixture. She looked stunning, her smile glowing against her face as she watched him drink in the sight of her.

“Holy shit,” Calum breathed out, taking the few steps towards her. “You’re here.”

Her grin widened as she confirmed with a giggly, “I’m here!” just as Calum discarded his half empty glass on a nearby table to sweep her up in a hug as tight as he wanted to.

He felt him laugh against her, her own arms around his neck as his wrapped around her waist, her citrus scent far more intoxicating than the expensive whiskey he’d drank. Calum’s heart was thundering against his chest, sure that River could feel it too, as he found himself squeezing his eyes shut, briefly praying that he wasn’t imagining this. But River’s hand went to the back of his head, nails gently scraping against his scalp and he felt himself relaxing in their embrace. This was real. She was real.

“I didn’t think you’d make it,” Calum said as they pulled away, but his arms were still around her, fronts still pressed together.

River laughed gently. “As soon as another flight became available, I booked a seat.” She bit her lower lip briefly, gaze going to her own hands as she pressed them against the lapels of his suit, smiling as her gaze met his once more. “I couldn’t wait to be with you.”

He didn’t think he’d ever felt this happy. Just a little while after he and his friends had gone back to New York, he and River continued talking and she’d told him about her thoughts of moving out of Florida. Late night conversations consisting of her telling him about always wanting to go to New York, and she finally had the means to do so, and Calum had earnestly told her he’d be waiting. Just a few days after that, River had put her grandmother’s house for sale after and began the process of finally moving out of Florida. There was nothing keeping her there and River knew, as she had told Calum, that her grandmother wouldn’t want her to be so alone. New York was the perfect fresh start.

So while Calum oversaw the shipment of River’s things to a loft downtown that she’d fallen in love with—especially after sending Calum who confirmed the beauty of the place—he also impatiently waited for her arrival. If he had it his way, then she’d be moving right into his place. But River wanted to do things the right way—or, well, whatever the right way was given the origin of their relationship—and so Calum waited for her to finally land. Except hurricane season in Florida continued to throw multiple wrenches in that plan, and she’d missed Luke and Sloane’s second, more lavish and populated, wedding.

Until now.

Calum pressed his forehead to hers, arms around her tight as he mumbled, “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” River returned earnestly before closing the gap between them, and Calum instantly melted into her the second their lips met. Kissing her felt like coming home; it felt real and right and perfect, and he couldn’t imagine anything else feeling as good as this.

They broke away and Calum pulled her towards the dance floor, where their friends instantly let out cheers at the sight of River, with Sloane pulling her in for a hug and River returning it just as eagerly while also making sure not to step on Sloane’s dress. They danced to a couple of songs, Calum unable to let go of River, wanting her to be close to him as much as possible—not that she had any arguments. The contentment he felt only in her presence had once again returned with her arrival, pulling her in for kisses whenever he wanted to because he could.

After a few songs, he brought River over to where his family was, introducing the woman he loved to his parents and sister, getting the approved pat on the back from his dad as his mom and Mali happily engaged with River. And Calum admired, as the music played around him and people enjoyed the party, how perfect River seemed to fit in with his family. It’s where she belonged, that much he knew to be true.

“Can you believe we’re not stuck anymore?” Calum turned around from where he’d just ordered another drink from the bar to smile at Sloane standing next to him. She looked absolutely stunning, glowing in her happiness, as the two rings on her finger glinted brightly as she held a flute of champagne. The diamond of her engagement ring from Luke looked better on her finger than the one assigned by their parents ever did. Her blue eyes met Calum’s brown, a smile on her face as she said, “We made it out. We got back control.”

Calum let out a long breath, watching the dance floor in front of him. He could make out River and his friends right in the center. The smile on his face widened. “Remember when we thought we wouldn’t?” Shooting Sloane a wink, he added, “I think our wedding would’ve been a bit duller than this.”

She laughed and Calum joined in. It felt good to be able to laugh about something that, at one point, had twisted up both of their insides and, to some extent, strained their friendship for a brief period. Calum was beyond glad that was over. “I’ll drink to that,” Sloane agreed, and Calum snorted as he clinked his glass with hers and took a sip of his vodka. When she lowered her glass, Sloane added in a hum, “I’m glad River’s finally here. Now you can stop moping.”

Calum stammered out a protesting sound as Sloane merely smirked, and he huffed as he denied, “I didn’t mope.”

“Please,” Sloane scoffed with a roll of her eyes, throwing Calum an unconvinced look. “People at the office think you’re some broody dude when in reality you’re just pouty because you missed your girlfriend.” She gestured towards the dance floor with her glass, smiling. “Not anymore.”

Calum made a face, though he couldn’t argue with her. With a tilt of his head, he turned to the bride and asked, “If I’m the broody one, what’re you?”

Sloane’s expression fell, huffing as she admitted, “The happy-go-lucky married one.”

That prompted Calum to laugh. Not at her title, but the dejected way in which she said it. “What’s so wrong with that?”

“Nothing—they just need to take me seriously,” Sloane decided, finishing the rest of her glass before putting it on the bar behind them. Pointing at Luke, she said, “When I’m back from the honeymoon, you and I are redoing how we present ourselves to everyone, okay? We gotta be badass CEOs in that building. Not blissed out dummies in love.”

Calum smirked as his gaze swept over to the dance floor once more, watching as River tried to teach Luke how to dance to the Spanish song that was currently playing. He was struggling, of course, but that didn’t stop his loud laughter from ringing out above the music and River to shake her head in utter amusement, though she didn’t give up. Calum’s smirk turned into a grin, the sight warming his heart more than he expected it to.

With a short laugh, he said, “We are blissed out dummies in love.”

He looked at Sloane, who’d been watching Luke and River just as he had, and the grin on her face told him she was just as content as he was. It wasn’t a bad idea after all. “Yeah, we are.” Sloane then linked her arm with Calum’s, grinning up at him as she giggled, “Come on—the only toes Luke should be stepping on are mine.”

His drink was forgotten at the bar, but Calum didn’t care as he and Sloane pushed themselves to the middle of the dance floor, joining their friends as River made her way to Calum and Sloane went back to Luke. Sloane was right: they were no longer stuck in the middle of a situation that had seemed too impossible to work through. Now, they were just stuck in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by their loved ones, celebrating Luke and Sloane’s love. And as Calum danced with River, pressing a kiss to her lips, he kind of couldn’t wait until they were celebrating the two of them, too.

--

tags: @irwinkitten @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @spideyseavey @imfuckin10plybud @pastelpapermoons @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @cxddlyash @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @dammitbands @sexgodashton @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @buggy-blogs @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysidesblog @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @calistheloml @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 @outofmylimitcal @fluffsshawn @bloodmoonashton @vxidhood​ @tea4sykes

[onisiondrama]

Killstream w/ Onision 3/30/2020 - Summary Part 2

Re-Upload

(Unless specifically stated, everything written is from Greg / James’ words. Parenthesis are my notes/thoughts.):

Says Shiloh threatened to kill herself and make it look like he did it. He called the cops and they took her away when she admitted to them she said she was going to kill herself. The cops told him he can’t evict her without a process of 3 months and he should leave before she got back. He says it sucks because it’s his house but he wanted to get away from her. He went to LA and stayed with her producer, Damon. He asked Damon if she was mental and needed meds. Damon said she was evil.

In hindsight, he should have only encountered his spouse. He should have never tried to fill the gap in Kai’s life with another person. Should have been there himself and not worked as hard.

Host asks if he’s done with polyamory. He’s done with every form of relationship. If his marriage doesn’t work out, he’s going to have 2 sex dolls.

Host reads someone saying Kai sent nudes to Sarah when Sarah was underage and that this was confirmed. Greg says there’s a video of Sarah looking through Kai’s laptop and revealing she’s going through Kai’s pictures without Kai’s permission. Kai tells Sarah to delete them and Sarah’s just laughing. (This is not what happens at all in the clip, BTW.) He says Sarah doesn’t have screen shots of actual texts.

Says Sarah submitted the laptop to the authorities, yet nothing happened. When you submit something like this and it has something on it, they act quick and raid you so they can catch you with stuff on your computer.

Greg says Chris Hansen decided to interview all these people, so now their statements can be used during cross examination in a trial. Their public statements can invalidate their statements in court. They’re fucking themselves.

Says according to Sarah, she sent the laptop to Hansen and he let it sit there a long time. They sent it back and she was pissed off at them for not doing anything with it. Sarah allegedly turned it into the FBI, but they don’t give a shit.

Host asks if this is what he gets for towing the line. Greg says no. They took her in because she said her mom was beating her, Meg Griffin, then when she turned 18 she was pushing hard and he was poly. He says they were never her parents. (Clip of Kai saying he has legal guardianship and clip of Greg saying they were like Sarah’s foster parents) He was just trying to make everyone happy, but he made Kai miserable.

Greg says Billie was an adult and Shiloh was like an adult because she lived like an adult and didn’t go to school because she was a recording artist. It was legal and he wasn’t going to turn down dating a Canadian pop star. He says he was 24.

Host asks what the youngest girl he would talk at 24. Greg says 18. He says people don’t present their age at first until you get to know them and you find out they’re just about to turn 18 “and you’re like, fuck you.”

Greg asks what crimes occurred if he’s going to jail. People agree he’s not going to jail. Greg asks what minor was fucked illegally. Host says people say he laid the groundwork for a relationship while she was underage. Greg says how so. Someone says he was her savior. Greg says he was mean to her. They get on a tangent about her mom grooming her because her mom was mean to her.

Someone asks how Hansen got involved. Greg says Mike bribed Hansen by bringing him to someone’s house to break the law. You can’t go within 50 feet of a “no trespassing” sign in the state of Washington without getting into super trouble. Mike was trying to distract from his own lawsuit where he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman. The woman lost in court. Greg asks a woman, who I’m assuming he brought on with him, to tell the story. She tells the story about Mike. She says it was thrown out because the woman lied about something unrelated, but Mike apologized to her.

He guesses Mike and Hansen thought he would have a mental breakdown at the door and they would get viral views off of him because they thought his fake mental breakdown videos were real. He called the cops because there were 7 strange men in his driveway. Greg says when you call the cops on Hansen, that’s a sign he’s not in the right place.

They invite Keem on. Keem says he wanted to come on because he watched Greg’s stream with the Newsweek reporter. Keem is laughing because the reporter said Keem did a bad job with his Onision interview because he couldn’t control the conversation. Keem says the reporter got flattened by Onision. Greg says everyone has great advise when they haven’t been in the situation before.

Keem and Greg talk about how Repzion denied the chance to interview Greg. They say it’s odd he doesn’t want to confront him after saying he’s going to take him down. Keem also says it’s ironic Repzion tweeted something about Keem’s young daughter becoming a prostitute one day, but now he’s the savior of children. Keem says he heard a rumor that Repzion groomed his current girlfriend and she started watching him when she was 12. Greg says online, men consistently point the finger at things they are guilty of.

Host says Repzion said he didn’t agree to the interview because Greg took him to court and he can’t risk legal reproductions. Greg asks what legal reproductions would come from a public conversation. Keem says quite a few, says he’s being sued for $3.5 million right now.

They talk about Edwin. Greg says he tried to get him on, but Edwin said he’s on a social media break and and stuff going on. Greg jokes that quarantine is a very busy time for him, everyone laughs. Keem says he doesn’t think Edwin is a bad guy and he tried to be fair even though he’s biased. He says they were on a livestream with a girl who started with a D, like Daisy. Greg says he didn’t have a lot of girls over. He lists Billie, Ayalla, their nanny, Sarah. They figure out it was Ayalla. Greg says she tried to fuck Sara when Sarah was 16. (Ayalla denied this, but she would have been 18, it only would have been a two year age gap.) Keem says he asked them if there’s hardcore proof of grooming and everyone on the stream said no.

Greg says he used to drive Sarah to work.

Keem says he heard from Cyr that Greg doesn’t have a moral compass. The only morality he has is the law and that what he judges what is right or wrong. Greg asks if they know Cyr beat his girlfriend. They laugh and say so the answer to the question is yes. Greg says Cyr slapped his Russian girlfriend. He says Cyr was called out for beating his girlfriend so he’s not taking his advise.

Greg says no one brings up the other women he dated. The 24 year old (They did not date when she was 24. This was his first wife and he divorced her when she was 24. They dated as teenagers, which is fine but he’s twisting it.), the other 24 year old (Hannah Minx was 22, not 24 and their relationship was a two week Skype relationship.), and a 26 year old (Adrienne, 3 week on and off relationship.) He says he “literally dated Hannah Minx for 2 weeks” as an example.

He says teenagers are worthless and annoying to him. The only reason they get into his life is because they lied about their age. That pisses him off, like the person he’s been with for over 8 years. He thought Kai was 20, but he was 17. Kai told him they were about to turn 18 in 3 months when Greg asked. Greg looked up horoscopes to see if they were compatible and Kai played along, but it wasn’t even the month they were born. He didn’t abandon Kai because he already fell for him. Greg says he was 26.

Greg says people write to him saying they want to be in a poly relationship with him and he replies, “go fuck yourself.”

He said one time he had a camera person over and he was bordering on an inappropriate relationship with them because he hugged her a little too long and once she slid on his lap. He thought it was fine, but the second time she did it she wiggles her ass on his lap and he told Kai. Kai and him said she needed to get the fuck out. She stayed in her room for a week because she was so humiliated. Then they never heard from her again.

[afraschatz]

The Children of Atreus

Let's talk a bit about the coolest of the mythological Greeks, the children of Atreus - Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Anaxabia. And let me just name three things about them that are guaranteed to make you fall in love with them.

Before that, here is a quick summary of the things that everyone already knows anyway: Menelaus is the famous king of Sparta whose wife Helen’s disappearance sparked the Trojan War. The Greeks’ troops are led by his brother, Agamemnon, king of mighty Mycenae (who, when returning from the war, gets murdered by his wife Clytemnestra). Anaxabia is their sister, and she is married to Strophius, king of Phocis.

Secondly, here are three of the (many) reasons why they are The Best:

 1 - They are the best of siblings.

Obviously, they are called the Atrides (or Atreides) after their father, Atreus, who is the son of Pelops and grandson of Tantalus. That makes them part of the forever cursed family of the Tantalides. That curse manifests itself in their father’s relationship with his brother, Thyest. Atreus and Thyest come to Mycenae after they get thrown out of Elis, the territory around Olympia, for murdering their half-brother. They then quickly gain power and influence in Mycenae and use the majority of it to stab each other in the back - repeatedly and quite literally, as they both end up dead.

With role models such as these (plus the curse that Tantalus brought on his family for murdering and cooking his own son just to prove a point), it is absolutely amazing and quite heart-warming how close the Atrides are. Despite their family history of betrayal and murder, they always, ALWAYS stand by one another and support each other.

I mean, Agamemnon starts a war to end all wars to get justice for his brother, for fuck’s sake (yeah, yeah, there’s that bit about the oath of Helen; I’ll get to that later), and for that ten-year-long war they are practically joined at the hip.

And it’s not just a matter of obvious power-politics either: Agamemnon sends his son Orestes to his sister and brother-in-law in Phocis when he has to leave for war. To entrust his only male heir to them is massive proof of his trust in them, in her. Anaxabia and Strophius continue to raise Orestes as their own, and Orestes becomes best friends (and quite definitely lovers, according to my man Euripides) with their son, Pylades who supports him through thick and thin.

Pylades ends up marrying Electra, Agamemnon’s daughter, while Orestes gets wed to Hermione, Menelaus’s kid with Helen. While for today’s standards this might be a bit too incestuous for comfort, it is further proof how tightly knit that family now (in contrast to previous generations and their fondness for throwing people down wells / dismemberment) is because of the bond of the three siblings.

 2 - They are strategic and diplomatic masterminds.

Agamemnon and Menelaus are often reduced to being one entitled and power-hungry dick and his arrogant but ultimately impotent little brother. While that makes them the perfect cardboard-cut-villain for everyone in need of one (such as grieving Achilles, for one) and while I enjoy Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson as “Troy”’s villains as well as Sophocles's characterization of them in "Aias" as much as the next guy, it really doesn’t do them justice.

First of all, as for the notion that they are entitled and/or feeble: Both of them are self-made men. Not only are they (as well as Anaxabia) kids of a refugee / man living in exile, after their uncle Thyest overthrows their father and has him murdered, they have to flee from Mycenae and seek refuge in Sparta, with king Tyndareos, their future father-in-law, (step) father of Clytemnestra and Helen. From there, they not only manage to mobilize enough man power to overthrow Thyest and conquer Mycenae. They also turn Mycenae into the most influential and mightiest of all the Greeks’ kingdoms. And by proving himself over and over again, Menelaus inherits the right to the throne of Sparta from his father-in-law, while Anaxabia marries the king of Phocis, a kingdom North of the gulf of Corinth with influential Delphi right in the center.

The Atrides’s influence is not just gained by clever marriage and perseverance, however. Sure, the famous oath of Helen (in which all the kings that asked for Helen’s hand in marriage swore to protect her and her husband-to-be) is thought up by wily Odysseus. But who makes sure (for all those years before Paris) that it would be upheld? It’s not like alliances between Greek kingdoms are all that stable. And yet, the council of kings - including extremely strong-willed characters such as Achilles, Aias, and Odysseus - WORKS and works well for ten years, even under the pressure of a prolonged war. Why? It’s because Agamemnon knows how to choose advisers (such as wise Nestor), knows how to utilize the human equivalent of an eel (I am looking at you, Odysseus) etc. He is a fucking brilliant politician. (And it was his RIGHT (AND a necessity) to demand Briseis from Achilles, however much the Myrmidon may moan about it; but more about that later).

Simple proof in numbers: Three exiled kids with NOTHING; fast-forward a decade or two and you have this: Agamemnon commands the largest of the Greek fleets (100 ships). If you add to those the number of Spartan (60) and Phocian (40) ships as well, that’s a whooping 200, even if you disregard for instance the huge Cretan fleet (80) which is led by their uncle, Idomeneus. Brilliant strategists and politicians.

 3 - They are so highkey EXTRA when it comes to the love department. (Well, the brothers are. Anaxabia rolls her eyes at them.)

Before I talk about the brothers and their highkey Extra relationships to their wives, let me just again go back to Anaxabia. Her marriage to Strophius is delightfully stable and uneventful and no one ends up dead (which is quite rare in Greek mythology, really). It produces delightfully stable and unproblematic children, such as the original bestest of mates, Pylades. Just think of Anaxabia and her husband just looking at each other silently at a family dinner,when her dramatic brothers and their dramatic wives start throwing food (and possibly knives) across the table. Next year, we’re doing a couple’s retreat in Delphi, my dear. I love her.

But the brothers’ marriages are equally fascinating.

Paris kidnaps Helen while Menelaus is attending his grandfather Catreus’s funeral btw - dick move, prince of Troy -, and for some reason THEIR relationship is the stuff of legends? Well, fuck that. While I have all the love in the world for one (1) flamboyant and canonically cowardly favourite of Aphrodite, let’s not forget how superglue-strong Menelaus’s bond with Helen is.

First of all, out of all the suitors for her hand in marriage, she chooses HIM without hesitation - after they must’ve known each other for years, btw considering Menelaus’s time in exile in Sparta.

And when she is suddenly gone, he mobilizes literally every available man in Greece to get her back.

That’s a matter of pride, you say? That’s because - much like Agamemnon when he demands Achilles’s prize of war, Briseis, because he had to give his own, Chryseis, back to appease Apollo - he would lose face and power (and thus massively endangering the stability of his reign and consequently the safety of his country, btw)? Sure, it’s that as well.

But.

It’s not like other kings haven’t “misplaced” a wife before. It’s not like he couldn’t simply have claimed she died. He could have. And you know what? It would have saved him from being both the laughing stock of all of Greece (“Here comes Menelaus who couldn’t hold on to his wife”) and also everyone’s favourite villain for having to go to war for him.

And later, what does he do when he finds her again - either in the ruins of Troy or in far away Egypt? Does he kill her? Does he demand a divorce?

No. They sail back to Sparta together and - and this is the kicker - rule together for many years, quite happily reunited.

He fucking loves her, and she loves him. (Okay, she might ALSO love Paris and that whole war could’ve been avoided if they just got into a poly relationship. I wouldn’t have been opposed to that either.)

The same goes for Agamemnon and his family.

Iphigenia, you yell at me in outrage? Well, the unquestioned villain in THAT story is so clearly vengeful Artemis for demanding her life in the first place. And yes, you may fight me on this.

And okay, I am having a slightly harder time explaining away Agamemnon murdering Clytemnestra’s first husband as a romantic gesture, fine. But my point is, Agamemnon’s and Clytemnestra’s relationship status throughout is clearly “it’s complicated”, it’s ENDLESSLY fascinating. Plus, Clytemnestra is such a fierce and badass (Spartan) woman who without problem competently takes care of Mycenae during the war. They are SO well suited for one another, and their relationship is brilliant, from a storytelling point of view.

 So, in conclusion: Give me Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon, Dominic West as Menelaus, and Oona Chaplin as Anaxabia, and I’d watch the hell out of twenty plus seasons about the Atrides and how they feel rightfully superior to all those other Peloponnesian peasants .

The Atrides are the best. It’s just a fact.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: One Last Con (9x10)

Okay, so then what happens next is that Harvey and Donna move to Seattle, and they become closer than ever to Rachel and Mike. At least once a week, Harvey and Mike have a "guy's night" while Donna and Rachel have a "girl's night." And then, gradually, they realize they've ended up with the wrong people. So they all get divorced and then Donna and Rachel become a couple, and Mike and Harvey become a couple. Someone please tell me they're writing that fic.

Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to talk about the episode? Let's get to it.

Cons:

I predicted last week that this episode would be overcrowded, and I wasn't wrong, exactly. I'm grateful that the conflict with Faye was over before the midpoint, so we could have a nice long goodbye with all of the characters. But while I do enjoy that, I also must admit it doesn't make a lot of sense. Faye was a season-long threat, and she's dispatched a third of the way through the finale. It just goes to show that as interesting of a villain as she might have been in the beginning, she didn't really matter. She was a figurehead. She didn't really change anything about these people and their perspectives on their lives. It all felt pretty pointless in the end.

No matter how much fan service a finale has, there are always going to be things that get missed. For example, it seems strange to me that Jessica couldn't have made a cameo at Louis' wedding. She's working on another show for the same creators; how hard would it have been to get her in for a few minutes? And I hate that Alex was the one to go to Katrina. On the one hand, I get it. They needed to find something for Alex to do in this episode, because he's been a pointless character for several weeks. But Harvey and Katrina never get a moment of apology, and that really sucks.

I've talked a lot in these reviews about my issues with Donna and Harvey. It's not that they're painful to watch, or actively unpleasant. The actors do a good job. It's perfectly serviceable. But I think I've finally figured out one of the reasons why they never quite clicked for me as a couple. Harvey is always talking about how Donna knows him better than anyone. But this is what editors mean when they say "show, don't tell." Donna knows Harvey. We've seen it throughout the years. But how does she show that she knows him? Well, she has the supernatural ability to read his mind and predict his requirements whenever the plot requires it. And she acts like is mommy just as often as she acts like his girlfriend, guiding him through his emotions like an enabler.

But Harvey can say again and again that Donna is the one for him, and how well she gets him... and then we can see Mike in the same episode, showing that same thing, instead of telling it. I'm not even pushing for a romantic interpretation, necessarily. It's just that Mike comes in, and they have their quippy banter. They work together to take down Faye. They re-enact Mike's interview with Harvey but in reverse. They find excuses to touch each other. And in an episode that involved two weddings and a health scare, the single most emotional moment in the episode is when Harvey tries to leave Mike's apartment dramatically after telling Mike he's never stopped trusting him, and Mike says "no," like the very idea of Harvey losing his license is torture to him. They have the chemistry. They have the beating heart of this show, and that's been true from day one. It makes the romance between Harvey and Donna pale in comparison.

Also, in an episode that had to accomplish so many things, so quickly, it was odd to add in that little health scare for Sheila. Why did her pregnancy have to have complications? It felt like something to add just to make for some more drama, but we really didn't need that. I'm glad that mother and daughter were both okay.

Pros:

I was always going to rant and ramble a lot in this review, since it's the last one for the show. But just because I had a lot to say in the "cons" section doesn't mean there was nothing to enjoy here. Let's start with my girl Katrina.

As I said, I was irritated that she and Harvey didn't have an on-screen reconciliation. But I am so, so happy for her that she gets to be name partner! It's so refreshing to have a character arc on this show be about a woman choosing her career over her love life, and having that be an empowering and rewarding choice to make. I'm all about it. She gets to come back to the firm, newly powerful, and stand with Alex, Samantha, and Louis.

Samantha and Alex were both underutilized in this finale, but I get it. I'd rather focus on the longer-standing characters, too. And the show did a good job of making this episode the end of an era for Harvey and Donna, and yet also a new beginning for the others. The image of the new firm name on the wall was really lovely. I especially liked that Samantha acknowledged how crazy it was that they'd kept changing the name, and decided that they can't change it anymore for at least five years. But Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett will be stronger for Katrina's presence among them.

Louis has one of the best glow-ups in TV history. There were times over the years where I didn't think I'd be able to forgive him. I still selfishly hold a grudge for that time when he physically attacked Mike. But at the end of the day, he has actually grown as a person. This is a great example of show vs. tell, actually. We've seen it all season - Louis has been calmer. He gets angry or worked up about something, but he doesn't fly off the handle. When he tells his therapist that he's ready to have him as a friend and have him officiate the wedding, it doesn't feel like empty words. Louis might still need therapy in his life, but he has the tools now to know how to get himself the help he needs. It was so fun to see his "final form" as it were. And then we see it put to the test, as Sheila goes into labor during their wedding ceremony. You might expect him to freak out, but he's calm. He's planned for this, and he's there to be supportive for Sheila during this difficult time. Even while he's frantic for her and the baby in the hospital, he keeps a cool head and doesn't do anything he would later regret. Yay Louis! (ps - Louis learning that Donna and Harvey were leaving was more emotional for me than Harvey and Donna's wedding). (pps - that scene of Donna and Louis holding hands in the elevator gave me LIFE).

It was predictable that Harvey and Donna would step up and take advantage of the pre-arranged wedding - a lot of fans predicted this exact outcome. And while I've spoken extensively on my mixed feelings about their relationship, I can't deny the cuteness of the scene. We get that lovely proposal, with Harvey's mother's ring. We get Mike putting his arms around both of them, with his little quip about being unlicensed to officiate. We get Harvey and Mike gripping hands as Harvey leads Donna out for their first dance. It's all very cute, and I feel happy for the big Darvey fans out there. They totally deserve to see all of that happiness, even if I don't agree with the couple at its core. This is the inevitable conclusion, and it was done quite beautifully.

Will I ever be over how much Harvey and Mike love each other? I really don't think so. Let's talk about the best parts of the episode.

First of all, I already mentioned it above, but that scene at Mike's place was just golden. Mike walking in to find Harvey already there was great - they have always just barged in to each other's personal spaces and that's such a testament to the trust between them. And then you have Harvey telling Mike the truth, and telling him that he's going to have to go on the stand and risk getting disbarred. Mike's reaction is genuine panic, and then the two of them concoct a plan that will save the day. I just love the idea of Harvey going over there not to ask for Mike's help, but because he couldn't stand the thought of Mike thinking he didn't trust him. That's love, baby.

Then you've got the interview-in-reverse thing at the end. I could spend hours just squealing about the fact that Donna and Harvey are leaving the firm and moving to Seattle (my home town! woo!) to be with Mike and Rachel. Hey, maybe the four of them could all be in a poly relationship... but that's for fanfic to decide, I guess. Good finales need to come full circle, and also need to set the characters up for changing futures. This idea of Harvey moving to Seattle, of Mike being Harvey's boss, manages to do both. They are quippy and cute with each other, but also genuine. Harvey decides to leave the firm in order to take out Faye, but he also genuinely wants a fresh start. His life changed forever when Mike walked into his life, and I really do feel like that was the final message the show left me with, when the dust had settled.

So... yeah. I can't find it in myself to be a hardcore Darvey shipper. This finale was never going to cater to all of my needs. But at the end of the day, I was mighty pleased with several of the scenes, and I love where it left all of the characters, in terms of their careers and happiness. For this finale, I'll give a rating of...

7.5/10

For the show as a whole? Well, I hate to break it to anyone who's unaware of this, but Suits isn't that great of a show. It has a couple of really strong elements, but over the years its stories became repetitive, and there's quite a lot that doesn't actually make sense about these characters and their motivations. But I don't grade these shows based on objective quality. I grade them based on the elements that I enjoy most in a show. For years, whenever Suits came back on the air, it was one of the things I looked forward to most each week. I longed for every scrap of content between Harvey and Mike that I could possibly get. There are moments over the years that I have gone back and watched in a loop because of those two. I also liked the way the show deconstructed toxic masculinity, and had a feminist message that didn't feel like something out of an after school special. I had fun watching this show, and I will think of it fondly for years to come. The show over-all gets:

8/10

[sheoptimist-a]

✧ *･ 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐈𝐓? 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋? 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 ･* ✧

guard elizabeth and councilman bill forbes’ marriage was far from perfect. maybe at some point, the two were really in love with one another. but as years passed and they grey old, they also grew apart. the only thing that kept them together ( other than the fact neither of them were willing to deal with the long process of getting a divorce ) was their daughter, caroline. with sparkling blue eyes, long blonde hair and a captivating smile, she had her parents wrapped around her little finger since she was a baby. sure, she was a handful. little girl from alpha station, who’s parents worked important jobs and spoke to important people, caroline wasn’t exactly the nicest girl on the ark. but she loved with all of her heart and oh how did it hurt when her own parents broke her heart and trust and—well, her.

her life started spiraling out of control when her father began drinking. at first, it was barely noticeable. just an extra tint of pink on his cheeks or a spark on his eyes. but it was quickly replaced by the stench of alcohol that seemed to stick to him like a second skin. his behavior changed, too. the once focused and well-opinionated member of the council turned into a man who arrived late at meetings, tripping over his own feet and nursing a flask without a hint of shame. about a week after this happened for the third time, bill got home and announced he was removed from the council. the very next day, his wife took his spot. 

from then on, it got worse. caroline saw too much of her drunk of a father and too little of her workaholic mother. she threw herself into her studies and spent a lot of time with her friends because being home was simply not an option. by being absent, she didn’t notice her father had developed a new addiction. so when, during a random room sweep, a guard pulled out a bottle of painkillers from under her pillow, caroline couldn’t fathom how it’d ended up there. only that she wasn’t the one who stole and hid it. she kicked and cried as the guards dragged her out of the quarters, screamed that she was innocent and didn’t know how the pills had ended up there, but it was useless. she was thrown into a cell and forced to wait six months for her eighteenth birthday, when she’d put on trail to see if her crime could be pardoned. she knew it wouldn’t. they were floating people for crimes smaller than stealing medication. she’d die in six months because she was guilty. guilty of a crime she didn’t commit. 

what caroline didn’t know was that during the time she spent on her tiny cell, her father - the one who hid the bottle under her pillow - tried to change chancellor jaha’s mind. he hoped he’d be able to sway the man and get him to pardon his daughter on her trail. it worked—sort of. instead of being floated, caroline was sent to the ground with other a hundred young prisoners just two days after bill’s last conversation with jaha.

under the cut, you’ll find more information about caroline, as well as a detailed description of what she’s up to season by season. if you’re someone who’s currently watching or intends to watch the 100 at some point, i suggest that you stop reading here as there are spoilers everywhere lol. but if you wanna risk it, be my guest! <3

𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞: caroline elizabeth forbes

𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: the ark (formely) ; the hundred (formely) ; skaikru (formely) ; spacekru (currently)

𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬: care, blondie, prisoner 307, karoline kom skaikru, karoline kom speiskru

𝐚𝐠𝐞: 17 (s1) ; 18 (s2-4) ;  24 (s5) ; 149 (s6, chronologically)

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: elizabeth ‘liz’ forbes (deceased) & william ���bill’ forbes (deceased)

𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞: caught with painkillers during a room sweep

𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: guns, knives, bow and arrow & distraction

𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬: optimistic, hard-working & loyal

𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬: neurotic, controlling, spoiled (mostly in s1!!), & insecure

season one

earth is weird. there are mosquitos and green things everywhere, the sun is too hot but the water on the river near camp is too cold. and not to mention the fact they’re all sleeping on the ground and no one seemed to think about packing some shampoo! so yeah, earth is weird but caroline is sure she can get used to it. but then jasper gets speared and they find out not only they’re not alone, but whoever is out there wants them all dead. she freaks out and wishes there was a way they could all get back to the ark. but there isn’t.

so she has no choice but to learn how to defend herself, be it with a makeshift knife or actual guns. she fights with her fellow delinquents, tries to protect them and herself and the camp but it’s not enough. so when time comes for them to get into the dropship, she obliges without a second thought. they blast off, turn a bunch of grounders into barbecue and she thinks ‘it’s finally over’. but it’s not. the moment they all step outside, smoke bombs are being thrown into their camp. everything is suddenly a pinkish-red and the last thought caroline has before passing out is that she misses the obnoxious amount of green.

additional note: her father volunteers for the culling. it’s his way to make up for what he did to his own daughter.

season two

mount weather is great. it might be because she missed sleeping on an actual bed, eating three solid meals a day and being able to shower properly. caroline likes mount weather but she doesn’t like mount weather’s people - well, some of them are fine. maya is nice and so is the old lady who gave her the last strawberry lemon shortcake during lunch one day. - they look at her funny when she walks past them on the halls and their smiles always seem so fake. still, caroline tries to fit in and get used to living there. 

but then clarke escapes and she’s hurt but can’t bring herself to blame her. so she tries to move on with her life because maybe they can be happy there. harper goes missing four days later and caroline just knows there’s something the wallaces are keeping from them. something important. hell breaks loose a few days later and, before she knows it, she’s chained to a moldy wall and watching as mount weather doctors are drilling her friends to get to their bone marrow. the drilling machine never comes anywhere near her body, but the images of raven strapped down and screaming will forever be seared into her brain. some miracle - aka clarke, bellamy and monty - happens and the people in mount weather are dead and they are free to go home. 

when they finally make to arkadia, caroline reunites with her mother - apparently kane had requested her to stay behind and keep an eye on things - and is engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. they cry and smile and say they’ve missed each other many, many times. it’s all good until caroline asks about her father and liz has to tell him that not only he was the one who hid the painkillers under her pillow, but that he volunteered to the culling. caroline silently cries in her mother’s arms while mumbling ‘i forgive you, daddy’ over and over again.

season three

being treated like a child sucked. even after everything they went through, the adults don’t seem to trust any of the remaining members of the hundred. they boss them around and scoff whenever they try to voice their opinions. caroline manages to tune them out most of the time and focus on learning a bit about medicine and reconnecting with her mother. their relationship is way better than it was when they were in space, however, they still butt heads every now and then, but that’s completely normal when you have caroline forbes for a daughter.

when jaha starts preaching about the city of light, caroline isn’t among the people who buy into it. to her, it screams bullshit and there’s no way in hell she’s accepting the weird chip he seems to never run out of. then people start acting weird and she grows wary; but it’s only when raven stops acting lke raven that she realizes the seriousness of the situation. so she tries her best to help and goes to polis when it’s needed, shooting brainwashed grounders as they barge into the room while clarke is in the city of light. when it’s all over and the people are no longer mumbling about A.L.I.E and the city, caroline take a much needed deep breath to collect herself and starts looking for her mother.

additional notes: she does NOT take the chip. her mother, however, does when jaha threatens to hurt her daughter. caroline is under massive stress during all of this; fretting over her mom’s safety while trying to avoid being chipped.

season four

‘radiation, seriously?!’ is the first thing that comes out of caroline’s mouth when she finds out what A.L.I.E told clarke. but then again, should she even be surprised? ever since they came down, they barely had time to breathe before another bad thing happened. when she hears through the grapevine that jaha might’ve found a bunker that will be able to save them all, she begs clarke to let her go with them. she mumbles something about ‘four people cover more ground then three’ until clarke gives up and lets her join. her hopes are crushed when they make it into the bunker and find thousands of toasted skeletons, but, of course, she tries to hide it. she puts on her best smile and goes back to the camp where she knows her friends and mom will be waiting. when they finally find the right bunker, caroline’s hopes are renewed and she just knows they’ll make through yet another terrible thing tossed their way.

she asks - or rather, demands - clarke and bellamy to let her come with them to rescue raven. caroline had grown to love and admire the mechanic and there was no way she’d leave her behind. john and emori show up not long after and, together and clad in hazmat suits, the five of them leave to find their friend. along the way, monty, harper and echo join them. when clarke announces they’re going to the ark, caroline is shocked. she didn’t think she’d ever go back there, but if that was her only shot at surviving then so be it. she says goodbye to her mom and tries to sound confident and happy even though she’s secretly afraid. she mumbles a heartfelt, ‘ i love you, mom. may we meet again ’ to liz before passing the radio to bellamy so he can say goodbye to octavia; 

caroline stays in becca’s lab to help raven, harper, emori and echo set everything up for their launch. she gets into the ship with her heart racing and palms sweating and as it launches, without clarke inside, caroline is in deep silence just like everyone else. expecting something bad to happen with the hundred year-old rocket or for the death wave to get them. when nothing happens and they’re somewhat safe in space, tears start streaming down caroline’s face as it dawns on her: clarke is dead.

additional notes: back in the bunker, liz joins david miller and writes her daughter’s name in the lottery to make sure she would have two chances of getting her name drawn. however, when unconscious arkadians start to be removed from the bunker by grounders and caroline still hasn’t returned, kane decides to give her spot to liz.  

season five

algae sucks. of course, caroline never tells monty that. she doesn’t have the heart to, not when the two have grown close over the six years they spent on the ring. she grows close to the others too, but especially to echo. the two train together almost every day and the brunette teaches her how to use a bow and arrow - a really shitty one they put together with random scrapes they found laying around -. 

it takes a while but they manage to get to the ground and she’s utterly shocked to find out not only that clarke has been alive the whole time but that she also had a kid. the bunker is open, their people come out and caroline looks and looks, but her mother is nowhere to be seen. she asks multiple people but it’s kane who delivers the news: her mother is dead. it tears her apart and she cries on the former chancellor’s arms for a few minutes before wiping her tears and leaving to find bellamy. 

when bellamy decides to put the flame on madi, caroline is extremely against it. no matter what the girl has witnessed or how strong she seems to be, she’s still just a child. she gives him the cold shoulder for a few hours until she has no choice but to talk to him. caroline marches with everyone else because she knows that’s her only shot at surviving and she wants to keep on living to make her mother proud. when hell breaks loose, caroline manages to escape with some of the wonkru members and return to the dead zone. she tries helping niylah tend to the wounded, but she’s no doctor and fears that she might kill them faster than a gunshot. still, she keeps on trying because they’ve all come so far to die now.

caroline almost doesn’t make it into the eligius ship. she’s trying to support someone who’s injured pretty badly, which means running isn’t really an option. however, when she sees everyone rushing inside the ginormous ship, hope blossoms within her for the millionth time and that’s what fuels her to all but carry the woman she’s helping and lead both of them to safety. 

she attends the meeting where they decide the fate of human race. like everyone else, caroline doesn’t like monty’s plan of using algae. she’s has enough of that thing to last a lifetime. so when raven and shaw suggest cryosleep, she’s quick to agree. of course she knows that, ultimately, it’s up to madi. thankfully, the new heda also agrees and everyone starts getting ready to go to sleep.

before going into her chamber, caroline jokes with bellamy that, when she wakes up, she will be ‘ the hottest 34 year-old on the ship ’. she then proceeds to give him a quick hug before hopping on what’s going to be her bed for the next ten years. or so she thinks.

additional notes: liz dies during the dark year. caroline doesn’t know what happened but she knows that octavia is responsible for her mom’s death so to say their relationship is strained would be one hell of an understatement.

season six

she knows something’s not right immediately after waking up. for one, only a handful of them are awake and then there’s the fact bellamy looks like someone kicked him in the groin. she finds out about earth and monty and harper only fifteen minutes after she gets out of her cryo chamber. she hugs emori while listening to monty’s video logs and by the time he mentions harper’s death, she’s silently crying on her friend’s shoulder. afterwards, they talk. about who should be on the exploratory team, when they should leave and how many guns they should bring with them. caroline volunteers to stay on the ship with raven, but the brunette waves her off and tells her to ‘go have some fun for her and try not to get killed’. so she gets ready and heads to the ground with the rest of the team.

things start going downhill within hours of them being on the new planet and seriously, that has to be a new record !  by the time clarke figures out about the toxin being related to the eclipse, caroline is already starting to feel the effects of it. she’s chained in the same room as jackson and miller, losing it way before they do. she’s the only one awake after bellamy and clarke use the darts on their friends and leave to deal with echo and emori. time seems to drag by, but eventually, the effects wear off and caroline comes to her senses. shortly after, the door opens and in comes abby.

caroline tries to adjust to life in sanctum - yeah, apparently that’s the name of the moon they’re going to live in -, but it’s hard. maybe it’s because of everything she’s gone through on earth, but she doesn’t fully trust russell and is constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. eventually, it does. immortality and bodysnatchers are a thing in sanctum and caroline has half a mind to scream ‘ i told you so ! ’ to all of her friends that thought she was being paranoid.

additional note: this will be updated once the season is over. i just wanted to post an overview of what caroline is doing in sanctum lol.

[blapis-blazuli]

For that one ship meme: any Invisible person you feel like doing. Don't overload yourself, though.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I wasn’t sure which one to pick, so have all of them

Scientific Romance (Arthur Kemp/Jack Griffin/Flora Cranley/Rosemary Carew/Henry Jekyll(/Jack Griffin)) [Monster AU]

When or if I started shipping it: For a while now. As it currently is? Uh… Our conversations on Discord would imply since early September of last year, given the development between Rosemary and Flora.

My thoughts: It’s cute? It’s a lot of fun to come up with things for all of them? Maybe too much fun even?

What makes me happy about them: They’re all dorks in love and it’s great.

What makes me sad about them: Universal will never have the balls to make Griffin/Kemp canon, let alone this. …Then again, Universal had the “brilliant” idea of trying to cast Johnny Depp as Griffin (which I still think was terrible casting), so maybe it’s for the best that they don’t try to do something like this. (Plus, you and I both know how bad The Umm turned out. I can’t say I’m looking forward to seeing their new take on my favorite of their monsters)

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I’m kinda concerned that a hypothetical fanbase for this AU would:

Ignore that they’re all in a happy, consensual relationship

Ignore that none of them are straight and only focus on Jack/Flora and/or Henry/Rosemary

Fetishize Flora/Rosemary and ignore that they’re both also happy with Jack and Henry respectively

Fetishize either Jack/Arthur and/or Jack/Henry and either act like Flora and Rosemary don’t exist or treat them like they’re evil and “in the way” of one of those relationships

Things I look for in art/fic: I’d be impressed if someone besides us wrote about them at all, to be honest.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Eh.. The closest thing I can think of is an AU where Jack was nicer to Thomas Marvel and they also got together and maybe things ended up working out with Henry and Gabriel Utterson. Other than that… I dunno.

My happily ever after for them: I just want them all to be happy.

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Just relaxing together and enjoying when things aren’t falling apart around them.

Invisible Poly-Square (Kitty Carroll/Helen Manson/Geoffrey Radcliffe/Frank Griffin(/Kitty Carroll)) [Monster AU]

When or if I started shipping it: The moment we started figuring out how to fit both Kitty and Geoffrey into this AU.

My thoughts: They are incredibly sweet. I love them.

What makes me happy about them: Everything? They’re just great?

What makes me sad about them: I’d say “Universal would never make it canon” but… Well, see the previous one for why that doesn’t bother me.

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I have a few of the same concerns for this ship as I would for the previous one.

Things I look for in art/fic: I’d be impressed if it existed at all, especially given the… lack of popularity regarding both Invisible Man Returns and Invisible Woman.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I dunno.

My happily ever after for them: That they’re happy at all.

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Just being near each other and enjoying a quiet moment together, all four of them.

Dr. Jekyll/Claude Griffin/Mr. Hyde [Mad Monster Party/Mad Mad Mad Monsters]

When or if I started shipping it: Oh gosh, uh… shortly after watching Mad Monster Party for the first time, if not during the first time seeing it.

My thoughts: Best MMP couple. No contest.

What makes me happy about them: I think they’re just fun to think about in general, especially as a way to explore the idea of Jekyll and Hyde both being in love with the same person and that person loving them both back (and with someone who already knows they’re both in the same body).

What makes me sad about them: …Does anyone even care that much about the movie they’re from?

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I’m pretty sure Mad Monster Party/Mad Mad Mad Monsters fic doesn’t exist.

Things I look for in art/fic: That it exists to begin with.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I don’t know, but I definitely don’t see Claude getting back with Nagatha.

My happily ever after for them: They escaped Baron Boris’ island together and are happily starting a new life with each other.

Their favorite non-sexual activity: For Jekyll and Claude: just talking about things together. For Claude and Hyde: causing mischief.

Henry Frankenstein/Nagatha [Mad Mad Mad Monsters]

When or if I started shipping it: After I tried thinking about what Nagatha would do with her life after divorcing Claude (let’s face it that marriage wasn’t meant to last) and thought about her maybe going to assist Henry Frankenstein.

My thoughts: They’d be a much better match than Nagatha and Claude.

What makes me happy about them: I enjoy the thought of them working together while also breaking the animated formula of having the Invisible Man with the Invisible Woman (fuck you, Hotel Transylvania).

What makes me sad about them: It’s gonna take some time to think of a way for them to get together that doesn’t feel forced. Not like I can do much worse than the actual relationships in that special though.

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: lol implying Mad Mad Mad Monsters fic exists

Things I look for in art/fic: That they exist to begin with.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I dunno, just don’t have Nagatha and Claude get back together.

My happily ever after for them: I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Science!

Boobula/Ghoul [Mad Mad Mad Monsters]

When or if I started shipping it: A little less than a week after we first watched Mad Mad Mad Monsters together, apparently.

My thoughts: I think they’d be great boyfriends. They’re vampire-invisible person solidarity, which is honestly underrated. A vampire can see things that other humans can’t. Things like an invisible person. So Boo would have no problem actually seeing his invisible boyfriend, things that others usually wouldn’t be able to see.

What makes me happy about them: I like to think they’d have a gradual childhood friends-to-lovers kind of romance and they’re already so close that it takes a while for them both to realize they have romantic feelings for each other.

What makes me sad about them: That some dipstick gave one of them the name “Boobula” like who tf does that I don’t know of anyone else who ships it.

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: That would require for said fic/art to exist to begin with.

Things I look for in art/fic: That it exists?

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: …I dunno.

My happily ever after for them: They’re happy together whether their respective families approve of their relationship or not. (Which at least Claude does.)

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Mostly harmlessly horsing around with regular humans, and each other too.

Eric Creighton/Sid Griffin/Nadia/Danya [OC/Gravedale High/OC/OC]

When or if I started shipping it: I think we started shipping Sid and Eric pretty shortly after we started working on him, and I kinda started shipping Nadia with Sid pretty quickly too. I pretty much immediately jumped to shipping Nadia and Danya.

My thoughts: I love them and look forward to hopefully doing more for them at some point? Sid was kinda not treated very well by the other students in his class, even towards the end of the show, and he’s the only one who never had a close friend like everyone else in class did, so I like how this kinda changes that.

What makes me happy about them: It’s been fun developing OCs for a show that doesn’t really get that much love outside the internet that happen to fall for a character I adore like a son? I think this finally helped me let go of the idea that OCs who end up with canon characters are inherently cringy and/or badly-written that I was pressured into believing as a younger teenager.

What makes me sad about them: That this show never even got a DVD release, what the fuck, Universal, give me my teenage monster children

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: Not about this ship exactly, but have I mentioned how disheartening it is to find that the few GH fanfics I’ve found mostly focus on Vinnie and Reggie as if they’re the only characters from this show worth focusing on? (They’re great, but the others deserve attention too.)

Things I look for in art/fic: I haven’t even drawn Danya yet, and I somehow lost the one rough sketch I’ve done for Nadia, so…

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: (shrugs)

My happily ever after for them: All four of them live together with their future daughter Grisephone.

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Musical comedy nights. I mean, any time they’re together they have fun, but especially musical comedy nights, because who knows what’ll happen.

Dr. Henry Davenport/Edgar Raven [Monster in my Pocket]

When or if I started shipping it: Er… late July of last year, apparently?

My thoughts: They would absolutely be dorks together.

What makes me happy about them: Thinking of them being Carrie’s dorky dads together is endearing to me.

What makes me sad about them: I can pretty much guarantee that Edgar isn’t even in the other unaired episodes that are who knows where now so I don’t think we’ll ever know what he looks like.

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I’m pretty sure that Edgar’s not even in the very few fics for this show that do exist.

Things I look for in art/fic: I’d honestly be impressed if any art of Edgar exists, fanart or otherwise.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My happily ever after for them: Edgar and Davenport get married and the latter officially adopts Carrie to become her official Monster Dad (the other three good monsters being her honorary monster uncles).

Their favorite non-sexual activity: Reading and writing together with one helping come up with ideas for the other.

Thank you so much! I’m sorry this is so long, I have a lot of feelings for invisible characters.

(Send me a ship?)

[jeezperseus]

A PLOTTING CALL IN TWO PARTS.

like for a msg !

CHARACTERS & INFO.

perseus hayden alexander xavier lehnsherr.

APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG

— adopted son of charles xavier & erik lehnsherr. nineteen. pansexual. accidentally married. regenerative healing & healing touch. fc: nick robinson. generation why by canon gray.

split knuckles, impulse tattoos, red solo cups, the copper taste of blood, post-ripped jeans, a story told in two parts, peals of laughter strong as vodka, shaking hands shoved in pockets, greasy fast food, low flying planes, cuffed shoes, the soft notes of a piano, a baseball bat in the back seat.

barbara “bobbi” morse.

APPLICATION / MUSING TAG

— former agent 19. thirties. bisexual. divorced. enhanced. fc: jessica alba. emotionless by drake.

gentle hands, biting remarks, unknown skill, non-disclosure agreements, hidden stashes of cash, studyblr accounts, handmade bullets, a tongue taught to deceive, coffee-mug rims, set shoulders, precise results, minimalism, lilting accent, a broken mirror, clean test tubes, red-painted nails around the hand of a gun.

andromeda rosalie isley-quinzel.

APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG

 — adopted daughter of pamela isley & harleen quinzel. twenty-one. pansexual. single ( see below ). precognition. fc: lana condor. finest hour by cash cash.

whispers from a voice both soft and powerful, sloppily cut hair, pointe shoes, paint stains on every article of clothing, cassandra foretelling the trojan war, dirt under your fingernails, a love a week, the gold tinsel of a crown, unexplainable dreams, bundles of flowers, the soft rustling of worn cards.

roman darkhölme.

APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG

— son of raven darkhölme. twenty-four. pansexual. enchanted. persuasion & power absorption. fc: miles heizer. lost boy by ruth b.

the unexpected answer, washing your hands, casual disinterest, stacks of cash, little clear baggies, practiced ease, a silver tongue, whispers of the past, old cobblestone streets, bad decisions in the best way, sweaters and flannel, the burning of flowers, white lab coat, fear of the unknown.

loki.

APPLICATION / MUSING TAG

— the god of mischief. 1000s. fluid. open marriage. fc: daniel gillies & katie mcgrath. wild things by alessia cara.

dark skies, a long steel dagger, fog coming in, green & gold banners held high, the twisted around truth, stories told from a thousand tongues, crooked grin, a crown just out of reach, salt in wounds, ourborous, contrary to a point, blood superiority, loneliness as something else, eyes in the back of your head.

winona falcone.

APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG

— daughter of sofia falcone. twenty-six. bisexual. single. darkness manipulation. fc: shay mitchell. take me to church by hozier.

expensive fur, champagne glasses, hands covered in blood, instagram perfect, beautiful but deadly, the rich kids of gotham, sharp edges for a reason, dark hair in waves, a product of a situation, cherry stems tied with your tongue, heels on a hardwood floor, the many shades of red.

skylar helix mccoy.

APPLICATION / INTRO / MUSING TAG

— daughter of hank mccoy. twenty-two. lesbian. single ( see below ). genetic atavism & genius intelligence. fc: jennie kim. 400 lux by lorde.

a field of vibrant yellow flowers, the yipping of a small dog, fangs bared, constellations of words, no apologies, thousands of discarded ‘what ifs,’ the call of the wild, a small crescent moon necklace, pride without arrogance, false confidence, spitting blood, intelligence without direction.

CHARACTERS & WCS.

perseus hayden alexander.

a former foster care sibling.

it’s been a while, but he’s a pretty memorable kid / hasn’t changed much at all. until age 5 / 2004, percy was in foster care + went through a bunch of homes. this is someone who was in one of them! probs knows stuff abt him that even he doesn’t/doesn’t rem. the possibilities! 

first relationship / current enemy. TAG

basically, it was percy’s first relationship back in his teens !! cute lil puppy love except he’s awful so not puppies more like … squirrels. like his first everything !! and then they broke up n it didn't go great !!! since then it has evolved and gotten much much worse - they’re now totally and completely against each other, hate each other, and will fuck w each other when given half a chance. 

first relationship / current enemy.

basically, it was percy’s first relationship back in his teens !! cute lil puppy love except he’s awful so not puppies more like … squirrels. like his first everything !! and then they broke up n it didn't go great !!! since then it has evolved and gotten much much worse - they’re now totally and completely against each other, hate each other, and will fuck w each other when given half a chance.

barbara “bobbi” morse.

old mission target.

bobbi worked with shield for a very long time! she went on various missions, undercover and classified and the like. on this particular mission, this is someone she was targetting. what for is up to you, but the options are rather open to interpretation. just generally something that would have set them against shield’s desires.

rival.

bobbi being widely competitive when it comes to just about anything (science, training, lecturing) is bound to attract some friendly competition. they’re constantly versing each other, even in the simplest things, like giving out test results or getting ready.

ex that ended on bad terms.

it’s a common story. girl meets person, girl dates person, girl and person breaks up, girl literally hopes person dies in a fire. for whatever the reason, they didn't part ways peacefully. and you bet your sweet ass she plays the part of scorned ex great.

andromeda rosalie isley-quinzel.

poly ship. ( 0 / 2 ) TAG

andy has baggage, certainly. she’s a past weapon x detainee, unbeknownst to her, adopted from a broken family, and had her heart broken by the first person she dated. she’s serial dated for years. but these people, they made her stop & start to appreciate love for what it is again. this connect can be filled by someone of any gender.

ex. TAG

andy was younger and very awfully naive. she’s never really gotten over it. for whatever reason, they broke up— it could have to do with her slightly overbearing personality, or general attitude, or whatever, totally up to you, but it was the other muse’s decision to break up, leaving andromeda heartbroken and now seeking out love in places it’s not.

former prediction.

andy PREDICTED something about this muse, in the past. how long ago and what is up to you. it was something SERIOUS, though, and most likely bad. it could be as wild as death, or marriage, or a death in the family, or a regret, etc. it’s rly up to u !!

roman darkhölme.

childhood love.

this is honestly rly cute. they were lil lil kids when they were friends and were super cute n close. they got fake “married” once or something. they were just best friends who grew apart. now roman is hella dif. he’s manipulative and a total fiend and it’s like “where’s that cute lil kid who promised to fight off all the bad guys in my life??” like … cute n sad.

enemy.

they see him for what he is: a manipulator. they either have past experience with him or are just adept ( VERY adept; he’s good at hiding ) at noticing him. they don’t enjoy him. not his view of the world, his actions, or his drug dealing. roman doesn’t like them for a point. he doesn’t like being exposed.

clientelle.

the darkhölme-mccoy drug dealing business is going great, actually. paragon is full of just the type. and with roman’s skill of persuasion, they haven’t gotten caught yet. this is someone that roman knows from that particular side of his work. he sells them drugs.

loki.

someone he had a kid with.

the other side of the story. not someone he fathered/mothered, but rather someone he had a child w. can be any gender for obvs reasons. how old the child is is up to u!!!

someone he pretended to be someone else with, extendedly.

for them, he pretended to be a different person… for a very extended period of time. it’s a trick he played often, but for them it was honestly excessive. the nature of their relationship is up to you, but upon coming to paragon this person finds out that loki is LOKI ! god of mischief, stories, lies, what have u. they’re probs pissed lmao 

asgardians.

while most midgardians known them as the god of mischief / alien asshole, this character knows a side of loki outside of the lore. they’ve met their kids & can even remember little loki, just around causing mischief, not trying to overthrow odin & what else. they have a better understanding.

winona falcone.

older sibling.

the oldest falcone ! mwahaha. so it’s this whole big thing that WINONA IS THE HEIR, but she wasn’t always. she has an older sibling who was disinherited from the family & cast out. a big ole family disgrace that none of them like to talk about. the reason behind this is up to you ! but it can range from being a MUTANT to a DEGENERATE to being SOFT to whatever. sofia is a pretty uptight gal.

best friend.

she’s not trying to replace raph. she didn’t think she would actually ever be given the chance, and for good reason. i mean, look at what happened to the last guy who took the spot. but they’re friends, for whatever reason ( and, damn, do the people commenting on her instagram posts speculate ).

ex.

she’s always been the exception that proves the rule. her sexuality is no different in that she’s not hte most comfortable with it. it’s just another thing she never told sofia about, lest her position as heir was to be threatened. that makes her exes an interesting story, especially considering she won’t acknowledge some of them.

skylar helix mccoy.

hateship to ship.

open to fem aligning nb & girls / both have reputations that proceed themselves ! sky obvs bc she had one inherently n bc of what happened & the other for w/e reason. pref an xkid. they knew each other when sky was younger but they didnt get along & when they reconnect , they dont get along right either. theyre a PLAYER really. like new girl on their arm every month. sky becomes one of the girls, rly. and sparks fly. and shes mad abt it. they have this antagonistic hatefuck relationship. and she finds herself starting to rly like them, falling in lov w them, unbeknownst to their own feelings (that shes the ONE). and like that

tutoree.

girl is, in fact, a genius, though people of many have expressed their disbelief at such a fact. she literally didn’t have education for eleven whole years of her development and is still ahead of her peers. she tutors in her free time. while totally organized, studyblr style, her teaching style leaves something to be desired in her paraphrasing of many a thing. ( vicki vc king george iii did what? sky vc fucked half of england )

someone who knew her before.

she was a prodigy child. famous beyond her years. even now, she’s on vogue lists, has millions of instagram followers, the whole thing — but for different reasons. this person knew her before she got taken, and are likely a child of the xmen or someone who was at xaviers. they remember the fearless child, ready to dive into anything, the kid who was always the top of her class. brash and happy, but kind, in a way she no longer is.