#i considered responding but it really is just like nope bye I don't think you have anything I'll miss

[utilitycaster]

Idk man the more I think about it the more I feel like the idea of Vax becoming not just de-orbed but brought back mortal is like, maybe the most simultaneously literal and figurative Monkey's Paw allusion one can get, on top of missing the core themes of every main campaign character Liam has played.

[yourfavewriteress]

right under our noses (part 5) | colton parayko

Teaser: "I feel it in my gut, Colt."

“What are you doing right now?” Jayne’s voice sounded in your ear seconds after you answered her call. You had gotten home from work nearly two hours ago, taking time to only shower then collapse in your living room.

"Laying on my couch watching Netflix,” you responded.

“Well, we’re having some people over after 8 and I want you to come,” She said.

“Last minute invite, nice," You rolled your eyes. "What does 'some people' mean?"

“The team and close friends,” Was the reply. It was never just the "team and close friends."

“I don’t feel like doing my makeup, Jayne,” You groaned. “Or, even getting dressed for that matter. I just laid down.”

“Come on, please?” She pleaded. “It’s lowkey so you don’t have to really wear makeup if you don’t want to.”

"But I would need to change. Do you know how much energy that would require?"

"If we waited around for you to have energy, we would never see you!" You heard Alex yell in the background.

"Why am I always on speaker?"

"You have something to hide from me, Y/L/N?"

“Anyway,” You rolled your eyes. “Will jeans and a t-shirt satisfy you guys? It doesn't sound like I can get out of this.”

“That sounds perfect,” Jayne responded. “Just come by whenever you’re ready.”

“Do you want me to bring anything?” 

“Nope, we’re all good. See you when you get here!”

“Bye.”

You definitely took your time getting ready. Although you said you wouldn't put in any effort, you ended up showering, doing light makeup, AND coordinating a presentable outfit.

By the time you pulled into Jayne and Alex's gate, you could tell quite the crowd had already started to form inside. You took a deep breath before pushing your way through the doors and the growing crowd. Saying hi to a few people as you made your way to the kitchen, you made a beeline for the Vodka bottle.

"I thought you weren't going to show," Alex appeared next to you within a few seconds.

"I considered it," You smiled.

"How's the job search going?"

You rolled your eyes, "Is that really the first question you want to ask me when I have a glass bottle in my hand?"

He laughed loudly, voice echoing over the music, "Understood, boss."

"I thought this was supposed to be a small get-together?" You asked.

"Is that what Jayne said?"

"Your wife is a liar."

"No argument there," He shook his head. "But, if you need a minute, the patio is always pretty quiet, because I always tell the guys to stay away from it."

"I'll probably head out there for a bit before I put on my social smile."

Alex left you alone in the kitchen, wheels already turning in his head. He pulled his wife, Jayne, away from her friends and into their bedroom.

"What? She was just going to give me what moisturizer she's been using!"

"One, your skin is beautiful, baby," She smiled at that. "Two, Y/N just got here and I think she's going to the patio."

"Is she okay? Should I go check on her?"

"She's fine. And no, you shouldn't go, but maybe someone else. If I'm the one to tell him to go to the patio, it's going to be obvious."

"Well, he was telling me earlier that he had a headache from the music."

"You have to be slick about it," Alex coached. "If he even smells bullshit, he'll figure it out once he gets out there."

"Okay, so what do I do?"

****

You made a deal with yourself: you could only stay outside for four songs. Anything more than that, you should have just stayed home. You knew Jayne wouldn't invite you out if the other half of the experiment wasn't here, and you had to make yourself seen.

The third song started to play, and you began to coach yourself to be the social butterfly you knew you could be. All before...

“Can I join you?” You turned around at the sound of the voice. You smiled widely when you locked eyes with Colton. My savior.

“Yes, of course,” You slid over, making room for him on the stairs. “Get tired of the crowd?”

“A little bit," He laughed. "This song is a fan favorite and I don't think my head can take the yelling. Plus, I saw you out here and wanted to make sure you were good."

“Oh,” I waved him off. “I’m fine, just needed to feel fresh air for a second.”

“It is getting a little tight in there now,” He commented, looking over his shoulder to Alex and Jayne’s home which had continued to fill up more and more in the past half hour.

“How’s your night going?” You asked.

He shrugged, “Pretty good, this was the only thing I got out of bed for today.”

“That sounds like such an amazing day,” You nodded. “I’m jealous.”

“You worked today?” Nod again. “When was your last day off?”

You thought back, “Last Tuesday, maybe? I’m not sure.”

“You’ve worked ten days straight?”

“I probably shouldn’t have told you that,” You sighed. 

“I’m not going to say anything,” He held up his hands. “You’re an adult, you make your own decisions.”

“Thank you,” You said, letting out a laugh after.

“But, you deserve better.”

“I remember our deal at the bar, Colton," You pointed out. “I plan on holding up my end, trust me.”

“How do you even work that much?”

"Well, not everyone is on an NHL contracted salary," You responded. "I do have to pay my bills."

"I get that part, but how do you actually make it through every day when you hate your job?"

You smiled, incidentally leaning closer to him as you reached into my left pocket. You pulled out the bag of gummy worms you had brought, “Sugar.”

Colton took a slightly deeper breath when he got a waft of your shampoo as you leaned closer to him. He had never smelled anything like it, like you. And your smile. His eyes flickered to your lips and back up before he could even register it.

You were doing things to him that even he had never felt before. That’s why it was so easy for him to mistake the goosebumps you gave him for being from the windy night air.

“No way,” Colton laughed. “The only thing that keeps me going sometimes is a soda.”

“Yeah, it’s either that or candy,” You agreed. “Sometimes I get worried that I might get diabetes.”

“Me too,” He responded. “If you had to pick one food or drink to have an unlimited supply of for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

“One?” You asked, earning a nod. “Hm, I’m not really sure. I feel like if I had an unlimited supply of gummy worms, that’d be great. They definitely raise the prices once a month.”

“You’d get a lot of cavities,” Colton commented.

“I wouldn’t eat it all at once, but to not have to buy it every single time I have a craving? Heaven,” You sighed, happily.

He smiled as he shook his head, “Heaven with cavities.”

“You’re one to talk,” You chirped lightly. “You’re going to get diabetes with all the sugar you consume from those cokes. At least my gummy worms are sugar-free.”

He rolled his eyes, “Then, does that really help? Anything sugar free is a scam.”

You laughed at him, your head thrown back. “It tastes the same!”

“I can’t believe you,” He shook his head, smiling. “Phony.”

A comfortable silence fell over you both for a few moments.

“You guys had a game yesterday, right?” You asked as another song began to play inside.

“Yeah,” He nodded. 

“I’m taking it didn’t go as planned?” 

“It was alright,” He shrugged lightly, looking back over Alex and Jayne’s yard. 

“That’s exactly what I said when you asked about work at the bar,” You teased, nudging his shoulder. “Should I be encouraging you to quit, too?”

He laughed, “Not at all.”

“Yeah, my job doesn’t come with traveling the country.” You said. “Honestly, I’m still super confused about hockey and the calls that refs make. I mostly just let Jayne translate for me.”

Laughing, “Refs definitely make bullshit calls a lot, though.”

“Is that what happened yesterday? I didn’t catch the game but Jayne was texting me about it.”

He shrugged, “There were a couple of questionable calls, but we lost because we’re not playing the way we should be.”

“Well, I guess you guys are going to be busy at your next practice".

“I just feel like my game has been lacking so much lately,” Colton sighed, eyes still trained on the yard ahead. “And, then we just keep losing so that solidifies it.”

“Or, it solidifies that the entire team needs to try something different?” You suggested, raising your eyebrows at him. “It is a team sport, right? You can’t take all the heat for yourself, just like you can’t take all the praise.”

“I’m pretty sure I deserve the heat, though.”

“Okay, break it down for me, since I’m a hockey idiot,” You started, turning to face him. “Tell me what you think is going wrong.”

“You’re not an idiot,” He rolled his eyes. “And, do you really want me to bore you with hockey at a party? You don't want to go back inside and have fun?

“To be honest, I lied before. I’m actually out here because I didn’t want to come in the first place but Jayne begged and also lied about how many people would be here. Which is very common for her, so I don't know why I fell for it.”

“I’m obligated to be here because of the team,” He let out a laugh.

“So, we both got screwed,” You laughed, making him smile. “I was going to just sit in silence anyway, so if you want to talk about hockey, I’ll listen.”

It was a genuine offer, and Colton knew that as he looked into your eyes. He felt something at that moment, but he really couldn’t figure out what it was. It was almost a calming feeling, like all the stresses he had been feeling were subdued for the time that he was with you. 

He explained everything to you, way more than you were ever going to be able to remember but you watched him relax as he talked. What started as a self-deprecating account turned into Colton going through some of his favorite hockey moments, of his career and of all time. 

“I wish I had something to be this invested in,” You let out a laugh after he had finished going over the team’s Stanley Cup run.

“Well, what are you interested in?” He turned to you, leaning back against the patio. He took another sip of his drink. “Now it’s your turn to talk.”

And, talk, you did. You surprised yourself with how much you told Colton, but he had given the same amount. It was only fair. You were reminded then how much you got along with him. Even though you guys only spoke at times like these where the team was gathered with close friends, he was always one of the easiest people to talk to. It wasn’t uncommon for you both to be catching up at parties.

Colton enjoyed your conversation and realized that you both had a lot more in common than he originally thought. And, you could clearly talk about anything. Well, obviously. We’re friends, he thought.

And, Alex. There was a voice in Colton’s head, telling him that you were the person he was being set up with. The louder voice, however, reminded him that Alex cared too much about you to ever set you up with someone on the team, let alone him. 

Colton vowed at that moment to completely remove you from his list of potential matches. It would only hurt him in the end, to wish it was you and then be disappointed. He felt that it was nearly impossible for it to happen, and he actually enjoyed having you as someone to talk to. She’s a friend. He had to respect Alex’s wishes, and if he was being honest, he thought you were out of his league too.

“Hey, Y/N?” You both turned at the sound of a voice behind you. “Jayne is looking for you.”

“Oh, okay,” You smiled at Ryan. “I’ll be right in.”

He nodded, disappearing back inside. 

“She’s probably going to make me drink something with her so I don’t know how conversational I’ll be after that.”

Colton laughed, “Maybe another time, then.”

“Definitely next time,” You corrected, pushing yourself up to your feet. “I want to hear all about the team’s crazy comeback, and your point streak.”

“How do you know that’s gonna happen?” He laughed. “What if you just jinxed it?”

“I feel it in my gut, Colt.” You said, right before you disappeared inside to find Jayne. 

Although you didn’t realize it, your words stuck with Colton. Not just your belief in him, but the nickname, too. It wasn’t the first time you’ve used it, but it was the first time it gave him goosebumps. 

A few hours later, as the party died down and people began to disperse, you were having a very tipsy conversation with an also very tipsy Jayne. “I’m really glad you came.”

“Honestly,” You paused, pursing your lips. “It was bad, at all. I actually talked to Colton for a bit and then drank, probably a bit too much, with Vince.”

“Really?” She quickly found something to occupy her eyes with because although she was drunk, there was no way she was going to blow up her own plan. “How was that? Your talk with Colton, I mean. We all know how Vince gets at these.”

“None of your business,” You joked with a serious tone. Jayne froze, looking back at you.

“Uh-”

“-Dude, I was just kidding,” You furrowed your eyebrows curiously at her with a laugh. “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” She recovered, taking a sip of her drink again. "I thought something happened."

“Okay,” You trailed off. In your drunken state, you didn’t bother to further question. “It was actually pretty nice, though. We talked about hockey and my job, nothing serious.”

“That’s cool,” Jayne said. “I’m glad, he’s been feeling down lately.”

“Yeah, I could tell. I just told him he doesn’t need to be because all I hear about him from the other guys is how good he is. Tonight was actually the first night I somewhat understood hockey,” You shrugged absentmindedly. Not knowing how to respond without blurting out “You’re perfect for each other!” Jayne began to recount what she could remember of her night. 

Later that night, Alex and Jayne settled in bed after making sure you were asleep in their guest room. 

“How drunk are you?” Alex laughed at his wife, pulling back the covers for her.

“Just a little,” Jayne responded with a laugh. “But, I think we’re making headway with the plan.”

Raising his eyebrows, “How? What did I miss?”

“Y/N and Colton were on the steps for at least an hour talking tonight!” Jayne whispered excitedly. “She said it was really nice.”

“Holy shit,” Alex said. “She figured it out, then?”

“No, no, I don’t think she has a clue. Maybe if she was sober, she would have put two and two together, but I tried not to pry too much and make it obvious.”

“What did they talk about?”

“She said this was the first night she actually understood anything about hockey.” Alex smiled, rolling his eyes. “And, I guess they talked about her job, too.”

“Well, it had to be good if they talked for an hour, right?” Alex shrugged. “Is that really where he disappeared to? I remember him saying he was getting a drink and then I didn't see him for a while.”

“I guess so.”

“Now that I think about it, he did seem like he was in a better mood when he came back,” Alex said.

“Do you think they’re going to figure it out?”

“I feel like Y/N is going to catch on sooner than we think,” Alex said, looking up at the ceiling. “She over analyzes everything.”

“I don’t think so," Jayne replied. "Do you see the way Colton looks at her?"

"No, how?" Alex looked over at her.

"Like she puts the fucking stars in the sky," Jayne laughed. "I only noticed it tonight, but I think he may already have it figured out."

"I highly doubt it, he would have said something to me."

"Well, until either of them say anything, the plan is still in motion. We should talk about next steps in the morning. I have to sleep."

[mrsalwayswrite]

To Call Forth Love - Chapter 9

Yay! Next chapter! True confessions, this *sorta* slow burn is killing me....and i’m the one writing it! (sorry not sorry?)

Warnings: some swearing, nothing really, Hvitserk being a good bro?

Words:7100 (I hope these longer chapters make up for the wait)

Tag List: @youbloodymadgenius @evelynshelby @pomegranates-and-blood @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @heavenly1927 @zuxiezendler @punkrocknpearls @love-all-things-writing @southernbe​

Series Masterlist

The ringing of her phone had Kari dropping the leggings she was folding on her bed to quickly snatch it up. 

 "Albus!"

 The voice on the other end sighed. "You know I hate that nickname."

 Kari laughed, picking the leggings back up to fold. "But it fits you so perfectly."

 "I am not an old wizard."

 "I'll give you that, but you're studious, kind and too wise for someone your age. So close enough."

 "I suppose if I haven't been able to convince you to drop that nickname for the past ten years, I won't be able to now."

 "Nope." She cheerfully said. "So, how are you? Your mother still wreaking havoc in your life?"

 "She set me up on a date last week." He grumbled after a moment's hesitation. 

 In her mind, she could imagine him sitting at his desk with a slight furrow between his brows and lips pursed as he lamented his mother's involvement in his love life. This would not be the first time he complained to Kari about this topic. "Ohhhh? How did that go?" She asked, even if by his tone she could already guess his answer. 

 "I know my mother means well, but the women she thinks I should date…." He trailed off with a forlorn sigh. 

 "Not your type?"

 "No."

 "I'm sorry. You'll find someone and your mother won't be able to help but love them."

 He snorted inelegantly. "I won't hold my breath for that."

 "See, you're so wise." She teased, smiling as she folded a work shirt. "Now, what else is new since last month?"

 The two spent the next hour talking. It had become their tradition after she moved. Hearing the gentle cadence in his voice, his quiet chuckles, it sent a wave of nostalgia washing over her. He was the only person from England she still kept in communication with, the only one who knew where she was. The last string tying her to her prior life. Although she would not have labeled him her best friend, they were certainly close and even more so after she moved. In their monthly conversations, they would chat about anything new in their lives, TV shows watched, books read, his latest exams in university. He always made sure to inform her what he knew about her family. Something she was grateful for but it always felt like a knife to the heart after. 

 As they talked, she finished folding her laundry, a necessary evil in her opinion. Once done with that, she moved on to the package she received in the mail today. It was addressed to her but the sender was a designer name she would never be able to afford in her lifetime. She shook her head, wondering what surprise the youngest Lothbrok had bought for her. 

 Listening to him regale her with the latest family drama of his, she opened the package and had to muffle a gasp at the two dresses that lay inside. The first was an off-the-shoulder, black skater dress that would reach mid-thigh in length. It was a classy and elegant cocktail dress that reminded her of the dress she wore on her and Ivar's "date" but way more sophisticated and stylish. It was the second dress that made her pause and wonder where Ivar thought she would ever wear something like this. It was a deep red evening gown, the hem long enough to trail slightly on the ground. The dress was gorgeous with a tight bodice and slight flair of the skirt. It was the slit in the skirt that touched her upper thigh and the sheer middle of the bodice that made Kari raise her eyebrows. The gown was the perfect blend of chic and sexy. What was Ivar thinking? She would feel so self-conscious and she never went anywhere fancy enough to wear it. Though as she stared at both dresses, she decided it never hurt to admire them on the hanger, even if she never got the chance to wear them. As her friend continued speaking, she hung both dresses up in her closet, making a mental note to talk to Ivar. 

 "It's probably good your brother moved out last year." She commented, tucking her laundry basket away in her closet. 

 "Yeah. He only comes over to the house if he has to." He said with a resigned sigh. After a long moment of silence, he spoke up again. His voice hesitant, almost remorseful, as what had been obviously on the tip of his tongue finally came forth. "Your mother has been talking about trying to find you again."

 Kari froze, her mind shorting out and heart rate skyrocketing as his statement sunk in. "What…. what did she say?"

 "Not much that I overheard." He confessed, sympathy in each word. "How much she misses her only daughter and feels abandoned by you. She has been telling people that you're doing charity work in another country when they ask about you."

 "It's been almost two years… I hoped…" She slumped onto her bed, legs wobbling and mind whirling. 

 "That your mother would forget about you?"

 "I don't know. I just…. I don't know."

 Silence reigned for a moment before he spoke again. 

 "Are you ever coming home?"

 "I…. I don't think that's home anymore."

 "I miss you." He whispered. 

 Tears welled in her eyes. She took a deep breath forcing them back, but knew her shaky voice betrayed her. "I miss you too. Maybe you can come visit me here?"

 "That would blow your cover."

 "Could we meet up somewhere? You take a vacation or something?"

 "I'll consider it…." His voice trailed off, only to come back stronger. "You know, when you wanted help to leave England, I thought it was just a temporary reprieve. I didn't imagine you would stay away."

 It felt like a knife twisted in her gut, because he was right. She had never thought she would be gone this long. "I know…. I just…. I like my life here. I don't…. I don't want to go back to that."

 He sighed as if giving up on convincing her to return. "I understand. I'll always be here for you. I still think of you as one of my closest friends."

 "Same. We've known each other since we were thirteen. A few countries between us isn't going to stop that."

 He chuckled. "Right. Well, I'll still hold you to your promise. If we're both unmarried by thirty-five, we'll have a courthouse wedding to keep our families off our backs."

 "Sounds good." She laughed out, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

 "I have to go. I'll text you about when we can catch up next month."

 "Perfect. Stay safe, Albus."

 "You too, Abs."

 "Ugh! That nickname is worse than yours!" She groaned, hearing a small chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Bye!"

 After hanging up, she stared at her phone for a minute, the smile fading as her mind revisited the conversation. The weight of everything slammed into her, her body no longer able to support her under the strength of her duress. She crumpled onto her bed, curling into a fetal position, tears streaming down her cheeks. It hurt that England no longer felt like home to her, but neither did where she currently lived. What hurt and confused her most, was when she thought of being home- Ivar's face filled her mind's eye. 

 *****

 "Thank you everyone for coming to class today. I'll see you either tomorrow or next week." 

 With the lights still dim, Kari turned off the soothing water music over the speakers in the yoga studio room. The women who had been laying in corpse pose on their mats began to rise and gather up their personal items. A quiet murmur of voices replaced the music in the enclosed room. She waved at a few of the regulars as they left her class. Even if she was not the one doing all the poses, by the end of class she still felt refreshed and rejuvenated. It always brought her joy to see people come in, stressed or anxious, and leave her class with a smile on their faces or just looking less tense. 

 Through the mirrors along the wall at the front of the room, she could see the tall, statuesque blonde making her way over, yoga mat tucked under her arm. 

 "Hey, you doing anything for lunch?" Gyda asked, coming up beside her. Even in leggings and a tight tank top, she looked like someone off the covers of a women's magazine. All Kari could figure was it was in the Lothbrok blood. 

 "Um, working on inventory?"

 "How about instead you come out to lunch with us?" She motioned vaguely towards Torvi, who was gathering up her yoga mat. "We planned on stopping at that new boutique down the strip. So, we can just meet you for lunch when you're done."

 "Really?" The brunette was startled by the offer. Sure, she had gone out with Gyda a few times but never with Torvi too. The three would chat occasionally before or after class and she liked Torvi's no-nonsense attitude. They had flippantly made comments about the three of them going out but to actually hear they wanted her presence both surprised and warmed her heart. "Torvi is okay with this too?"

 Gyda rolled her eyes. "Yes. So…. Yes? No? Don't leave me in suspense."

 "Yeah, I'd love to."

 "Great. Text me when you're done and we'll meet up."

 "It'll be at least half an hour…." 

 Gyda waved her off, her voice growing louder. "That's fine. Torvi takes forever when she browses anyway."

 "Sorry, I like to think through my purchases before I buy something!"

 Kari smiled at Torvi's retort. The other blonde was checking her phone, a smile on her face though as she peered up at her sister-in-law and her yoga instructor. 

 "Are you joining us?" She called over. 

 "Of course, she is!" Gyda replied, before Kari could respond. "But she's only coming if you swear not to share any stories about you and Bjorn's kinky sex life. Nobody wants to hear that."

 Without a word, Torvi gave her the middle finger salute, before looking back down at her phone. 

 Gyda chuckled then turned to raise an eyebrow at the shorter woman. "Unless you're into that kind of stuff…."

 "Oh gods, Gyda! No!" Her face flushed at the thought. 

 "Hey, it's the quiet ones who are the kinkiest. I bet Ivar would like that." She laughed as Kari tried to swat at her. Taking a step back, she pretended to zip her lips. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Text me when you're done! We can meet at the café down the street. " 

 Kari waved at Torvi as the two blondes walked out of the studio room. Quickly, she hurried to finish tidying up. It had been a long time since she felt this excited to go out to eat with some female friends. A handful of times she had gone out with some coworkers or Lydia. In the beginning she was excited when Alana would invite her out with her friends to a club or bar but Kari quickly learned that was not her scene and began making every excuse possible to not be forced out with them. She always felt like an afterthought amongst the group, especially since getting drunk nor sleeping around was not her style. This time, she had high hopes for spending time with Gyda and Torvi. It would be nice to have female friends again. 

 The door to the studio room opened and Lydia popped her head in. "Almost done? You've got a visitor out here and he's causing quite the distraction." She said with a distinct shit-eating grin and wink before ducking back out. 

 "He?" Kari questioned out loud, although her mind suspected who it was. He was the only one who ever visited her. Slipping her phone into the pocket of her maroon leggings, she gave the room one final survey, wanting it to be ready for the next class before she left. With a nod, she headed out, the door swinging shut behind her. 

 In the large open area, she understood what Lydia meant by 'causing quite the distraction'. If she paused for a moment to drink the sight in, no one could possibly know, right? 

 Ivar leaned his shoulder against a wall, arms crossed over his chest with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to display his toned forearms. His dark locks were pulled back loosely in a man-bun, a few tendrils slipped free. Even in jeans, braces and smart-looking leather shoes, he looked quite handsome. With no cane in sight, it must be a good day. 

 Kari noticed more than one pair of eyes lingering on him from around the studio although he did not seem to notice as he stood there talking with Gyda and Torvi in hushed tones. The latter said something that immediately caused Ivar to narrow his eyes at her as he snapped a comment. 

 Even from across the room, Kari could read the tension in his frame and decided to intervene before he caused a scene. Walking over to them, aware of the many sets of eyes upon the group of three, she fixed a smile on her face. Once those intense, blue eyes locked onto her and his posture softened marginally, her smile transitioned into a genuine grin. "Hey, Ivar, what are you doing here?" She asked, coming to stand between him and Gyda. 

 "Do I need a reason to come see you?" He smirked down at her.

 That look released butterflies in her stomach but she ignored them to tease him back. "Usually that's how it works."

 "And if that reason is to fulfill my quota?"

 The blush that rose to her cheeks was so hot, she wondered if you could fry an egg on her face. Immediately, she dropped her chin to her chest, willing the warmth to vanish. 

 "Hmmm…. that blush for me, kattungen?" He shifted closer so his mouth was near her ear, his question asked in such a lecherous tone, Kari felt her core clench. 

 "Shut up." She mumbled, pushing him away. He rocked back on his heels, a smug grin on his face, and an amused chuckle leaving his lips. 

 Gyda patted Kari's shoulder, drawing the brunette's attention upward again. "Text me when you're done. We'll leave you with this grumpy asshole. I'm sure you can think of a way to cheer him up." She winked as she took a step away. 

 For a moment, Kari wished the ground would open up beneath her. Between Gyda's teasing comments and Ivar's blatant remarks and heated looks, Kari's face was going to be permanently red in an endless flush. 

 "Good luck on your trip, Ivar." Torvi called over her shoulder as she followed Gyda. 

 "Oi! Tell Bjorn to keep his big fucking mouth shut!" He yelled after the blondes; the tension returned with Torvi's parting statement. Glaring at the door the two women passed through, he muttered something in a foreign language as he rubbed his hand over his mouth. Briefly, his thoughts seemed to take him elsewhere but he quickly snapped back, blue eyes finding Kari once again. 

 It was only something she had realized lately, but when he looked at her, that consuming and burning gaze landing on her with all the impact of a sledgehammer, it made her feel like the only woman in the room. It was such a cliché thing, something stupid out of a romance novel, but it was the only way she could describe the feeling. When he looked at her like this, nothing else mattered in the room. She had his whole attention, all his focus. It was heady and powerful and terrifying and astounding. The weight of others watching made her skin itch but with his gaze locked on hers, lips tilted up slightly in the hint of a fond smile, she felt in the eye of a hurricane. 

 Her blue-green eyes dropped to his chest, unable to maintain eye contact when it left her feeling so flustered. Tugging on her earlobe, she quietly asked. "What are you doing here? I thought I wasn't seeing you until you picked me up for dinner tonight?"

 "Something came up." Silently, he reached over and grasped her hand, causing her head to jerk up. Intertwining their fingers, he watched her with regret in his eyes. "I have to fly out to Italy in two hours."

 "Oh. Is everything okay?" That was not what she had expected to hear. Her heart plummeted that their dinner would have to be canceled but tried not to let it show. 

 "Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

 "Um, sure." Emotions flickering between curiosity and concern, she guided him back to the studio room. The weight of eyes lingered as they walked, especially since he refused to release her hand. A brief glance at the front counter, only to see Lydia and Sasha both staring at her with amused and proud smiles, had Kari trying to hurry out of sight with Ivar in tow. 

 Soon as the door shut behind them, hiding them from view, he pulled her against his body, one arm wrapping around her waist, trapping her against him while the other hand gripped the back of her neck. He kissed her passionately, like a man dying of thirst and only she could save him. 

 "Ivar…." She tried to pull away, aware she was at work and anyone could walk in. Instead, he held her tighter, molding her body to his. The drugging kiss that followed had her all but melting against him, knees weak and her resolve disappearing like smoke in the wind. When she opened her mouth, inviting his tongue to dance with hers, the growl that erupted from him was so thready and rough, it called to a primal part of her, making her warm all over and a tightness grow in her belly. 

 It had been two days since they had seen each other and she genuinely missed him. They had been texting during that time, but it was not the same. She missed his presence, his touch, his kisses, his grumpy comments and the way he made her laugh. Even when he annoyed or frustrated her, he still was the color in her otherwise monochromatic world. And with each day that passed, her desire to push him away fractured a little bit more. 

 When their mouths finally unlocked, both panting and lips swollen and red, she was almost shocked the nearby mirrors were not fogged up. Breathless and overwhelmed, she pressed her forehead to his, her arms around his neck. For a minute they stood there peacefully, only the sounds of their ragged breathing and the occasional noise from those outside of the studio room broke through their tranquility. 

 "What's going on, Ivar?"

 "Something with work." 

 "Does this have to do with why you've been so busy?"

 He sighed but when he spoke in a hushed tone, the rage painting each word was undeniable. "Someone on the inside has been selling information about us." She gasped, shocked but when she tried to pull away to look at him, he tugged her back against him, placing his chin on the top of her head. "I think I know who the fucker is."

 "That's why you're going to Italy?"

 "Hmmm."

 "Will you be safe?"

 That made him chuckle, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Are you worried about me?"

 She thought about making a joke, about teasing him about his recklessness. Instead the question knocked the air from her lungs momentarily, because the truth was, she was. What little she had gleaned about his work when he needed to vent, there was still an element of danger to it. She tipped her face up to look at him, her answer a quiet murmur that did nothing to hide the emotion behind her words. "Yes…. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."

 The amusement in his eyes drained to be replaced with a softness that made her heart clench. He inhaled sharply and glanced away for a moment. "Fuck, kitten…." When he turned back, he kissed her tenderly, a slow melding of their mouths like the taste of her was a fine wine he wanted to sip on endlessly. There was a promise in his action, just as much as his words when he finally whispered against her lips. "I'll be safe, just meeting with a contact. That's all."

 "Okay, just please be careful." Worry still tainted her, but she trusted Ivar to keep himself safe. He had been doing this job far longer than she had known him. 

 "Don't tell anyone about what I've said. No one else knows."

 "I promise. Not a word."

 "Good girl." He swatted her ass, making her squeak and glare up at him. "I'm going to have Hvitserk check up on you later."

 "That's not necessary." She tried to say. She would hate to be a waste of time for the older Lothbrok. The look he gave her said to not argue with him. "Fine," she dramatically sighed, "maybe him and I will watch movies and cuddle since you're soooo busy. I wonder if he'd think my bed is comfy enough or if the couch is better?"

 "Don't you fucking dare." He growled, gripping her waist in a possessive hold. 

 She just laughed at how easy he was to wind up. It was mean and she knew it. 

 He nipped at her bottom lip. "Keep playing, Kari and I'll have to punish you."

 "I have no idea what you're talking about." She batted her lashes at him, failing to suppress a childish giggle. 

 He rolled his eyes, the twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. "I need to go." He softly said though he made no move to release her from his arms. 

 With that a wave of worry and fear cascaded over her, it was unfounded she knew, but it still threatened to drag her into its depths. Not giving it a second thought, she raised up on her toes to plant a lingering kiss on his lips. 

 "You're not helping." He muttered, never removing his mouth from hers. 

 "Maybe take the next flight?"

 "Don't tempt me, vixen. I'll lock that door and have my wicked way with you right fucking here until everyone hears you screaming my name."

 Between the image he painted in her mind and his mouth having moved to her pulse point, heated arousal pooled between her legs. She gulped, her mouth suddenly dry and words sticking to her throat.

 He leaned back, a devious smirk on his lips at her obviously flushed face. "No, my priestess," he purred, a filthy, predatory glint in his blue eyes, she could not help but gasp as her knees threatened to buckle under her. "When I finally have you, it'll be somewhere I can both worship you and fuck you all night long without fear of being interrupted."

 She let out a shaky breath. "But, um…. we…. ah."

 "Soon, Vakker, blir du min." He kissed her roughly, as if sealing his words. "I do need to leave. Walk with me." He took her hand, leading her out of the studio room, giving her no choice but to walk beside him. Not that her brain was fully able to make coherent decisions at the moment. 

 As they walked towards the front of the building, she wondered if their make-out session was obvious. Her lips felt red and swollen and a blush still colored her cheeks. A glance at Ivar showed his lips fuller but he appeared so calm and collected it was unfair. 

 "Did you like the dresses?" He asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. 

 "I do. They both are gorgeous, but they're too much. I don't have a reason to dress up that fancy."

 "With me, you will. I'll get you some casual dresses too."

 "Ivar…." She whined. 

 "You need more clothes, Kari."

 "Fine. Not because I want more clothes but because I know you'll buy them for me anyway."

 He winked at her, his tone smug. "I always get my way."

 "You're unbelievable."

 They stopped beside his SUV, parked next to the sidewalk. His driver was already in the driver's seat waiting. Kari made sure to wave at the man, earning a nod back from him. The driver was a huge guy with long, thick locks of white hair and a scar on his face. He intimidated Kari but she tried to ignore that and be friendly. Even if Ivar made fun of her for it. 

 "I should be back tomorrow unless some shit comes up." Ivar stated, opening the back door. 

 "Okay. Be safe."

 "Stop worrying. Shit. I'll be fine." He remarked, sliding into his seat. Before he closed the door, he met her gaze. "I'll text you."

 She smiled in acknowledgment and stepped back, giving him a quick wave as she headed back inside and his SUV started off.  

 Lydia leaned against the front counter with Sasha and Alicia now, all three watching her with expressions ranging from amused to shocked. 

 "Um, I'm going to…. go on my lunch break now." She mumbled and hurried away to grab her purse from the office, the sounds of laughter following her. 

 The stray thought crossed her mind that she would need some new bras if Ivar was set on buying her new clothes. Not that he would see those bras, but it would be good to have…. and maybe some matching panties.

 *****

 Summer was transitioning to fall, cool undertones intermixed with the residual warmth of a September evening. 

 Kari stared at the book in her lap but the words blurred together no matter how many times she reread the same line. She loved reading outside, sitting on the small patio behind the townhouse, especially when none of the neighbors were out. She could pretend it was her own place of solace, being out in nature. The sunlight shined through the line of pine trees separating their row of townhouses from the ones behind them, bird songs mixed with the sound of traffic from the nearby roads. She much preferred this too being stuck indoors. 

 Today though, her mind drifted like the breeze, but it all centered on a conversation she had not even ten minutes ago. If she listened closely, she could hear Alana through the screen door, making her dinner in the kitchen. She knew it was not Alana's fault, but the conversation still felt like a rug had been yanked from underneath the brunette. With everything going so well in her life, of course fate had to throw her a curveball. 

 Now her mind scrambled as what to do next. 

 A sound from her left had her glance over to see Erik stepping out of his back door. A boyish grin lit up his face when he saw her. 

 "Hi, Kari. Beautiful evening, isn't it?"

 "Yeah. It is." She gave a half-hearted smile, watching as he closed the door behind him and stepped closer. 

 "Mind if I join you?"

 She waved a hand at the patio set. "Not at all." Hopefully talking with Erik would be the distraction she needed for the moment, to pull her out of her quagmire of thoughts. 

 Dropping onto the cushioned chair to her left, he ran a hand through his dirty blond hair. In jeans and a t-shirt, he appeared ready to relax for the evening. 

 "What are you reading this time?" He asked curiously. This would not be the first time he had found her outside reading. 

 She reclined on the two-person, cushioned couch, legs up and bent with her open book resting against her thighs, wearing her typical leggings and slouchy shirt. At his question, she flashed him the cover. "The Princess Bride."

 "Isn't that a movie?"

 She pretended to gasp in horror. "Yes, but the book is still a classic."

 He raised his hands in surrender, grin spreading across his face. “If you say. Not really my taste. So how was your day?"

 "Nothing exciting. Yours?"

 "The usual. Customers thinking they could do my job better than me."

 She winced. "I know the feeling."

 They made small talk for some time, talking about work and a documentary he recommended for her to watch. They argued which was the better coffee shop nearby, something they continuously disagreed on. Soon the upsetting conversation with Alana drifted to the back of her mind. It did not take long for her to close her book and set it on the ground so she could be fully invested in the conversation, especially when Erik became so animated about a topic, his hands waving around like a conductor in his enthusiasm. It was an endearing trait of his, but also alerted her to settle in because it meant he would not need much encouragement to keep talking. 

 The opening of the sliding door behind Kari stunted their conversation.

 "Kari, someone is here for you." Alana said sweetly, stepping out onto the patio. 

 Unsure what she meant and since Kari never had visitors except for Ivar, she finally turned around. Only to be met with the view of Hvitserk leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his lips. Standing there looking quite handsome in a dark navy business suit with a white undershirt, sans tie. Even his hair was nicely pleated back, making him look very professional and attractive. 

 "What are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, wondering if he just got off work. 

 Pushing off the doorframe, he meandered past Alana to approach Kari's side. "I came to check on you." He answered easily then scooped her up like she weighed nothing, making her squeal, and casually resettled them on the couch. Now he sat where she had been with her tucked against his side and his arm behind her. She also noticed how he purposefully put himself between her and Erik but chose not to comment on that. 

 "Ivar sent you, didn't he?" She grumbled, poking Hvitserk in the chest. "I told him it wasn't necessary."

 "Well, you know him." He shrugged, that teasing smirk still adorning his lips. When she tried to poke him again, he snatched her hand and held it hostage, even as she tried to tug it back. Ignoring her, he turned his attention to Erik. "Hey, man. I'm Hvitserk."

 "I'm Erik. I live next door." He responded warily, eyeing up the man as if debating to be friendly or not. 

 "Ah." With that understanding, Hvitserk seemed to give Erik a more assessing look before peering down at Kari. "You eat dinner yet?"

 "Sorta. I'm not too hungry."

 Alana spoke up from leaning against the other chair. "If you're hungry we can order something, Hvitserk. It's not a big deal."

 Kari's head whipped around to stare at her roommate in shock. Never had Alana played the hostess to Kari or anyone she knew. Then she really noticed the coquettish look of her roommate- the fluttering lashes, the sensual biting of her bottom lip in mock innocence, the way she casually leaned against the chair in a way to best highlight the curves of her body. Kari wanted to sigh. Of course, the only reason Alana pretended to care was to try and entice Hvitserk. An attractive man in their home, it was as if Alana could not help herself. 

 Apparently the flaxen-haired Lothbrok noticed her flirtatious manner also. He tipped his head, eyes blatantly tracing over her body with appreciation. Kari could see the blonde preening under Hvitserk's gaze. 

 "Did I fuck you?"

 What confident, amorous expression on Alana's face dropped in a second. "Excuse me?"

 Hvitserk waved a hand dismissively. "Sorry, you seem familiar but I can't remember…. Did you fuck one of my brothers?"

 Anger transformed her face, making her rigid and lip curled back in a snarl. "Fuck you, asshole." She shrieked, then stormed back inside, slamming the door shut. 

 He chuckled. "Huh. I take that as a yes…. ouch!"

 Kari slapped his chest. "That was extremely rude and insensitive."

 "Why? Because it's the truth?"

 "You can't just…. ask something like that." She turned to look at the closed door, wondering if she should go apologize to Alana and check on her. After a moment's debate, she turned away from the townhouse, figuring seeking out Alana would most likely end up with a door slammed in her face. 

 Hvitserk shrugged, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking it before slipping it back in.  

 His nonchalance baffled Kari. Did he not care that he just humiliated her roommate? Should she make him apologize? Though she doubted he would. Finally, she settled for just muttering, "you Lothbroks are unbelievable."

 "Oh, are you related to…." Erik's question trailed off. Where he once had been relaxed back in the cushioned chair, now he sat tensely, one of his hands tapping his knee repeatedly. 

 "Ivar? Yeah, he's my brother." Hvitserk said with a knowing smirk. 

 "He's, um…"

 "A crazy, mad bastard? Yeah. Don't recommend getting on his bad side."

 "I was going to say intense."

 Hvitserk threw his head back as he laughed. Even Kari smiled at the hesitant way Erik answered. Intense was an understatement for the youngest Lothbrok. "Yeah, he's family." 

 Erik then motioned between Kari and Hvitserk. "So are you two…. just friends?"

 Before Kari could explain, Hvitserk jumped in to answer. 

 "Ivar and I share her."

 Immediately Kari choked on air due to his candid response. Her gaze darted to Erik in horror, seeing his jaw dropped and eyes wide as saucers. Beside her Hvitserk cackled like a hyena at both of their expressions. 

 "That's not…. ugh! No!" Kari tried to speak, once she could functionally breathe again, only to cover her face as her words tumbled out of her mouth inelegantly. 

 "Awww, come on, Kari. You know I'm teasing." The elder Lothbrok tugged her hands away from her face, which only caused her to bury her face in his shoulder. "We know Ivar doesn't share. But if you ever get tired of his cranky ass, I'll be more than willing to show you a good time."

 "Oh my god." She mumbled to herself, completely mortified. The evening had been going so well, and now…. all of this. Whose grave had she accidently stepped on today? 

 Erik awkwardly cleared his throat as he rose to his feet. "Um, I'm going to go."

 "I'm so sorry, Erik." She elbowed Hvitserk when he refused to release her hands, earning an 'oof' from him. Turning her body to give Erik her full attention, she continued, hoping this had not ruined their friendship or his night. "I know this is last minute but do you think you can give me a ride to work tomorrow? If you don't want to, that's fine, especially after all of this, I wouldn't blame you."

 "No, no. I mean, sure. It's not a problem. Just, ah, text me when you're ready."

 She smiled gratefully at him. "I will. Have a good night, Erik!"

 "You too, Kari." He gave her his signature boyish grin. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looked at Hvitserk. "Nice meeting you."

 "Yeah, nice meeting you too." He said back, draping his arm once again behind Kari. 

 Erik gave Kari another brief smile before disappearing back inside his townhouse, the door sliding quietly shut behind him. 

 Hvitserk continued to stare where Erik disappeared for a long minute before muttering, "boy better watch himself."

 "What are you talking about?" She sighed out, feeling the lurking sensation of a stress headache coming on.  

 "He wants to fuck you. Ivar won't like that."

 "What is with…. No. I'm ignoring all of that." She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "Ugh, my evening was going so well until an hour ago."

 "What happened? That guy showed up to bother you? Want me to tell him to lay off?" His questions came out in rapid-fire, concern infused in his voice. 

 "No, Erik is fine. It's …. it's nothing like that."

 "So, what happened?"

 "Nothing important. Have you heard from Ivar?"

 He raised a brow at her dismissal but changed the subject. "Yeah, looks like he got what he needed so he'll be back tomorrow morning."

 "Oh good."

 "Hmmm…. which means he'll want to take you out tomorrow."

 "He bought me some dresses." She softly confessed, fiddling with her diamond stud earring. 

 "I'd recommend wearing one of those."

 She swatted at him, only to mirror the easy grin on his face. After a moment, she asked, "I just…. is it weird for him to do that?" 

 "What?"

 "Buy me stuff."

 "Does it bother you?"

 "I don't know."

 "If you want my advice, I'd say to let him." He lifted a finger to silence her protest. Her mouth snapped shut at his pointed look. Once he was sure she would not interrupt him, he spoke. "Ivar has never been good with…. verbally expressing affection, something I am sure he learned from our father. So he buys gifts, something he can touch and control. If he's buying you gifts, not out of obligation but because he wants to spoil you, then you mean a lot to him."

 She pondered his words and how she felt about them. Never did she want Ivar to feel taken advantage of by her, especially in regards to his money. She would rather tear her own heart out than make him feel used again. It grated slightly how freely he wasted money on her. The dresses were lovely, something she could only dream of having with her current salary. But she worked hard for her life, to be independent. Even whenever they went out to eat together, he never let her pay for her own meal. She had given up that fight already but this…. It felt different. Yet what Hvitserk said slunk back to the forefront of her mind. If this was his way of showing affection, of letting her know he cared about her, would it do more damage to refuse his gift?

 "How did you become so insightful into Ivar?" She teased, deciding to think about this more later. 

 He laughed, flicking her ear with the hand he still had behind her. "Out of necessity. I don't think anyone can fully understand him, not even himself."

 "He's complex." She agreed. 

 "That's a nice way of putting it." He tipped his head to the side to meet her gaze. "Now, tell me what happened earlier."

 "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

 "Ivar told me to check on you. If I left you trying to hide tears and he found out, he'd probably break my hands or legs, not sure how particular he would be."

 Biting her bottom lip, she debated blowing him off again. It was not his problem, she could deal with her own issues. But there was something about Hvitserk that made her feel comfortable around him. Even though he was under no obligation, he seemed to actually care about her. 

 Finally, she gave in with a sigh, laying her head against his shoulder. "Alana said…. Um, this townhouse belongs to her uncle. Him and his family moved into a bigger home and instead of selling this place decided to rent it out for a little extra cash. The rent is minimal, since he isn't renting to really make a profit. It's honestly the only way I've been able to afford being here. Well, Alana told me earlier that he is having to increase our rent. She didn't really tell me why but now it's going to be an extra 300 a month…. and I don't have that. So unless I want to find somewhere new to live, it kind of looks like I need to get a second job."

 He waited a moment before flatly stating, "have Ivar pay the extra. Fuck, he'd probably pay your whole rent if you asked him too."

 "No! I don't want that!" She sat up so fast, it was a miracle she did not fall off the couch. Her eyes turned to the brother beside her, wide and pleading. "Please don't tell him, Hvitty! I don't want him thinking I'm using him for his money. I…. I need to do this on my own somehow. I'll figure it out, honestly. I just wasn't expecting this to happen, that's all."

 "You really don't care about our money, do you?"

 "No." It broke her heart a little at the shock in his questioning tone. Did any of them ever expect someone to care about them without the influence of their money? 

 He stared off into the distance before looking back at her with a solemn expression. "I'll make you a deal. I won't say anything to Ivar about this, but if you are struggling, even if it's just one month's payment, you come to me and I'll help until you get your head above water again, got it?"

 "Why would you want to help me?" She quietly asked, meeting his gaze. 

 He smirked. "I like you. You're genuine. Plus, you're also great for Ivar. I'd like you to stick around and if this is one way to help with that, it's an easy solution." He narrowed his eyes at her as she started to protest again. "Don't fight me on this."

 "You Lothbroks are unbelievable. Fine." She laid her head back on his shoulder. "Thank you, Hvitserk…. and thanks for coming to check on me."

 "Anytime. You've got my number. Just cause you're Ivar's woman doesn't mean we can't be friends. But my offer still stands, if you get sick of him, I'll be the first to snatch you up."

 She laughed, heart feeling lighter than it had all afternoon. "Stop. I'm not Ivar's woman."

 "You keep telling yourself that."

 They sat quietly for a few minutes, watching the sky change colors. 

 "Mmmm…."

 "What?" She looked up at him. 

 He peeked down at her with a shit-eating grin. "I still can't remember if I fucked your roommate or not."

 "Gods, Hvitserk!"

 *****

 Before she fell asleep that night, she checked her phone one last time. A jolt of elation shot through her when she saw an unread text from Ivar. Her fingers fumbled with how quickly she tried to unlock her phone to read the text. 

 Ivar: good nite, kitten. C u 2morrow.

 A silly smile on her face, she replied. 

 Kari: sweet dreams, Ivar.

 After that, she plugged in her phone and curled up under her covers. Relief and excitement bled into her veins, allowing her to drift off to sleep with thoughts of the dark-haired Lothbrok coming home to her.

[billyhargrove-imagines]

Kindred Outsiders: Pt. 1

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x OC

Warnings: Cursing

Word Count: 2374

A/N: Hello! This story was originally posted on my fanfiction.com account but I decided to bring it to tumblr as well :) Anyhow, this story is going to take place in the beginning of summer & will later lead up to the events starting in the beginning of season 3. Gif used isn’t mine. Enjoy!

-

Indiana is…different.

I moved out here merely two weeks ago from Los Angeles, California. My father died from a plane crash over a month ago. He was on his way home from a business trip. My mother, on the other hand, isn't in the picture because she passed away from cancer 5 years ago. I was 15 years old at the time.

I couldn't stand being alone in my father's mansion any longer. It just wasn't the same without him. It caused me nothing but pain having to enter a home where I am not greeted a simple 'hello' from my father. Dinners were always lonely so I ended up resorting to going out with friends almost every night for dinner, followed by drinking at home from my father's in-home bar.

When it came around to bedtime, I felt a pit in my stomach whenever I passed my father's office and didn't see the light shining under the crack of the door. He always worked in his office late.

One day I made a bold move by giving my aunt Joyce a call and moved in with her in Indiana a month after the incident. Aunt Joyce is my father's sister.

Her small house is nothing compared to mine and lacked the useless amenities I was used to. But I didn't care. Living here so far with her, Will and Jonathan was much better than living back in California all alone. Sure, I had friends but it doesn't compare to family.

Since I am an only child of my parents, I inherited all of their money. I also made a selfless decision and paid off my aunt's mortgage. When I told her the news, I was thanked with a slap across the face followed by a tight hug. She never wanted any handouts from my parents in the past and still doesn't til this day.

It is 1pm and I just clocked out for my short shift at this clothing store in the starcourt mall. Yes, I have a great amount of money in my bank account, but I still wanted to keep myself occupied by working a part time job. I didn't want to just sit on my ass all day. Especially since I still don't know what I want to do for my career. I am 20 years old and time is ticking, but I don't want to waste my time and money on schooling when I don't know what the hell I want to do yet.

After every shift I've been stopping by the ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy and I always see the same duo, Steve and Robin. I've become quite acquainted with them and I learned so far that they're fresh out of high school.

"Let me guess, rocky road?" Steve said with a grin.

"You know me too well, Steve." I replied with a smile, stretching my arm out to hand him cash.

"God Steve. Just ask her out already." Robin added, rolling her eyes playfully and crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back counter.

"Can you not?" Steve snapped his head at Robin, cheeks flushed red.

"Very funny, Robin." I let out a chuckle and waved goodbye to the duo as I licked my delicious ice cream on my way out.

As usual, I took my time walking through the mall. I wanted to make sure I finished my ice cream before I arrived to my car and headed home. A variety of families, couples and friends seemed to be enjoying their shopping trips. Though word on the news is that many local business owners are enraged about the mall being built due to losing business.

A familiar female voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hi Victoria!" Aria, my eccentric coworker greeted me, her shoulder-length blonde hair bouncing as she kept up to my steps.

"Hey Aria, I thought you're off today?" I asked, still enjoying my ice cream.

"Yeah I was just shopping around for a gift for my mom's birthday next week." She briefly lifted the shopping bag in her hand. "Did you just get off or are you on lunch?"

"Um, I just got off."

"Yay! I'm going to the pool after this. Join me so I'm not alone!" She suggested. "There's also this hot hot hot lifeguard they hired last week. I went to school with him!"

"Okay sure. But I'm not really into that."

"Come on, Victoria." Aria groaned. "I know you don't have any plans today."

"No I meant the hot lifeguard or whatever. Not into that." I gave a dismissive wave of my hand before taking a generous lick of my ice cream.

"Oh. You're into girls? So sorry. I didn't know."

I snorted in amusement, but internally I was rolling my eyes at her. She's always been quick to make assumptions.

"No no no. I like boys." I made known. "I just don't care to drool over a piece of meat. But I'm down to take a dip in the pool."

"Oh! Okay. Sorry. Sorry again."

"It's fine Aria," I dragged. "I'm gonna go home and change out of this and I'll meet you there."

"Yay! Okay bye!" Aria shouted with glee before going our separate ways. She sure can be annoyingly hyper sometimes, but she's the only real girlfriend I've made here so far. Robin is always working and when she is off, she's always busy doing god knows what.

Like clockwork, my ice cream was finished off before I made it outside to my car. Or should I say my late father's black 1984 Porsche 911. It's quite showy for someone who now lives in Indiana, but this car was my father's baby. I'm never letting go of this.

The Rubberband Man by The Spinners blasted on my stereo as I drove to Aunt Joyce's house. Music from the 70s has always stuck with me. On my face are my favorite pair of black aviator sunglasses.

After a moment of driving down the familiar roads, I pull into the front of my aunt's house. I take the keys out of the ignition, remove my aviators, hop out of my car and enter the non vacant home. "Hey Jonathan." I greeted my cousin who is watching television on the couch with a full plate and fork in his hands.

"Hey there, Vic. You're home early." He said with a full mouth. I hummed in response before scurrying to my bedroom.

I searched through my dresser drawers until I found the perfect bikini for my mood, which is a two piece. I paired my black cheeky bottoms with a neon green strapless top. After quickly peeling off my work attire and slipping into my bikini, I made sure to at least cover up my ass cheeks with denim shorts before throwing on a pair of sandals.

Now I am out the door, tossing my bag of pool essentials in the passenger seat and making sure not to forget my aviators. The sun is at its peak and I am ready to cool off.

Minutes later I pull into the parking lot of the community pool for the first time since moving down here. I've driven past it plenty of times but never had the need to go yet until Aria randomly invited me.

Exiting my car with my bag under my arm and my aviators on, I hear various sounds at a short distance of people enjoying themselves in the water.

The sun is beaming down at me as I'm making my way through the gate, glancing around until I find Aria. "Victoria! Hey!" She shouted with glee, waving her hand. I found her lying on the pool lounger.

"Hey Aria." I greeted, placing my bag on the ground.

"Go on in the pool if you want. I'm waiting for him to show up for his shift. It should be any moment now!"

"Really?" Sitting down at the foot of the empty pool lounger, I shook my head at Aria in disapproval.

She scoffed. "Oh don't give me that look, Victoria." I shook my head at her, dropping my shorts and tossing it in my bag.

Aria let out a gasp out of the blue, sitting up straight. "Speaking of Billy. There he is!"

"Where?" I asked, casually pulling a flask out of my bag. I'm not an alcoholic and I don't plan to get plastered, but a little buzz is well deserved.

Aria doesn't respond. Instead, I scan my surroundings until I spotted the only male lifeguard walking the grounds to my left. He is tastefully shirtless, wearing red swim shorts, a whistle necklace and brown aviator shades. His dirty blonde hair is styled into a mullet, which surprisingly fits his face perfectly.

Billy's head snapped my direction as I'm taking a swig out of my whiskey filled flask. I couldn't tell if he was directly looking at me due to the shades masking his eyes, but all of the women's eyes were on him. And by the swagger of his steps, I can tell he's reveling in it.

"Eh." I shrugged my shoulders, once Billy passed me and sat comfortably in the lifeguard chair. "He's alright." I lied.

From his perfectly tanned skin to his flawlessly sculpted muscles, it's as if his body was made by angels. Even from a distance, I could see that his plump lips could lose any woman in his kiss. But no, I had to feign being unimpressed because a man that looks like that is bad news for me.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" She briskly pulled her sunglasses off, shooting me a look of disgust.

"Are your sunglasses blinding you?"

I snorted. "Nope. I can see perfectly clear."

"Ugh! If you think that Billy Hargrove is just alright, then I don't even want to know what kind of men you consider perfect." Aria mentioned seriously to me as she laid back and placed her sunglasses back on.

"Don't care. I'm going for a dip." I threw my flask back inside my bag before rising to my feet towards the pool to swim a few laps.

Stroking through the water, there is no one alive who can stop me. It's a moment like this that makes me miss the beaches in California. But I close my eyes and lose myself, pretending that's exactly where I am.

Unaware how long I've been swimming to and fro, I do one more lap before I take a break and reward myself with another sip of whiskey.

As I am motioning out of the water and my feet are planted onto the cement, a deep, male voice captures my attention. "Here."

I look and it is the stud himself, Billy Hargrove handing me a towel. "Oh thanks." I accepted with a soft smile, almost hesitant because I have a towel in my bag but I didn't want to seem rude.

I begin pat drying my long, black hair with the towel and begin sauntering towards my designated pool lounger, but Billy halts me, "Hey sweetheart." I spun around to face him with furrowed brows. "What's your name?" He asked, removing his glasses to reveal his annoyingly beautiful, blue eyes.

"Victoria. And you?" I asked even though I already know.

"The name's Billy." He said, randomly placing a piece of gum in his mouth which caused me to catch a glance at his lips, then to his abs and back to his eyes. I swear I saw the corner of his lip quirk up when he caught me. "Nice to meet ya Victoria."

"You too Billy." The sun was so hot that I didn't even need to dry off my body anymore. Instead, I threw the towel over my shoulder.

"Am I mistaken or is this your first time here?" He asked, smacking his gum as he's indiscreetly giving me an elevator look.

"No you're right." Before Billy had the chance to speak any further, I pointed behind him towards the pool. "Hey, I think there's a kid drowning over there."

Just as I predicted, he cautiously looked over his shoulder and that's when I made a beeline towards my pool lounger next to Aria.

"You. Dumb. Bitch." Aria remarked with obvious displeasure as I'm searching for my flask. "I can't be friends with you anymore."

"What now, Aria?"

"Billy the hottie was obviously into you and you blew it! Ugh, the things I'd do to be in your shoes right now."

"Oh please. He's just another pretty boy that wants one thing." I implied before taking a sip. "Go over there and talk to him yourself then." Flickering my eyes, I am now seeing that Billy's back on his lifeguard chair.

"Um no. If Billy wants somebody, Billy always makes the first move. Do I look like I want to embarrass myself right now?"

"If you say so." I said, readjusting the pool lounger so that it was flat and I lied on my stomach, using my arms as a makeshift pillow. "Can you rub sunscreen on me and wake me up in 30. I'm taking a nap."

Being the good friend that she is, Aria stole the sunscreen from my bag and did as I asked. She knows I'd do the same for her.

"I know you can't see right now," she started after a minute of no words exchanged, "but he's looking over here. Probably at your ass." She paused. "I wouldn't blame him though."

She's right. I do have a nice ass.

"Billy can stare all he wants. What do I care?" I uttered lazily, eyes closed and ready to sleep.

"You're insane! If I can't have him, then can you have him for me? And tell me if it is big!" She whisper shouted, rubbing the last bit of sunscreen needed on me.

"Im not having sex with anyone, Aria. Especially not him. I'm taking my nap now."

Billy is just another handsome face with a Calvin Klein body which doesn't impress me because it seems like he's used to getting any woman he wants. But I'm not any other woman, so he can use that charm on the next one for all I care.

[rfassholes]

[PLATONIC} HC where MC time travels (from the future) and they meets the RFA guys and gal and they end up feeling protective over them for no reason? like ?? they don't feel any romantic love for this MC they just "oh hello stranger that I suddenly want to keep safe" ?? and it turns out that this MC is their future child and they were just curious to see how their parents were in the past. But when MC returns to her timeline the RFA's memories about them are deleted for their own safety though.

I’m really sorry if this one was short; If you’d like me to add more, please request it with specifics! I’m sorry if that sounds stupid, considering your request was detailed. I just c o u l d n ‘ t write for some reason. Anyways, I hope you like it even if they’re short!

Yoosung:

As a child, you were always told that your dad was an amazing veterinarian, but you could never go with him to work

However, you were given the opportunity to go see him at any point in his life, so you instantly thought of his college years

He always was kinda quiet about those

You ended up on a uni campus when you had gone back and recognized it as the one your dad had a diploma from

Walking around, you were able to get ahold of his class schedule and decided to attend a lecture he had that day

Once you got to the lecture hall, you looked around trying to find a kid with bright blond hair

Yoosung was texting under the desk on his phone when you walked over to sit by him

However, instead of walking, you ended up tripping quite badly and hit yourself on his desk and bolted up asking if you were okay

“Would you like me to go get ice or something?” “No, it’s alright; thank you, though” “Well, we’ve got a few minutes until the professor shows up.

What’s your name? I’m Yoosung Kim!”

Wait shit

Do you say your name?

Well, his memories of you are going to be erased anyways

“Uh, I’m MC. MC Kim. Nice to meet you, Yoosung” He smiled quickly and responded before taking his phone out again, “Pleasure’s mine!” “Who’re you texting?” “Just some friends. We’re throwing a party in a few days, and we’re still planning”

The professor walked in before you could ask any more questions and now you had to sit through it

Oh well, your dad was probably going to be taking notes the entire time so it’d probably be boring

Nope, he continued texting

That is, until the professor was telling him off and you could see him still messaging the chat

Tch, and you thought you were bad

When the professor walked away, he spoke again “Sorry if that scared you at all. I’d just rather pay attention to my friends than biology. Maybe I could give you my number, so I know that you’re okay? You hit yourself pretty hard on my desk” “Sorry, I don’t have a phone, but you’re quite nice for asking if I’m alright”

After the lecture ended, you gave a goodbye and walked around just a bit more before you had to go, wondering about that party he was talking about

Zen:

Okay, if your dad was a fairly famous actor, his life had to have been somewhat interesting

After all, he mentioned a motorcycle gang and you knew he used to smoke and drink quite a bit

When you traveled back, you wound up on a movie set and were able to find him easily from that white ass hair of his

Figuring you had to fit in, you took a water bottle from a PA and decided to go bring it to him

“Oh, thank you” “No problem” “Woah, who’re you? Don’t think I’ve seen that cute face around here”

Oh hell no

Seriously, Dad?

“Uh, um, I’m sixteen” “Alright? Oh. OH. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-“ “Mhm. Anyways, I’m MC, Hyun” “How did yo-“ “Oh, um, bye! Have to go!”

You practically ran away, not noticing you took the water bottle with you

When you turned back around to make sure no security guards were following you, you saw him staring at you

Even though he wouldn’t remember this, the embarrassment still felt like it would matter

Walking quickly back over, you saw that he took out his phone and started texting, but you were determined to get it over with

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ “It’s alright. I was just worried you were feeling sick or something” “No, it’s alright. Thanks, Dad”

dAMMIT, MC

This time you actually ran

Once you were back to your time, you couldn’t look at him for a solid three days

Jaehee:

Your mother was staying up again, running up numbers for the café, and you were curious as to how she was still working

Let alone alive

You had also heard that your family friend, Jumin Han, used to be her boss

That alone had you have so much respect for her

So when you were given the opportunity to go back to the time where she worked under him, you were excited to see her

That is, until you were asked by a dozen people to get coffees in an unfamiliar room of cubicles and doors leading to offices

You ended up borrowing some paper from a random woman and went around to get all the orders

It was kind of similar to what you did in the café sometimes, anyways

Dropping off all the coffees, you had four left that were for one office

When you went to find the number, you stopped at the placard by it that read ‘Jaehee Kang’

You were trying to balance all the cups when you twisted the doorknob ad you practically fell into the room

While trying to regain your balance, you ended up spilling a two of four all over yourself and you were trying not to yell out

Sure, you had spilt a few when you were running around the café, but this shit b u r n e d

Jaehee, on the other hand, was trying to help you the moment you stumbled through the door

She couldn’t stop the cups from tipping, but she grabbed the other two before those got dropped and set them on her desk

“Would you like me to get some napkins?” “Yes, please”

She was back in barely a minute along with some burn cream and an ice pack

“I’m really very sorry that you got hurt. It’s my fault for needing so much caffeine” “Don’t worry; it’s my job” “We haven’t had new interns here in a while, so thank you for helping out. Do you want the ice pack? It should help a bit”

You only nodded and tried to set it where you had gotten burned the most

“Maybe instead of getting everyone food, would you like to help me edit some reports?” “Sure, Mo-Ms. Kang” “Jaehee is alright; what’s your name?” “MC Kang” “There’s some pens on my desk. You can grab one and read through the green one, MC. Also, make sure you don’t keep the ice pack on it constantly. You might wind up with other burns”

You ended up staying there for a couple of hours and she told you to leave after it hit eleven pm

“Have a good evening, Jaehee” “You, too, MC. Stay safe tonight”

Seven:

Your parents were very hush hush about your dad’s old work and you slightly suspicious to say the least

When you were given the opportunity to see him on the job nearly twenty years ago, you instantly agreed

You kind of regretted it now, considering you were in the middle of a forest at night

It was odd to walk around by yourself when you barely see the moon from under the trees

A little voice in your head said that you were being tricked since you’d been walking around for a couple of minutes with no sign of the red-head

And then the shouting started

“Well, I’m sorRY, MARY. We can’t all be perfect when it comes to beating the shit out of people” “You’re lucky I had my taser, dumbass”

You tried to go by the voices but ending up falling over a rock and getting your ankle wedged between it and a log

“Do you think someone else made it out?” “Always check for good measure”

Two figures with swinging flashlights were walking towards you while you were trying to roll the log away

“Not an agent” “Yeah, not an agent. Were you trying to listen to us?”

That was the voice that sounded familiar out of the two so you tried to face them as best you could

“No, I was on a hike” “At two in the morning?” “Yeah” “Do you need help? It looks like you might’ve twisted something”

The other person in a garish looking outfit started speaking

“You know we can’t bring someone back” “But they look like they’re in pain” You decided to butt in, “It’s ‘cause I am, dumbass”

One person handed their flashlight to the one in the leopard print and walked over to help you roll the log away

When they offered a hand to help you up, you recognized them as your dad and gratefully took the support to get up

“707, you can’t take them back to the bunker with you” “Watch me” “Bu-“ “Their ankle is either rolled or sprained. Do you want them stumbling around these woods at this time?” “Well, no, but you have a jo-“ “And that job is to help others”

He helped you stand up properly to walk and started leading you towards a brightly colored car, much to the dismay of the other walking behind you two

You were driven to a bunker that you recognized from pictures with a blindfold over your eyes for safety measures

Your ankle was wrapped up and your few scrapes were cleaned before he offered to drive you back to wherever you were from

“Just a few miles from here should be fine. I’ll find my way back” “You sure?” “Yep” “I’m glad we were in the woods, or else you’d still be stuck there” “Probably, thank you again” “No need”

He was the one who ended up driving you to a random intersection after driving for a few minutes

When you were about to shut the door, he spoke again, “Hey, I didn’t catch your name” “I didn’t throw it, Saeyoung”Jumin:

Being from an extremely well off family, you were curious as to how your father used to run the company

Your grandfather had only died a year or two ago and that’s when you got more involved with it

You could watch him be the big boss whenever you went to the office building

But what about when he was only the heir?

Granted, he was a director, but it still intrigued you when you had the chance to go back in time to see him

You were now standing in a hallway of what looked to be the upper stories of an office building that you easily recognized

While you were walking around taking in how the building used to look, a white cat ran past you

Only assuming it was the one from the photo albums, you followed the cat as best you could

“El-Elizabeth?” you called to the cat while it was sitting at the end of the hallway

Even though in your time this cat had died around four years ago, you still cared about it from the slightly-blurry pictures your father had showed you

At the mention of its name, the cat perked up and walked to you and you were allowed to scoop it up in your arms

Walking back through the hallways trying to find the door marked ‘Jumin Han’, you were stopped by two people in all-black suits

The first one spoke in a downright disgusting tone, “Now why is a hot piece of ass like yourself in this hallway? Did Mr. Heir dump you out here?” “No, piss off”

The second spoke with a much more business-like tone after glaring at the other

“Why are you smuggling the cat of the heir of this company?” “I’m MC Han, and just returning her”

The man didn’t want to take any chances at the name Han, so he escorted you to an office and stood outside the door while you knocked

A person called through the office, “Who is it? Did you find Elizabeth the III?” “I have your cat, Mr. Han”

At the mention of cat, the door flew open with your father holding it open

“Please come in, as you were the one to find my life mate” “Your what now?” “My Elizabeth the III” “Right”

You crouched down to let the cat out of your arms and stood back up before stepping in cautiously

“I’m indebted to you for finding her” “Not really. She was just in the hallway” “Yes, but nobody else found her. Could I ask your name?” “It’s MC Han” “I’m sorry; are you a relative?” “Not yet- I mean, not quite” “Are you a person of my father’s?” “No” “Very well, how may I repay you for bringing her back?” “You really don’t ne-“ “Yes, I do. Please answer my question” “Well, there was a guard that was harassing me earlier”

His head snapped up to you since he was sitting down to pet Elizabeth “Which?” “The one with the blond hair outside the door”

Calling once again to the outside of the door, Jumin spoke coldly, “Smith, get your ass in my office”

Seeing your father swear wanted to make you laugh, but you maintained a straight face

The guard from earlier stepped in looking around the room anxiously “Is everything alright, Mr. Han?” “Not for you. What did you tell MC earlier in the hallway?” “I asked why someone as good-looking as themselves were standing alone and if you had kicked them out” “You do realize how inappropriate that is, yes?” “Yes, Sir” “Good”

He stood up from his cat and adjusted his coat sleeve before standing right in front of the man and slapped him across the face

“You’ve thirty minutes to gather anything you have before you’re fired. Have a day”

This time, you actually laughed after the man had quickly left the room

“ ‘Have a day’ really, Da-Mr., Han?” “Well, I didn’t want him to have a nice day”

You started laughing again while he looked slightly confused“Thank you, Mr. Han” “Thank you for bringing my Elizabeth and informing me of a corrupt employee” “I’m not sure if they were corru-“ “They harassed you. That’s enough” “Well, have a good day, Mr. Han”

He gave you a simply goodbye before you left and went back to your time

When you sat down for dinner, you tried to stifle your laughter at the memory of your father bitch slapping a security guard when he sat down across from you

“Is everything alright?” “Yes, just please let me know if you ever slap someone” “Sure thing?”

Look at me actually doing two requests in one day (even though they’re like a week late I’m sorry) I hope you enjoyed these, though. I hope you all have days!